How would you rank Canada's 5 most important cities?

[begratto]

Originally Posted by Pinion

Interesting, on the west coast this change seems to be welcomed by most.

Here too, but there's a vocal minority (and not that numerous) that opposes any kind of gentrification.

[urbanroo]

Originally Posted by ciudad_del_norte

I'm not sure, I'm also from Edmonton and I still struggle to put Edmonton ahead of Calgary in political influence provincially. Edmonton's political influence is generally limited in that Edmonton tends to find itself to the left of the rest of the province. Despite being the capital, the influence of the city on provincial politics often hasn't been too strong. Edmonton has long been somewhat shut out of provincial politics because it wasn't quite part of the club. Although I do think it would be fair to argue in the current political scene Edmonton might have the edge. The AB NDP machinery is much more Edmonton than Calgary based, which is a significant departure from previous politics. Given the dumpster fire of AB politics at the moment, difficult to tell if that is a longer term change.

I guess the question, for Edmonton as well as Ottawa, Quebec City, Victoria, etc. is how important is it to be a capital city. How do we measure political influence? By money and ability to buy off politicians? By number of ridings? By number of politicians from that city? Does the fact that the politicians do their business in that city matter? And if so, how much? When measuring political influence, how many "bonus points" should a city get for being a capital?

[Ramako]

Originally Posted by OutOfTowner

I've looked at this post from a different POV and..

People come to Canada for the wilderness, not our cities.

Our cities suck.

After spending a long time in Berlin (and a week or more in Hamburg, Amsterdam, Den Haag, Copenhagen, Brussels as well) I can only ask myself this:

Would anybody be impressed with any Canadian city?

The architecture, old or new? No.
The public realm? No.
The nightlife? No.
The liquor restrictions? No.
The museums/attractions? No.
The public transit? No.
The difference from any random American city? No.

I mean, Montreal, Quebec City represent the closest thing to your typical European city yet we still fall short! We're too North Americanized!

It wasn't until I invited some friends to pop over from Berlin that I understood: I have a whole lot of explaining to do. And this is coming from Montreal, imagine if they went to ______!!

People come to Canada for our natural attractions, not for our boring, ugly cities (contrary to the belief of our tin-hatted, height jockey, skyline freak, urban canyon, condo fan weirdos).

Hmmm... I knew this post felt oddly familiar for a reason. Like something a hab fan man would write.

I'm game. Let's see how it goes this time.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by begratto

Here too, but there's a vocal minority (and not that numerous) that opposes any kind of gentrification.

They are also very well organized and have lots of friends in the media.

[begratto]

Originally Posted by Acajack

They are also very well organized and have lots of friends in the media.

Very true

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by begratto

Very true

There is definitely a noble side to not wanting to see the less fortunate totally forced out of a city that might become an exclusive preserve for the rich, but as we say, on n'arrête pas le progrès.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by kwoldtimer

How much of the current strong growth in Quebec is being fueled by the Montreal area and how much by the rest of the province? Or is it fairly evenly spread? .

It's quite evenly spread with regions like Quebec City, the Beauce, the Eastern Townships, the Laurentians, the St-Hyacinthe-Drummondville corridor all doing quite well in recent years. Of course Gatineau is always OK and even resource regions like Abitibi-Témiscamingue have seen a notable upswing due to more demand for certain things that come out of the ground.

If anything it was Montreal that was the "laggard" compared to these regions in recent years.

Now that it's doing well due to its size it drives the overall provincial numbers even more positively.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by wave46

I'm not sure much would really change. Canada is large enough (and diverse enough) that generally no one area holds all the cards with respect to political power or economic might. There's always the sense of 'coalition building' to get things done.

Now, certainly Quebec would get more attention than it does in the national media and in the consciousness of the average Canadian if that happened - look at how western Canada has gained prominence with the improved economic fortunes they've had over the past few years.

In my experience things are much nastier in Spain with respect to Catalonia and Catalans. Maybe similar to the most recent worst Quebec-Canada period which was in the 1990s IMO.

I don't know why that is - perhaps the fact that Catalans have been the prosperous ones for a long time has led to higher levels of cockiness and resentment. Or maybe it's just the way people in Spain are - more emotional, intense and impulsive.

[niwell]

Originally Posted by Acajack

There is definitely a noble side to not wanting to see the less fortunate totally forced out of a city that might become an exclusive preserve for the rich, but as we say, on n'arrête pas le progrès.

Oftentimes those that are most outspoken against gentrification in at least a somewhat constructive way are still very much pioneer gentrifiers in the area. These are the artists and young families, etc that moved in when an area was still a bit sketchy and do legitimately appreciate the existing social fabric of the neighbourhood. Ironically this is what paves the way for the rich gentrifiers who often seem opposed to any change, good or bad once they arrive. Of course SSP is very much populated by people who would fit somewhere along the spectrum.

[WhipperSnapper]

The area I grew up was like this. Gentrification wasn't between rich and poor. It was between the established families that appreciated the history and atmosphere and the new families that wanted their chain stores and the renters out.

[MolsonExport]

Originally Posted by Acajack

In my experience things are much nastier in Spain with respect to Catalonia and Catalans. Maybe similar to the most recent worst Quebec-Canada period which was in the 1990s IMO.

I don't know why that is - perhaps the fact that Catalans have been the prosperous ones for a long time has led to higher levels of cockiness and resentment. Or maybe it's just the way people in Spain are - more emotional, intense and impulsive.

I just got back from Belgium. The Flemish and Walloons appear to hate each other. Nary a scrap of French can be found anywhere in Flanders (outside of Bruxelles, that is). Not on public transit, not on trains, not in shops...not even on the goddamned menus.

[p_xavier]

Originally Posted by MolsonExport

I just got back from Belgium. The Flemish and Walloons appear to hate each other. Nary a scrap of French can be found anywhere in Flanders (outside of Bruxelles, that is). Not on public transit, not on trains, not in shops...not even on the goddamned menus.

They do, when in Bruges I had to speak English to get service.

[MolsonExport]

Originally Posted by d_jeffrey

They do, when in Bruges I had to speak English to get service.

Call it Bruges at your own peril. It is Brugge to the Flemish, and they won't let you forget it.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by MolsonExport

Call it Bruges at your own peril. It is Brugge to the Flemish, and they won't let you forget it.

Brugge is a fun one to pronounce. With that double G sound.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by d_jeffrey

They do, when in Bruges I had to speak English to get service.

Cue a copycat of the classic Canadian debate about people knowing a language but refusing to speak it to visitors...

[kwoldtimer]

Originally Posted by Acajack

Cue a copycat of the classic Canadian debate about people knowing a language but refusing to speak it to visitors...

Somewhere in Quebec is a peripatetic linguistic nationalist who races around the province to find visitors he can refuse to speak English with. He must exist, because everybody seems to have heard about him ....

[MolsonExport]

Originally Posted by Acajack

Cue a copycat of the classic Canadian debate about people knowing a language but refusing to speak it to visitors...

My first time in Belgium (2009), I accidentally spoke French when visiting a museum in Brugge (I was visiting for the day while staying in Lille, and I had been speaking French during my stay in Lille, and it just came out in Brugge).

The (flemish) ticket wicket lady noticed my strange accent (Quebecois-French, with a touch of Anglophone accent), and asked where I was from. When I said Montreal, the lady stated speaking perfect French to me, saying "well, you understand our situation, being a minority over there in Canada...with all those English around you. We have to fight or else our language will disappear."). I didn't have the heart to tell her that English was my first language! The people behind me were French from France, and the lady suddenly lost her ability to speak French when they made an inquiry.

[MolsonExport]

Originally Posted by kwoldtimer

Somewhere in Quebec is a peripatetic linguistic nationalist who races around the province to find visitors he can refuse to speak English with. He must exist, because everybody seems to have heard about him ....

Heheh. I think he might enjoy a seven-up now and then.

[wave46]

Originally Posted by MolsonExport

Call it Bruges at your own peril. It is Brugge to the Flemish, and they won't let you forget it.

Now I have to watch In Bruges again.

[MolsonExport]

Well, I liked Brugge so much, I went back for 3 days with my wife. Part of an extended Holland-Belgium trip.

Brugge is picture perfect. Perhaps the most charming place on the whole planet, in terms of built form (not so much the cold locals, who were like locals in any city that has a lot of tourists).