Quote:
Originally Posted by trhgr
Frost/Thaw cycles = cracks. Fountains must retain water and cracks makes them leak. Statues don't leak.
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Ok i'm sorry i don't post often here because i find it frustrating so see many people's attitude or views towards certain things.. either that or it's frustratng to see great ideas in this city just vanish away because of Ottawa's red tape/lack of cahonas, lack of forward thinking or whatever..
but this reply to fountains and the other one above i forget by who about maintenance because of winter etc.. you've got to be kidding me.
I've often been amazed at the lack of fountains in this city, fountains have a way to attract people (obviously especially during very warm summer days) but just in general they bring an environment and atmosphere that is pleasant, fun and urban.
to read these two comments as to opinions or reasons that Ottawa doesn't have more fountains??
Should i bring up the fact that NYC has hundreds if not thousands of fountains? Chicago? Montreal? toronto? Washington? Boston? countless other North American cities in cold winter climates .. and not to mention the many many many cities in Europe including the colder eastern european and scandanavian countries.. and what do you know they all have many many many many fountains!
do they fear the supposed maintenance issues? ummm NO .. do they fear the dreaded potential cracks that lets face it any well desgined/well engineered fountian shouldn't face at all and even then the older simpler ones don't really seem to have any issues... ummm NO.
i'm sorry i'm not attacking you or the other person that mentioned the maintenance issue personally.. it just drives me nuts to read comments like that because they reek of typical Ottawa behaviour.
Because for some reason despite the fact that most forward thinking cities in the world with comparable climates to Ottawa have obviously realized that the very difficut task of erecting fountains (sarcasm) is worth undertaking.. you take the same prospect here in Ottawa and all of the sudden it becomes this huge undertaking that requires studies and feasibility investigations and years of red tape only to be told actually no fountains have too many maintenance issues and because of our climate are prone to cracks that make fountains very difficult to have so we can't have them (sarcasm)
before anyone says it yes I am aware that ottawa does have SOME fountains and actually a few are very nice (i'm thinking of the one in the park in front of lord elgin for example or even a modern twist with the metal one in front of the archives building)
but other than those two i think i can count on one hand maybe 2 if we're lucky the amount of fountains Ottawa has and many of those are ridiculous to count af fountains (i'm looking at you william street and york street)
and to reittarate what someone else mentioned... (and not to say that gatineau is any better or any more forward thinking) but the Casino at Lac Leamy has many many fountains (from the gyser in the lake) to the long line of continuous fountains as you drive in .... i guess they magically found the secret maintenance and cracks formula that alludes us all.