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Downtown

Notes after spending the past 10 or so says in Saskatchewan, a couple of them in Regina, a couple in Saskatoon and the rest here in a cute little town in the middle of nowhere called Estevan:

1 - I LOVE EDMONTON!
2 - I FREAKING LOVE EDMONTON!
3 - I REALLY, REALLY, REALLY LOVE EDMONTON!
4 - HAVE I MENTIONED HOW MUCH I LOVE EDMONTON?!

Now, apart from the joking - or not - and considering that both Regina and Saskatoon are considerably smaller and poorer than Edmonton (hell, the whole province of Saskatchewan is barely more populated than the City of Edmonton), I took my time walking around the two downtowns and I've noticed a couple of things:

a) There's barely any residential buildings and the few they have are, in general, decrepit and look more like slums.
b) There's essentially NO LIFE in them, at all. Even in a business day with restrictions looser than those of Alberta and a more compact city (the case of Saskatoon), I don't think I've seen more than 15 or 20 people walking or shopping, even though the stores were open.
c) They're even more car-centric than Edmonton and transit seems to be underdeveloped even for Canadian and American standards. There was a bus stop in front of my hotel and while doing nothing, I stopped to count the busses and they were few and far between, despite the fact that I was in the busiest part of downtown Saskatoon.

I know we should be aiming at our own weight category, in terms of presenting ourselves as a city to the world, but I would love if we all took time to appreciate what we have and how nice of a city we live in.
 
San Francisco's Spin released hundreds of orange and black e-scooters into Old Strathcona and downtown Edmonton earlier this week as the company prepared to make its official debut in Canada this weekend.

Spin is offering free rides in celebration of its launch on April 17, and will also offer healthcare workers rides at no charge for a limited time. It joins fellow scooter companies Lime and Bird on the streets.

 
Notes after spending the past 10 or so says in Saskatchewan, a couple of them in Regina, a couple in Saskatoon and the rest here in a cute little town in the middle of nowhere called Estevan:

1 - I LOVE EDMONTON!
2 - I FREAKING LOVE EDMONTON!
3 - I REALLY, REALLY, REALLY LOVE EDMONTON!
4 - HAVE I MENTIONED HOW MUCH I LOVE EDMONTON?!

Now, apart from the joking - or not - and considering that both Regina and Saskatoon are considerably smaller and poorer than Edmonton (hell, the whole province of Saskatchewan is barely more populated than the City of Edmonton), I took my time walking around the two downtowns and I've noticed a couple of things:

a) There's barely any residential buildings and the few they have are, in general, decrepit and look more like slums.
b) There's essentially NO LIFE in them, at all. Even in a business day with restrictions looser than those of Alberta and a more compact city (the case of Saskatoon), I don't think I've seen more than 15 or 20 people walking or shopping, even though the stores were open.
c) They're even more car-centric than Edmonton and transit seems to be underdeveloped even for Canadian and American standards. There was a bus stop in front of my hotel and while doing nothing, I stopped to count the busses and they were few and far between, despite the fact that I was in the busiest part of downtown Saskatoon.

I know we should be aiming at our own weight category, in terms of presenting ourselves as a city to the world, but I would love if we all took time to appreciate what we have and how nice of a city we live in.
Did you get the feeling that Saskatoon is just a smaller version of Edmonton though? I've visited a couple of times for multiple overnight stays and that is the impression I get:
  • Both have Provincial universities on the south side of the river (U of A in Edmonton and U of S in Saskatoon)
  • Both hav Saskatchewan rivers (North Sask in Edmonton and South Sask in Saskatoon)
  • Both have downtowns on the north side of the river
  • Both 'hip' neighbourhoods are on the south side of the river (109 Street/Old Strathcona in Edmonton and Broadway/Nutana in Saskatoon)
  • Both have 'high level bridges' (High Level in Edmonton and Grand Trunk Bridge in Saskatoon)
  • Both have ring roads (Anthony Henday Drive in Edmonton and Circle Drive in Saskatoon)
The only major differentiating factor is that Edmonton is the provincial capital while Saskatoon is not.
 
Did you get the feeling that Saskatoon is just a smaller version of Edmonton though? I've visited a couple of times for multiple overnight stays and that is the impression I get:
  • Both have Provincial universities on the south side of the river (U of A in Edmonton and U of S in Saskatoon)
  • Both hav Saskatchewan rivers (North Sask in Edmonton and South Sask in Saskatoon)
  • Both have downtowns on the north side of the river
  • Both 'hip' neighbourhoods are on the south side of the river (109 Street/Old Strathcona in Edmonton and Broadway/Nutana in Saskatoon)
  • Both have 'high level bridges' (High Level in Edmonton and Grand Trunk Bridge in Saskatoon)
  • Both have ring roads (Anthony Henday Drive in Edmonton and Circle Drive in Saskatoon)
The only major differentiating factor is that Edmonton is the provincial capital while Saskatoon is not.
That is 1000% the impression I have of Saskatoon.

Similar in so many ways, but just slightly smaller and worse in all of those ways.
 
This hole is killing our DT. So badly need it filled in to make Oliver and DT feel connected. Seems like a chasm no one wants to walk through.
Screenshot_20210416-161515_Instagram.jpg
 
Reference ID:Job No 392108227-002
Description:To operate a Special Event (Root 107, operating from April 21 to May 2, 2021)
Location:10135 - 107 STREET NW
Plan 8222080 Blk 6 Lot 133
Applicant:DOWNTOWN BUSINESS ASSOCIATION OF EDMONTON
Status:Intake - Payment Required
Create Date:4/13/2021 12:18:30 PM
Neighbourhood:DOWNTOWN
 
This hole is killing our DT. So badly need it filled in to make Oliver and DT feel connected. Seems like a chasm no one wants to walk through. View attachment 313143
That land is all vacant because it is the location of the future Warehouse Campus Neighbourhood Central Park (to be renamed once a design is prepared).
 
That land is all vacant because it is the location of the future Warehouse Campus Neighbourhood Central Park (to be renamed once a design is prepared).
Yeah, im excited for that..sad its taking so long though. Shift and the parks will really help. We'll still need 4 or 5 more towers in this 105 street to 108 street strip though to fill it out. Especially on the north end. Macewan and Roger's feel very disconnected as a pedestrian
 
Yup... another cycle or two before Downtown 'gets there'. Typically our cycles are 7-8 years and so 2040 is a good target and conveniently around when our city-wide LRT will be done as well.

Can't wait for my 'six-oh' eggs discounts around then too:(
 
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Let me see... 7 or 8 plus 21 = 28 or 29 -- where does 40 come in to that simple equation? and even if you double the "cycles" that comes to 35 or 36. Why did you skip math class?
 
not to be picky but 2 * 7 with a margin of error or 2 * -2 could just as easily be 2031 as 2040.

you need to stop being so flip with your postings and then defending or justifying them to the max just so it looks good on you grasshopper.
 

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