https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dodger_Stadium
https://californiathroughmylens.com/dodger-stadium/
Thursday, October 16, 2025
Seattle Link light Rail
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Link_light_rail Seattle was wise just like Edmonton to have long underground train stations. Unfortunatly, Vancouver always seems to opt for the congestive planning approach.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Link_light_rail#Lines Of course an all underground or all elevated line would be better than on the street. Thus, this is like a modern streetcar or a tram-train.
Why free public transport doesn't fix traffic (and what does) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K6md7gny4pY
Edmonton LRT and Calgary C Train
https://jfdatalinks.blogspot.com/search?q=Edmonton+LRT While Edmonton had a good head start over Calgary, they understood even back in the 1970s to build their underground stations to be at least 125 m.
https://jfdatalinks.blogspot.com/search?q=Calgary+C+Train Fortunately, Calgary will follow the Edmonton example to have underground stations that are longer than what foolish Vancouver has.
https://jfdatalinks.blogspot.com/search?q=LRT
Governor A.E. Driscoll Bridge, NJ
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Driscoll_Bridge
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edison_Bridge_(New_Jersey) , https://www.google.com/maps/place/Thomas+A.+Edison+Bridge/@40.5091685,-74.3011625,163a,52.4y,2.42t/data=!3m1!1e3!4m15!1m8!3m7!1s0x89c16ee1df5d209b:0xdd0751ebab1cc053!2sGarden+State+Pkwy,+New+Jersey,+USA!3b1!8m2!3d39.9829858!4d-74.2135159!16zL20vMDFteTR5!3m5!1s0x89c3ca1a70e049d1:0x2914e30747c23776!8m2!3d40.5091745!4d-74.3004127!16zL20vMDl0NDN2?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI1MTAxMy4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victory_Bridge_(New_Jersey) , https://www.google.com/maps/place/Victory+Bridge/@40.5074377,-74.2925202,211a,43.3y,2.59t/data=!3m1!1e3!4m15!1m8!3m7!1s0x89c16ee1df5d209b:0xdd0751ebab1cc053!2sGarden+State+Pkwy,+New+Jersey,+USA!3b1!8m2!3d39.9829858!4d-74.2135159!16zL20vMDFteTR5!3m5!1s0x89c3ca13987bf5e1:0x3d2fa4ecd0499cb7!8m2!3d40.507557!4d-74.2918867!16zL20vMGMyZ2Jx?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI1MTAxMy4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D
Wednesday, October 15, 2025
The Battle continues over Vancouver Aquatic Centre
https://globalnews.ca/video/11480236/battle-continues-over-vancouver-aquatic-centre-renovations
There isn't officially a Vancouver Mind Virus (VMV), but somehow through the decades, the KEEP VANCOUVER SMAL AND BACKWARDS mentality keeps manifesting.
https://cityhallwatch.wordpress.com/2025/10/15/aquatic-centre-25vs50m-officials-misled "This scandal exposes how Vancouver’s development approval processes can be corrupted if staff predetermine outcomes and manufacture justifications rather than conducting evidence-based analysis. If municipal staff can systematically mislead elected representatives on a project this significant—with technical evidence this clear—what other decisions have been corrupted in the past or could be corrupted in the future?"
Why have a modern full-size pool, when there can be a half size, Half-A$$ED pool? That's the VMV resurfacing again.
https://vancouversun.com/news/proposed-vancouver-aquatic-centre-seeks-height-density-relaxations "Swimmers have mounted a court petition over plans to replace the 50-metre Olympic-sized pool with one half that length"
A scaled down Vancouver+Aquatic+Centre is part of the pay more to get less mentality. One of the most obvious ways to perpetuate the BC antigrowth agenda is to go backwards and build smaller infrastructure. Where does the money go if it's not always going towards proper big city size infrastructure?
Half sized buildings, half sized trains, half sized bridges, that's the VMV & BCMV in action.
https://jfdatalinks.blogspot.com/search?q=SHIT-BOX
https://jfdatalinks.blogspot.com/search?q=Lions+Gate+Bridge An absurd 3 lane bridge without a parallel bus and train tunnel to help relieve this quintessential chokepoint.
https://jfdatalinks.blogspot.com/search?q=Canada+Line A 2 car train that should have started with 5 cars, but can only be expanded into a 2.5 car train, someday.
https://jfdatalinks.blogspot.com/search?q=Richmond-Delta+Tunnel No provision for a train tunnel, because that would make it easier to have a line connecting YVR with the Tsawwassen+ferry+terminal. Just like there is no desire to have a train between YVR and the Horseshoe+Bay+ferry+terminal.
This Vancouver and BC Mind Virus is horrible, because it keeps stunting the potential of BC by watering down the infrastructure.
Norwood Bridge, Winnipeg
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norwood_Bridge
https://www.mhs.mb.ca/docs/sites/marylandtwinbridge.shtml , https://www.google.com/maps/place/The+Maryland+Twin+Bridge./@49.878361,-97.1621997,142m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m15!1m8!3m7!1s0x52ea73fbf91a2b11:0x2b2a1afac6b9ca64!2sWinnipeg,+MB!3b1!8m2!3d49.8954221!4d-97.1385145!16zL20vMHBtcTI!3m5!1s0x52ea751cd08bee2b:0xb81b866868f19f89!8m2!3d49.8781505!4d-97.1615856!16s%2Fg%2F11svlw38s2!5m1!1e2?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI1MTAxMi4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D
Quesnell Bridge, Edmonton
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quesnell_Bridge "The bridge is the widest road bridge in Edmonton with 8 total lanes (4 westbound and 4 eastbound)."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quesnell_Bridge#History , https://www.google.com/maps/place/Quesnell+Bridge/@53.5065044,-113.567235,101m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m15!1m8!3m7!1s0x53a0224580deff23:0x411fa00c4af6155d!2sEdmonton,+AB!3b1!8m2!3d53.5461663!4d-113.4937356!16zL20vMG5saDc!3m5!1s0x53a021cf936ec1bf:0x66e58cc40db0b3bd!8m2!3d53.5065313!4d-113.5665535!16s%2Fg%2F11cn9l8kzw!5m1!1e2?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI1MTAxMi4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_MacDonald_Bridge , https://www.google.com/maps/place/James+Macdonald+Bridge/@53.5358173,-113.4882233,303m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m15!1m8!3m7!1s0x53a0224580deff23:0x411fa00c4af6155d!2sEdmonton,+AB!3b1!8m2!3d53.5461663!4d-113.4937356!16zL20vMG5saDc!3m5!1s0x53a02241785584f1:0x7cdb45f31cfcea7!8m2!3d53.5358043!4d-113.4879451!16s%2Fm%2F0406q8t!5m1!1e2?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI1MTAxMi4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D
Tuesday, October 14, 2025
B.C. set to open Western Canada's first new medical school in decades
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/sfu-new-medical-school-9.6938486
Unfortunatly, for most of the history of backwater BC, there was a strong British Colonist antigrowth and anti-non-white immigration.
Ontario and Quebec were able to build more infrastructure and other stuff, and then eventually also Alberta. Primarily as a result of having more economic wealth.
A new big medical school in BC would be nice, but so would be more hospital expansion.
Granville Bridge, Vancouver, etc.
https://vancouver.ca/streets-transportation/granville-bridge.aspx
Even after 3 tries, Vancouver still couldn't quite get the Granville_Street_Bridge correct. Of course the 3rd bridge wasn't designed to have a lower deck for streetcars or tram-trains. Even though it was generally designed to be a car, truck and bus bridge, the sidewalks should have been double width and have an inner railing. If the city couldn't wait until late March, it should have had the official dedication in early March, not in crappy February 1954.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Granville_Street_Bridge#Third_bridge_(1954) "On February 4, 1954, the current Granville Street Bridge opened to traffic after five years of planning and construction; its dedication ceremony was attended by 5,000 spectators after it had been delayed a week due to heavy snow."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Granville_Street_Bridge#21st_century Unfortunatly, new bike lanes and extra sidewalks couldn't be installed below the 8 lane deck. Thus, Vancouver went for strike 3 and removed 2 lanes from the bridge. The Burrard+Street+Bridge lost 2 lanes and the Cambie+Bridge lost 1 lane. A bike and foot bridge could have been built on the west side of the Burrard Bridge, then no lanes would have been removed. The Cambie Bridge already had a wide sidewalk on its east side. The west sidewalk should have been widened, then no lane would have been removed.
The Granville+Bridge could have had 6 lanes and 2 bus lanes. Now, if there are ever 2 bus lanes, there will only be 2 general lanes each way.
Several cities around the world have bike & foot bridges and don't have to remove lanes from the existing bridges.
For a congested city to have removed 5 lanes from 3 bridges, could there even be more of a reduction of lanes Well, there are some who would like to have the LGB just for bike and foot traffic.
That would be OK if an 8 lane tunnel could be built near it. As its projected, the new & improved tunnel between Richmond & Delta won't be ready unto 2030. Since things move so slow in constipated, backwater BC, a First_Narrows_Tunnel might not be completed until 2040.
Vancouver SkyTrain
https://jfdatalinks.blogspot.com/search?q=SkyTrain
Just because light rail vehicles were chosen, the stations and trains should have been much longer to accommodate future demands.
Skyline (Honolulu)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skyline_(Honolulu)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skyline_(Honolulu)#Route
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skyline_(Honolulu)#Rolling_stock "The line uses 256 ft (78 m) four-car train sets, each with the capacity to carry nearly 800 passengers,[229] similar in weight to heavy rail systems elsewhere in the United States (such as the Chicago 'L' in Chicago, Illinois)."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hitachi_Rail_Italy_Driverless_Metro#Rolling_stock
Heavy and light rail train stations should always have the potential to be extended in order to accommodate longer trains.
Unfortunatly, backwards Vancouver did its damndest to not build long stations.
Rare storm drenches Los Angeles, prompts flash flood watches and evacuation warnings
The only thing worse than Seattle rain in L.A. is Vancouver rain in L.A.
Scotia Place Arena in Calgary
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/event-centre-tariffs-1.7508571
https://calgaryherald.com/sports/hockey/nhl/calgary-flames/scotia-place-design-new-events-centre
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/scotia-place-arena-development-permit-approved-1.7409195
https://www.calgary.ca/major-projects/scotia-place/experience.html
Monday, October 13, 2025
Majority polled in Calgary and Edmonton are unhappy with the pace of population growth
If you are visiting Vancouver or Victoria from Calgary or Edmonton, you will be shocked as to how narrow most of the bridges are in Greater Vancouver and Victoria. Edmonton was wise in the 1970s to have 125 m long underground LRT stations. Foolish Vancouver opted to only have 80 m stations on its first 2 lines and an absurd 50 m for the 3rd line.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_Line_(Calgary) , https://www.calgary.ca/green-line.html
https://www.calgarytransit.com/plans---projects/lrt/green-line.html
https://engage.calgary.ca/greenline/UndergroundStations Fortunatly, any underground stations in Calgary will be closer in length to that of the Edmonton LRT and not backwards Vancouver.
https://www.railjournal.com/regions/north-america/tunnel-preferred-for-calgary-lrt-green-line/
https://www.calgary.ca/green-line/stations.html
The main roads and bridges in urban parts of Alberta are allowed to be wider than their counterparts in backwards BC. So while people in the urban parts of Alberta are concerned or even angry about rapid growth, at least Alberta can easily build more urban infrastructure. That's because Albertal isn't affect by the (unofficial) BC Mind Virus (BCMV).
A timely example is a new bridge between Surrey & NW. Despite Surrey being expected to become the largest city in BC, the new bridge will only open with 4 lanes. No 3rd or 4th lane each way for busses, HOVs and trucks. Thus, all the road traffic at either end is funneled into just 2 lanes each way. Plus, there are no breakdown or emergency lane, just like the old bridge.
While this new bridge can eventually be widened to 6 lanes, there is no provision for a lower deck for LRT, busses and trucks. Despite SW BC being a seaport area, trucks are funneled onto mostly narrow bridges. There has been a lack of interest to build bus bridges next to almost all of the bridges in Greater Vancouver. Yet, there is a Half-A$$ED attempt to have a better regional express bus network. This regional Rapid Bus attempt will always be a joke, unless a series of bus bridges are built. The Half-A$$ED approach is to try to have bus lanes on 4 to 6 lane bridges. Designating 2 bus lanes would reduce the narrow bridges to only 1 or 2 lanes each way for general traffic in what is suppose to be a major seaport and urban area.
Most of the worlds population is non-white and for a big part of the history of BC, there has been a refusal to build up bigtime infrastructure for everyone. While some Albertains might wish that there was a wall built around their province or a force-field like out of Star Trek, BC is almost pretending like there is. Thus, the keep things small and backwards mentality.
Several decades ago, BC implemented a symbolic slow-growth approach. Despite BC not having any control over immigration, or trying to establish an internal passport & checkpoint system, to KEEP PEOPLE OUT, it opted for the next best thing. Stunt or scale back the urban infrastructure to project a strong symbolic reluctance to growth and thinking big.
When you realize how much larger things are allowed to be in Alberta, Washington State and even Western Australia & compare them to watered down BC, you see quite a difference. Despite BC & Canada in general, being multicultural, BCs cities keep finding ways to water the scale of things down. Canada has yet to have even 1% of the world's population, despite its size.
While there are good arguments to occasionally slowdown immigration, that can eventually become problematic, just like too much immigration. Even in the 2020s, some people in the former White colonial parts of the world still wish that Canada & Australia, etc., could be a White Man's paradise. However, that seems so impractical on a planet that mostly has a non white population.
https://humanrights.ca/story/chinese-head-tax-and-chinese-exclusion-act
https://thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/chinese-head-tax-in-canada
https://royalalbertamuseum.ca/blog/chinese-head-tax-george-yees-story
https://www.musee-mccord-stewart.ca/en/blog/chinese-exclusion-act/
https://parks.canada.ca/culture/designation/evenement-event/exclusion-chinois-chinese
https://www.canada.ca/en/canadian-heritage/campaigns/asian-heritage-month/important-events.html
https://stanleyparkvan.com/stanley-park-van-monument-komagata-maru.html
https://vancouver.citynews.ca/2022/10/05/vancouver-komagata-maru-memorial
https://vancouver.citynews.ca/2023/01/30/vancouver-komagata-maru-memorial-vandalism/
Even if Alberta were to eventually become its own country, it would be extremely unlikely that it could ever impose a White Man's Paradise Agenda. The same could be stated for backwards BC. However, something very peculiar has been happening in BC for several generations.
Several BC cities and municipalities play off each other with various slow-growth agendas. Vancouver being one of the most restrictive & backwards on the the planet. Somehow the legitimate anti freeway fears of the 1960s & 70s didn't get the city & region to still build a series of bus & HOV bridges. Plus, a long-term, high capacity urban rail system.
While Montreal planned for 152.4 m stations to accomodate 9 car trains, backwards Vancouver only built 80 m Skytrain stations for the first 2 lines. Then to top that, was a plan to build a line to Richmond with only enough level clearance for 50 m stations. The 1st line only started to run 5 car trains in 2025. Eventually, the 2nd line will also have 5 car trains. However, the line to the airport was deliberately designed not to have 5 car trains. Just a Half-A$$ED 2.5 car train, someday. WTH?
For Greater Vancouver to mostly have narrow bridges, one would think the all the stations could ultimately be at least as long as a Montreal Metro train station. Indeed, Greater Vancouver should have built for 10 car trains, but will only have 5 car trains on the 1st two lines & a 2.5 car joke of a train on the 3rd line. As of 2025, the 2nd & 3rd lines are still only running 2 car trains. Such a great way to symbolically show the resistance to eventually link YVR to both of the main BC ferry terminals.
The inadequate 3 lane Lion Bridge still has no bus & HOV tunnels near it. Urban parts of Australia never seemed to have a similar reluctance to build tunnels as does backwards Vancouver. Tunnels for Montreal & Seattle aren't a problem either. At least BC is slated to have a new and improved tunnel by 2030, that's only a couple of generations late.
Oh, if only people would stop moving to BC, especially Vancouver & Victoria. Well, that's not the case, its just that various BC cities want to only build urban infrastructure that is inadequate. Despite the frustrations that some people have in Alberta, at lest wider bridges, longer trains & taller buildings are allowed there. This watering things down in BC approach is symbolically indicative to refuse to properly build for a growing population.
Surrey should have already had at least 1 hospital the size of VGH. At least Surrey like Burnaby, can build up taller in what is still mostly a mountain wilderness province.
BC is a long way from New England & Southern Quebec. The restrictive urban planning measures in Greater Vancouver keep preventing it from becoming a proper big metropolitan area like Greater Boston and Montreal.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_Line_(MBTA) Calgary will have its own version of a Green Line, eventually. https://jfdatalinks.blogspot.com/search?q=Calgary+Green+Line
Saturday, October 11, 2025
Metro Vancouver weather: Heavy rain on Thanksgiving weekend
Fortunately, it doesn't rain every day from October 1st to April 1st. However, Vancouver still gets more rain than Seattle, no matter what.
Friday, October 10, 2025
Tron: Ares
https://www.cbc.ca/news/entertainment/tron-ares-review-9.6933888
Using special effects is the only way to make Vancouver, BC look like its a proper big city.
No bridge within the small city limits of Vancouver has been allowed to be as big or wide as the biggest in Perth, Seattle, Portland and Edmonton.
The Skytrain stations are shorter than those in Perth, Seattle, Calgary and Edmonton.
No office tower in Vancouver has been permitted to have a 40th floor. Of course, Perth, Seattle, Portland and Calgary have office towers over 40 stories.
https://hollywoodnorthbuzz.com/2025/10/tron-ares-vancouver-as-real-life-grid.html
https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/vancouver-landmarks-tron-ares-trailer
https://www.vancouverisawesome.com/events-and-entertainment/new-tron-ares-movie-trailer-features-vancouver-sci-fi-setting-10488343 Vancouver is so smallscale, but awesome? Perhaps when compared to Prince Rupert and Nanaimo it is.
Rainbow Bridge (Tokyo)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rainbow_Bridge_(Tokyo) Unfortunatly, such double deck bridges just aren't allowed in Vancouver and BC in general.
https://www.instagram.com/p/DEjugfrP3wS/?img_index=2
https://www.kanpai-japan.com/tokyo/rainbow-bridge
https://www.alamy.com/rainbow-bridge-to-rainbow-town-daiba-tokyo-japan-image921088.html Tokyo has no problems with curves and loops. Unfortunatly, the Vancouver Mind Virus (VMV) and the BC Mind Virus keeps the city and metropolitan region as a warped mess just going round in circles.
https://www.gov-online.go.jp/eng/publicity/book/hlj/html/202403/202403_02_en.html
https://japannews.yomiuri.co.jp/society/general-news/20230828-132566/
https://www.tokyobybike.com/2014/08/tokyos-rainbow-bridge-by-bicycle.html
https://jfdatalinks.blogspot.com/search?q=Pattullo+Bridge+replacement Will open with only 4 lanes, not 6 or 8 and no provision for a lower deck. Another fine example of BC bottleneck planning. There just isn't any interest in correcting most of the chokepoints in Greater Vancouver. A key giveaway is the lack of funding for a regional network of bus-bridges.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Arm_Bridge This should have had 2 tracks for the airport and another 2 tracks for an eventual Vancouver-Richmond & Delta extension to the ferry terminal.
.jpg)
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f9/North_Arm_Bridge_%284378906640%29.jpg
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/de/North_Arm_Bridge_shot_from_SkyTrain_3622.JPG
Seattle and Perth
https://www.theurbanist.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/IMG_2666.jpg Two train tracks and the 4th lane each way is for busses. Just amazing when compared to backwards BC. Seattle is able to do so much more because its not affected by the BC Mind Virus.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mandurah_line#Kwinana_Freeway_roadworks
https://www.instagram.com/reel/C1aarCsKys-/ The Vancouver mind virus never made it to Perth.
Thursday, October 9, 2025
Oakridge Park mall in Vancouver
https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/vancouver-oakridge-park-mall-opening While shopping online can be a great convience, going to a mall can still be a nice tactile experience. Had the horrible Covid shutdown gone on for another year, people would have been more conditioned to order things online and perhaps even have to ask AI for permission to go out anywhere.
Despite feeble attempts to the moon and Mars, most of humanity is confined to the Earth. That doesn't mean that the planet should ever become an AI run prison. However, things like a World Carbon Credit Score, a Personal Compliance Score and having to seek permission from AI to go anywhere, would be the epitome of a Sci-Fi dystopian story being imposed upon the MA$$E$.
Thus, the shopping mall and public transit should always remain as safe, open places. Eventually, mall security and transit police might be augmented with robots and AI drones.
Fortunately, the new and improved Oakridge wont be like anything out of a dystopian Sci-Fi story.
Its so creepy how the Canada Embasesment Line was designed to only have 2 car trains, with no easy expansion ability to have 4-8 car trains. Indeed, to design a 2 billion dollar line without the capability to at least have 5 car trains is a very sad joke. The stations are only designed to eventually accomodate a 2.5 car train as if to symbolise the reluctance to ever connect YVR to both ferry terminals.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oakridge-41st_Avenue_station
https://www.translink.ca/news/2025/may/oakridge%20canada%20line%20station%20to%20close%20early
Oakridge–41st Avenue station
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oakridge-41st_Avenue_station
It's so sad that the Canada (Embarrassment) Line stations are only an absurd 50 m, when the Montreal_Metro stations are 152.5 m or 500 feet long. A 2 car Vancouver-Richmond train just can't match the capacity of a 9 car Montreal Metro train.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canada_Line#Stations "The five busiest stations have platforms 50 metres (160 ft) long, while the rest of the stations have 40-metre (130 ft) platforms that can be easily extended to 50 metres."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canada_Line#Canada_Line_Hyundai_Rotem_specifications "Train length: 41 m (134 ft 6 in)"
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montreal_Metro#Station_design "Platforms, 152.4 metres (500 ft) long and at least 3.8 metres (12 ft) wide..."
The Canada_Line is a total backwards BC embassesment. The argument for such short stations and trains was to save money. However, all the stations could have still been designed to be level long enough to eventually be extended to 160 m. That would be able to accomodate an 8 car train of 525 feet.
Unfortunatly, in accordance with backwards Vancouver transportation planning, the Canada (Embarrassment) Line stations are https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Central_station_(Edmonton)
The multigenerational backwards BC thinking always gets in the way. An initial 2 billion dollar train line should have ultimately been designed to have 10 car trains. This line should have eventually linked YVR to both ferry terminals, but that would actually be efficient long-range transportation planning.
Tuesday, October 7, 2025
Monday, October 6, 2025
Edmonton vs. Vancouver, etc.
Edmonton has one tower thats taller than anything in BC. However, Burnaby and Surrey will eventually rival it. Despite more people wanting to move to Vancouver, perhaps to avoid the -20C to -30C Canadian winters. However, some people are determined to make sure that Vancouver never has any building taller than what's in Edmonton & especially Calgary & Seattle.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edmonton#Public_transit Unfortunatly, any underground train station in backwards Vancouver was designed to be shorter than the underground train stations in Edmonton & Seattle. While the trains in Vancouver can be more frequent, short stations keep the trains short and pathetic.
Despite the SkyTrain being a multibillion dollar system, the underground stations are only 80 metres on the first 2 lines. The Canada (embassament) Line only has 50 metre stations. In contrast, the Montreal Metro has 152.5 metre stations. At least the underground stations in Edmonton are in the 125 to 130 metre range and even longer in Seattle.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_tallest_buildings_in_Edmonton
https://www.flickr.com/photos/kurt-b/51118510836
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/2d/J.W._Marriott_Edmonton_Ice_District_%26_Stantec_Tower This is taller than any current building in BC. The shorter tower would be the second tallest if it was in Vancouver.
No bridge in Vancouver is allowed to be as wide as the widest in Edmonton.
Even when the Granville+Bridge used to have 8 lanes, there were no emergency lanes and 2 narrow, uneven sidewalks. Where as the newer Quesnell+Bridge still has 8 lanes, plus 2 emergency lanes & a wide sidewalk.
Saturday, October 4, 2025
Multnomah County, Oregon and Clark County, Washington
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multnomah_County,_Oregon While Portland is so tiny when compared to NYC, it still has the potential to become a big city like Seattle, someday.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clark_County,_Washington Vancouver, WA is basically a suburb of Portland. However, V-WA could eventually become like a smaller version of Jersey_City,_New_Jersey.
Its a case of a smaller river city next to a larger river city, that is part of a metropolitan area.
The New_York_metropolitan_area is the most densely populated and the biggest in the US.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_metropolitan_area#Geography
The Portland_metropolitan_area could potentially become as big as the Seattle_metropolitan_area, some day. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portland_metropolitan_area#Metropolitan_statistical_area
Seattle is already a larger city than Boston. However, the Seattle_metropolitan_area still isn't quite as big as the Greater_Boston Area.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seattle_metropolitan_area#Geography
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greater_Boston#Metropolitan_Area
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_England Boston
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pacific_Northwest Seattle
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pacific_Northwest#Population
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quebec_City-Windsor_Corridor Montreal and Toronto
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calgary-Edmonton_Corridor No hindrence from backwards BC.
Then there is backwards Vancouver and the Lower_Mainland part of BC. Short trains and mostly narrow bridges are hindering the region, by design. The regional passenger rail and the freight rail lines all need to be properly upgraded.
Don't forget the provincial backwater that is Victoria,_British_Columbia. At least Greater_Victoria has the potential to become a major island metropolitan area, someday. There should be a 4 track passenger and freight line between Victoria and Nanaimo and even up to Comox.
Vancouver, WA and Vancouver, BC
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vancouver,_Washington "Founded in 1825 and incorporated in 1857, the city was originally established around Fort Vancouver, a fur trading outpost, and is situated directly north of Portland, Oregon..." It is part of the Portland_metropolitan_area.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vancouver, BC
| Gastown | (1867–1886) |
| Granville | (1870–1886) |
| City of Vancouver | (1886–present) |
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Vancouver
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metro_Vancouver_Regional_District
Friday, October 3, 2025
Metro Vancouver slashes sewage plant cost by $3.9B but risks long-term bill
The costs of the new 'alternative plan' are expected to save money over the next 15 years but balloon several billion dollars higher after that. https://www.biv.com/news/economy-law-politics/metro-vancouver-slashes-sewage-plant-cost-by-39b-but-risks-long-term-bill-11303969
So much money down the toilet when it could have gone towards longer trains and wider bridges. Instead of having a proper regional express bus network with a series of bus bridges, busses are forced onto the mostly existing narrow bridges.
The Scotia Tower in Vancouver
https://www.skyscrapercenter.com/building/scotia-tower/4396 138 m / 453 ft with 35 floors
https://www.skydb.net/building/134544260/scotia-tower-vancouver Height 138 m (452 ft) Floors 35
https://skyscraperpage.com/cities/?buildingID=65 452 feet https://skyscraperpage.com/diagrams/?searchID=110142950&page=3
https://skyscraperpage.com/diagrams/?cityID=1
https://skyscraperpage.com/diagrams/?cityID=1&status=15
Despite The Scotia Tower in Vancouver opening in 1977, it's still a prominent, but small building on the skyline.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scotia_Tower 1977
Driver crashes into LA City Hall steps and barricades himself in car
https://abc7.com/post/la-city-hall-crash-car-slams-steps/17933164/
Sometimes a person just might be having a bad day, but other times a person might want to take over a building.
https://www.cbsnews.com/losangeles/news/downtown-la-city-hall-crash
If its determined after due process, that this person had malicious intent, they will be facing sever punishment.
L.A. City Hall evacuated after vehicle crashes near steps; driver in custody after standoff https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2025-10-03/vehicle-crashes-into-steps-of-l-a-city-hall-prompting-closure-of-surrounding-streets
Fahrenheit 451 (1953 Novel) and height limits
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fahrenheit_451 Two decades before Ray_Bradbury would start writing what would eventually lead to his F 451 novel, LA was sort of close to imposing a 451 foot height limit. However, the LA City Hall would end up being slightly taller than 451 feet. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Los_Angeles_City_Hall "Dedication ceremonies were held on April 26, 1928. It has 32 floors and, at 454 feet (138 m) high..."
"A City Council ordinance passed in 1905 did not permit any new construction to be taller than 13 stories or 150 ft (46 m) in order to keep the city's architecture harmonious. City Hall's 454 ft (138 m) height was deemed exempt as a public building and assured that no building would surpass one third its height for over three decades until the ordinance was repealed by voter referendum in 1957." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Los_Angeles_City_Hall#History
https://laist.com/news/entertainment/city-hall-tall 454' not 451 feet, but close nonetheless. LA didn't have to wait until 1953, because it was pondering a 450'-455 foot height restriction in the mid to late 1920s. Of course NYC and Chicago already had tall buildings in the 1920s, so perhaps LA wanted to symbolize an F-U to them by keeping buildings under 500 feet until the mid to late 1960s.
"The writing and theme within Fahrenheit 451 was explored by Bradbury in some of his previous short stories. Between 1947 and 1948, Bradbury wrote "Bright Phoenix", a short story about a librarian who confronts a "Chief Censor", who burns books. An encounter Bradbury had in 1949 with the police inspired him to write the short story "The Pedestrian" in 1951. In "The Pedestrian", a man going for a nighttime walk in his neighborhood is harassed and detained by the police. In the society of "The Pedestrian", citizens are expected to watch television as a leisurely activity, a detail that would be included in Fahrenheit 451. Elements of both "Bright Phoenix" and "The Pedestrian" would be combined into The Fireman, a novella published in Galaxy Science Fiction in 1951. Bradbury was urged by Stanley Kauffmann, an editor at Ballantine Books, to make The Fireman into a full novel. Bradbury finished the manuscript for Fahrenheit 451 in 1953, and the novel was published later that year." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fahrenheit_451#Writing_and_development
F 451 was published in 1953, on 10-19.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13079982-fahrenheit-451
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fahrenheit_451#Historical_and_biographical_context
https://www.sparknotes.com/lit/451/summary
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fahrenheit_451#Writing_and_development
Did Metropolis_(1927_film) help to restrict the height of tall buildings in LA for several decades?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metropolis_(1927_film)#Influences
Whether the LA City Hall is 454', 453' or 452 feet, it's not exactly 451 feet, but still close enough.
https://www.latimes.com/visuals/photography/la-me-fw-archives-20190403-htmlstory.html "The 32-story, 454-foot-tall Los Angeles City Hall opened with a three-day public celebration April 26-28, 1928. Construction started in 1926."
https://www.skyscrapercenter.com/building/city-hall/4376 138.4 m / 454 ft
https://buildingsdb.com/CA/los-angeles/los-angeles-city-hall "The Los Angeles City Hall reaches an architectural height of 453ft (138m). It has a total of 32 floors, 28 above ground and 4 basements..."
https://www.travelinusa.us/visit-los-angeles-city-hall "At the time of construction, a regulation was in effect in the city that prohibited buildings taller than 150 feet. Los Angeles City Hall was therefore an exception and, at an impressive 32 stories and a height of 452 feet, it remained the tallest building in Los Angeles until 1964 when Union Bank Plaza opened."
https://waterandpower.org/Museum2/Los_Angeles_City_Hall_1928.html
https://www.c40.org/cities/los-angeles
By the 1970s, LA, SF, Sydney, Melbourne, Tokyo, Toronto, Montreal and Paris, all had some buildings over 600 feet or even over 200 m.
https://www.c40.org/cities/vancouver
Unfortunately by the 1970s, stubborn and backwards Vancouver wanted to go in the opposite direction of most cities. Thus, a kind of censoring agenda was implemented. SF and Sydney and even Seattle, proved that a scenic city by the water can have taller buildings, wider bridges and longer trains than what little Vancouver would allow.
While there isn't any direct correlation with the F 451 story and Vancouver, BC imposing a height limit, there is something peculiar. Some people might consider that if a building is around 500 feet in height, or at least 150 m, that's in the category of starting to be a tall building.
Well, Vancouver, always looking for ways to symbolically project a watered down or scaled back city, height restrictions were at the top of the list.
Somewhere in-between the 1950s & 60s, Vancouver started to refine its height restriction mandate. Thus, as several cities in the 1970s started to allow for taller buildings, Vancouver has never allowed any office tower to have 40 floors. Perhaps an imposed 451 foot height limit would have been too obvious, so Vancouver generally had an imposed height restriction of 450 feet, with some occasional variations.
Right through the 1960s only one building in Vancouver, or anywhere in BC had a 30th floor.
The first residential building to have at least 40 floors. https://skyscraperpage.com/cities/?buildingID=921 1973 https://skyscraperpage.com/diagrams/?searchID=110144876&page=3
The first residential building to have more than 45 floors. https://skyscraperpage.com/cities/?buildingID=3 2001 https://skyscraperpage.com/diagrams/?searchID=110144876&page=6
It wouldn't be until the early 21st century before Vancouver would permit 2 buildings to rise above 600 feet. https://skyscraperpage.com/diagrams/?searchID=110144876&page=8 , https://skyscraperpage.com/diagrams/?searchID=110144876&page=9
https://skyscraperpage.com/diagrams/?countryID=1 Vancouver has no building that makes it onto the first page. Burnaby just barely makes it.
https://skyscraperpage.com/diagrams/?searchID=110144876&page=10 However, Vancouver has another chance to actually have some taller buildings. https://skyscraperpage.com/diagrams/?countryID=1&status=15 Over the decades, various plans have been stopped, due to all the red tape B$ and extreme restrictions.
Vancouver has had quite a history of limiting, restricting, thwarting & censoring proper big city stuff.
Thursday, October 2, 2025
The Westin Bonaventure Hotel and Suites in Los Angeles
The Westin_Bonaventure_Hotel should have been twice the height. It's only a 367-foot (112 m), 33-story hotel, but it should have been at least as tall as the Westin_Peachtree_Plaza_Hotel in Atlanta or the Renaissance_Center in Detroit, or The_Stamford in Singapore.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Westin_Bonaventure_Hotel#Floors_and_elevators
https://socallandmarks.com/index.php/2022/09/16/bonaventure-hotel/
https://www.sfgate.com/la/article/los-angeles-bonaventure-hotel-history-19511087.php
https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/the-bonaventure-hotel-los-angeles-california
https://movie-locations.com/travel/la/travel-downtown-05.php
http://www.experiencingla.com/2013/02/tour-o-downtown-part-i.html
https://portmanarchitects.com/project/the-westin-bonaventure
| Number of rooms | 1,358 |
|---|---|
| Number of suites | 135 |
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Westin_Bonaventure_Hotel#Floors_and_elevators
It would take LA a long time to have a much taller hotel tower.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Renaissance_Center 73 floors at 727 ft (222 m)
| Number of rooms | 1,246 |
|---|---|
| Number of suites | 52 |
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Renaissance_Center#History
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Westin_Peachtree_Plaza_Hotel
| Number of rooms | 1,068 |
|---|---|
| Number of suites | 40 |
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Westin_Peachtree_Plaza_Hotel#Architectural_details
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swisshtel_The_Stamford 73 floors at 226 metres (741 ft)
| Number of rooms | 1,252 |
|---|
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swisshotel_The_Stamford#History
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