Toronto's 18-lane highway

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eorEiO96iHk

How the City Rail Link Transforms Auckland's Train Network while Vancouver is trapped by the BCMV

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OmtSI3N57kM Auckland, like Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Seattle, Edmonton, Toronto & Montreal... are just some of the cities that get to have longer train than provincial Vancouver.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/City_Rail_Link  

"Although the trains are capable of having extra cars added in groups of three, the CRL station platforms, as originally specified, would not be long enough to accommodate nine-car trains. The proposed new capacity is 54,000 passengers per hour with the station platforms to be made longer so they can take the longer trains..." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/City_Rail_Link#Capacity_forecast_forces_platform_enlargements 

9 car trains are possible for Auckland, because there isn't anything like a Vancouver Mind Virus (VMV) to thwart it. 

https://www.cityraillink.co.nz/meet-your-stations 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waitemat%C4%81_railway_station#Capacity Proper big city infrastructure planning and development, unlike backwards Vancouver.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waitemat%C4%81_railway_station#Electrification 

In contrast is the joke that is the two car Canada_Line. There was a deliberate decision, (apparently to save money) to not have a future station level clearance of at lest 100 m, if not even 160 m. So instead of planning for at least 5 car trains, there is only enough space for a 2.5 car joke of a train, some day.

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." 

Being that this is a line which could eventually link YVR to the Tsawwassen Ferry Terminal & eventually Waterfront station with Park Royal and even the Horseshoe Bay Ferry Terminal, the BC Mind Virus (BCMV) got in the way.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canada_Line#Technology "The capacity of the trains is estimated at 334 people per pair of cars (comfortably) or 400 people at crush load." 

Since each car is 20 m and the stations are designed to a maximum of 50 m, every effort should be made to try to eventually have 60 m platforms. Unfortunately, it might be difficult enough just to try to gradually have 55 m stations. Still, the initial goal should be to try to have a 3 car train of 60 m. 

Then with Selective+Door+Operation, a 3 car train could become a 5 car train. Its unfortunate that there is such bad transportation planning in Greater Vancouver. Compared to backwards Vancouver, its great that nothing like a VMV has prevented Auckland from eventually having 9 car trains. The Montreal Metro and the Stockholm Subway can also have 9 car trains. Unlike Vancouver, several cities have no problem thinking big.

Auckland is so far away from the backwards mentality of Vancouver. Thus, Auckland is allowed to have longer trains than provincial Vancouver and taller buildings and even a wider harbor bridge. Of course the same can be said about Sydney and several other cities. 

VMV and BCMV

What is the Vancouver Mind Virus and the BC Mind Virus?

Sometimes, it can be a provincial backwater approach to things. Other times, its a total Half-A$$ED attempt towards getting something done in backwards BC.

Its taken the City of Vancouver a very long time to surpass half a million residents. Its amazing that Vancouver finally surpassed having 3 quarters of a million people. 

https://worldpopulationreview.com/cities/canada/vancouver 751,644 

It remains to be seen if Vancouver will ever have more people than Winnipeg. Indeed, Winnipeg, like Edmonton and Calgary don't have something like a Burnaby next to them, or a Surrey & Coquitlam close by. While Vancouver barely makes it into the top 10 biggest cities in Canada, Greater Vancouver is still the 3rd largest urban region in Canada. However, so much of the urban scale and infrastructure is being heled back.

The biggest cities in Canada don't have anything like a VMV to thwart or impeded their scale. Thus, Toronto, Calgary, Montreal & Edmonton all have taller buildings than stunted Vancouver. Edmonton and Montreal, like Seattle and Perth, WA are allowed to have wider bridges. Most major cities around the world have longer trains than what's in provincial Vancouver.

Is there a Canadian Mind Virus (CMV)? Of course not officially. Fortunately, nothing like a CMV ever made it to Australia. Otherwise something absurd like provincial Trade Barriers could have really thwarted things down under.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/interprovincial-trade-barriers-9.7323970 

https://www.mnp.ca/en/insights/directory/what-are-the-barriers-to-interprovincial-trade-in-canada

https://www.canada.ca/en/intergovernmental-affairs/services/internal-trade/federal-investments-internal-trade.html 

Despite Canada being surrounded by water on 3 sides, there is no blue on the national flag. Fortunately, nothing like a CMV ever got Australia, NZ, the UK, France and even the US to remove blue from their flags. 

Of course the flags of England, Switzerland and Japan have no blue in them, but blue is still a very nice color to behold. 

Nothing on the scale of the 10 lane Narrows_Bridge_(Perth) is allowed in Vancouver, Victoria or Kelowna. Certainly, nothing like the Sir_Leo_Hielscher_Bridges exists in Halifax. Even Boston and Montreal don't have a 12 lane crossing like the Gateway_Bridges. 

Despite Australia having fewer people than Canada, its been able to exist on a larger scale in some ways. Its like there is still a plan to have a big country down under.

https://jfdatalinks.blogspot.com/search?q=VMV

https://jfdatalinks.blogspot.com/search?q=BCMV

Why New York City has a Two-Car Subway Train and provincial Vancouver is stuck with a 2 car airport train

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xH37SqlW0Ks 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Franklin_Avenue_Shuttle 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R68_(New_York_City_Subway_car) 75-foot (22.86 m) length for each car. So roughly, a 2 car joke of a train is almost 46 m, or 150 ft. The absurd Canada_Line-Stations with its 2 car trains are in the 40 m to 50 m range. Thus, only two car & 2.5 car trains are only possible. In contrast, a 9 car Montreal_Metro train can be up to 152.5 m, or 500 ft.

Train length	2 car train: 150 feet (46 m) 4 car train: 300 feet (91 m) 8 car train: 600 feet (180 m)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R68_(New_York_City_Subway_car)#Description So, an 8 car, 600 foot long train is 100 feet longer than a 500 foot, 9 car Montreal train. 

The end of the line for the Franklin_Avenue_Shuttle is only a single track platform. 

Unfortunately, the YVR and the Richmond end if the Canada_Line stations are also a single track platforms. Even if this was initially decided as a cost saving measure, a double track guideway still should have been built. Then, a proper double track station could eventually be completed. Especially if the line is ever extended to the Delta Ferry terminal.

The YVR-Airport_station was deliberately designed to be narrower and shorter than what a proper big city airport station should be. Its another example of the unofficial BCMV reducing and thwarting the scale of things. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pearson_Airport_station Almost like REM quality for Toronto, but not for provincial Vancouver. https://www.upexpress.com/en/up-express-stations/pearson-station , https://www.torontopearson.com/en/transportation-and-parking/up-express Wow, Toronto like Perth can run 3 car big city type trains. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Union_Pearson_Express#Rolling_stock Vancouver can only hope for a 2.5 car train, someday. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Union_Pearson_Express#Route Sometimes, a 2 car joke of a train might be OK to start with, but there should already be enough station clearance for at least 3-5 car trains. Then, as long as its a walk-through train, Selective_Door_Operation (SDO) can make it possible to add an extra car at both ends of a short train. SDO can be an intermediate step before having to extensively lighten each station. 

Stubborn, backwards Vancouver will eventually have to seriously consider SDO in order to have longer big city type trains. Unfortunately, as long as its stuck in the BC backwater mentality or under the spell of the BCMV, things won't improve.

https://canada.constructconnect.com/dcn/news/projects/2026/05/montreals-airport-rem-station-will-have-signature-iceberg-motif , https://montrealgazette.com/news/rem-has-begun-testing-trains-on-airport-branch Of course the YUL-P.E. Trudeau_station, like the Honolulu Airport station, will be longer and wider than the one at YVR.

Perhaps the short, single track & platform at the YVR-Airport_Station would be impressive if it were in Victoria, Prince George, Kamloops or Kelowna, but its hardly impressive when compared to the SeaTac/Airport_station, Portland_Airport_station, Lelepaua_station in Honolulu, Brisbane_Airport station, Sydney_Airport stations, the future Melbourne_Airport station and Perth_Airport station. The scale of the San_Francisco_International_Airport_station, which can accommodate 10 car trains, is on a whole other scale. All major airports and their train stations in Asia & Europe are so far beyond what Canada has. There is no reason as to why Greater Vancouver and some other cities in BC, can't be upgraded to a Pacific Rim infrastructure level, instead of  being stuck in a perpetual BC backwater mindset. 

The VMV, under the umbrella of the larger BCMV, is such a horrible impediment and it doesn't even officially exist. 

Vancouver PNE vs...

 https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/vancouver-pne-fair-weekend-playland-aug-2026 

At the same time that the madness of Vancouver was making the PNE smaller, the CNE was allowed to grow in size. If anything like a Vancouver Mind Virus had an influence in Toronto, the city would have become a backwards mess. 

https://www.tourguys.ca/post/cne-vs-canadas-wonderland-best-toronto-theme-parks-for-kids-teens-families-2025-guide 

In 1981 Canada's Wonderland had just opened. But the CNE is also on. Which one do you decide to go to - the shiny new theme park or a Torontonian classic? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ItiWGErRyZM

Toronto would go onto becoming as big as Chicago. However, the GTA still isn't quite as big as the overall Chicagoland Area. Vancouver is still stuck in its provincial backwater trap mentality.

The Plan to Extend Downtown Toronto

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zmwnSPQRf1M 

Get big and tall like Chicago.

The office stumps of Vancouver, BC

No office tower in Vancouver has eve been permitted to have a 40th floor.

https://skyscraperpage.com/b106925/vancouver/the-stack

https://skyscraperpage.com/b63/vancouver/royal-centre

https://skyscraperpage.com/b5828/vancouver/b5

https://skyscraperpage.com/b66/vancouver/park-place

https://skyscraperpage.com/b64/vancouver/four-bentall-centre

https://skyscraperpage.com/b65/vancouver/the-scotia-tower

https://skyscraperpage.com/b98113/vancouver/the-exchange

https://skyscraperpage.com/b67/vancouver/toronto-dominion-tower-at-pacific-centre

https://skyscraperpage.com/b41476/vancouver/b6

https://skyscraperpage.com/b100729/vancouver/vancouver-centre-2 

https://skyscraperpage.com/b7191/vancouver/200-granville-square

https://skyscraperpage.com/b68/vancouver/three-bentall-centre

https://skyscraperpage.com/b6162/vancouver/320-granville 

https://skyscraperpage.com/b60/vancouver/harbour-centre The office floors don't even get above 28. https://www.skyscrapercenter.com/vancouver/harbour-centre/4144 If the Harbour_Centre office floors had continued right up to the base of the flag-pole, it would be equivalent to 40 stories. However, the revolving_restaurant is more equivalent to 35 floors. With the height to the tip of the antenna as being 177.1 m (581 ft), the flag could be considered to be at the equivalent of 48th floors. But there are no floors in the flag-pole.

Had the flag-pole or antenna not been built, the Harbor Centre would have been slightly shorter than the original height of the tallest Giza_pyramid.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Pyramid_of_Giza "Initially standing at 146.6 metres (481 feet), the Great Pyramid was the world's tallest human-made structure for more than 3,700 years." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Pyramid_of_Giza#Pyramidion_and_missing_tip

https://skyscraperpage.com/diagrams/?searchID=117075754&page=1 

Only 2 buildings in restrictive Vancouver have been allowed to be taller than the Cairo_Tower and the Space_Needle. Only 1 building in Vancouver has been allowed to be taller than the Calgary_Tower. 

Vancouver is about implementing short buildings, short trains and narrow bridges. Since the multigenerational power structure can't build a wall around the city to keep people out, the next best thing is to symbolically take a small scale approach to things. Thus, its very difficult for proper BIG city stuff to get built in backwards Vancouver. 

BC is 23 times larger than Switzerland, yet it doesn't even have the population of one CH. 

Despite Canada being the 2nd largest nation in overall area, it has less than half of 1% of the worlds population. Thus, Canada is but a spec of the worlds population. 

Toronto's Skyline

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=es-8mBA99JY  

Hidden design at TD Centre, Toronto's Mid-Century Modern masterpiece https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cZyrtdigyyw

Western Canada's tallest tower, gets green light from Vancouver City Council

 https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/holborn-vancouver-western-canada-tallest-tower-bay-parkade-redevelopment-approved 

There was a time when Vancouver wasn't allowed to have any building taller than the Great_Pyramid_of_Giza, then Ulm_Minster and then the Philadelphia_City_Hall. 

The Harbour_Centre had to be less than a 3rd of the CN_Tower. 

The stations on the first 2 SkyTrain lines are barely 2 thirds of the length of a Montreal_Metro station.

The Canada_Line only has 50 m stations compared to the 152.5 m Montreal_Metro stations. 

For too long, anything that is symbolic of a proper big city was watered down or scaled back in provincial Vancouver. Indeed, Vancouver was supposed to perpetually be a half-sized city, or even a third of what a proper size city should be. The mostly narrow bridges still have no parallel express bus bridge, or BRT bridge built next to them. 

https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/holborn-bay-parkade-vancouver-supertall-tower-nav-canada-federal-aviation

If the project actually gets built as envisioned it will be taller than First_Canadian_Place in Toronto, Columbia_Center in Seattle, and a little taller than the Sydney_Tower and the U.S._Bank_Tower_(Los_Angeles). It still won't quite be as tall as Australia_108 in Melbourne or especially the Salesforce_Tower in SF.

Concept for Western Canada's tallest tower in Vancouver may need to be shortened to comply with federal aviation requirements

 https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/holborn-bay-parkade-vancouver-supertall-tower-nav-canada-federal-aviation 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billy_Bishop_Toronto_City_Airport 

In addition to Toronto having much taller buildings than Vancouver, Boston and LV have buildings taller than the current tallest in Vancouver.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Logan_International_Airport 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_Reid_International_Airport 

Once again, its like the Vancouver Mind Virus is getting charged up. Whenever a proper big city size project is planned the VMV interferes to stop or at lest water things down. 

You can't have tall buildings in Vancouver, just like you can't have long trains or proper big city bridges. 

Why do some people think that Toronto is The Next New York?

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-eJcCpoXx50 

Its really more like becoming another Chicago. They are the 2 biggest cities on the Great Lakes.

How much will Vancouver change by 2036?

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OJtotvMq2ls 

The Lion+Bridge will likely still not have an express bus and LRT tunnel near it. The+Iron+Bridge still might not have a proper BRT and LRT bridge next to it. The OSB and the KSB will likely not have a bus and bike bridge built beside them. There will still likely be no new Fraser Street Bridge for bikes and buses. No Boundary Road bridges to provide a direct link between the North Shore and Richmond for buses, trucks and bikes.

While the first 2 Skytrain lines will have 5 car trains, the stunted YVR-Canada Line will only have 2.5 car trains. Vancouver still might not permit any office tower to have a 40th floor, but might allow some residential towers to be on a Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane & Toronto scale. 

However, BIG city thinking and planning in Vancouver has always been so difficult. Boston, SF and the City of Paris are ridiculously small cities like Vancouver with all 3 having a land area of less than 50 sq. mi. or 129.5 sq. km. Yet, Boston, SF and especially the City of Paris, have all been able to fit so much more into the same general space. That's because they aren't bound by anything like the inept and extreme Vancouver type restrictions. 

CN Tower celebrates 50 years of being a skyline icon

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ujWLEBhbdt8 

If it were possible today, the KEEP VANCOUVER SMALL AND BACKWARDS people would still not permit any building to be a 3rd of the height of the CN_Tower. (CNT) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CN_Tower#Height_comparisons

The Harbour_Centre opened just over a year after the CNT, and is just under a 3rd of its height. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harbour_Centre#Height

https://www.cntower.ca/

Unfortunately, The Vancouver Mind Virus (VMV) was able to ensure that the Canada_Line Stations aren't even quite a 3rd of the length of the 152.5 m Montreal Metro stations. 

Even the North-Shore mountains aren't allowed to be as tall as the mountains north of L.A. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Shore_(Greater_Vancouver) 

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c0/LA_San_Gabriel_Mountains.jpg

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Gabriel_Mountains#Gallery 

Whether you are from Toronto or Chicago, LA or SF, Melbourne or Sydney, you might be shocked as to seeing how scaled down or watered down Vancouver is. Yet, the City of Paris, despite having a slightly smaller land area than Vancouver, can fit so much more inside. Boston and SF are only slightly larger in area than the City of Vancouver, yet they can also fit in so much more. 

Toronto Line 2 Bloor–Danforth

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UksCq92B4HA 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Line_2_Bloor-Danforth

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Toronto_subway_stations

Why aren't there similarly sized cities on the Canadian side of the Detroit area or American side of the Toronto area?

 https://www.reddit.com/r/geography/comments/1tz5yuw/why_arent_there_similarly_sized_cities_on_the/

The Unusual transportation approaches used in Vancouver

 https://www.vancouverisawesome.com/history/5-of-a-kind-unusual-modes-of-transportation-used-or-nearly-used-in-vancouver-12388220 

Vancouver is such an unusual and backwards city with its inefficient and congestive approach towards transportation infrastructure.

Getting rid of the streetcars and interurban trams was utterly foolish! Fortunately, such MADNE$$ wasn't adopted in Melbourne, SF, Toronto, Boston, Philadelphia and New Orleans. 

Just because a no freeways mandate was chosen for Vancouver, the streets should have been kept wide enough for busses as well as other vehicles. 

https://movementyvr.ca/the-case-of-vancouvers-nine-missing-bus-lanes

Despite most of the Vancouver bridges being too narrow, some bridge lanes were removed, because the city wasn't interested in building parallel bike bridges. 

Since most of the bridges are so narrow, there isn't enough room for proper express bus lanes. Of course the city isn't interested in building parallel bus bridges next to the narrow bridges. 

Since Vancouver is supposed to be a major, properly functioning city in Western Canada, the city should have pressed the designers of the first 2 Skytrain lines to make sure that all of the 80 m stations could gradually be extended to 152.5 m, the same as the 500 foot long Montreal Metro stations and trains.

Unlike the first 2 Skytrain lines, the Canada Line was only designed to ultimately have 50 m stations and trains. A 2 billion dollar line to YVR could have been designed in such a way that would have allowed it to look and function like a proper big-city passenger train. 

A commuter train to the North Shore keeps taking a long time to be finalized.

https://northshoreconnects.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/BIRT-Benefits-Assessment_Final.pdf

Think small and build backwards, or not at all. 

Vancouver ranked best World Cup host city by Sports Illustrated, Toronto No. 3

The magazine cited Vancouver’s transit, walkability and mild summer weather in ranking it first https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/soccer-world-cup-city-rankings-9.7226811

Racism is a risk when Vancouver and Toronto hosts the World Cup

https://www.humanrightsresearch.org/post/world-cup-2026-raises-human-rights-concerns-in-canadian-host-cities 

https://football.dhgate.com/lifestyle/world-cup-guide-reporting-racism-at-games-what-you-need-to-know-and-do/

 https://www.vancouverisawesome.com/national-sports/racism-is-a-risk-when-vancouver-hosts-world-cup-but-measures-exist-bc-ag-sharma-12361474 So, this is basically the same article repeated. 

https://www.britannica.com/place/British-Empire

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Empire#Rivalry_with_other_European_empires

https://vancouver.citynews.ca/2026/06/01/racism-risk-vancouver-hosts-world-cup-measures-exist-ag-sharma/ 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Empire#Expansion_and_colonial_conflict_(1707%E2%80%931783)

Despite its overall area, Canada has less than 1% of the worlds population. A global population that is mostly nonwhite. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Empire#Consolidation_and_global_dominance_(1783%E2%80%931815)

https://www.ctvnews.ca/vancouver/world-cup/article/racism-is-a-risk-when-vancouver-hosts-world-cup-but-measures-exist-bc-ag-sharma/ 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Empire#Britain's_imperial_century_(1815%E2%80%931914)

For its first century, Canada was supposed to be primarily for people from Europe. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Empire#Changing_status_of_the_white_colonies 

That was the British Colonial Agenda, but eventually the British_Empire had to acknowledge that most of the worlds population is nonwhite. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Empire#Decolonisation_and_decline_(1945%E2%80%931997)

There are strong arguments that Canada should be able to gradually contain a little more of the worlds population. Since a lot of the worlds population is from warmer areas, a lot of people might not like the Canadian Winter season. SW BC just happens to be the most mild part of Canada during the winter. The Lower_Mainland of BC and SE Vancouver_Island have been very reluctant to think big and build on a grand scale. 

The Lions+Gate+Bridge and the Johnson+Street+Bridge are both classic 3 lane BC bottleneck-chokepoints. They are both fine examples of not wanting to build for a growing population on a world that is composed mostly of nonwhite people.

https://www.nationalobserver.com/2026/06/02/news/racism-risk-when-vancouver-hosts-world-cup-measures-exist-says-bc-ag-sharma 

Toronto and Southern Ontario just never had the same level of small scale thinking as in SW BC. In fact, it the backwards BC approach to things just never caught on in Toronto, Melbourne and SF. They never got rid of their streetcars and trams like Vancouver and Victoria did.

https://www.reddit.com/r/MapPorn/comments/lzvgg7/the_british_empire_at_its_territorial_peak_oc/ 

As Canada started to become more multicultural in the 1960s and 70s, predominantly White city councils in BC kept imposing a small-scale approach to things. 

Will some people start to say that by keeping most of the world out of Canada is good for the environment? There are already some people that would like to use nonwhites as being too much of a carbon footprint and that Canada should never have 1% of the worlds population. This would be a very clever and sinister way to perpetuate the KEEP THEM OUT agenda. 

The days of Canada being officially under a British Colonial, White authority management power structure are long gone. As of 2026, Canada has yet to have half of 1% of the worlds population. 

TransLink to run temporary Downtown Vancouver circular bus route during FIFA World Cup

 https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/translink-no-1-downtown-vancouver-south-circulator-bus-route-fifa-world-cup 

Makes sense since the city never planned for a downtown train loop like Chicago, Toronto and other proper cities did generations ago. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/City_Circle Stdney

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/City_Loop#Metro_Tunnel Melbourne  

There should be a permanent downtown bus loop or circle. It could run along Robson to Burrard, then along Davie to Denman and then back to Robson. Every 3-5 minutes during the day and every 5-10 minutes at night. Unfortunately, that would go against the backwards planning mentality of provincial Vancouver.

Toronto - Canada’s World-Class City

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FHVS8_Bi7mc 

Toronto is approaching a Chicago level of scale. However, Toronto has yet to have its first 100 story office tower. The BMO tower has 72 floors. Provincial Vancouver still won't permit any 40 story office towers. While the GTA is easily at 7 million, the Chicagoland Area is at least up to 10 million. 

The GTA and Greater Montreal, combined with Chicagoland still doesn't quite match the Greater NYC Area, AKA: The Tristate Metropolitan Area of over 23 million people.