Didn't think this was deserving of its own thread, so this seemed to be a good fit. If it was from the Sun it would have fit in nicely with the Letters thread, but alas it was the Star printing this claptrap. Count the factual and logical errors!
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Comparing the gaze of two cities
May 30, 2007 04:30 AM
Kathleen O'Hara
I've decided that you can compare the psyche of cities by where their buildings face. Take Toronto and Vancouver.
The former has lined its newest condos along the shore of Lake Ontario. Some might argue that these buildings are positioned to appreciate the water view, but I would suggest otherwise. With travesties such as the Gardiner Expressway and Lake Shore Blvd., the city's lack of appreciation for its waterfront is evident. The obvious conclusion is that these latest developments and the humanity they house are actually facing south beyond the lake to Toronto's idol – New York. They reflect the population's Chekhovian desire to be elsewhere.
Vancouver, on the other hand, features West and North Van looking across English Bay to Point Grey and Kitsilano, which return their gaze. At the same time, the new, sometimes leaky, condos on either side of False Creek stare boldly at each other, some with their backs to the mountains. For me, this almost claustrophobic layout reflects a self-centred, insular city. And Vancouver is just that.
The two cities' major transportation issues support my analysis. Torontonians' transportation debates demonstrate their desire to get out of town. There are those so eager to leave that they want to take off internationally from the Island airport. Others have been lobbying for a "dedicated" rail link from Union Station to Pearson International.
Conversely, Vancouver seems constantly to be in a stew about how to improve its internal transit lines, including the SkyTrain and BC Ferries to the Gulf Islands and Sunshine Coast. The Canada Line, now under construction, will bring people from surrounding communities to Vancouver. It will also connect with the airport, but that is not its sole focus. Staying in touch locally is valued.
Yes, Vancouver is happier with itself. Some would say a little too happy, too unaware of the world. I rarely hear people comparing it to Seattle or San Francisco – favourably or otherwise.
In contrast, Toronto is constantly yammering on about New York (or Chicago) – the architecture, the culture, the people. Making it there. A friend told me he refers to this constant flow of Big Apple news and concerns as "The Latest." Where would world-class Toronto be without it?
This same friend, who grew up in Vancouver and recently returned there from Ontario, told me that his birthplace hasn't always been so self-sufficient. When he was young, he and his friends were constantly piling into the car to shop and play in Bellingham, Wash., just across the border. However, the thrill and need to look or go south has gone. Vancouver has it all.
I guess that's why my own daughter has joined the ranks of those who have moved west. For her, it was the variety of things to do. In Toronto, she and her friends always seemed to be going out for dinner – mundane and expensive. In Vancouver, they are more inclined to go for walks or bike rides – fun and free.
Perhaps my favourite comment about the differences between the two cities comes from another friend who knows both and now lives in Vancouver. He claims that people there can identify themselves as "marijuana activists" and still be taken seriously, even in the financial heart of the city. In Toronto, however, the word "flaky" would immediately be applied. I haven't had the nerve to head to Bay Street to test his theory.
Kathleen O'Hara is a writer and journalist currently living in Vancouver.
