There is a somewhat scenic aqueduct that runs through the low point of the LeBreton Flats. It has a lot of potential for creative place making. Here’s a pic of an uncovered / recovered Cheonggyecheon creek in Korea, famous for being … Continue reading Wandering around the Flats — LRT beside aqueduct
At the end of last week, all the old pine floors had been removed from the main level. The upstairs already had a new subfloor, and now it was the turn for the main floor. Bill has a stand up … Continue reading Monday House, week 19 , floors, plugs, tile
Last year Farmer Doug was at the City Centre parking lot. Business was good enough he has been snatched away and installed in the Shanghai parking lot, accompanied by some other artisans in a nascent market square. Great spot … Continue reading Farmer Doug returns
Lots of people like to dump on LeBreton Flats current development as they drive by on the Commuter Expressways. This weeks OBJ has the latest. For variety, here’s the fish-eye view of the first two towers and mid rise apartments on … Continue reading Wandering around the Flats – Claridgeland
Everybody going to Bluesfest this year with a pass / wristband can also use that as bus pass (to go anywhere on OC Transpo) for several hours up to festival opening time each day and during the festival event. It will … Continue reading Wandering around the Flats — getting to Bluesfest via OC Transpo
The city has gone to great pains to assure the neighbourhoods around the Flats that the reconstructed Albert Street and Booth Street won’t be urban freeways. Instead they’ll be typical downtown streets. You know. Short blocks. Frequent intersections. Signalized intersections. … Continue reading Wandering around the Flats — Booth Street overpass
You may recall that the upstairs in the Monday House had a finished floor but no subfloor, which made it rather “springy” underfoot. So the pine flooring was removed and a thick subfloor installed. In the meantime, downstairs, the old … Continue reading Monday House, getting floored
While Mr and Mrs Monday are feeling decision-overload in the Never Ending Renovation, us first-of-the-week visitors will notice some progress. The three coats of plaster mud have been applied to all the walls joints and screws. Each coat was sanded … Continue reading Monday House, week 16, PrimeCheck, first colours
I have a book by John Adams, entitled RISK, and it is all about … risk. * One risk is driving with or without a seatbelt. Or helmet. It is also about transferring risk, usually from one mode where something is … Continue reading Understanding traffic risk
The Monday House is typical of 1900 houses in that it has double hung windows. These are more vertical than horizontal in overall shape, sometimes referred … Continue reading Monday House, week xiv, double hung windows, doors, and more drywall
The City has done a wonderful job of landscaping the multi-use pathway extension along the Trillium line, from Young Street to Carling Avenue. The Trillium MUP is now fully functional. It opens up new, safe, relaxing walking and cycling corridors. … Continue reading Good intentions in conflict on Trillium MUP
The drywall from last week was delivered to the second story, and by this week most of it was applied. The upstairs bathroom drywalling, using special more-water-resistant panels, is delayed pending arrival of taps and pressure balances that are … Continue reading Monday House, part xiii , applying the drywall
A familiar old feature to west siders and OTrain users is no more. We shall miss it (not). Sniff sniff. When the original OTrain (now, Trillium Line OTrain) was built back in 2001, city staff were under pressure to do the demonstration project on a shoestring budget. I gather from old hands that were present back then, that a decision was made by Helen Gault at the city to route the track around an existing utility pole in the middle of the field. This was done to avoid the cost of moving said pole. Again, old hands tell me that … Continue reading Helen Gault Pole relocated
If my (fallible) memory serves me correctly, all the Confederation Line LRT Stations are freestanding, at ground level, in a ditch, or underground. Only at three downtown stations are the stations under the street but exiting up partially through existing … Continue reading First high rise LRT station?
As seen on Preston Street, the exterior plug on this building had a piece of paper on it: Upon closer inspection, it bears a message: We appear to have a classic “missed connections” repair in process … Is it really … Continue reading Missed Connections
I was fortunate enough to join some neighbours on air this morning with Robin at CBC Morning. I was rather alarmed when it became apparent that it was the same panel as last January, and that they had checked out our comments from then, and were going to quizz us on how things changed. What on earth had I said back then? Heck, I can’t remember what I said two minutes ago ! This link might work should you have 15 minutes idle time: http://www.cbc.ca/player/play/2687682347 http://www.cbc.ca/player/play/2687682347 Continue reading Pondering the LeBreton decision
For those of you with high pain thresholds, or who want to hear more than they can read here, I’ll be a short clip on CBC evening news tonight and on CBC Morning right after the 7.00am news, passing judgement … Continue reading More than you want to hear …
The new sub-floor is completely laid on the bedroom level. And level it is! With a good base to work from, the new partition walls were quickly installed. They are in the same places as the old original walls. While … Continue reading Monday House, part viii, rooms take shape
I went to a public talk the other evening. It was soooo depressing. The speaker is an architect and town planner. And professor. And consultant. And urban design reviewer. The secret to better cities? Hire more architects. Not just any … Continue reading Depressing evening with an Architect.
Out walking the street I bumped into an acquaintance with urban planning interests and we popped into Simply Biscotti for a tea. After listening to Mr Whineypants (me) for a bit, we played a simple mind game. He played devils … Continue reading There are no insurmountable problems
On the first day of new ownership, the general contractor bashed various holes in the ceilings and walls to see what’s inside them. Looking for surprises (more on this tomorrow). Instead of walls being made of 4×8′ sheets of drywall, … Continue reading Monday House, part ii – gutting to the studs
Vacation rental apps are popular these days. Even techno laggards like me are in on the scene. We rented an apartment in Venice last fall. Then one in Milan. Then an agriturismo in Piano di Sorrento. We arranged these from … Continue reading The Friday Traveller: a vacation rental in Venice
There is still more to be gleaned from the City’s revealled plans for the reconstruction of Queen Street. What’s in it for cyclists? Queen will not have much in the way of specific cycling infrastructure — no bike lanes, no bike … Continue reading Queen Street wrap-up : for cyclists
The City unveiled the final streetscaping plan for several blocks of Queen Street around the two downtown Confederation Line stations (Lyon, and Parliament). One detail I noticed was the graphic logo for the Stations, consisting of a bright red circle (donut?) on a stick. Here’s the one at Lyon Station: and another at Parliament Station by the old Zellers: and again at the link between the two towers of the Clarica /Sunlife Centre: Of course we need a graphic logo that can (eventually) instantly identify where the Station entrances are for locals and tourists alike. On the existing transitway, the bright … Continue reading New graphic identity for Confederation line?
From time to time strange artefacts of earlier emails creep into the ‘final’ version. I confess to the occasional (your opinion may vary) convoluted or incomprehensible thought due to editing out something but leaving a related bit in the story, where it then makes no sense. So I had to smile when I got some reply material from the city this morning. In the middle of the para, written in typical bureaucratic impersonal, noun free form, was this: .. . I say we just ignore this until it gets brought up again. By that point, it will be [too late]. Continue reading Just ignore them …
