155 replies to this topic

[tedward]

From what I saw of some children who were interviewed, they have lost access to tide pools that were a little farther along. I guess at high tide you used to be able to walk along the rocks, and now you can't. 

 

That still makes no sense. When the tide recedes, some pools of seawater remain. At high tide, tide pools do not exist, they are under water as part of the ocean so there is no loss of access.

 

[aastra]

Politicians rubbing stuff in your faces as (all) politicians like to do:

 

 

"For whatever reason, when they were created back in the '50s, they’re kind of interesting and cool and different than the usual things that we see."

from the Times-Colonist

 

For whatever reason. It's a mystery. Nobody knows for sure. We could speculate. We could theorize. Why would somebody bother to make something half-decently interesting instead of plain-Jane functional and bland? Maybe they didn't know they could take the cheap-and-easy route? Maybe they were too stupid to realize the cheap-and-easy route would be cheaper and easier? Maybe they foolishly believed Victoria was a city that was worthy of decent stuff? People back then were so stupid. People back then didn't understand how crappy Victoria really was. Today we know better.

 

Sigh.

 

My epistle to modern Victorians: you will continue to get crappy things until you start demanding good things again. Knocking the city down a few pegs has become so ingrained it's effectively an urban planning principle now.

[aastra]

 

Maybe they were too stupid to realize the cheap-and-easy route would be cheaper and easier? Maybe they foolishly believed Victoria was a city that was worthy of decent stuff?

 

I should say, we're talking about the 1950s, when Victoria was already full-swing in destructive self-deprecation mode, diligently erasing many of its past glories, etc. And yet in 2019 we're looking back even at that era and wondering why they cared so much.

[todd]

Politicians rubbing stuff in your faces as (all) politicians like to do:

 

 

For whatever reason. It's a mystery. Nobody knows for sure. We could speculate. We could theorize. Why would somebody bother to make something half-decently interesting instead of plain-Jane functional and bland? Maybe they didn't know they could take the cheap-and-easy route? Maybe they were too stupid to realize the cheap-and-easy route would be cheaper and easier? Maybe they foolishly believed Victoria was a city that was worthy of decent stuff? People back then were so stupid. People back then didn't understand how crappy Victoria really was. Today we know better.

 

Sigh.

 

My epistle to modern Victorians: you will continue to get crappy things until you start demanding good things again. Knocking the city down a few pegs has become so ingrained it's effectively an urban planning principle now.

 

..was it not to protect the buildings and whatnot in front of the sea wall a bit more??

 

 

The two railing system in oak bay: https://youtu.be/sD-ONlNR12w

Edited by todd, 09 August 2019 - 10:47 AM.

[aastra]

No idea, but maybe so. I don't want to be too much of a stinker about this but I'm just saying the "for whatever reason" card could be played literally for anything and everything that you want to dial down.

[todd]

No idea, but maybe so. I don't want to be too much of a stinker about this but I'm just saying the "for whatever reason" card could be played literally for anything and everything that you want to dial down.

So? Said the same thing when I took out the columns for the new pool table

[aastra]

I say it for everything. For whatever reason the fridge has a door on it, when a sheet of cardboard would suffice. For whatever reason the roof has shingles on it, when garbage bags would suffice.

[aastra]

For whatever reason this tourist bothered to snap this pic and this other pic. No worries, the parked cars and puddles will always be there to be photographed.

Unless... nah... you think? Maybe there was something else there that he thought was interesting and/or worth photographing?

 

Those overhead lines are pretty cool and unique. That must be it. I hope the city does everything possible to preserve those overhead lines for a long time to come.

Edited by aastra, 06 September 2019 - 05:05 PM.

[DavidL]

For whatever reason this tourist bothered to snap this pic and this other pic. No worries, the parked cars and puddles will always be there to be photographed.

Unless... nah... you think? Maybe there was something else there that he thought was interesting and/or worth photographing?

 

Those overhead lines are pretty cool and unique. That must be it. I hope the city does everything possible to preserve those overhead lines for a long time to come.

 

Now I need to find pizza delight.

[aastra]

Re: the Gonzales Beach retaining wall controversy, the shrubbery above the rocks indicates the extent of the private property, is that right? (arrow added by me)

 

 

still from 2016 YouTube video: "Aerial Video of Robertson Waterfront Home in Victoria BC"

[JimV]

I should say, we're talking about the 1950s, when Victoria was already full-swing in destructive self-deprecation mode, diligently erasing many of its past glories, etc. And yet in 2019 we're looking back even at that era and wondering why they cared so much.

Speaking of which, has anyone seen the metal railing they are installing to replace the beautiful old Art Deco rail along Dallas Road?  I was truly shocked to see this crappy utilo-industrial fence.  I thought at least it would be the same as the graceful looking stuff on the breakwater.  Whoever approved this should be fired.

[aastra]

Not quite the stuff that local artists would be inclined to explore in their painting?

[Brantastic]

I thought it was ugly, view-obstructing, and I won't miss it in the slightest. 

[Brantastic]

So graceful!

[On the Level]

^ at least it was functional during a storm......which was why it was built that way.  I am not sure how appropriate the new design is.

[todd]

^ at least it was functional during a storm......which was why it was built that way.  I am not sure how appropriate the new design is.

We will find out.

[aastra]

 

I thought it was ugly, view-obstructing, and I won't miss it in the slightest.

 

I feel the same way about Beacon Hill Park. Just imagine how great Victoria will be once every wish of this type has been fulfilled*.

 

Although it is curious how the "I hate x" sentiments get promoted to the top of the priority list, whereas the "I love x" sentiments get urinated upon. Probably just an odd coincidence.

 

*except for inner harbour parking lots -- we would all miss those terribly, and thus the CoV has put its greatest effort into preserving them

[aastra]

That's why the CoV's policy to enable old things to fall apart is so effective. Inevitably they get proven right that the old things can no longer be maintained and thus were never worth caring about in the first place.

 

You know how we didn't properly maintain that thing (JSB & too many other examples) or how we impeded somebody else from maintaining that thing (Northern Junk) or how we facilitated the abuse of that thing (Beacon Hill Park, the Harris Green, courthouse lawn)? Well nyah, because now it needs to be gutted and/or replaced. So nyah.

 

A person is free to love the old railing or hate it or neither, but if we're going to dismiss something like this for being inelegant or graceless then we might as well toss out our dictionaries:

 

inelegant
adjective: not elegant; lacking in refinement, gracefulness, or good taste.

 

I won't deny the railing's impact on people (or dogs) who liked to enjoy an ocean view while on all fours, but methinks the railing's major offense was the same offense committed by every beloved old thing in Victoria: it was just another worthless & stupid whatever, and yet it dared to look like it wasn't just another worthless & stupid whatever. Hey, railing, don't you know what a joke you are and what a joke your city is? No? Well, you won't be so uppity after we get through with you.

 

 

pic from https://www.rosecurrie.com/landscapes

[Nparker]

Rose Currie has done a wonderful series of paintings depicting the Dallas Road waterfront...or at least what it used to look like.

[aastra]

Anyway, as I noted earlier in this thread, something that faces directly onto the ocean* in this manner is going to take an exceptional beating, so nobody should have expected it to last forever, even taking into account the CoV's reputation re: upkeep.

 

*not trying to start an argument, Mike