The not so Great Canadian White Elephant Thread

[someone123]

Originally Posted by kool maudit

That thing is so incredibly crude, I can't believe it's real.

It's a good metaphor for rural Atlantic Canadian politics dominating and limiting the cities.

[Innsertnamehere]

Originally Posted by phone

This one really fascinates me. Never heard about Townsend before, thanks for sharing. The place gives off a really creepy, liminal feeling. It's not quite a ghost town as it appears to be generally occupied to the extent that it was actually built out, but it has a ghostly presence on the map nevertheless. A little like a living shadow, perhaps.

yea - I was in the area and drove through it a summer or two ago and it was a very odd feeling. Like a dead-quiet version of suburban Mississauga or Brampton plopped in the middle of farmers fields. The comically overbuilt 4-lane roads with no cars on it, the loopy subdivision streets and large parks which are again completely empty, etc.

What's interesting to me as well is how close it is to Jarvis. Why create a "new town" when you have an existing one to start off with right next door? It wouldn't be a "failure" at all if they had instead focused on growing Jarvis as demand provided.

There are a surprising amount of little oddities hidden in the Southern Ontario Countryside, be it abandoned WW2 training airports, secretive hunting societies rumored to be home of many of the world's elite, century-old abandoned amusement parks for Buffalo's wealthy, and more.

[wg_flamip]

Originally Posted by kool maudit

On white elephants as a whole, it seems that they appear on the chart near local tops... it becomes a white elephant when the circumstances of its conception aren't matched by those of its existence (I think the term comes from sacred white elephants kept at great expense by Burmese monasteries).

To be a true white elephant, I believe some form of on-going cost disproportionate to on-going value is required. An overly expensive sculpture of dubious artistic merit plopped down in the middle of your town square might've been a mistake and a waste of money but isn't really a white elephant in the traditional sense. Conversely, an overbuilt highway to no where that requires regular road maintenance, snow clearing/salting, etc. would qualify.

[esquire]

Originally Posted by O-tacular

Newfoundland has one giant White Elephant that I'm surprised no one has posted yet:

It's huge, but I was under the impression that it was well-used. It's not like it's some giant convention centre that sits empty 50 weeks of the year or whatever.

What about the big Asian mall north of Calgary? That thing seemed like it was a white elephant in the making.

[Acajack]

I like The Rooms.

[esquire]

Originally Posted by Acajack

I like The Rooms.

Acajack going all in on being the contrarian

I can't imagine how annoyed I would be if some organization built a huge grain elevator-looking tower to dominate the urban Winnipeg skyline. Because that would pretty well be the equivalent.

[jamincan]

Originally Posted by Acajack

I like The Rooms.

Weirdly, I actually agree with you on something.

[kool maudit]

What do you guys like about it?

I just think it looks like this next to the old town:

[Nouvellecosse]

Originally Posted by Acajack

I like The Rooms.

I'm calling security.

[thewave46]

Originally Posted by someone123

It's a good metaphor for rural Atlantic Canadian politics dominating and limiting the cities.

I'd liken it to how big ideas / mass production don't map onto something like Newfoundland.

Mississauga City Hall is dumb, but it kind of works in the inane soullessness of 'downtown' Mississauga. Super-suburb interpretation of farm country or city.

The Rooms is like the Shard plunked in central London. In Dubai, sure. London? No. Stick it in Canary Wharf or don't built it at all.

[LuluBobo]

Regina's is easily our bypass.

$1.2 billion dollar freeway around the city that extends 5 kilometres past any existing or built development. Between the existing Ring Road and the bypass, there is just farm fields. No existing or planned development. By far the most expensive capital project in provincial history, it is a per capita equivalent of a $35 billion capital project in the GTHA.

It is still greatly underutilized for about 75% of its length.

[phone]

Originally Posted by esquire

Acajack going all in on being the contrarian

I can't imagine how annoyed I would be if some organization built a huge grain elevator-looking tower to dominate the urban Winnipeg skyline. Because that would pretty well be the equivalent.

It would be like if Regina plopped down the Expo 86 Saskatchewan pavilion in the middle of Wascana Park

[esquire]

Originally Posted by LuluBobo

Regina's is easily our bypass.

$1.2 billion dollar freeway around the city that extends 5 kilometres past any existing or built development. Between the existing Ring Road and the bypass, there is just farm fields. No existing or planned development. By far the most expensive capital project in provincial history, it is a per capita equivalent of a $35 billion capital project in the GTHA.

It is still greatly underutilized for about 75% of its length.

One could argue whether or not it should have been built right now, but Regina will inevitably grow into it one day.

[esquire]

Originally Posted by phone

It would be like if Regina plopped down the Expo 86 Saskatchewan pavilion in the middle of Wascana Park

When I was a kid I was jealous that Sask had an Expo 86 pavilion but Manitoba did not

But yes, you are 100% correct. The Rooms is rural, or small town vernacular plunked into the middle of the city where it just looks goofy.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by kool maudit

What do you guys like about it?

Boldness over blandness.

[phone]

Originally Posted by LuluBobo

Regina's is easily our bypass.

$1.2 billion dollar freeway around the city that extends 5 kilometres past any existing or built development. Between the existing Ring Road and the bypass, there is just farm fields. No existing or planned development. By far the most expensive capital project in provincial history, it is a per capita equivalent of a $35 billion capital project in the GTHA.

It is still greatly underutilized for about 75% of its length.

Wasn't the point of the Regina bypass to be... you know... a bypass for highway traffic/heavy trucks? AFAIK accommodating local suburban traffic was never a primary intent behind the project

[phone]

Originally Posted by esquire

I guess one could argue that major league arenas that never attracted major league teams (Copps Coliseum, Saskatchewan Place, Centre Videotron) are white elephants, but even then the most you could say is that only the upper halves of those arenas are white elephants since the lower halves are regularly used by the home teams and for other events.

While Saskatchewan Place (Credit Union Centre) has never been the home of any major league team, and while its location leaves a lot to be desired, I would never call it a White Elephant, even counting the upper decks which are frequently used for concerts and other sporting events like the World Juniors.

The facility garners a steady stream of regular use despite being on the larger size for a city Saskatoon's size. This is part of the reason why the current downtown arena proposal, which should be about the same capacity as Credit Union Centre, probably won't be a White Elephant despite on paper being more than what Saskatoon needs. We already have a 15,000 seat arena, and it doesn't feel like wasted capacity. It's just rapidly aging and in a poor location (and has a perpetually crowded concourse since the upper decks were only added later, putting strain on the concourses that were not designed with those additions in mind).

[LuluBobo]

Originally Posted by phone

Wasn't the point of the Regina bypass to be... you know... a bypass for highway traffic/heavy trucks? AFAIK accommodating local suburban traffic was never a primary intent behind the project

That's why it was built so though.

The communities of White City and Pilot Butte and Balgonie turned it from a project connecting the #1 by Tower Road to Ring Road, into a massive project.

[someone123]

Originally Posted by thewave46

The Rooms is like the Shard plunked in central London. In Dubai, sure. London? No. Stick it in Canary Wharf or don't built it at all.

I don't know the history of that one but aside from rural folks running the provincial governments there can be an obsession with tourism (locals design and pay for things for tourists, not for themselves) and a desire to bring in more famous outside architects (typically paired with a local firm because we have to say that locals are involved) who have a superficial knowledge of the local culture and styles.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by phone

Wasn't the point of the Regina bypass to be... you know... a bypass for highway traffic/heavy trucks? AFAIK accommodating local suburban traffic was never a primary intent behind the project

I am reminded of the old Uncle Vern analogy about what Tyco toy race car tracks and boobs have in common: they're supposed to be for kids but it's mostly dads who play with them.

In the case of new highways on the outskirts of the city, everyone says it's for heavy freight trucks and to keep them out of the city core, but really they're for people who want to live outside of town but still have access to urban amenities.