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Just came back from the event, it was nothing but amazing. Montreal now has another landmark and it adds life to this sector of downtown.
Watched the live broadcast and the 375 anniversary was all over the morning news today in Toronto. CTV Toronto even sent a team of reporters over to explore the old and newer landmarks of Montreal, and spent a good half hour on their AM Morning Show today oozing over Montreal's arts, culture and history (and by extension lamenting how dull and cautious Toronto may feel at times).
I know some people will crucify me for saying this as a Torontonian, but can you imagine the outcry in City Hall from the suburban "subway subway subway" politicians (and their friends at the Sun, National Post) if Toronto even spent a fraction of that money on a similar celebration of our city? It would be "DOWNTOWN ELITE CELEBRATES THE BLOOD AND TEARS OF SUBURBAN MIDDLE CLASS FAMILIES" all over the front pages. Maybe that's why our Mayor and City Council are extremely cautious and jittery these days whenever they announce a new project / initiative - because we have too many suburban snowflake councillors who will scream and cry at anything that does not benefit them directly.
I like a party as well as the next guy but Montreal isnt lacking for parties as summer brings festival after festival so IMO the billion spent on this 375 party is a total waste of tax payer dollars when the whole city is under construction,schools and hospitals are stretched to the max financially,rather than address the important issues the mayor Kodak Codierre strokes his ego with yet another useless and frivolous expense.
Location: Montreal -> CT -> MA -> Montreal -> Ottawa
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I don't know... I like it. I get what you're saying, Jambo, about taxes and construction and everything, but there's something to be said about the feeling of community and loving your city. I'm moving to Ottawa in a couple of weeks and while I'm happy to leave construction hell and be paying MUCH less income tax next year, I like that Montreal feeling of "this is my city and I love it."
Bostonkid will understand this: When I lived in MA, the "Boston Strong" mentality was beautiful. Yes, it was borne of a tragedy -- the marathon bombing -- but that feeling was always there and always will be. Maybe it's because of Red Sox love, maybe it's because of a thousand other non-tragic reasons past and future, but there's a feeling of being PROUD of your city. That feeling is huge in Boston. In Montreal. In New York. Etc. (That feeling didn't exist in any of the cities that I lived in while in CT and I missed it tremendously.) It's a wonderful feeling, to be proud like that. It's inclusive and warm.
PS. Wait until you see what the plan is for #376, Jambo!
Watched the live broadcast and the 375 anniversary was all over the morning news today in Toronto. CTV Toronto even sent a team of reporters over to explore the old and newer landmarks of Montreal, and spent a good half hour on their AM Morning Show today oozing over Montreal's arts, culture and history (and by extension lamenting how dull and cautious Toronto may feel at times).
I know some people will crucify me for saying this as a Torontonian, but can you imagine the outcry in City Hall from the suburban "subway subway subway" politicians (and their friends at the Sun, National Post) if Toronto even spent a fraction of that money on a similar celebration of our city? It would be "DOWNTOWN ELITE CELEBRATES THE BLOOD AND TEARS OF SUBURBAN MIDDLE CLASS FAMILIES" all over the front pages. Maybe that's why our Mayor and City Council are extremely cautious and jittery these days whenever they announce a new project / initiative - because we have too many suburban snowflake councillors who will scream and cry at anything that does not benefit them directly.
Seriously though what is there to celebrate specifically right now - we don't have a new bridge and its not an anniversary year other than Canada's 150th which really isn't a Toronto native celebration. http://www.worldcitiescultureforum.c...FullReport.pdf
Toronto still has easily the largest creative workforce in the country with over 174K Torontonians working in the cultural sector and has almost twice as many artists as any other city in Canada . There are over 8600 firms in the creative industries in the city and local engagement in arts and culture in the city is very strong so take it easy there http://www.routestoemployment.ca/job...-entertainment http://www.torontoartsfoundation.org...Arts-Facts.pdf
I don't want to take away anything from Montreal's new landmark (something like this comes once a generation so good on them),their celebration or their arts and culture but I think you should put the overall creative arts industry in Toronto into perspective here. By all objective measures, nothing in Canada comes close.
Seriously though what is there to celebrate specifically right now - we don't have a new bridge and its not an anniversary year other than Canada's 150th which really isn't a Toronto native celebration. http://www.worldcitiescultureforum.c...FullReport.pdf
Toronto still has easily the largest creative workforce in the country with over 174K Torontonians working in the cultural sector and has almost twice as many artists as any other city in Canada . There are over 8600 firms in the creative industries in the city and local engagement in arts and culture in the city is very strong so take it easy there Arts, Culture and Entertainment | ROUTES TO. EMPLOYMENT. http://www.torontoartsfoundation.org...Arts-Facts.pdf
I don't want to take away anything from Montreal's new landmark (something like this comes once a generation so good on them),their celebration or their arts and culture but I think you should put the overall creative arts industry in Toronto into perspective here. By all objective measures, nothing in Canada comes close.
Sure but this was interesting and taken directly from the last report you cited:
The City of Toronto has made a commitment to increase arts and culture funding to $25.009 per capita by 2017 but it has a long way to go. This is less than Montreal ($55), Vancouver ($47), Calgary ($42) and Ottawa ($28) spent in 2009
Sure but this was interesting and taken directly from the last report you cited:
The City of Toronto has made a commitment to increase arts and culture funding to $25.009 per capita by 2017 but it has a long way to go. This is less than Montreal ($55), Vancouver ($47), Calgary ($42) and Ottawa ($28) spent in 2009
Yeah on a municipal level the city lags but it is important to note that most funding is not from municipal sources. That is why I posted the world cities culture forum link. So you get funding streams on Federal and Provincial levels in terms of direct and indirect streams (tax credits) and also charitable and corporate donations.
2014-2015 saw 733 Million USD spent on the city in terms of culture-dedicated public expenditure, which was actually higher than NYC, Sydney, Istanbul and San Francisco among others. Local level public expenditure is low but funding for cultural endeavours goes well beyond that. It makes sense that there are multiple funding streams given the size of the creative arts industry in the city. If culture and the arts in the city was only able to live off municipal funding it would be starved. Even if the city of Toronto increased per capita spend to the same level as Montreal it would only be 100 million USD bumping total to 783 Million USD per year which really isn't that much of a difference. Point being when it comes to cultural funding Toronto has a lot more to gain from other sources.
Yeah on a municipal level the city lags but it is important to note that most funding is not from municipal sources. That is why I posted the world cities culture forum link. So you get funding streams on Federal and Provincial levels in terms of direct and indirect streams (tax credits) and also charitable and corporate donations.
2014-2015 saw 733 Million USD spent on the city in terms of culture-dedicated public expenditure, which was actually higher than NYC, Sydney, Istanbul and San Francisco among others. Local level public expenditure is low but funding for cultural endeavours goes well beyond that. It makes sense that there are multiple funding streams given the size of the creative arts industry in the city. If culture and the arts in the city was only able to live off municipal funding it would be starved. Even if the city of Toronto increased per capita spend to the same level as Montreal it would only be 100 million USD bumping total to 783 Million USD per year which really isn't that much of a difference. Point being when it comes to cultural funding Toronto has a lot more to gain from other sources.
It's not always about money either.
Like an earlier poster said, it's that feeling of being PROUD of one's city and doing everything we can to make it shine in public.
I agree with everything you said because Toronto does have a large creative workforce, lots of innovative companies and a thriving tech startup scene, not to mention the ultra hip areas like Queen West, King East, Spadina, Kensington, Spadina, Bloor West, etc. etc.
Every time I walk by the above areas, I think to myself: how awesome would it be if more of city (especially our city councillors, politicians, and media) could be openly proud of these gems that we have, and how awesome would it be if city council makes a concerted effort to revamp, rejuvenate, and loudly publicize how unique those places can be. Sometimes, it almost feels like we have these great streets and neighborhoods but we are incredibly timid and afraid to show them off and let them shine.
And don't even get me started on the suburban brain-damaged councillors who have been actively sabotaging every effort to make our city a more attractive urban center. Did you know how long it took to get the Bloor West cycling lanes approved in City Council? And how some councillors are currently trying to sabotage a similar pilot project to make King Street a street-car/pedestrian only street? How John Tory our mayor decided against all expert advice to spend nearly $4 billion on a one-stop subway to appease suburban politicians, even when most Scarborough residents are against this project because $4 billion dollars could build 3 lines of fully integrated LRT network?
I've no idea how the City of Montreal made the decision to convert at least 5 streets to pedestrian only public spaces, and are planning to add even more later this year, because you can be sure that any remotely similar initiative here in Toronto that even smells of taking 2 parking spots away would elicit the wrath of the suburban politicians along with the right wing media friends in the Sun and the Post, and then in less than a year we'd have Doug Ford throwing full blown publicity stunts to "defend the little guy" against the "downtown elite." This cycle of one step forward three steps back is getting tiresome.
Like an earlier poster said, it's that feeling of being PROUD of one's city and doing everything we can to make it shine in public.
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I am quite proud of Montreal however spending a billion dollars on an irrelevant 375 anniversary party sounds like the mayor is out of touch with reality when the cities infrastructure is falling apart schools and hospitals are expected to function with ever more budgetary cuts and the hapless Montreal tax payer is paying some of the highest taxes in North America.
Its not like Montreal doesnt have any festivals=montreal.com - festivals
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