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Not just in total official population, but more importantly in terms of urban vibe, density, skyline, city amenities (number of restaurants, bars, theatres etc).
Ottawa? Calgary? Edmonton? Quebec City?
Which city do you expect to grow strong in the 20 years in terms of the above things?
I'd go with Calgary because it is the energy centre of Canada. And it will continue to grow in importance because of this fact. There are lots of buildings and condos there but I've heard it's quite dull in term amenities. But I would think it should improve over time if it continues to generate more wealth. I've actually never been.
I'd go with Quebec City as the runner up. It has more historic charm than Montreal but is primarily a provincial government and tourist town. It has very solid restaurants and entertainment for a visitor but not much strategic importance compared to Calgary.
The federal government aspect of Ottawa can make an argument for 4th place but based on the criteria, it's just too boring.
Last edited by johnathanc; 06-10-2014 at 03:35 PM..
Calgary without a doubt. Second most corporate head offices after Toronto, business centre for the Canadian Energy industry and becoming a key centre for transportation.
Calgary. It's an industry and finance centre. It's the hub for its region. It's a magnet for employment growth. Plus the population is growing very rapidly. I'd expect restaurants, theatres, clubs and other amenities to spring up in due course as the population swells.
Ottawa is really the NCR ("National Capital Region")... the nation's capital, and a nice one, but without much else going on (some hi tech, medical r&d, but those are still small sectors compared to the fed gov't). The population's growing, but not at the rate of Calgary's.
Quebec City is lovely and unique, but it's not even a regional centre (I'd obviously give that honour to Montreal). The population there is pretty stagnant.
Could't an argument be made for Calgary being Canada's "Third" city? Toronto is obviously number 1 at this time and Montreal is still number 2, especially culturally and what it means to a large portion of the population. But is Vancouver really that far ahead of Calgary? Montreal and Toronto jump out at you when you visit as being world class cities, but Vancouver doesn't for alot of folks.
Calgary. It's an industry and finance centre. It's the hub for its region. It's a magnet for employment growth. Plus the population is growing very rapidly. I'd expect restaurants, theatres, clubs and other amenities to spring up in due course as the population swells.
Gosh golly it's hard living here in the sticks.. I sure do hope you're right and we get some of them there restaurants, theatres, clubs and amenities soon
Gosh golly it's hard living here in the sticks.. I sure do hope you're right and we get some of them there restaurants, theatres, clubs and amenities soon
I wasn't implying that Calgary has no amenities...but for a city with a population of 1 million, the cultural and entertainment options are relatively few and far between. Ottawa is not so different. If it weren't for the National Arts Centre, National Gallery of Canada, the Museum of History (formerly Museum of Civilization), and the other national institutions that just come with being a national capital, Ottawa wouldn't have much.
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