Spring – when a young man’s fancy turns to…

Growing up in Regina – the only major city in the country that’s not on a coastline or riverbank – you miss out on the Canadian springtime ritual: flooding. All that winter snow has to go somewhere, right? (Vancouver and Victoria don’t count – you just get the once-a-century tsunami instead. It balances out, I guess.) In Fredericton, it’s business as usual.

Of course since the city’s been around for over 250 years they’ve managed to come up with a reasonable solution: don’t build anything important within 6,5m of the bank. But when the sky is clear and the temperature’s a balmy 20-degrees and your fancy turns to a long-awaited run or ride along the river valley, you do kind of wish they could come up with a way to keep the trails open.

It’s not just the water that puts the trails out of commission, at least for a little while – you also get a flotsam (or is it jetsam?) (Edit: I guess it’s neither) bunch of junk that washes up and gets in the way. Driftwood and such – at least, nothing in the news of anything more “exciting” ever washing up on the banks of the Saint John. That is a good thing.

These two obviously have their springtime in Fredericton down pat:

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Washed out trails didn’t stop the first Critical Mass of the year starting up though.

I always wanted to check one of these out. Basically, you get a bunch of people on bikes together, and you go around on the street. You don’t really go anywhere in particular – that’s part of how it’s supposed to work, no organisation, no set route – it’s just to be on the road, safety in numbers together, alongside cars and trucks and such, asserting the common privilege (not a right, of course) of operating a vehicle, motorised or otherwise.

The clichéd confrontation – angry driver: “You’re blocking traffic!” Angry cyclist: “I am traffic!” I don’t know if that actually happens. When I was in Victoria and Vancouver I never saw any Critical Mass events; I guess since biking is already a part of everyday life and traffic there there’s no need to state the obvious. The same way how the rest of the world wouldn’t need them either – you’d never hear of cyclists needing to assert their existence in, say, Amsterdam, or Beijing.

According to Wikipedia, sometimes there are conflicts involving Critical Mass – apparently enough to warrant an entire article, “Conflicts involving Critical Mass”. Like all conflicts generally, this happens when people become immature and decide to flout the law – drivers fail to yield or drive unsafely around the bikes, or cyclists ignore the rules of the road and actively obstruct traffic.

I wasn’t sure how Fredericton Critical Mass usually behaves, so I wanted to hang back and see what everyone else does before actually joining in. If it was just going to be some kind of perverse “revenge” against drivers and an excuse to piss them off, count me out. Everyone looked pretty nice though; and, the majority of people had helmets too, so they seemed like a reasonable bunch.

It was supposed to start up at around 5.30 or so, but when 5.45 came around and I was getting restless and hungry, I went for dinner instead and just lazed around the park. Enjoy it while it lasts – who knows, by this time tomorrow it’ll be flooded over.

You drive what you are, part two

Dad has started biking to work – about time! Being nice and Prairie flat, Regina should be an obvious place for bike commuting. The City only just started putting together a commuting cycling system a year ago, but the streets are simple and wide enough that bike routes are really more to remind people about bikes on the road, than actually providing infrastructure that makes cycling faster or easier (like bike-controlled traffic lights and left-turn lanes, for example).

He still has to take Mum to work in the morning sometimes, so the car gets out about half the time. Which is probably “optimal”, between the bike and the car – you’re still paying for the car insurance and maintenance after all, and you do have to run the car every so often to keep the lines clean and pistons lubricated (or whatever it is that needs to be clean and lubricated, I don’t know) so you kind of feel compelled to use it at least a little.

He rides a Gary Fisher Tiburon, an aluminium 21-speed hybrid, complete with front shocks and suspension seatpost. It’s a different ride from my Kona Smoke – his 700c wheels are a bit bigger, so it seems a little faster, and with the suspension the ride is a little “cushier”. Maybe it’s just my posture, but I think his seat position is a bit more relaxed and upright, perfect for surveying the traffic around. His saddle is a Bontrager “Suburbia” – how appropriate!

Riding my bike over the same path, ruts are definitely more jarring though I still find my steel frame and 26″ wheels smoother over flat pavement. I’m bent a bit further forward – from where I’m sitting, I need to consciously sit straight up to get the same street view as on the Tiburon, though for getting over hills, it feels more natural to be a bit forward. I guess I’m still tuned for my Victoria commute. Style-wise his Tiburon has the fancy racing waves and stripes beating my plain matte black frame, but I actually like the simplicity better. Whatever floats my boat, I guess.

My brother, however, will have none of this cycling nonsense – not when he just got his new baby, an Acura CSX

I didn’t get a chance to try it, though I did get to drool over its futuristic sweeping lines, bling-bling LED display and navigation screen, and the cute yet useful factory-equipped Acura first aid kit in the trunk. You can get a sense of our different personalities by what we drive; “you drive what you are”, after all. My Rabbit – “doesn’t look like much” – vs his CSX – “it exudes quality and luxury… it has a lot of class”. I guess that pretty much says it. Technically my 2.5L 150hp 170ftlb beats his 2.0L 155hp 139ftlb, but, as he says, “Well, I’m going to drive out now and see my girlfriend. What are you doing?”

Touché.

Regina

Back in the ‘gina. Last time I was here they were still hard at work at decentralising everything away from Downtown – business, shopping, entertainment, dining, anything that might be a draw. Looks like it’s coming along: Victoria Av E is the city’s new “restaurant destination” – by design, pulling people away from Downtown and the rest of the city. One of the new restauranteurs welcomes the change

The more competitors that locate out here, the more it creates a restaurant destination. When that happens you’re more likely to draw from all over the city. We’re already seeing that in what our competitors are doing

There’s our new Chili’s – patio overlooking Vic Av E and the Husky Car/Truck stop. Sweet

There’s also a new TCU bank – real stone and back-lit glass!

It’s got to be the only bank left in Canada that actually builds its own buildings. Back in the day (eg, the Gold Rush) no self-respecting bank would transact in anything less than a free-standing marble-columned stained-glass temple to the virtues of wealth and saving – the building was a symbol of strength and trust, that the bank wouldn’t just collapse overnight (as many Gold Rush banks would). But today? I do my banking at a rented branch in a strip mall, next to a porn store.

Decentralising the essentials complements the de-urbanising the Downtown, making room for more parking lots and low-rise office plazas that befit a modern, sprawling city, eager to make its mark (literally) on the Prairie horizon, spread out in sheer leisure and decadence, and pave the plains into submission. No tall, crowded brick-faced peaked-roof gargoyle-topped sidewalk storefronts here – no sir, that would be living in the past, so anachronistic. Here, only the newest stucco’ed slabs, with plenty of parking in front, all the comforts of the suburban boxes Reginans know and love! None of those frills, like sidewalk shopping and patios and terrasses other Downtowns waste their time on. This is a booming economy, after all – better build cheap and fast, and cash in while it lasts!

So, one year later – welcome to Downtown. We’ve got parking!

On the lot for visitors, right in front – because putting the parking underground, or in the back, or behind some trees, would be too confusing. Workers get their own garage: solid block concrete to protect the precious contents within (ie cars, and the fuel they contain) and camouflaged to distract passersby. The coloured wavy pattern pacifies deviants and anachronists who claim something about “greenspace” and art being essential to city living

Seriously though, now that the building’s done I think Regina’s picked up on the crap they’ve let slide, and now they’re doing the best they can to salvage the mess. I’m told they’re planning to put some trees along the front, and pull off some 3D landscape trompe l’oeil effect. Putting lipstick on the pig, as it were – still a pig, but hey, the city still has no design oversight standards. You can’t expect too much from Regina.

Things are looking up though. They are starting to think about good design – not nearly as self-aware, -reflective or -critical as Ottawa yet, but at least they’ve come up with a new Downtown plan that isn’t just “more parking”

Wow – does that say “Walk to Work”?! What a concept! They’re also thinking about cycling now too

and building a new bus station Downtown helps make alternatives to air travel more attractive and convenient

There’s at least a little landscaping now around the many gravel car parks

and a few public spaces – here, a reclaimed back alley

and even a full-on restoration project – lucky, it’s one of the only pre-war buildings left

And the free wireless Internet might help Downtown cafés and restaurants get an edge over the suburban spots

And, despite Regina’s suburban restaurant focus, there’s still new places opening up Downtown. A Thai restaurant – Regina’s Asian cuisine scene is now 2G! (“G”s roughly matching the waves of immigration leading to critical masses of ethnic groups – 1G being Chinese (or “Chinese-Canadian”); 2G Thai, Japanese, Vietnamese, etc; 3G Cambodian, Mongolian, etc.)

It was lunch time, and the place was reassuringly packed, all twenty or so seats taken, and another dozen takeaway people being tortured watching us eat as they wait. Which would definitely be worth it

So maybe there’s still hope yet. I even finally got a reply to a letter I wrote way, way back about Regina’s street sign mess – for some reason, they always made a mix between ALL CAPS and normal text, and played around with their abbreviations willy-nilly

so I wrote a letter and showed how it’s supposed to be

and voilà, problem solved – or at least, prevented in future

DS – where are you? We need to meet up!

Banff to Regina

Day 3: Banff to Regina

Leaving Banff, in no time you’re in the flatlands of Calgary – “Heart of the New West”.

I think it’s been billed the “New West” for at least 30 years now, ever since the oil and gas industry started cashing in during the oil embargo “energy crisis” of the 70s and hasn’t looked back since. Before that Westerners would always gripe about the country always revolved around the whims of Central Canada and their old money, but after Alberta started looking after itself – dumping the National Energy Programme, pumping up its own rainy-day fund ($17 billion at last count) and, most un-Canadian of all, eliminating sales tax! – it’s got a swagger of its own. Goodbye ding-dong of pastoral cowbells, hello bling-bling of sweet sweet crude.

It’s the last big city I’ll see before making it East, but from the free-flowing traffic of the T-Can on 16 Av, you wouldn’t think it. Wide lanes (at least a 50% bonus compared to Vancouver’s main streets), and the one time I had to cut lanes to make a turn, no pissed-off f***ing-tourist-! reaming; just a laid-back, wave in – hey, I thought this was the big bad sprawling monstro-city that is Calgary! Too nice.

Stopped by a McDonald’s for a takeaway road-friendly lunch – nuggets make munching at 120Km/h clean and easy. I haven’t been to a McDonald’s in years; back in undergrad I’d go at least once a week, when the residence cafeteria closed for the weekends, but ever since then it’d only be an emergency option. Looks like they’ve gone upscale while I’ve been away: fieldstone walls, fireplace, ceramic flooring – hey, I thought this was the good old quick and dirty feedbag, 60 billion served McD’s! Fancy. And the new coffee: not bad at all. Definitely not the comforting darkness of Starbucks bold, but switch it for my usual Horton’s double-double and I probably wouldn’t notice. It’s caffeine, and that’s what matters.

The cup design, however, isn’t quite so travel-friendly – a Starbucks-style solid rim with sipping port would’ve been better than this Hortons-style leaky flip-top. At least they throw in a forest-sized napkin wad with the nuggets when you order takeaway.

And thence to Saskatchewan, Naturally. Though you’d be forgiven if the landscape somehow reminded you of something somewhat more artificial – hmm, subliminal Saskatchewan advertising on Windows XP wallpaper? Wonder how much Microsoft charged for that!

A convoy of pedestrians stuck to the shoulder as cars buzzed past. I think it was a group marching to Ottawa in memory of the disappeared, murdered prostitutes and others suffering in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside. I honked in support – only the third time I’ve ever used the horn (the others being the first time I got the car, and once at the dealership to get into the service bay) – they waved back, and one of them took a picture. It was about 30C outside under the Prairie sun when I drove by; hopefully they’re close to their next stop.

Hopefully this skateboarder is close to home too – this was about 15Km out of Maple Creek and another 30Km to the next town. And he doesn’t have a support van to back him up. Madness!

Swift Current and Moose Jaw throw in their city tag lines on their welcome signs – “where life makes sense” and “The Friendly City”, respectively

Regina, however, lets the skyline speak for itself

I love how it just sprouts out from the plain, middle of nowhere like that. Other places usually have a “wow” moment, where you crest a hill, turn a bend or cross a bridge, and the city skyline catches you all at once – eg descending into Vancouver from South Granville St, or facing onto Manhattan from the Brooklyn Bridge. But Regina kind of creeps up on you, as you creep up on it from the highway.

It’s no less of a surprise – one second you’re on undeveloped prairie, the next you’re in the middle of standard big-box suburban sprawl (yep, that’s how you know it’s Regina – keeping 70s-style wasteful car-centric sprawl alive into the 21st century), wondering what these people are thinking letting such crappy city planning continue unchecked.

Well, I do anyway. That’s how I know I’m home.

I love you Regina, but I have to tell you something

Dear Regina,

Don’t get me wrong, I love you as much as anyone wearing that God-awful cheesy scribbly logo – but when people really care about someone, they go out of their way to point out the spinach stuck in their teeth, or the toilet paper hanging out of their pants, or they set up an intervention and get them to face up to a problem.

Regina – people are interested in you and businessmen in suits are throwing money your way and you’ve never been more exciting in the 20 years I’ve known you… but you really need to start taking care of yourself. You’re bulging and sprawling every which way – you’ve really let yourself go. Where your sharp, glassy complexion used to look straight to the sky, dull gravel and pavement blemish what should be your highlights. And what’s with all the gray big boxes you’re tacking on everywhere? You used to have a natural grace all around you, as you tapered off into a sea of Prairie gold.

You need some design standards.

I’m not trying to be mean, but it’s the truth. I know some people say you’re not as “important” or “powerful” as your friends like Vancouver, Toronto or Montreal. They think if you start sticking up for yourself like they do, and tell the businessmen exactly what they can and can’t do with you, people will laugh and say “your standards are too high” and all those suits will hit up your sister Saskatoon instead. Maybe they’re just trying to make you feel better by “accepting it”, that any attention is better than being lonely… but you can do better. I know you can.

I hate to say it, but right now, those developers are really having their way with you. You think you know what you want – more housing, more business, more stores – and maybe you even think you know where you want it, but you don’t even pay attention to what you’re actually getting or how it’s making you look, or how it’s going to cost you in infrastructure maintenance and environmental impact when it’s all over. Have you looked at yourself lately?

I know, we all were looking forward to things like an Old Navy and Best Buy and Ikea (well, we got a Jysk instead, close enough) and East Side Mario’s and the “big city life” that was going to come with it and put us on the map, but look what we really got: slabs of big-box “architecture” and patios looking over… parking lots.

And in Downtown, your core, your soul? You could’ve asked for design that highlights your features, gateways that hint at your urban heart, streetscapes that would win you double-takes, and draw admirers (and pedestrians and window shoppers) in to get to know you. But instead, you settled for… another drive-up Tim Hortons, surface parking lots and more suburban office boxes.

Really Regina, you can do better. I know everyone says you can’t “afford” to say “no” to the next guy that comes along with promises of big business and big money, and forces the exact same big box and sprawl they played everyone else with, but you know what? You can. Because they need you as much as than you need them. You’re the Queen City, a market of 200 000 and the centre for 500 000 – you have so much to offer, there’s so much you can do. Make them win you over, come up with something special you know you deserve.

You’re not the only one who’s been tapped up to sprawl out and take the big boxes. You already know about Vancouver and Toronto laying down the law and taking care of themselves, but there’s others you might not’ve heard of. You don’t have to be big, or grown up, to stand up for yourself. Little North Cowichan of 30 000 knew what to do – they set high standards on their own, and get the very special treatment they deserve. It didn’t scare business away – of course it didn’t. When you stand up for yourself, you show you respect yourself, and then people – even those businessmen and their money – respect you too.

Regina – you need some design standards. You’re worth it.

Going my way?

Looks like Regina’s finally getting around to fixing the public transit system – or at least, “reviewing” it, whatever that will mean. About time – I remember trips to and from high school taking at least 1h15 each way. For a trip that would be a mere 10-15min by car, if you were lucky (and old) enough to have one (I wasn’t). And that’s only if the transit gods were nice and gave a fast (1) bus to Downtown from the south end and a slow (19) bus that got Downtown just late enough to make the transfer. More often than not, it was a two-hour long ordeal of winding loops in middle of nowhere isolated suburbs called “Gardiner Heights” (no actual heights) or “Woodland Grove” (no actual woodland or groves) Mum and Dad (and most Reginans) think make for great places to raise kids and teens.

It’s actually a bit of a misnomer, “public transit system” in Regina. It’s not really “public”, only a tiny minority of car-centric Reginans actually use it. (Guess what top billing the U of R gets in national university surveys – not scholarships, not faculty awards, not the library, not research, but… student car ownership. Woo hoo.) Not really “transit”, because on the loopy dizzying routes, you’re more likely heading away from where you actually want to go for most of the ride. And not really a “system”, in that any trips you do make, seem more according to the random whim of said loopy dizzy routes and your luck in making a quick connection Downtown (by law, you have to go Downtown… ugh) rather than a simple, unified way to get from point A to B around town.

Last year they tried to kick start some fresh interest and ridership to public transit. By making it faster or more frequent? Nope – by putting on some stickers and make a bus look like a cafe. Huh?

So they’re bringing in some new blood from Timmins, of all places. Not exactly the first place you’d think of finding a new head of Transit to revamp the system into something more useful: Timmins is less than a quarter Regina’s size (45 000 vs Regina’s 200 000), has a fleet of only 25 buses (vs Regina’s 100 or so) and route frequencies no more frequent than 30min. But they did get a 43% increase in ridership between 2001-05 (twice the national overall increase over the same time), without any city population growth, and pulling that off in Canada’s largest, most spread-out city (~3 000 sq km, vs Regina’s 115) must mean there’s at least a few good ideas that’ll come with the new hire.

Right now, taking the bus is, as fellow veterans would agree, “just not a practical thing to do if you can avoid it”. I’ve yet to meet anyone who actually says it’s anything less than abysmal. Not that it’s hopeless – I always thought revamping the routes from the current spaghetti dizzying mess of long, winding routes

to something more streamlined would be useful. Think like a driver: if you had to go somewhere, what roads would you take? The main ones, of course. Would you wind around the suburbs along the way? Yeah, because Regina suburban design is so creative and worth the detour… right. Would you stop Downtown? Of course not – not if you weren’t actually going there. Luckily Regina’s gridded roads actually lend well to a big-city style (ie, “useful”) system, like, well, most everyone else: Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton… It could look like

Simple, straight routes. Need a bus? Just walk over to any major street. Need to transfer? Get off at the next major intersection. Need to cross town, but don’t need to go Downtown? Then don’t. Shorter routes mean buses run faster, and can turn back more often – quicker rides and more frequency without buying more buses or hiring more drivers. No more buses on residential side streets – no more people complaining about noise and traffic on their back roads. No more buses on narrow Downtown streets – more space for wider sidewalks, planned two-way traffic and Reginans’ endless appetite for parking. Maybe more transfers, but every intersection becomes like a “neighbourhood station” – a chance to build a community focus, concentrate business and condos, bike racks, etc. And maybe more walking – but it’s good for you.

Regina Transit – grid system, please.