Identikit?
 

Read on another forum and I tend to agree that Britain is becoming "identikit". I.e. go to any town/city/shopping centre anywhere in the country and you'll find the exact same list of shops....

Now shopping doesn't excite me much at all anyway, but the wife feels it's her duty to drag me along - what makes it worse is that you could go anywhere in Britain pretty much and find the same old shops selling the same old things.... Gets very dreary when you find yourself in the same shops time after time (for me anyway).

Please tell me there's more variety in Canada? I think it was dbd who said there's two malls in the GTA that are a mirror of each other? :eek: I hope that's an exception rather than a rule....

Re: Identikit?
 

Nah, apart from "boutique" and specialty type stores, its all pretty much the same chains from one place to another. Thats modern life I suspect.

Re: Identikit?
 

Unfortunately its the same here.

And the USA.

We drove to LA and up the coast back to Calgary. Really, you couldn't tell we left the city let alone the country.

Re: Identikit?
 

errrrrrr - sorry.....

but it's pretty much like that here too. Sure, everywhere has it's little places where you can find individual shops/stores; but malls are pretty much full of the same old same old wherever you go. The little guy typically gets beat out by the big guys, and people flock to the malls rather than those out of the way little places, so the inevitable is going to happen, innit? :(

Re: Identikit?
 

I've got news for you.

Much of Canada is very bland when it comes to shopping. Most of the shops are national (or North American or international) chains.

However, each city typically has one or more shopping districts that are a little more funky, edgy, whatever. These neighbourhoods have small, individually owned stores. The number of such neighbourhoods depends on the size of the city.

Most of Canada’s architecture is very bland too.

This doesn’t bother me because I’ve only ever lived in “new” countries (Swaziland, South Africa, Canada, the USA and Australia).

However, the lack of old buildings is something that gets to some British expats after a while. I’ve seen it cited as the main reason for packing everything in and returning to the UK. The tricky thing is that, as far as I can gather, there is almost no way of telling in advance how one will react to this aspect of living abroad. One could have spent a dozen holidays in a given country, one could have been absolutely enchanted with that country, and one could end up not “taking” to it when one lives there.

To my mind, Canada’s attraction is its natural scenery. Yes, to be sure, it’s a First World country with degrees of security, peace, etc., that are comparable to those of other First World countries.

But if you want unique shopping and old buildings, don’t come to Canada.

And, before anyone jumps on me, I do know that human habitation goes back a long way in Canada. For example, the Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump site in Alberta was continually inhabited for 6,000 years. But, fascinated as I am in the lifestyles of hunting-gathering peoples, they did not erect Gothic cathedrals and the like. That’s the kind of stuff that the average British expat means when he/she refers to old buildings, history or, for that matter, “culture.”

Oh, and another thing. If your wife likes shopping, I suppose she likes nice clothes. Most British expats find Canadians to be sartorially challenged. And that doesn’t even address the business of haircuts.

Actually, come to think of it, I would be grateful if Canada was merely bland in the architectural department. There are occasions on which “bland” would be sheer heaven compared with what actually exists on the ground.

A while ago they built onto the south end of Chinook Mall in Calgary a cinema complex that is so hideous that the person who designed it should be shot at dawn, in my opinion. Actually, it is so ugly that it has crossed the line from being merely ugly to being almost interesting. When something is that disgusting, it almost acquires a novelty value.

Re: Identikit?
 

I won't be bothered about not seeing old buildings anymore - but then I guess everyone says that until they don't see them anymore.... something you can't say for certain till you experience it....

I guess the size of the malls does give scope for a larger range of shops, even if they are all the same from place to place..... When I've been to the States, there seems to be a better range of shops, maybe that's just because I'm not familiar with the names yet :confused:

And on the clothes, it would be a bonus to me if there's a lack of decent clothes shops :thumbsup: The amount of time I've lost hanging around women's clothes shops must amount to several months now in the 7 years I've known my wife! :eek:

Re: Identikit?
 

I can't say the lack old old architecture here bothers me.

But it is really nice to see when visiting places like the UK.
They do become a bit of the same old, same old after a very short while.
I lucked out in that department. I married a woman who hates clothes shopping with a passion but loves to wander through hardware and stationery stores, like Rona and Home Depot or Staples and Office depot.;):):)

Re: Identikit?
 

Yes, I have to agree - we went to see a film there when we were in Calgary last month and we thought it interesting in a "horror fascination" kinda way!;)

Re: Identikit?
 

I agree - have been coast to coast across the USA, and all the mall's were so similar, I can't remember which one was where:confused: (unless one had a really good food court!)

Re: Identikit?
 

Ah. This is something that should be discussed more often. I really, really miss architecture from earlier centuries. It's probably the main reason that I will leave this country when I retire.

Re: Identikit?
 

Canada is much more Identikit than the US, nevermind the UK. Check out threads on where to meet in Halifax, where to meet in Calgary, where to meet in some other nowhere. People always suggest Boston Pizza, Outback Steakhouse, East Side Marios. I understand that this may be a reflection of Brits in Canada rather than Canadians but there's no concession to the idea of regional cuisine (if there is any in Canada) or regional beer (if there is any in Canada) whereas, in the US, an effort is made to differentiate between regions (Abita vs Fat Tire vs Sam Adams) and in the UK no effort need be made.

Re: Identikit?
 

The country I plan to retire to is not the USA. Figure it out, mate.

Re: Identikit?
 

Once again you make a sweeping generalisation and state it as fact. People don't always suggest Boston Pizza, Outback Steakhouse, East Side Marios.

One of the reasons that Boston Pizza or the Outback Steakhouse were suggested for the upcoming meet in Calgary was that kids might be attending.

The get together that I attended in April in Calgary was at a pub (if one is allowed to call them that) in a trendy area of Calgary called Kensington. Others in Nanaimo also met in a pub.

You yourself have been known to suggest a pub for one or two of your meets with others. Do you not count as people.:p

Re: Identikit?
 

Much of the malls in Canada are like high streets in the UK - waterstones/chapters, next/le chateau, with a lot of the same sameness... Lush, Starbucks, Aveda...

If it bothers you, just find something better to do with your time and money. It's really just that simple.

Re: Identikit?
 

Very true... in all the BE meet-ups I've attended they've all been in local restaurants or pubs, street corners, people's homes... or in C-train stations - where I met you! :p :D

Re: Identikit?
 

nobody wants to meet me :cry_smile:is it cos i argues all the time??

Re: Identikit?
 

No - it cos yer way out in Ontario yer silly bat :p :lol:

Re: Identikit?
 

Oh believe me, I would much rather do something else.... however, the wife thinks it is an Olympic sport and is practising for the gold medal!

FWIW chain restaurants like dbd mentions don't bother me, in fact, I quite like them in a perverse way - at least you know the food is generally consistent between different branches of the same chain....

Re: Identikit?
 

consistent, yes.

Re: Identikit?
 

Come off it, East Side Marios was the site of a meet in one those BC towns starting with K (maybe they all start with K). iirc a chain was also proposed for a meet in Halifax (too lazy to look that up). I suggest that this is because most places in Canada only have chain "eateries" and not pubs. I expect Calgary has a pub but, in general, the food eaten in restaurants in small town Canada is planned by a division of Philip Morris Inc. It's all fine if you like it but it does mean that whether you live in a subdivision near Vancouver, a subdivision near Calgary or a subdivision near Toronto your life is pretty much the same (and, by and large, the same as in subdivisions near Dallas, Denver, Orlando and so on).

Beyond the "eating experience" many Canadian towns have an "outlet" mall selling cheaper versions of name brand goods specifically for outlet malls, the local bargain in suburban Calgary is the same local bargain as in the godforesaken corners of the GTA. I haven't been in a mall for a decade or so but I understand that they all have an Old Navy, they all have a Gap, they have La Senza. The flash ones have H&M, the less flash ones a department store like the Bay. The really rough ones have Zellers or WalMart. It doesn't matter whether you shop in Halifax or Calgary as the goods on offer are the same.

Other than the malls, each group of subdivisions has an area of big box stores; Home Depot, the Brick, Future Shop, probably a Montanas. I suppose it could be fun to go there, if you shop, but it's the same thing other people are doing coast to coast, posters even come home on the same day with the same camera.

Maybe living in a Talking Heads song isn't a bad way of life but it's not in any sense individual. North America barely even has regional accents or expressions anymore, it's not like the UK where you have to learn about whippets and owt before going past Watford.

Quebec though, Quebec's different, they have PFK.

Re: Identikit?
 

Nope. The big malls just have several of the same stores, if you get bored with the West Gap Store you can try the East Gap Store.

Re: Identikit?
 

:D:D:D feels better now. Did I tell you I was poorly?

Re: Identikit?
 

Serious :eek: That's bad! I may have to take a 10 year mall sabbatical like yourself!

Re: Identikit?
 

Sorry, it is beyond the scope of an expat forum to provide the kind of help you need. :p

Re: Identikit?
 

Memorise the following two words: 'Big Box'

That's all you need to know about Canadian shopping architecture.

Re: Identikit?
 

:confused: You can't have actually read that thread! Nobody mentioned any of those places.

Exactly Steve. :thumbup:

Us Haligonians (and wannabe Nova Scotians) are actually meeting in a place called Historic Properties, which looks like this:
http://www.historicproperties.ca/

Which is about as different as the regular identikit places (we definitely have them) as you will probably find around here :p

Re: Identikit?
 

I went to a wine tasting there. It's a knock off of Fanueil Market (or however you spell it). Cute.

Re: Identikit?
 

so my local Mall is averagely flash and rough. :lol: It has ALL the stores highlighted above.

(H&M "flash"? You're havin a larf ent ya?) :rofl:

Re: Identikit?
 

No, my dear - what's up? Even if it's personal, you can tell us, as you're with about 50,000 of your closest friends at any given moment ;) :lol:

Re: Identikit?
 

Flash for Toronto. I know it's not considered flash in Essex, perhaps not in Calgary either.

I wonder if this mall/big box/chain food culture works because Canadians tend not to go anywhere. Maybe the people in Mississauga or Vaughan or whatever the hinterland of Calgary might be called think The Keg is the only The Keg.

Re: Identikit?
 

bronchitis, coughing like old man steptoe

Re: Identikit?
 

Awwwww really sorry to hear that. :(

Rest lots of fluids and all that. Most important don't lose your sense of humour. ;):thumbsup:

Get well soon.

Re: Identikit?
 

Come now, dbd, I don't think even you could realistically claim that builders in Halifax in the 1780s - 1820s were putting up "knock-offs" of a building down the coast in Boston of about the same period (Faneuil Hall was built in the 1740s, the neoclassical Quincy Market in 1826). The Boston waterfront and Halifax's Historic Properties were both developed as harbour warehouses... you may as well say they were both knock offs of Surrey Quays or the West India Dock warehouses in London, or of the Inner Dock in Bristol. And like former wharf warehouses the world over, they've been converted into cafes, bars, restaurants, museums and shops for the new waterfront trade in tourism. Cute, yes, if that floats your boat. Knockoff, no.

Re: Identikit?
 

The original buildings weren't knock offs, just the redevelopments. I find all those old-buildings-rendered-as-restaurants-with-high-end-retail to be much of a muchness, is it Baltimore, is it Halifax, is it Boston? Something similar happens in Europe of course, the offerings around the Oslo harbour are similar to those in the Docklands, but I visit them less often and so the homogeneity is less obvious to me.

Re: Identikit?
 

LOL - you just 'might' have a point, there...


Awwww sorry to hear it, too! Take Steve's advice - take the PC to bed, rest and have a laugh on here.

Re: Identikit?
 

Nah! It's because you're from Murton Colliery.

(Hope you get better soon batty.)

Re: Identikit?
 

Halifax has loads of pubs. Apparently more than Toronto (and Halifax has only a fraction of its population). Also we have lots of old buildings (depending on your definition of old). Okay so thay are not gothic but plenty from the 1700s and 1800s (public buildings as well as houses).

To be fair most shopping still seems to centre around malls but IMHO thats not a bad thing given that you can actually park at them. This is where the UK is going wrong - when you drive into the "town" then all the shops are in lovely old buildings (places like Bracknell and Milton Keynes excepted) but you cant drive to them. You have to park miles away in a multi-story and pay 5 pounds to park even though you just wanted to pop into the bank to pay in a cheque.

Otherwise I would say most of this thread is generally aimed at places like Calgary rather than more historical areas like NS.

Re: Identikit?
 

I'm reminded of the classic exchange between John Cleese and Malcolm Muggeridge at the time that "Life of Brian" was released.

Muggeridge was prissily outraged at the idea of satirizing such things and dismissed the concept that it had value, by pointing out that in four hundred years people would have forgotten all about the film, "Not like the great Cathedral at Chartres", he smugly announced.

At which Cleese pursed his lips and slowly shook his head, "Ah Chartres, not a very funny building".

Re: Identikit?
 

Calgary isn't less historical. Its just that most of its history happened since 1950 ;)

Re: Identikit?
 

Most of Calgary's history happened well before 1950.

Admittedly the city is very new in relation to places like Halifax and Quebec City.

But it has been around since the 1870's and really started to grow when the railroad came through in the 1890's.:p