Alberta Politics & Government Thread 3.0

[Wormius]

Originally Posted by Roughneck

Thank goodness people were thinking about the future generations and ensured Three Sisters Mountain Resort would have access. What kind of lame, ableist alternative modes would people be subjected to?

Sliver is somewhere between not wanting disabled people to have access the parks and not so inaccessible that you have to be a super fit hiker.

[CorsiHockeyLeague]

Also cars are definitely allowed everywhere in Whistler... there are roads to everywhere and none of them are closed to vehicles. Not sure what Sliver is defining as "downtown" Whistler, but maybe he means village stroll, which is... not a road. So obviously cars are not going to drive on it.

[Roughneck]

Originally Posted by Wormius

Sliver is somewhere between not wanting disabled people to have access the parks and not so inaccessible that you have to be a super fit hiker.

My compromise would be clear-cutting around a lake to build a new town, but no cars can go there. Shuttles and pack horses only.

[Sliver]

You fools!

Yeah, I mean, I don't know how you can be confused by the statement that Whistler's downtown is pedestrian only while also saying "maybe he means the village stroll?". Like, yeah. That's what I fricken mean. Sorry I said cars aren't allowed when I should have used the specific magical phrase "village stroll" to avoid such confusion.

And yeah, cars are allowed all around Whistler except for the one sweet spot in the middle where you can scamper around without worrying about lame-ass shuttle busses and crap. That's what I want. Drive to my destination, park, then walk around the attractions. Exactly like Whistler. Exactly like the proposed Three Sisters Mountain Village (that also had more affordable housing, BTW, but screw the people that actually have to live and work in Canmore...rich people only!).

[Sliver]

Originally Posted by Locke

Canmorons are the worst. Just the worst.

Oh they are a detestable breed. Their little outdoorsy-warsie uniforms are vomit inducing, too. I practically have to wear horse blinders when I walk around there because the people are so nauseating to look at. I hate them.

[Sliver]

Originally Posted by Wormius

Sliver is somewhere between not wanting disabled people to have access the parks and not so inaccessible that you have to be a super fit hiker.

I'm all in on disabled people. I love the #### out of them. I want everything disabled friendly, right down to gondolas from mountain top to mountain top. Disabled-people stuff rules. I like shopping at that CO-OP disabled people store to look for gadgets. Lots of comfort items there that can make simple tasks super easy. Like recliners that stand you up with the push of a button. They know what's up.

[TheIronMaiden]

It isn't like these are off the beaten path, only locals know. Some one these trail heads/ lakes are busier than a mall. Again, they shouldn't be paving and building resorts everywhere, but the cars are going to be there no matter what. May as well give people a safe and contained spot to park.

[Roughneck]

Originally Posted by TheIronMaiden

It isn't like these are off the beaten path, only locals know. Some one these trail heads/ lakes are busier than a mall. Again, they shouldn't be paving and building resorts everywhere, but the cars are going to be there no matter what. May as well give people a safe and contained spot to park.

How much parking should be provided? What happens when demand consistently exceeds parking supply?

[CorsiHockeyLeague]

Originally Posted by Sliver

Yeah, I mean, I don't know how you can be confused by the statement that Whistler's downtown is pedestrian only while also saying "maybe he means the village stroll?". Like, yeah. That's what I fricken mean. Sorry I said cars aren't allowed when I should have used the specific magical phrase "village stroll" to avoid such confusion.

That's... not the same thing. It's literally one road, between the gondola bases and village square, that is a pedestrian area. Hell, every single building you can see while walking the stroll has vehicle access to it, just on the other side. It's like Stephen Ave. between 4th street and MacLeod.

[Sliver]

Originally Posted by CorsiHockeyLeague

That's... not the same thing. It's literally one road, between the gondola bases and village square, that is a pedestrian area. Hell, every single building you can see while walking the stroll has vehicle access to it, just on the other side. It's like Stephen Ave. between 4th street and MacLeod.

Okay. I like that. I mean, I still don't see what the difference is in what I said and what you keep correcting.

I also like when Banff closes main street to cars in the summer; pardon me, closes main street to make a village stroll. Canmore, too.

[CorsiHockeyLeague]

Well if you say "no cars allowed downtown" that gives a very different impression than "there's this one street that doesn't have vehicle traffic and is a few blocks long". I'm assuming there are a bunch of people here who haven't been to Whistler so I'm trying to explain what it actually is.

[Sliver]

Okay, well you did it.

Guys: it's not that cars aren't allowed on the main drag; it's that it's a village stroll. What's a village stroll? It's a road that cars aren't allowed on.

[Fuzz]

Sliver, I'm honestly curious which part of the mountains and outdoors you actually enjoy. Because you seem to want the urban environment to blanket everything, which is kind of the opposite of an outdoor experience.

[Roughneck]

Originally Posted by Sliver

Okay, well you did it.

Guys: it's not that cars aren't allowed on the main drag; it's that it's a village stroll. What's a village stroll? It's a road that cars aren't allowed on.

Welcome to the Moraine Lake Village Stroll.

[Wormius]

Maybe post a pic from Google maps. I am sensing this village stroll has become way overhyped.

[Fuzz]

Originally Posted by Wormius

Maybe post a pic from Google maps. I am sensing this village stroll has become way overhyped.

https://goo.gl/maps/DeSRX4CtoXtHL5sn6

Take a virtual "stroll"!

[Sliver]

Originally Posted by Fuzz

Sliver, I'm honestly curious which part of the mountains and outdoors you actually enjoy. Because you seem to want the urban environment to blanket everything, which is kind of the opposite of an outdoor experience.

Fair question. I've never reflected on that, so I'll give it a whirl.

Okay, I like snowboarding (but not backcountry; give me a chairlift). So I guess that's one main thing that requires mountains.

I think it's the views I like. I really like mountains and forests, but you're not wrong that I'm not a typical mountain guy. Over the holidays we spent the entire stretch at our Canmore place and my favourite two days were when my son and I played the new Call of Duty a bunch. Made it out to Louise twice, but the snow was so mediocre and I've kind of become a snob about conditions over the past few years so I didn't bother going more. Had it snowed I would have gone riding every day.

I like the aesthetic of chalets...it's sort of my favourite type of atmosphere. Like, I don't enjoy - say - formal or fancy restaurants/settings. The mountains just kind of put me at peace, but I don't need to bushwhack around them to enjoy them. We do hike a lot in the summer, but that's mainly because I watch all the movies at The Lux in Banff and then have nothing to do during the afternoons, so hiking it is. Marching around sort of sucks, but I have a little crew I go with and we usually go to The Canmore Hotel after and drink beer/listen to live music, which is my favourite part of the day every time.

I did buy a full suspension e-bike right at the end of last season, so imma give that a whirl. I think I'll like it - really looking forward to exploring the trails around my place.

But just waking up in the mountains is stress free for me. I camp quite a bit at Tunnel Mountain with a big group. We always walk into town, go for a nice dinner, buy a fata-ton of candy, hang out in the park, then go back to our site and all the parents pop a bunch of cannabis capsules and have a great time. Again, it's just the setting and backdrop I like. Most of my group lives in Bonavista (we didn't meet there; we all moved there to hang out all the time), but we transport ourselves to Banff/Waterton/wherever multiple times per year to party even though we could do the exact same thing in Calgary just as easy since we all live in a one kilometer radius. We all get something more out of the mountains, though.

When I talk about expansion in the mountains, that's what I'm thinking of - more chalets and the architecture you get in the Three Sisters area or in Banff or even just the Parks Canada sort of vibe. It's not like I want Evanston or something in the Rockies. I want just more of the same.

Maybe more just a personal style thing, too. I sort of grew up in the skater/snowboarder style and it's just where I'm comfortable existing. The mountains really are a continuation of a vibe I've always felt home in.

Kind of a long answer, sorry.

[Sliver]

What did you think of the stroll, Wormius? Pretty nice, eh?

[TheIronMaiden]

Originally Posted by Roughneck

How much parking should be provided? What happens when demand consistently exceeds parking supply?

What is your argument? These places already have cars parking everywhere and so we should just let drivers decide where a safe place to park is on there own.

For what its worth, there are already trail heads with parking attendee's who turn cars away when they're full and write down license plates of cars that park where ever. It happened to me, and then you are stuck, out of reception looking for a new hike. My bad, I get that you need to show up earlier ect... but the parking lot could only fit 12 vehicles. In the 10 minutes it took us to turn around, that many were already being turned away.

[Wormius]

Originally Posted by Sliver

What did you think of the stroll, Wormius? Pretty nice, eh?

It’s lovely. It’s like if Kensington Rd barred vehicles.