Category Archives: Travels
The streetcars of Hiroshima: a symbol of resilience
The Hiroshima Peace Memorial (A-Bomb Dome), with modern Hiroshima rising beyond. Despite its fame, there’s so much more to the city than the memorials. My wife and I recently came back from an 18-day trip to Japan. It was my … Continue reading
Brantford’s downtown was the “worst in Canada” – but has it bounced back?
It’s complicated. Continue reading
Subways don’t always last 100 years
Former Toronto Mayor Rob Ford liked to claim that subways would last one hundred years, while other “inferior” forms of transit, like light rail systems, would last only thirty. At the time, Ford was pushing for a subway extension to … Continue reading
How two Ontario cities are re-imagining abandoned railway relics
Brockville and St. Thomas are two small Ontario industrial cities that wouldn’t normally attract much attention. But both communities are working on remarkable projects that re-purpose former railway infrastructure to create interesting public spaces that don’t just lure out-of-town visitors, … Continue reading
The streetcar returns to Detroit – but who benefits?
After sixty-one years, streetcars have returned to Detroit’s famed Woodward Avenue. But without integration with other transit systems, its usefulness is limited. Continue reading
The Halifax Department of Silly Walks
As part of our trip through the Maritime Provinces a few weeks ago, we visited Halifax. Nova Scotia’s capital and largest city is the economic, cultural and transportation hub for Atlantic Canada. In 1996, the City of Halifax was merged … Continue reading
A visit to New Glasgow, Nova Scotia
New Glasgow City Hall After our wedding, we went away to Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island. I’ve been to Halifax and the Annapolis Valley once before, in April 2004, but I’ve never been to Cape Breton (which has become … Continue reading
