General Urban Waterloo Updates and Rumours

[tomh009]

Personally, while it was an institution, I don't think you lost out in a big way, at least from the culinary perspective!

[Pheidippides]

I forgot I took this photo of 44 King in Uptown a while ago:
   

[urbd]

I forgot I took this photo of 44 King in Uptown a while ago:

McCabes is looking good! Great addition to Uptown after their success with Pub on King.

[Canard]

That light armoured vehicle is being unloaded by crane at the Waterloo cenotaph this morning.

   

[urbd]

That light armoured vehicle is being unloaded by crane at the Waterloo cenotaph this morning.

What a horrible addition to Uptown! Instead of investing in designing a quality, modern public space, they just get this thing for free to worship war. Bah.

[Viewfromthe42]

It has been interesting discussing with American colleauges the differences between how Remembrance Day is done here, and how Memorial Day/Veteran's Day are done down there. Since theirs is a holiday, they didn't grow up with the annual assemblies we kids did, which I think actually gave us a far greater respect than a holiday would give them. I can still recite In Flander's Fields from memory (or sing, or play Last Post and Reveille).

In America, it's seemingly more about thanking a veteran for fighting, or celebrating America's military might. I've heard it said that how Americans reacted during Vietnam, where conscripted or PTSD'd soldiers returned from horrors they wanted no part of, only to find Democrats railing against the war AND the soliders, that this helped cement Democrats as the less-patriotic party, which is terrible for the vets who returned then, and for having important conversations about the difference between someone ordering a war, someone actually fighting that war, and how everyone feels about it.

In Canada, it's always felt to me like, despite thanking my grandfather for his time in Korea, and my great grandfather for fighting at Vimy Ridge, Remembrance day is most important as a reminder that we do not want to fight unless absolutely necessary, that not having to fight, not having to talk about fighting, that is the greatest gift we can give.

[MidTowner]

I think your points stand for Ontarians, but not Canadians. For most Canadians, Remembrance Day is a statutory holiday. [Edit: I'm correcting myself- it's not stat in Ontario or Quebec, so I guess for most Canadians it's not since most of us are in those provinces. But, in most provinces, it is a holiday.]

On the topic of the armoured vehicle, I agree that it's ugly, but bringing trophies like big impressive equipment back from wars and displaying them in public places is (for better or worse) a long tradition.

[Coke6pk]

When I grew up, Remembrance Day was a stat in Ontario.  I was one of the few that took the time to attend the ceremony, something I have done every year that I can remember, either working it, marching in it, or observing.  I was against the idea of losing it as a stat, but in retrospect, I see it was a wise decision.

As for the LAV, I don't see it as "worshiping war".  A few years ago I went to Juno Beach, and in town there was a tank on display... much like many other towns in France do.  I can guarantee that none of these towns that were liberated "worshipped war", yet they still have the tank as a reminder.

Similar topic, my daughter is one of the students involved in this: http://www.therecord.com/news-story/6964...ror-fears/

Coke

[MidTowner]

That's a very sad decision on the part of the School Board for so many reasons. It's shocking that the trustees are so lacking in basic common sense.

[chutten]

At least the LAV is having one positive influence: getting us to talk about it.

For me, Remembrance Day is about guilt and shame and inadequacy. Guilt that conflict raged and rages while here I sit, shuffling electrons around. Shame at atrocities national and local, caused by and done in the name of those conflicts. And feeling that no amount of remembering or thanking or thinking could possibly be adequate to repay the sacrifices of our armed forces past and present, or to ensure that we minimize them in future.

The presence of the LAV reminds me of present conflicts. It reminds me that the popular image of elderly veterans wearing poppies is only one view.

And it makes me glad it's here instead of being needed out there.

[tomh009]

I'd like to know what the plaque on the LAV says. I should hope not "worshipping war", but it's not readable in the photos.

[Viewfromthe42]

Maybe with proper messaging, even these can be good reminders. I don't like seeing guns or military items on display because it feels like glorifying combat.

I do follow politics enough to know that in Parliament with the speaker, there is a mace, meant to show order and rule-following, but indeed it is a mace, a weapon. If things like this LAV are shown in ways that suggest "we are glad to retire this and its children from use", that's one thing. It's a bit harder when it looks like it could rightly just drive off into a battle any second.

[tomh009]

Maybe with proper messaging, even these can be good reminders. I don't like seeing guns or military items on display because it feels like glorifying combat.

I do follow politics enough to know that in Parliament with the speaker, there is a mace, meant to show order and rule-following, but indeed it is a mace, a weapon. If things like this LAV are shown in ways that suggest "we are glad to retire this and its children from use", that's one thing. It's a bit harder when it looks like it could rightly just drive off into a battle any second.

I do agree.  But Armed Forces gifting these for monuments is still a whole lot better than gifting them to local police departments.  (And that is routinely done in, ahem, some other countries.)

[panamaniac]

That's a very sad decision on the part of the School Board for so many reasons. It's shocking that the trustees are so lacking in basic common sense.

Maybe with proper messaging, even these can be good reminders. I don't like seeing guns or military items on display because it feels like glorifying combat.

I do follow politics enough to know that in Parliament with the speaker, there is a mace, meant to show order and rule-following, but indeed it is a mace, a weapon. If things like this LAV are shown in ways that suggest "we are glad to retire this and its children from use", that's one thing. It's a bit harder when it looks like it could rightly just drive off into a battle any second.

Apart from recognizing our veterans and armed forces, it feels more like a reminder of the reality of armed conflict to me.  Not something that one would seek to keep hidden, istm.

[clasher]

Maybe with proper messaging, even these can be good reminders. I don't like seeing guns or military items on display because it feels like glorifying combat.

I do follow politics enough to know that in Parliament with the speaker, there is a mace, meant to show order and rule-following, but indeed it is a mace, a weapon. If things like this LAV are shown in ways that suggest "we are glad to retire this and its children from use", that's one thing. It's a bit harder when it looks like it could rightly just drive off into a battle any second.

I do agree.  But Armed Forces gifting these for monuments is still a whole lot better than gifting them to local police departments.  (And that is routinely done in, ahem, some other countries.)

That happens in this country too, Windsor got an old APC of some sort for a dollar, and other PD have heavy army vehicles albeit they aren't equipped with guns or anything.