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“The Wall” Housing Structure In Fermont, Quebec

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Re: “The Wall” Housing Structure In Fermont, Quebec

#51

Post by dundarious »

gmfawcett wrote: post #34
mig39 wrote: post #26

I was in Fermont a long time ago. I was driving from Goose Bay all the way south. in the 90s, the Labrador highway wasn't paved, it was just rough gravel. I got a flat tire somewhere near the border, then pulled into Fermont and tried my best high school-level French to find somewhere to fix my flat tire. I asked the guy at the gas station: "Excusez-moi, savez-vous où je peux trouver un garage pour réparer mon pneu c…

If you want a happy rabbit-hole to visit for a few minutes, take a look at these examples of "Chiac", an Acadian French variety spoken in parts of New Brunswick: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chiac#Example_sentences A slightly legendary music video in Chiac: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7cRPH4lb8UI Right drôle!

I recommend P'tit Belliveau, in particular Income Tax, which has a nice "Glossaire acadjonne" and lines like "J'vais blower friggin' 300$ au liquor store": https://youtu.be/Ri0r0_urwo8

Re: “The Wall” Housing Structure In Fermont, Quebec

#53

Post by Elr »

mleonhard wrote: post #49

I wish there were photos from inside the building. External views don't show how it feels to be inside, which is an extremely important characteristic of any building.

Pardon my poor English, it isn't my first language.

I've worked many years in the mining industry where I had to stay both in Fermont and inside workers camps on the mine itself (Mont-Wright). I went back during the summer of 2021 during my vacations to reminisce the good old days. Here is a video that shows older footages from inside "Le Mur", but it still looks the same to this day, minus the fact that most stores has since been closed.

This structure is hosting a lot of apartments, a grocery store, a school, a medical clinic that I believe is only accessible from outside (You sometimes see people wearing pajamas at the grocery store or inside "The Wall" itself), a small bar with erotic dancers (La Fer-Tek), an ice rink and much more. I'd return live there in a heartbeat if I had the opportunity.

Here are a video showing older footage followed by a video clip recorded in Fermont. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wQWQqVp8v6w https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mI9R2H_KkQk

Re: “The Wall” Housing Structure In Fermont, Quebec

#55

Post by trhway »

Findecanor wrote: post #36

I measured only 911 m on Google Maps, along the roof, and there is a sharp kink in that line and few smaller ones. The Karl-Marx-Hof in Vienna, Austria is over 1000 m in a straight line, from one end to the other. Still the longest residential building in the world.

In USSR/Russia it is pretty typical to build wall-like housing. That one is a modern take on it (nicknamed "bleeding attic" for what architects intended to depict "northern lights" :)

https://obzor78.ru/posts/domostroy_channel/4014

Re: “The Wall” Housing Structure In Fermont, Quebec

#57

Post by soared »

mrgriscom wrote: post #2

I've actually been here: http://mrgris.com/travel/blog/labrador/2/ Quite a weird place, though definitely not 50m tall.

> But driving 150 miles one-way only to find an uncrossable ditch would be a rude surprise. My oxen would die trying to ford that river, so to speak.

This is my favorite kind of blog, excellent stuff.

Re: “The Wall” Housing Structure In Fermont, Quebec

#58

Post by jmacd »

dheera wrote: post #39
mig39 wrote: post #26

I was in Fermont a long time ago. I was driving from Goose Bay all the way south. in the 90s, the Labrador highway wasn't paved, it was just rough gravel. I got a flat tire somewhere near the border, then pulled into Fermont and tried my best high school-level French to find somewhere to fix my flat tire. I asked the guy at the gas station: "Excusez-moi, savez-vous où je peux trouver un garage pour réparer mon pneu c…

English in Newfoundland is also another level. Typical greeting isn't "What's up" but "Where ya at?" The response I was told is "This is it."

Not to be confused with "Where ya to?"

Re: “The Wall” Housing Structure In Fermont, Quebec

#59

Post by manholio »

I don't understand high density housing in low density neighborhoods with huge empty lawns. Seems an artificial, Le Corbusier style of utopia where the actual inhabitants are forced to conform to the architect's vision of how they should live.

When people want to escape suburbia, the natural higher density option is the 2-3 story terrace, rows of individual homes that share lateral walls and have front access to the street and a back yard. Owning your own personal yard and trees is an immense quality of life factor compared to a cramped apartment and a balcony.

The next, even higher density option I've seen in some european cities is to squeeze the frontal street, remove all parking there and move it in the back yards. A concrete slab covers the back parking and the backyard is effectively elevated one flood into the air.

This produces a dense, walkable urban environment with comfortable individual houses, each with a lot on the order of 150 square meters (1600 sq feet).

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