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“The Wall” Housing Structure In Fermont, Quebec

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

#71

Post by Elr »

mleonhard wrote: post #61
Elr wrote: post #53

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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…

Thank you! The first video shows the inside of an apartment at time 5:40, https://youtu.be/wQWQqVp8v6w?t=340 . It has plenty of natural light, with windows on two sides. Nice! What did you like about life in Fermont? What were the downsides for you?

Thank you for the questions! As a nature kind of person, Fermont had everything I was seeking; Plenty of forest, the ability to hunt, trap, fish almost anywhere, a lot of snow during the winter, the Northern lights, the fauna and much more. It IS the place for outdoor activities. If you ever drive on the 389, I recommend you check out the Mont Groulx. [1] https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monts_Groulx The infamous Manic 5 hydroelectric water dam is on that road. Bring a camera, don't be scared to enter the trails near rivers and lakes, you won't regret it. [2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel-Johnson_dam

You are close to Labrador City in case you need to take a flight, the salaries were insanely good in my field, the inhabitants were really friendly and always ready to help no matter what.

On the downside, I would say that other than going in Newfoundland for errands, you are really far away from any other town and the more importantly, the sea (I'm from a fisherman village). Other than that, it does get really cold during winter. I've personally witnessed -63C on an iron mine, but fortunately, the humidity level is really low (it's dry).

Cheers from the Great White North!

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

#73

Post by not_math »

speed_spread wrote: post #62
Vvic wrote: post #48

There's also the largest "underground city" in Montréal, Québec to avoid winter. It links up universities, stores, offices, subways and much, much more!

I feel the "underground city" is a bit oversold to tourists. It's mostly just a bunch of shopping malls and bland corridors. But yeah, you can walk for miles below ground level without ever setting foot outside. Especially if you include a Metro hop or two.

While living in Montréal, I could walk around 5 minutes outside (from my apartment to the metro) and never have to go outside again to go to work or school until I had to come back home.

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

#74

Post by Elr »

manholio wrote: post #59

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…

Fermont was founded as a company town when they opened the Mont Wright mine and most homes were under the ownership of the company (Québec Cartier back then, now ArcelorMittal).

Take this with a grain of salt, but I believe a big percentage of the habitations still are under their ownership. A lot of split houses were built in the last 10 years and if you work for the company and accept to transfer to Fermont, they offer you to live in the house for cheaper and offers you to buy it for a reasonable price after a few years.

It is a small compact town, but as soon as you leave, you're in the wilderness. It's paradise.

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

#75

Post by aliswe »

francislavoie wrote: post #30
aliswe wrote: post #27

I would see this title as highly misleading?

There was a mistranslation in documentation about this it seems. But yes, 15 meters (50 feet) tall. Also easy to mix up fifteen and fifty.

I was referring to the previous title saying that a city lives inside a wall!

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

#76

Post by not_math »

hassancf wrote: post #68

Quebec, that’s America in French. Quebec is NOT a piece of France in America. That’s the mistake lots of people make. I know what I’m talking about. I’m in Quebec.

Quebec was pretty disconnected from France for a long time, and it was not until very recently with Charles de Gaulle that the friendship started again.

Now Quebec is more influenced by the European way of living, but there is still a very "American" way of life.

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

#77

Post by bobthepanda »

mattkrause wrote: post #65
speed_spread wrote: post #62

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I feel the "underground city" is a bit oversold to tourists. It's mostly just a bunch of shopping malls and bland corridors. But yeah, you can walk for miles below ground level without ever setting foot outside. Especially if you include a Metro hop or two.

Amen! So many friends have wanted to "visit" it, but it's just shops, Starbuckses, and hallways with nary a mole person to be seen.

I mean really you could say that about most non-tourist attraction neighborhoods.

It's probably indicative that it's nice for everyday residents. Most people's lives are pretty mundane.

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

#78

Post by bobthepanda »

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.

It doesn't really claim to be the longest.

There are pros and cons to such long buildings. Hong Kong actually started regulating breaks in buildings, because tall walls of buildings + mountains + irregular street grid meant that there was insufficient ventilation for roadside pollution to dissipate.

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

#80

Post by tomcam »

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.

Wonderful post. I have a feeling they did something very right by making the interior corridor so wide. I imagine it feel a lot more open. Did the noisy ventilation at least keep it from smelling bad?
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