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Computer Hobby Movement in Canada

museum.eecs.yorku.ca

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Re: Computer Hobby Movement in Canada

#21

Post by cmrdporcupine »

mountain_peak wrote: post #19
cmrdporcupine wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Toronto is also a relatively short drive from Chicago. It's actually far more similar to Chicago than to coastal NYC. It is really geographically "midwest" by US standards, not "east" When I was in elementary school in Alberta in the 80s we called this "central Canada." And that's how I still think of it. But there's a growing trend especially in Alberta to call this "down east" which is in my mind a very political w…

Indeed - Chicago is considered "midwest" even though it is geographically in the eastern US. Maybe that's New York City-centrism from long ago? Edmonton is as far west from the geographical centre of Canada as Toronto is east. I think it's a a bit of a stretch to call the GTA "geographically central". Economically and demographically, definitely. The Weather Network, which really should consider geographic markers on…

In general when I think of "eastern" for both Canada and the United States I think "coastal." Yes, I guess Vermont is considered northeast and it's not on the Atlantic, but it's really not far from it.

And that's ... definitely not Ontario. Unless you count the lakes, which I mean, sure, why not?

Or another definition of eastern might be "along the Appalachian range". And again, def not Ontario.

Quebec is more up for debate.

Most of southern Ontario is also most definitely "midwest" from a "biome" POV. The first couple times I went to Sioux Falls, South Dakota for work I was thinking it would feel like the prairies, like Manitoba or Sask or something. Nope, it looked identical to southern Ontario. In fact it was the same latitude, even. The vegetation and terrain, I felt like I was in Essex County or something.

If I'd gotten in a car and driven home, it would have been directly east on the interstate and it would have been same same same corn and soy fields, maples, oaks, etc for 16 hours.

Re: Computer Hobby Movement in Canada

#22

Post by xp84 »

cf100clunk wrote: post #16
cmrdporcupine wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I dunno man. I grew up in Edmonton area and didn't much care about whatever in central Canada, and only had a vague sense of it despite having done a trip across Canada with the family when I was 8. Of course "western alienation" talk was all around from right wing sorts but my family paid no attention to it anyways. Then I moved to Toronto in 1996 in the .com boom. I had spent plenty of time in Vancouver but living…

I acknowledge your perspective, fair enough, but it seems focused on the present. Western alienation goes far, far back, predating Confederation. The golden age of the Atlantic provinces goes back to a period hundreds of years ago, too. I'm just pointing out from a historical view that the cultural effect of so much power and influence being centred in Toronto and Montreal had, and continues to have, a large influenc…

> I remain positive and upbeat that we'll sort it all out together.

Quite possibly the most Canadian comment I’ve ever seen. There’s a reason we (Americans) love you guys!

Re: Computer Hobby Movement in Canada

#23

Post by cf100clunk »

cmrdporcupine wrote: post #18
cf100clunk wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I acknowledge your perspective, fair enough, but it seems focused on the present. Western alienation goes far, far back, predating Confederation. The golden age of the Atlantic provinces goes back to a period hundreds of years ago, too. I'm just pointing out from a historical view that the cultural effect of so much power and influence being centred in Toronto and Montreal had, and continues to have, a large influenc…

I think what you're pointing at is potentially true but also that it's somewhat easily exploited by ideologically and money driven people for some rather ... what I would consider nefarious ends. When I first moved here to Ontario I was blown away by how many people my own age didn't even know what/where Edmonton (a city of a million people, and the capital of the province) was, their only conception of Alberta was C…

Cold War RCAF brat here. Wherever Dad was transferred, that's where we went. It was a joy, but I've found over the years that folks sometimes get a bit cranky when I cannot pinpoint which part of Canada I'm from... for me, it has always been ''everywhere''.

Re: Computer Hobby Movement in Canada

#24

Post by foofoo55 »

cf100clunk wrote: post #11

Sad that there is no mention or depiction of Canada's own magazine of that era, ''Electron''. It was commonly found alongside the big U.S. electronics periodicals like those shown here. Electron was a mainstay right up to the mid-1970s when it suddenly transitioned to ''Audio Scene Canada'', laden with glossy ads and a tight focus upon HiFi music products but no longer catering to the hobbyist or general electronics…

For a close second here's a 1985 issue of the TPUG Magazine [1], from the Toronto PET Users Group. I attended a few meetings of the Niagara Commodore Users Group and spent all of my paper-route and fruit-picking income on arcade games and my C64 system.

[1] https://www.tpug.ca/tpug-media/tpugmag/TPUG_Issue_15_1985_Ju...

Re: Computer Hobby Movement in Canada

#25

Post by harwoodr »

mewse-hn wrote: post #2

"We will examine this movement by looking at Toronto, the only city in Canada"

I've lived my entire life just "down the road" from Toronto in Canada's 10th largest city. Always in the shadow of Toronto and the butt of many jokes.

Back when I worked in Toronto, people would always ask when I'd be moving there - because why would you want to live anywhere else?

I also remember, circa 2000, when the marketing people at the company I worked at were talking about advertising - they didn't see the point of spending on advertising outside of Toronto.

It's a very different mindset, that's for sure.

Re: Computer Hobby Movement in Canada

#26

Post by b112 »

mountain_peak wrote: post #14
skeeter2020 wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If Canada historically has a complex around his relative relationship to the USA, the same holds outside of central Canada, maybe with the exception of pockets that punch above their weight in terms of representation (like PEI). This is both funny (TSN: Toronto Sports Network) and concerning (current AB and SK alienation). Personally I'm first a Canadian and second a proud Albertan, and find it maddening that like th…

> central Canada This is part of the issue; the GTA is solidly in the east (the centre of Canada is in Manitoba), but when someone says, "eastern Canada", one automatically thinks "Nova Scotia", but Toronto is a relatively short drive from New York City. That being said, I understand that in most cases, "central" is referring to population, industry, finance (not fashion - that's Montrėal). Regarding the site, the ex…

It's referring to the fact that Ontario and Quebec were Upper and Lower Canada, and as the country grew, things to the "West" and "East" were seen in that light, even though it doesn't make sense centuries later.

Re: Computer Hobby Movement in Canada

#27

Post by fidotron »

mountain_peak wrote: post #14
skeeter2020 wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If Canada historically has a complex around his relative relationship to the USA, the same holds outside of central Canada, maybe with the exception of pockets that punch above their weight in terms of representation (like PEI). This is both funny (TSN: Toronto Sports Network) and concerning (current AB and SK alienation). Personally I'm first a Canadian and second a proud Albertan, and find it maddening that like th…

> central Canada This is part of the issue; the GTA is solidly in the east (the centre of Canada is in Manitoba), but when someone says, "eastern Canada", one automatically thinks "Nova Scotia", but Toronto is a relatively short drive from New York City. That being said, I understand that in most cases, "central" is referring to population, industry, finance (not fashion - that's Montrėal). Regarding the site, the ex…

> That being said, I understand that in most cases, "central" is referring to population, industry, finance (not fashion - that's Montrėal).

And that shift of centrality from Montreal to Toronto was surprisingly recent too, very much post war.

Montreal, and Quebec, absolutely feel like a separate country from the rest.

Re: Computer Hobby Movement in Canada

#28

Post by coryrc »

mountain_peak wrote: post #19
cmrdporcupine wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Toronto is also a relatively short drive from Chicago. It's actually far more similar to Chicago than to coastal NYC. It is really geographically "midwest" by US standards, not "east" When I was in elementary school in Alberta in the 80s we called this "central Canada." And that's how I still think of it. But there's a growing trend especially in Alberta to call this "down east" which is in my mind a very political w…

Indeed - Chicago is considered "midwest" even though it is geographically in the eastern US. Maybe that's New York City-centrism from long ago? Edmonton is as far west from the geographical centre of Canada as Toronto is east. I think it's a a bit of a stretch to call the GTA "geographically central". Economically and demographically, definitely. The Weather Network, which really should consider geographic markers on…

Appalachian mountains.

Re: Computer Hobby Movement in Canada

#29

Post by mitthrowaway2 »

cmrdporcupine wrote: post #21
mountain_peak wrote: post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Indeed - Chicago is considered "midwest" even though it is geographically in the eastern US. Maybe that's New York City-centrism from long ago? Edmonton is as far west from the geographical centre of Canada as Toronto is east. I think it's a a bit of a stretch to call the GTA "geographically central". Economically and demographically, definitely. The Weather Network, which really should consider geographic markers on…

In general when I think of "eastern" for both Canada and the United States I think "coastal." Yes, I guess Vermont is considered northeast and it's not on the Atlantic, but it's really not far from it. And that's ... definitely not Ontario. Unless you count the lakes, which I mean, sure, why not? Or another definition of eastern might be "along the Appalachian range". And again, def not Ontario. Quebec is more up for…

I think in terms of time zones. Toronto's time zone is Eastern Time, so it's in the East.
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