Saturday, March 14, 2015

From The Bridge

This shot is from the Bank Street Bridge, taken on Monday, which turned out to be the last day for skating on the Canal. It concludes this particular series on Lansdowne Park. I was busy taking shots of the Canal and the skaters that were present; almost as an afterthought I looked back, framing the southside stands of the stadium between poles on the bridge.


The southside stands were completely rebuilt, while the northside stands to the left got some refurbishment as part of OSEG's takeover at Lansdowne. The stadium, once named Frank Clair Stadium after a particular coach in the CFL, is now TD Place, yet another exercise in the cultural tackiness that is corporate branding. The TD Bank pays a mint to have themselves advertised in this capacity, and in fact TD Place is more prominently marked here than Lansdowne Park is on any sign. That green logo on the wooden screen is theirs. I feel sorry for people who live across the Canal and have to see a bank's logo on that abomination.

The stadium itself hosts a soccer team and a Canadian football team, the Redblacks (the OSEG brain trust insists on writing their idiotic team name in all capital letters). The arena beneath the northside stands hosts the other sports team based here, the minor league hockey team, the Ottawa 67s.

Onto other things tomorrow. I'll be less of a Grumpy Cat.

32 comments:

  1. It looks like a giant scary bug. I love it.

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  2. I often wonder what future generations will think of some of today's architecture! Some is quite unique and some.. not so much :) Must head over to your writers blog now to see what's going on there William.

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  3. It reminds me of a fanciful space ship - half built. Or maybe scaffolding on a bubble.

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  4. Do not be angry that you will not get anything. When you come the polls ... it will be something else. Be a contented cat ! (just kidding).
    Have a good one, William !

    Tomás.

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  5. I love the idea of a stadium with tiered seating to bring people together for a common cause or event. Do you ever go there as a spectator? Today, we are featuring a coffee shop. Find a good coffee shop with nice people and you will not be grumpy for long!

    Janis
    GDP

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  6. Oh, no more skating on the canal. I guess spring really is close, then. :)

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  7. Looks like a space ship in the distance ! Nice shot ! Have a good weekend !

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  8. Is the internal architecture more appealing than the outside?

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  9. you have been quite venty in this series. :)

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  10. Calm down. Corporate branding is a way of life TODAY that, good or bad, we all must live with world-wide. I hate it too.

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  11. It is the same here with NFL stadiums. I suppose there is no way around it.

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  12. @Whisk: now that you mention it...

    @Grace: this one's weird.

    @Gemma: I can see that too.

    @Tomas: thanks!

    @Janis: I haven't, but it is possible to get perspective shots inside the stadium from closer.

    @EG: yes, I was lucky to get those shots on that last day.

    @Country Gal: thank you!

    @Mo: I'm sure they've done a lot of changes inside the arena. I attended a couple of hockey games in the past.

    @Tex: I have, yes!

    @Birdman: it's such a tacky way to advertise.

    @Lois: there really isn't.

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  13. you have been a grumpy Gus recently!!! Maybe the sun will shine tomorrow....have a good one.....

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  14. All Seattle's newer stadiums are named after some huge corporation that is paying big bucks for the advertising. I like the arena named after someone or something memorable.
    MB

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  15. Corporate branding drives me crazy! The Skydome will always be the Skydome for me and not a homage to Mr Rogers.

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  16. Sadly this is the only way today, but I think it would be possible doing it with more 'grace'...

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  17. Now I like the idea of a rink under the stands, Yes, our world is full of tackiness.

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  18. @Gill: tomorrow I'm getting into something festive!

    @MB: it should be a player or a coach, something that counts for the history of the place.

    @RedPat: that one in particular annoys me. It was like a great big screw you to the city, and an ego trip by the infernal Rogers family.

    @VP: one would wish.

    @Red: there is no shortage of it.

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  19. I have the admit, this isn't a very attractive building.

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  20. Love the shadow of a pole between poles!
    I wonder how residents feel who have to see bank's logo every day.

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  21. Nice shot. But the stadium looks a bit...nondescript?

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  22. great shadows - yes the naming of stadia by sponsors is an abomination here too

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  23. Never grumpy William, just expressing....

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  24. Grumpy cat is good, also have a dislike for corporate branding of public places. Tacky and temporary.

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  25. You really are unhappy with OSEG.

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  26. "Branding." Not one of my favorite terms. I've even heard people use it in terms of defining their careers.

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  27. Corporate branding can be unsettling. In Gainesville, Virginia is a concert venue now named the Jiffy Lube Pavilion. Originally it was the Nissan Pavilion, which sounded much nicer.

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  28. @Sharon: admittedly I've gotten used to the wooden screen around the south section.

    @Tamago: it would bother me. I believe it's lit up through the night.

    @Cheryl: stadiums seem to be all the same.

    @Gerald: I wish such places had better taste than to go with branding rights.

    @Ciel: I like being grumpy.

    @Geoff: true!

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  29. @Jennifer: spring comes in its own time.

    @Peter: yes, a few years goes by and it gets renamed.

    @Mari: some years later, and I'm more or less resigned to it.

    @Kay: it sounds like the sort of term a marketing chimp came up with.

    @Linda: it would be better if such places were named after someone local of significance.

    @Shelly: it can be icy on that bridge.

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