Portrait Gallery in Toronto?

[FutureMayor]

http://www.cbc.ca/arts/story/2007/11/09/ot-portrait-071109.html


Halifax - Nice City
Quebec City - Government already spending millions for its 400th anniversary
Montreal - Would be sexy choice, but already has enough culture
Ottawa-Gatineau - Has everything already
Winnipeg - Already getting the Human Rights Museum
Edmonton - Too far north
Calgary - Already had its shot and dropped the ball
Vancouver - Has the 2010 Olympics

Toronto - ideal choice, central location, would be stunning on the new waterfront

Louroz

 

[Hydrogen]

How about Yellowknife - or better - Iqaluit?


Seriously, I bet this gallery will end up back in Ottawa. Shopping it around strikes me as nothing more than a (cynical) means to bringing this project back to life in that city. In other words, it was temporarily killed in order to make the government look frugal (and to knock off a pet Liberal project). It's now being offered up to other cities, but somewhere along the way someone will make an argument that a national gallery belongs in the national capital. Of course, in the end, the project will cost so much more than the original effort.

 

[allabootmatt]

And really, what are the odds the current government would allow anything like that to go to Toronto?

 

[Edward Skira]

Edmonton - Too far north
Louroz

What does that have to do with anything?

 

[TrickyRicky]

Would be great but Toronto doesn't even exist on the map in the eyes of Ottawa.

 

[TonyV]

This gallery is not going to be in Toronto.

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

I wouldn't be surprised to see them put it in Montreal or Halifax, just to get some votes (and remember the MacDonald of NS did the whole about face with the equalization squabble, so there must be some sort of payoff)

AoD

 

[MisterF]

A national gallery really should be in Ottawa.

 

[junctionist]

As the largest city, Toronto should have some national cultural galleries and institutions.

 

[CDL.TO]

When they said it was going to locate in Calgary, I said that a national gallery should be in Ottawa. Now that Toronto has the potential of getting it, I say that a national gallery should be in Ottawa.

Ottawa should be neutral ground and the idea that the nation's capital has no meaning and is just another "eastern city" is a damaging idea held by some westerners which I hope doesn't spread. No matter where it's located, it won't be conveniently accessible to the majority of Canadians and as such emphasis should be given to centralization, perhaps with satellite location(s) around the country.

 

[FutureMayor]

National Gallery - Lakeview Mississauga

I was providing commentary on why each city shouldn't get the new Gallery. My reasoning for Edmonton was it was too far north for anybody to go visit.

If I had my way, the province wouldn't have blown up Lakeview on Mississauga's Waterfront and we could have had a stunning new Gallery on the shores of Lake Ontario. It could have been very Tate Modern like in London.

Louroz

 

[ShonTron]

So Halifax shouldn't get it because it is a nice city? Edmonton too far north, then wouldn't Vancouver be too far west, or Halifax too far east?

Mississauga shouldn't get it because it is not a real city.

Keep it in Ottawa where it was planned for the first place and work already started for.

 

[wyliepoon]

Ottawa, Montreal, Winnipeg, Vancouver:

Since when did "having anything" affect a city's chance at getting more? By that argument, a non-Torontonian might argue that Toronto doesn't deserve the gallery because we have the ROM and the AGO.

The Portrait Gallery going to Ottawa doesn't prevent Toronto from creating its own version of the gallery. I think Toronto could use its economic strength to develop its own version of the gallery, picking up pieces and collections from rich private donors.

 

[Hydrogen]

Keep it in Ottawa where it was planned for the first place and work already started for.

And the work has been stopped, ensuring that regardless of the outcome, this project will cost more than originally planned.

 

[Benc7]

Absolutely, the National Portrait Gallery should be in Ottawa. Toronto should be concentrating on building the much-delayed and much-needed Museum of the City of Toronto.