Canadian Chat → Big sinkhole appears in London, Ontario downtown

Ah, I miss London. I used to live just two blocks west of Wellington/Dundas. Judging from the tiny photo, I'm guessing this sinkhole open up just outside Mac's Milk.

I think I see the abandoned Canada Trust bank building in the background:

»lfpress.ca/newsstand/New ··· sun.html

Which also explains why two of my neighbours were complaining yesterday that their Internet service (Execulink DSL) was down.

Giant pothole disrupts Net service

quote:

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A huge sinkhole that opened up in the London, Ont., core yesterday disrupted Execulink Telecom's Internet service throughout southwestern Ontario, including Waterloo Region.

A water main burst just after 5 a.m., flooding an entire intersection and opening up a sinkhole about 10 metres in diameter.

The resulting damage to hydro vaults and lines caused a power outage that disrupted Execulink's servers in London.

The company, which now has about 50,000 customers, mostly in southwestern Ontario, quickly got emergency power to its servers.

The regional telecommunications company is based in the Woodstock area but has an office in Kitchener, as well as the servers in London.

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No you don't! LOL

Ahh...good ol' London. The only town I've ever lived in where manhole covers mysteriously blew themselves up and through storefront windows. The only place I've ever seen where steam (at least I think its steam) is visible escaping from the sewer system no matter how hot it is outside. The only place where power outages are a guarantee every summer.

And don't forget, where folks from Toronto come if they feel the need to brawl at a Gentlemen's Club.

Seriously, why ARE the sewers always steaming? They have a faint whiff of something like formaldehyde.

How is downtown these days? When I left in 2004, the central library just got built. Sinkholes aside, have things got better?

Doesn't London still have a large steam pipe setup.

I see the mayor is using the opportunity to whine about not getting enough money from the Province and from Ottawa. London is becoming more like a mini-Toronto all the time.

yes, much of the core area uses a "system" of steam for heating and other uses.

exactly...and the same bunch of people who approved spending something like $1 million on flowers for western road (the road needed to be widened and paved, but they didn't have to spend all that money on "decorations")...and lets not forget about the metal trees, that were "planted" around the downtown area...more large chunks of money all to appease the "artsy fartsy" crowds.

So they're going to add their own Land Transfer tax and Vehicle Licensing fees just like Tronno?

Don't forget the artsy farsty "Welcome to London" rock garden at Oxford and Airport Rd.

yup...that's what bothers me...they complain about not having enough money for some things, which are important, yet toss money at crap like that...i have nothing wrong with making a nice rock garden welcoming people to london, but not when other needs are more pressing.

look at the irony now...a beautiful "Welcome to London" rock garden...then when you reach downtown, a 15M sinkhole because much of our infrastructure is in dire need of replacing...not much of a "Welcome to London" there.

Give them time.

I really do have a soft spot for London. I used to visit friends there often from 76-90, lees often since then, and lived there from 82-85. A great city in many ways. And they aren't alone in feeling that the "great emerald cities" should have their infrastructure subsidized by the lowly little hamlets and villages.

Jebus, even the earth hates London and tried to eat it, so what do you think?