Office_buildings usually have higher floors than residential buildings.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_tallest_buildings_in_Montreal
The 22-storey 121 m (397 ft) Royal_Bank_Tower_(Montreal) It wouldn't be until the early 1970s that Vancouver would permit any building to be taller than these. The 24 story Sun_Life_Building (122-metre or 400 ft)
https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/amtrak-cascades-vancouver-seattle-restart-2022
Of course on the BC side its still mostly a single track corridor.
By now the New_Westminster_Rail_Bridge should have been twinned.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Westminster_Bridge
The Steel_Bridge in Portland has 2 heavy rail tracks on the lower level.
"The store sits under a view cone limiting the height of any redevelopment to 300 ft., similar to the nearby ‘The Post’ redevelopment by QuadReal which is expected to complete in 2023." https://www.urbanyvr.com/hudsons-bay-vancouver-redevelopment
So buildings in that part of the high land costs throughout downtown Vancouver must be shorter than the Old_City_Hall_in_Toronto. Which is 103.64m or 340 ft.
"What’s not accounted for in the concept is the building heights on the site are currently capped by a view cone of approximately 300 ft., however, a generous package of public amenities or a change in city policy could lead to a breakthrough of Vancouver’s tabletop skyline." https://www.urbanyvr.com/bay-parkade-redevelopment-concepts
The Simpson_Tower which has 33 floors and is 144 m (472 ft) high, is a stump in Toronto. Yet in BC, it would be one of the tallest office towers.
Of course the Bay_Adelaide_Centre in Toronto is far away from the Vancouver type restrictions.
218 m (715 ft) (Bay Adelaide West)
196 m (643 ft) (Bay Adelaide East) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bay_Adelaide_Centre
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hudson's_Bay_Queen_Street
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hudson's_Bay_Centre "The tower stands at 135 metres in height. It contains 35 floors and 535,000-square-foot (49,700 m2), and its address 2 Bloor Street East, at the northeast corner of the intersection of Yonge and Bloor Streets." The 443 feet tall building in toronto is a stump. Yet, in parts of downtown Vancouver it would be considered to be too tall.
In spite of the very high land costs in Vancouver the extreme height restrictions in parts of the downtown Vancouver keep buildings shorter than a couple of churches. One in Toronto & the other in NYC.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cathedral_Church_of_St._James_(Toronto) "At 92.9 metres (305 ft), the tower and spire have remained the tallest in Canada and the second tallest in North America after St. Patrick's Cathedral, New York—although the spire of St. James is still shorter than the dome of Saint Joseph's Oratory in Montreal, which is the tallest church in the Western Hemisphere." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cathedral_Church_of_St._James_(Toronto)#Exterior
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Patrick's_Cathedral_(Midtown_Manhattan) Has spires rising 329.5 feet (100 m).
These 2 churches long ago were no longer prominent on the Toronto & NYC skyline. Yet, in parts of downtown Vancouver, they would still be considered to be too tall.
https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/vancouver-2030-olympics-venues-potential
Unfortunately, the SkyTrain was never designed to have 500ft or 152.5m long stations like the Montreal Metro and the TTC Subway have. Plus, Greater Vancouver has made it very difficult to have wide roadways like Toronto, Montreal, Calgary, Edmonton, Ottawa & QC. So, aside from the sports related infrastructure, the overall transportation infrastructure remains stunted & thwarted, compared to real cities that are allowed to think big.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Century_21_Exposition
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Expo_67
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1976_Summer_Olympics#Montreal_Olympic_Park
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Expo_88#World_Expo_Park_Brisbane_Convention_&_Exhibition_Centre
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Expo_86
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2010_Winter_Olympics
https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/translink-renderings-future-transportation-2050
Any proper big thinking city & metropolitan region still has to have some wide roads & long trains.
