Google Street View in Montréal? (12)
September 13th, 2007 · by Heri · Technology
For all Google fans in Montréal, it seems the Internet giant had staff roaming around Montréal to collect photographs of streets and avenues. The data will then be integrated into Google Maps, allowing users to visit streets in 3D. They previously made the feature avalaible in San Francisco and New York, then extended the service to major cities in the US. I picked the story on Technaute and it seems it was confirmed the same day by another “witness” on a street downtown.
I am quite surprised at the news, as Google don’t even have an office in Montréal. Well, they do have a virtual office and a postal box at 1000, de la Gauchetière, and sent interview proposals to Montréalers, but that doesn’t count.
Check out this list of the “alleged” Google Street View privacy invasions already discovered in the US:
http://streetviewgallery.corank.com
There is even a Google Street View capture of a woman going in for an HIV test!
Henri, When I met with them in Toronto (sales team), Google said they had some employees in Montreal (tech dev somewhere in the cité électronique)…to validate.
Heri,
A couple of corrections:
- The photography is not being performed by Google employees, but by a firm called Immersive Media (http://immersivemedia.com). Canada’s Privacy Commissioner mentions this in her letter to their CEO:
http://www.privcom.gc.ca/media/let/let_070911_02_e.asp
- Google does in fact have REAL and FUNCTIONAL offices here in Montreal at 1000 de la Gauchetiere. A friend of mine has had in-person interviews there for the C++ dev position. They are working on Google Desktop here.
hey mat ok for the first part of your comment
but for the second part, it needs to be confirmed. Mathieu Duffar just says above that offices are in cité multimédia.
have a look at comment #2 here
http://www.chaaban.info/2007/01/30/google-montreal-jobs/
In May their physical offices were in 1000 de la Gauch. I’m 100% certain.
They definitely have offices in Montreal. I’ve been offered a job there.
ok someone gives me an address or/and a phone number and we will settle this
Heri, I work right next to the 1000 de la gauchetiere so I can visit if you want :)
hey Denis, if you have the time, it would be a good opportunity to check. i am betting it’s a virtual office.
I saw one of the Google Street View cars on rue St-Jacques in the neighborhood of St-Henri. It was a burgundy Chevy Cobalt with a California license plate. I am excited and looking forward to seeing myself driving behind it and on its side when Street View is launched for Montreal!
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