The Flatiron Mural

Location: Between Wellington and Front, at Church Street

Date photo taken: 2 April 2014

This mural is perhaps one of the best know pieces of public art in the city. It was also one of the first. In 1979 six Canadian artists were invited to submit designs for a new art installation to anchor the new Berczy Park. Derek Besant's winning vision transferred an historic storefront from across the street (43 Front Street, the current home of Winners) to this location and gave it a playful treatment. In his words, "I wanted to use both the old and the new in Toronto.... This project was a chance to use all the sensibilities in the city." 

Murals at that time were painted directly on the wall and tended to have a short life expectancy. To avoid this problem, Besant painted his mural on specially prepared panels affixed to a steel frame mounted on the wall. Even so, after more than 20 years of sun, rain and snow, the paint had started to peel and the image fade. A major restoration of the work was undertaken in 2008, at which time the panels were traced, sanded, primed and completely repainted. 

Red Ribbon

Location: Church and Wood Streets

Date photo taken: 14 December 2016

The Church Wellesley Village, that section of Church Street between Wood and Gloucester, is jam packed with festive light displays. At the southern entrance to the Village sits this 5.5 metre glowing red ribbon. Commissioned by the Church Wellesley BIA as a celebration of life and to recognize the struggle of those living with HIV/AIDS, it was lit on World Aids Day, December 1.

Naughty or Nice

Location: Toronto Christmas Market, Distillery District

Date photo taken: 28 November 2015

The Toronto Christmas Market in the Distillery is in full swing and people are flocking to it once again. For those who have visited in previous years, you will notice some familiar elements, such as this lit sign on the Pure Spirits Patio, but have no fear, there are still plenty of new and fun elements. A forest of pink trees? Check! The market continues until December 22.

En Masse Mural

Location: Niagara St. east of Bathurst

Date photo taken: 15 April 2015

This image represents one small piece of a huge, mind-tripping mural on Niagara Street. Covering the entire east-facing side of a building at Niagara and Bathurst, the work was done by En Masse, an artist collective from Montreal that works strictly in black and white.

Chapel of St. James-the-Less

 

Location: St. James Cemetery, Parliament Street
Date photo taken: 15 November 2015

Walking up Parliament Street toward Bloor you pass St. James Cemetery on your right. Sitting quietly behind its fence, this cemetery is home to a national historic site. On a small rise just inside the main gate is the Chapel of St. James-the-Less. Opened in 1844, the building is considered to be one of the finest examples of Gothic Revival church architecture in Canada. Given the rough cut stone exterior and impressive bell tower and spire, it might surprise you to learn that the ground floor of the chapel houses Ontario's second busiest crematorium. The cemetery is still operating and is in fact Toronto's oldest, continuously operating cemetery.

Fire Pump

Location: Distillery District
Date photo taken: 1 November 2015

If you plan to visit the Toronto Christmas Market in the Distillery District this year, do yourself a favour and download the self-guided walking tour of the site's Victorian Industrial Heritage before you go. Hunting out the artifacts and plaques noted in the guide will take you inside many of the buildings you might not otherwise visit, giving you lots of opportunities to escape the crowds and warm up a little. This fire pump is part of a larger display relating to firefighting on the site.

Pokemon Go

Location: West Humber Trail, between Kipling and Islington
Date photo taken: 11 August 2016

This is proof, if any more was needed, that Toronto loves Pokemon Go. It's a great place to play after all. There are Pokemon and PokeStops everywhere! Including the Royal Ontario Museum. Rather than trying to discourage people from playing inside the museum, the ROM has embraced Pokemon. Their Head of Security has created a video to help players play responsibly, and there's a page on the website dedicated to the gym and various PokeStops in and around the museum. Beyond the museum, if you actually take the time to read about the PokeStops you come across you can learn quite a bit about the places around you. You might even discover a hidden gem you never noticed before!

Harbord Collegiate World War I Memorial

 

Location: South side of Harbord Collegiate Institute, Harbord St.

Date photo taken: 8 February 2016

This memorial is dedicated to the students and staff of Harbord Collegiate who served and died in the First World War. Photos and audio biographies of many of those listed on the plaques can be found on the Harbord Club website. The story of Nursing Sister Carola Douglas is particularly moving.

Text of the carvings and plaques:

These former pupils died for humanity in the Great War of 1914 - 1919

We are the dead, short days ago, we lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow, loved and were loved, and now we lie, in Flanders Fields

C. Fred Adams

Lt. Col. W.D. Allan, D.S.O.

Capt. Lou D. Anderson

Fl. Lt. Charles T. Brimer

Lt. B.H. Acton Burrows

Robert D. Conklin

Major James P. Crawford

William T. Crummy

Fl. Lt. Frank W. Curtis

Nursing Sister Carola Douglas

Capt. Arthur J. Duncan

Fl. Lt. George S. Fleming

Charles H. Fox

Gordon G. Galloway

Norman C. Gale

Guy Garrett

Lt. James A. Garvie, M.C.

Lt. Harold Groves

Lt. D. Galer Hagarty

Fl. Com’r William T. Hall

Lt. Gordon Hamilton

Capt. J. Fuller Henderson

Raymond F. Henderson

Lt. Charles Hewson

Fl. Lt. C. Victor Hewson

Lt. Richard H. Hocken

Capt. Robert Home

Stuart Hough

Lt. John Howard

Fl. Lt. Alfred Hutty

Eric G. Jones

Nursing Sister Lily Denton Keys

Lt. Herbert N. Klotz

Lt. Lloyd B. Kyles

Major J. Miles Langstaff

Lt. Myer Tutzer Cohen, M.C.

Lt. Walter Howard Curry

Lt. Col. Thomas Craik Irving, D.S.O.

Lt. F.M. Langstone

Fl. Lt. Austin R. Lapp

Lt. John Leonard, M.C.

Capt. L.B.M. Loudon

A.W. McAllister

Harold G. McConnell

Lt. Douglas F. MacKenzie

Fl. Lt. J.L. McLintock

Paul McLaughlin

Major William H. McLaren

Wilfred Macklem

Capt. F. Ross Medland

Lt. Col. A.A. Miller

William Moffatt

Capt. W.M. Carlton Monk

Lt. Harold Mossman, M.C.

Capt. H. Gerard Muntz

Lt. J.C. Newcombe

Norman E.G. Patton

Lt. Cecil V. Perry, M.C.

Lt. William Proudfoot

Lt. H. Charles Quail

Lawrence B. Ramsay

Fl. Lt. Arnold B. Reade

Fl. Lt. Clifford E. Rider

Clifford E. Rogers

Lt. Fred. Scott

Lt. Harley Smith

Douglas Sparks

Lt. James D. Stephen

W.E. Stewart

Lt. Geoffrey Taylor

Norman Wheadon, M.M.

Harold Worthington

Lt. George B. Bickle

Major Frank Connery

Lt. Egerton B. Baines

Lt. G. Thorold

Sgt. Douglas G. Mitchell, M.M.

Lt. Charles L.M. Morrison

Hope in the City Mural

Location: Gerrard, just east of Parliament

Date photo taken: 23 July 2016

This mural, painted on the side of Double Take, a second-hand store operated by the Yonge Street Mission, was unveiled in 2013. The hands are meant to represent not only a range of cultures but also different socio-economic backgrounds, reflecting the demographics of both the neighbourhood and the people the Yonge Street Mission serves. The hands reach for the sky, a gesture, as the name of the mural implies, of hope, but also of inclusion and strength. The mural was executed by a local team, Toronto Muralists.

Ghoulish yard

Location: West Bend neighbourhood

Date photo taken: 30 October 2013

I love that at Halloween many Torontonians go way behind putting out a few pumpkins when they decide to decorate their houses and yards. This picture is from awhile ago but the oversized ghoul remains one of my all-time favourite yard decorations.

Happy Halloween!

Regent Park Utility Hole Cover

Location: Regent Park

Date photo taken: 25 October 2012

Back in October 2012 this blog featured as its first post a sanitary sewer cover designed for the then-new Regent Park redevelopment. Almost 600 designs were received as part of a design competition held by Toronto Culture from which three winners were chosen. This cover, designed by DeMuth Flake, was the winner for the storm cover design.

For a look at some other manhole covers from around the world, check out the collection of images on Wikimedia Commons.

Don Jail

Location: Gerrard and Broadview
Date photo taken: 6 April 2016

The recent renovation and cleaning of the Don Jail has returned the Italianate building to its original grandeur. When it opened in 1864 it was the largest jail in North America and represented a new attitude toward the treatment of inmates. Prison reform at the time called for prisoners to do more than sit in their cells. They were expected to take fresh air, to work and to be afforded opportunities for bettering themselves through access to education. Over the years conditions at the prison deteriorated, due in large part to overcrowding and changes in attitude. A new prison building was constructed on the site in the 1950s but conditions remained so poor in the original building that it was eventually closed in 1977. The newer building ceased to function in 2013 and has since been demolished.

The 1864 building has undergone cleaning and extensive restoration and now operates as the Administrative Building for the adjacent Bridgepoint Health Centre. It is open to the public from Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Numerous historical plaques have been placed throughout the building, allowing anyone interested to take their own self-guided tour. This information is also available on Bridgeport's website.

Visit the Toronto library's digital archive for pictures of the Don Jail over the years.

Pillars of Justice

Location: 361 University Avenue, south of Armoury St.

Date photo taken: 20 October 2012

While not immediately obvious, this sculpture is meant to be interactive. It consists of eleven figures and one empty podium. The number is significant. When you stand in the vacant space, you complete the twelve person jury. The piece sits near the western edge of the pedestrian walkway between University Avenue and Nathan Phillips Square, home since 2007 to the McMurtry Gardens of Justice. Pillars was the first piece to be installed in the Gardens and it sits in front of the Courthouse. It is by international artist Edwina Sandys and was fabricated in Windsor, Ontario.

Emery Village

Location: Weston Rd. at Verobeach Blvd.

Date photo taken: 22 May 2015

Emery Village is located in the north west corner of the city, bounded by the Humber River on the west, Highway 400 on the east, Steeles to the north and Wilson Rd. to the south. Almost nothing is left of the small farming hamlet that once existed here, industry replacing farms in the post-war boom, when the North York Official Plan designated all lands north of Finch as industrial.  In 2003 the Emery Village BIA was founded and one of their goals is to restore a sense of history to the area. These signs, along with historical plaques and historically-themed murals are part of this effort. 

To get an idea of what this area looked like once upon a time, check out the historical images of Emery that are part of the Toronto Reference Library's digital archive. 

North Market Mural

Location: south side of the North St. Lawrence Market building, Front St.

Date photo taken: 19 March 2013

This image represents a small portion of a long two-part mural that stretches along the south side of the North St. Lawrence Market building. Echoing what goes on inside, the mural depicts a farmer's market overflowing with the bounty of fall. This building is now closed and is slated for demolition. In 2010 City Council approved redevelopment of the site to include a multi-storey building that would increase the utility of the site. In addition to a large Market Hall it will also incorporate new court house facilities on the upper floors and underground parking below. It will also connect to the historic St. Lawrence Hall to the north. In preparation for demolition, archaeological reviews have taken place, unearthing evidence of the prior market buildings formerly on the site. For updates and a look at plans for the new building, check out the City of Toronto's website.

Chinese Goose

Location: Toronto Islands, just outside Far Enough Farm

Date photo taken: 10 August 2015

This handsome fellow is a Chinese goose and despite its name and rather unusual appearance, it's not really all that exotic. Just a little unusual for downtown Toronto. The Chinese goose is one of the most common domestic goose breeds and this individual has likely just wandered away from Far Enough Farm. The farm is home to a selection of domesticated animals including pigs, rabbits, ponies and lots of interesting fowl. The farm is free to visit and is open 365 days a year.

Rock Garden

Location: Huron Street, north of Russell, University of Toronto

Date photo taken: 21 October 2015

Parked in the grass along Huron Street is an eclectic collection of boulders. Despite their size and proximity to the sidewalk it's easy to pass by them without a second glance. If you do look a little more carefully however you'll notice that the rocks have small plaques affixed to them, identifying just what type of rock you're looking at, where it came from and how old it is. In all, this urban rock garden contains 19 specimens from around Ontario.

AGO South Side

Location: Looking north from Grange Park, near Dundas and Beverley

Date photo taken: 12 May 2015

When you think about the Frank Gehry redesign of the Art Gallery of Ontario building, your mind likely jumps to the stunning wood and glass gallery running along Dundas Street, but I have a soft spot for the more understated south side. In an interview prior to the re-opening of the gallery Gehry noted that this building and the neighbourhood around it was one that he had grown up with and knew well. He was concerned about the effect that a new tower would have on Grange Park and on the Georgian manor home that had housed the early collections. He managed to create a building that plays with its surroundings, providing a blue wall that on bright sunny days disappears, leaving the sculptural staircase to seemingly float in mid-air. On grey days, it provides a promise of bluer skies to come.

Food at the Ex

Location: The Midway at the Canadian National Exhibition

Date photo taken: 26 August 2015

For many, one of the biggest draws of the CNE is the food. The Food Building was always a favourite with me as a child - I still remember the year that President's Choice launched their Decadent Chocolate Chip cookies and bags could be bought super cheap - and a day at the Ex was not complete without at least one package of Tiny Tom donuts.  While family favourites abound, presenting at the CNE also gives vendors a chance to experiment and each year there are new and often over-the-top offerings. This year is no exception. For the those who love all things pig, there's a fried pig ear sandwich or the pulled pork cinnamon roll. If you prefer your food on a stick, there's The Big Pickle Dog, an ingenious cross between a corn dog and a deep fried pickle. For the indecisive in the crowd who can't decide between dinner and dessert, there's the Philly Steaklair. And if you want to sample the food of the future, head over to Bug Bistro and try their Bug Dog.

Face by Bruno Smoky

Location: Down an alley near Church and Wellesley

Date photo taken: 11 May 2016

I just love it when artists use the physical structures on which they paint to inspire their creations. 

Freedom for Hungary

Location: Budapest Park, Lakeshore Rd.
Date photo taken: 3 June 2016

This memorial sits quietly on the waterfront just east of the Sunnyside pool complex. It is a tribute to the Hungarian Freedom Fighters who rose up on October 23, 1956 to oppose Soviet rule in Hungary. During the tumultuous period that followed, Canada opened its doors and welcomed close to 40,000 Hungarian refugees. This was the largest intake of refugees in Canada’s history at that time and it had lasting effects on Canada’s immigration policies.

The Doris McCarthy Trail

Location: Between Kingston Rd. and the lake, Scarborough
Date photo taken: 9 September 2013

The Doris McCarthy Trail is one of those magical places in Toronto that let you forget for a moment that you’re in the big city. It’s green, it runs beside a lovely little stream, and it leads you to the shores of the lake. Perfect for a brief summer escape.

Doris McCarthy was a Canadian artist who lived on the Scarborough Bluffs. In 1986 she donated a piece of land on the east side of her property to the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority. It is through this land that the trail now runs. Her home, Fool’s Paradise, was donated over a decade later to the Ontario Heritage Trust and is now run as an artist-in-residence centre.

The entrance to the trail is just south of Kingston road off Bellehaven Crescent in the Cliffcrest part of Scarborough. From here it runs down through Gates Gully to the lake where it joins the waterfront trail. It’s a bit steep in places but generally easy to manage.

Humber River Critters

Location: Underpass on the Humber River trail
Date photo taken: 7 June 2016

These critters are part of a large mural project which brings colour and interest to the Humber River trail where it passes under Highway 27. A number of different artists worked to create a series of linked vignettes depicting the natural heritage of the river.

Leslieville Bench

Location: Jimmie Simpson Park, Queen St. E.
Date photo taken: 2 May 2016

Colourful benches like this one can be found scattered throughout Leslieville thanks to the local BIA. The pattern, which falls a little short of rainbow, is inspired by their striped logo.

Beltline Pedestrian Tunnel

Location: Dufferin Street south of Castlefield Ave.
Date photo taken: 7 July 2016

It's hard to believe that only a few years ago this underpass tunnel was a community eyesore, unwelcoming and filled with litter. Today you feel like you're being led into wonderland. When asked for feedback on the project the community responded that they wanted colour. Mission accomplished! The multicoloured treatment on the pedestrian tunnels was done in tandem with a mural project on the adjacent road underpass. The project was led by STEPS (Sustainable Thinking and Expression on Public Spaces) in partnership with Friends of the York Beltline and the local councillor.

Sharks

Location: Rail underpass leading to Port Union Waterfront Park
Date photo taken: 13 October 2015

Here's one for all of you who get excited about Shark Week. I don't know any details about this one. If you do, please leave a comment!

Harmony

Location: Outside the Columbus Centre, 901 Lawrence Ave. W.
Date photo taken: 24 June 2016

This cute bronze of two young girls sharing a drink functions as a fountain just outside one of the rear doors of the Columbus Centre, a community hub for the Italian community in Toronto. The Centre is  home to the Carrier Gallery  and art work is scattered around the building, the grounds and in dedicated gallery space. This piece is by Lea Vivot, who was born in Czechoslovakia but now lives in Kleinburg. It was donated to the Centre by Alice Boccia in memory of Luigia and Antonio D'Odorico.

Lemur

Location: Southeast corner of Sherbourne and Gerrard
Date photo taken: 17 October 2015

The theme of the images on the colourful hoarding kitty-corner from Allen Gardens eluded me at first. Painted in bold colours are mice, opossums, bees, ladybugs, birds and other creatures familiar to Toronto, but then thrown into the works are two lemurs. It wasn't until I had walked away that it struck me - pollinators. Not being used to seeing lemurs in the back garden, I didn't make the connection at first but the 20 panel artwork, by Nick Sweetman, is "inspired by all forms of pollinators from bees to bats and of course the wind".

The work is a PATCH Project. Their tagline is Public Art Through Construction Hoarding - Curating the City, One Site at a Time. This particular space will eventually be an Oben Flats development, but the group intends to landscape the empty lot and open the space for community use until construction begins.

Bell Box - Natasha Kudashkina

Location: 70 Berkeley St., just south of Adelaide

Date photo taken: 15 September 2013

Image #10 in the Bellbox Series

This is a detail from another painted Bell box, this one outside 70 Berkeley Street, the home of the Alumnae Theatre. The artist, Natasha Kudashkina, was given the theme of Commedia dell'arte and she has used her box to tell a story. The scene as seen from the street starts the tale, and the back, closer to the theatre, presents the conclusion. Can you guess which side this is from?

There's a video of the work in progress on the artist's website.

Snapshot - The Esplanade

Location: Looking west from the park at Princess and The Esplanade
Date photo taken: 19 May 2016
Image 4 in the Snapshot Series

The Esplanade runs through the heart of the St. Lawrence neighbourhood, a planned community built during the 1970s and considered one of the most successful inner city redevelopments in Canada. It's a mixed-income community with low-rent and subsidized rental options sitting side by side with market-priced condos and townhomes. David Crombie Park, the jewel of the neighbourhood, runs for 6 blocks down the centre of the development offering recreation options and lots of garden space.

The white pillars seen in the foreground of this picture are part of an art installation called Patchwork Village. It was created by Jamii, a not-for-profit based in The Esplanade, to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the neighbourhood. It will be in place until June 27, as part of the Scotiabank CONTACT Photography Festival.

Pride Buttons

Location: Driveway off Wellesley, just west of Church
Date photo taken: 11 May 2016

This image represents part of a mural near the corner of Church and Wellesley. It features a selection of pinback buttons from the Canadian Lesbian and Gay Archives and it was painted by local artist William Craddock. It is one of several painted as part of the Church Street Mural Project in preparation for World Pride which Toronto hosted in 2014. This year, Toronto is declaring Canada's first ever Pride Month, and it starts today! Happy Pride Month!

Mooseconstrue

Location: University of Toronto campus, at the corner of St. George and Harbord Streets
Date photo taken: 14 July 2011

This moose silhouette is one of many moose-themed art pieces by Canadian artist Charles Pachter. It's fabricated from corten steel, otherwise known as weathering steel, which does not require painting and forms a stable rust-like appearance when exposed to the elements. The steel from which this piece was cut is also on campus, forming a companion piece entitled Moosedemeanour. Both pieces were donated to the school by Pachter, a former alumni. He also donated a number of his letters and documents to the school's Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library.

Custom Sidewalk

Location: Glen Park area
Date photo taken: 9 May 2016

Sidewalks are a bit of a contentious issue in Toronto. Despite an acceptance of the fact that a more walkable city equates to a healthier city, between one third and one quarter of Toronto's streets don't have sidewalks. It's current practice to install missing sidewalks when street surfaces are repaved but the area's councillor has to sign off on the installation before it can happen and in many cases they refuse, citing opposition from residents. This may soon change however. Thanks in large part to a need to comply with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, a recommendation will go before council in June to eliminate the need for further approvals for sidewalk installation. In the meantime, I love how this homeowner has taken matters into their own hands and created a beautiful gravel path where the sidewalk would be.

Magnolias

Location: Eastbourne Crescent
Date photo taken: 6 May 2016

This time of year there's a lot of chatter about cherry blossoms and with good reason - when they're in full bloom they are spectacular. Unfortunately, the High Park Cherry Blossom Watch is reporting that this year there won't be a peak bloom in their collection of trees. In the absence of cherries then, I present the magnolia. The deciduous variety looks particularly lovely when it blooms in the spring because there aren't yet any leaves to block your view of the flowers. There are many varieties of magnolia but most range in colour from white to deep pink, although I was very happy to come across a yellow variety on a walk this week. Like cherry blossoms they only flower for a limited time. Once the flowers are gone, leaves take their place and then these trees become wonderful providers of shade.