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.

Mama Squirrel

Location: Bennington Heights
Date photo taken: 19 September 2013

While it's normal for squirrels to have litters in the spring, in times of bountiful food more mature females can have a second litter in the late summer. Remember the articles about Toronto's super fat squirrels last December? A late arrival to winter meant more time to forage, and the relative lack of really cold weather meant less drain on fat stores over the winter. I have a feeling that might equate to second litters for many squirrel moms this year. For more on Toronto's black squirrels, check out this earlier post.

Happy Mother's Day to all of Toronto's moms.