Peeper

Location: The side of New Moon Variety, Harbord and Roxton

Date photo taken: 26 December 2014

I love this mural, but in the way I love Cabin in the Woods or The Thing. I find it really creepy. I think it's the way the eyes are so shadowed you can't see them. Or maybe it's something about the runic letters that cover the background. I present it to you as a Halloween treat. I hope you like it, but not too much, because sadly this wonderful piece has now been painted over. 

Note: I would love to credit the artist on this - if you know who they are, get in touch or leave a comment.

Copper Paneled Lobby

Location: Lobby of 55 Queen St. E.

Date photo taken: 15 February 2017

This elevator lobby on Queen Street East is decorated with hammered copper panels created by Laszlo Buday. Buday was born in Hungary but left following the uprising in 1956, eventually settling in Canada. He is perhaps best known for his work as a graphic designer, particularly his stint as art director for Canadian Architect magazine. He began working with copper in 1969. His process involves raising the designs by hammering on the back of the copper panels. When the initial designs are complete, the panels are reinforced with liquid aluminum and then areas of the display surface are selectively darkened and polished and finally sealed to prevent oxidation of the copper.

These panels were installed when the building was erected in 1973. Just down the street, another set of panels by Buday can be found in the lobby of 27 Queen St. E. 

Grant African Methodist Episcopal Church

Location: Golfview Ave. and Gerrard St. E.

Date photo taken: 20 February 2016

I find Toronto's places of worship fascinating. They range from grand cathedrals to small storefront operations and there are lots of them. Most churches are purpose built and have a pretty unique floor plan and yet they are susceptible to the same shifts in demographics that other buildings face. What happens to a church when the congregation moves on? This church provides an interesting example. 

This building is the second church on this site. The original Glenmount Methodist Church was a small one storey white building built around 1913. It was quickly replaced by this structure, and when the United Church was formed in 1925 from the union of Methodist, Presbyterian and Congregational churches, it became Glenmount United. In 1984 it amalgamated with Rhodes United, also on Gerrard and very similar looking, and this building was sold to the Metropolitan Community Church of Toronto. MCC is a welcoming congregation involved in LGBTQ rights and according to their website, this building was the first property owned in Canada by a lesbian and gay organization. In 1991 MCC moved on to another location and this building was sold to its current occupants, the Grant African Methodist Episcopal Church. This congregation first held services in Toronto in 1833 and counted among its members both free men and runaway slaves. It moved several times over the years and when their property near Queen and Soho sold to developers in 1991, they purchased this building where they continue to hold services.

Gordon Sinclair Lane

Location: runs between Sumach Street and Riverdale Park Road in Cabbagetown
Date photo taken: 25 October 2012

Toronto is criss-crossed with over 3000 lanes and just as neighbourhoods have their own identities, so too do their laneways. I love how this one looks in the fall, with the ivy and overhanging leaves turning brilliant colours. Several initiatives over the years have attempted to bring these spaces more into the community eye. The Name Your Lane project in 2006 encouraged people to turn these spaces into places. The Laneway Project takes it a step further, working to help communities activate and improve their lanes.

In 2008 the Cabbagetown Preservation Association sent a request to City Council to name 42 lanes in the area. Each name in some way reflected the history of the area. Gordon Sinclair, a Canadian media icon, was born on nearby Carlton Street. If you're interested in commemorating a person, event or thing through a lane name in your neighbourhood an application is available on the city's website, and the Laneway Project offers a how-to guide.