4 Oct 2017

Gordon Sinclair Lane

A laneway in Toronto, with fall foliage on the fences

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.

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