Allan Gardens Christmas Flower Show

Location: Allan Gardens Conservatory
Date photo taken: 12 December 2017

The beautiful Allan Gardens Conservatory, sitting in the middle of the park at Carlton and Sherbourne, is once again all dressed up for Christmas. The greenhouses are decked out with more than 30 varieties of poinsettias and there are countless seasonal surprises hidden among the greenery. It's free to visit and is open daily from 10 am to 5 pm. On weekends until mid-January, you can also enjoy the scene by candlelight.

Santa Bear

Location: Elm Avenue
Date photo taken: 28 November 2017

I love it when houses and yards are decorated for the season, whether it be Halloween or Christmas. In addition to being a display of festive spirit, it's a chance for people to get creative. Which is one reason the increasingly popular use of inflatable decorations usually leaves me a bit cold. That said, this oversized plush-looking bear doing his best Santa impersonation made me smile. Whatever you choose to celebrate, all the best to you!

Stormtrooper

Location: University of Toronto Student Union Building, Hart House Circle
Date photo taken: 10 November 2017

Each year the dome of the Student Union Building in Hart House Circle is given a fresh, often whimsical new paint job. This is not a scheduled or even officially sanctioned bit of maintenance, but rather a clandestine operation carried out at night by a group of Engineering students referred to as the BFC. Their motto is Disrupto Ergo Sum and they engage in "seemingly random acts of happenstance, mystery, and s(h)neaky shenanigans". Past designs have included a Pokemon ball, a pumpkin, and R2-D2.

St. Lawrence Hall Ceiling Detail

Location: inside St. Lawrence Hall, 157 King St. E.
Date photo taken: 11 February 2017

St. Lawrence Hall, the impressive cupola-topped building on the south west corner of King and Jarvis, was built in 1850 to provide a space for Torontonians to gather for talks, concerts and other entertainments. It was the heart of the city. The importance of the building as a cultural venue began to wane even before the turn of the century however and despite hosting a range of diverse tenants, from the Irish Catholic Benevolent Union, who installed one of the first basketball courts in Canada, to the National Ballet, the state of the building gradually declined. By the time the City of Toronto undertook an extensive restoration of the building in 1967, as a Centennial project, the structure was in such bad shape that the entire east wing collapsed. Despite this major set-back, work continued and the Hall was officially reopened on December 28, 1967. The total cost of the project was $1,775,000. This ornate bit of ceiling is a recreation from that restoration and can be found in the beautiful Grand Meeting Hall on the third floor.