Scotia Plaza Christmas Tree

Location: Scotia Plaza Atrium, 40 King St. W.
Date photo taken: 30 November 2018

Happy holidays!

Christmas Windows

Location: The Bay, Queen Street windows
Date photo taken: 10 December 2018

Back in October American toy seller FAO Schwarz announced that it was coming to Canada for the first time, just in time for Christmas. They opened pop-up shops in Hudson's Bay stores across Canada and at the Queen Street flagship store, the Christmas windows are branded with FAO Schwarz. The windows, much the same as those unveiled last year, are delightful. They range from fantastical scenes like this one to steampunk visions to views of the city.

Chimney Sweeps

Location: above Young People's Theatre, 165 Front St. E.
Date photo taken: 23 November 2018

I love this rooftop treatment, advertising the current production on stage at Young People's Theatre. Mary Poppins, which has been on stage since November 5, has broken all sales records for this 53 year old company. Onstage until January 6, they've added extra shows over the holiday season so there may still be a chance to catch it. Even if you're not seeing a show, it's worth checking out the building if you're in the neighbourhood. The front windows contain displays of costumes from the 2017 production of Beauty and the Beast.  I particularly love the Mrs. Potts.

RUNT Critters

Location: 1600 Gerrard St. E. at Rhodes

Date photo taken: 20 February 2016

Back in the 1980s Lee's Palace commissioned a mural for the front of their Bloor Street building. The job went to a young artist who was working as a waiter and a Toronto icon was born. Despite the passing of years, Alex Currie, who goes by either RUNT or Al Runt, has stayed true to his style, which he describes as "naiveté, with fart jokes." This detail is not from the repainted Lee's Palace but from an east-end mural - it covers the front and part of the side of the storefront at 1600 Gerrard Street East. 

Road Side Inn

Location: King St. between Church and Jarvis

Date photo taken: 21 November 2018

This is one of eight small display boxes that have appeared along King Street recently. Installed by Open Field Collective, each features a small work of contemporary art. The exhibits change every six weeks, showcasing new artists and new works. This installation, titled "We Used to Eat Here", is by Spencer Barclay, an artist who works in miniature. His scenes are incredibly detailed - this one includes graffiti, and a working train signal lamp.

28 Playter Crescent

Location: Playter Crescent at Playter Blvd.

Date photo taken: 4 December 2017

Image 9 in the Remnants Series

This house, tucked behind its own stone wall and surrounded by mature trees, is in the heart of the neighbourhood north and east of Broadview and Danforth known as Playter Estates. Captain George Playter was a United Empire Loyalist who settled in York in 1793 on a large tract of land which stretched across the Don Valley. This house was built on part of that land in the early 1870s by John Lea Playter, a great grandson of Captain Playter. Originally a dairy farm with market garden, the city soon began to encroach on the property and the family subdivided the land in the early 1900s. This house remained in the Playter family until 2006. After the sale the house underwent massive renovation and while the look of the house has changed, if you look closely you can still see the hallmarks of the traditional Ontario farmhouse.

Traffic Signal Box - $10 Face

Location: Corner of York and Wellington
Date photo taken: 4 September 2018
Image #11 in the Traffic Signal Box Series

In 2018 the Financial District BIA partnered with StART’s Outside the Box program to decorate a selection of traffic signal boxes in the downtown core. They put out a call to artists and from the more than 50 submissions received, chose 5 finalists. Dean Martin was one of those finalists, and this is one of two boxes he designed. Viewed up close, the graphic appears to be simply a pattern of circles, but as you move away, the image resolves into a portrait. Each box features two individuals who have at some point graced the Canadian ten-dollar bill. In his artist’s statement he explains: “… The individuals we choose to feature on our currency are also reflective of nation building; of who we are and how we see ourselves. This perception however, has evolved greatly over the years and nowhere is it more apparent than in the diversity of those we seek to acknowledge and celebrate… This is meant to be more than a one-way journey that simply re-evaluates yesterday’s values versus today’s. It is about standing far enough back to see that character and contribution manifest in different ways and that it can come from anyone, a feature of Canada that make us the envy of the world.” More of his statement can be read here.

Lest We Forget - Edith Cavell and Canadian Nurses

Location: Outside the University St. entrance of Toronto General Hospital
Date photo taken: 4 September 2018

Edith Cavell was a British nurse who served at a Red Cross hospital in occupied Brussels during World War I. While at the hospital, in addition to treating wounded from both sides, she also sheltered and helped arrange the escape of Allied servicemen and Belgian nationals of fighting age across the border to the neutral Netherlands. In August 1915 she was arrested and tried for treason. Found guilty, she was executed by firing squad, an act which caused outrage in Britain and many still-neutral countries such as the United States.

This memorial, which also recognizes the Canadian nurses "who gave their lives for humanity in the Great War", was erected by Societa Italo Canadese on November 11, 1922.

Note: At about the same time I chose this memorial to feature on NeaTO, I started reading Kate Quinn's The Alice Network. It was pure coincidence, but the novel features a female spy network in WWI and Cavell's death is referenced.

Doom Buggy

Location: St. Lawrence neighbourhood

Date photo taken: 29 October 2018

Happy Halloween and be careful out there!

Glass Inferno

Location: West end of Brookfield Place, Bay and Wellington

Date photo taken: 15 July 2018

This wall of fire is the work of Canadian glass blower Jeff Burnette. It was commissioned by Ki, a high end Japanese restaurant, and it sits next to their entrance inside Brookfield Place. The piece is made up of over 400 individually blown and molded pieces of glass. In addition to larger pieces like this one, Burnette also makes stemware and what he calls Raygunz, colourful sci-fi inspired guns made from glass.

Space Age Television

Location: MZTV Museum of Television, 64 Jefferson Ave.
Date photo taken: 13 October 2018

This is a deluxe spherical colour tv manufactured in 1969 by Keracolor. It is one of my favourite pieces on display at Toronto’s MZTV Museum of Television. The combined museum and archive contains more than 10,000 objects related to the early years of television, with a specific focus on the technology behind the medium, including television receivers. It includes some extremely rare pieces, as well as a few with celebrity connections. The displays are limited to one large room but there’s plenty to see. The sections of floor to ceiling racking filled with vintage tv cabinets, all carefully labelled, are visually impressive, and the exhibits are well thought out and nicely presented. The museum is located in the Zoomer Complex in Liberty Village and is open Tuesday to Friday from 2 to 5 pm, with guided tours at 4 pm. Admission is $10, or $5 for students, seniors and those booking group tours. If you can’t visit the museum in person, you can tour it virtually by downloading the free app, MZTV Museum of Television from Google Play, the Apple App Store, or the MZTV website.

Sick Kids VS Limits Campaign

Location: north side of Adelaide between Church and Jarvis
Date photo taken: 24 October 2017

In October 2017 SickKids Foundation launched the largest fundraising campaign in Canadian health care history. A very visible part of the campaign was the painting of murals in locations across the city. Reaction to the gritty, battle-themed murals was mixed. A lot people loved them for their stereotype-busting, empowering message. Others found them disturbing. In response, the hospital stated that "the fight metaphor at core is not meant to claim that every kid should be a fighter, but rather that at SickKids we’re fighting for every kid."

The goal of the campaign is to raise $1.3 billion dollars to build a new hospital building. The original Hospital For Sick Children was built on University Avenue in 1949 and at the time it was the largest children's hospital in the world. It is still one of the world's largest pediatric research hospitals.

This mural was painted by Omen 514 with assistance from Nick Sweetman, Earth Crusher, Poser and Five 8. Unfortunately its presence at this location was relatively short-lived.

BirdO Mural

Location: Down the side of 194 Sherbourne, just north of Shuter

Date photo taken: 28 November 2017

If you make a habit of looking down alleys or around corners, you've probably noticed that the city is home to more than a few strange creatures like this one. The surreal birds and beasts are the work of the Toronto-based artist known as BirdO. For more on the artist, check out this great short interview piece.

Lightning on a Clear Day

Location: 95 The Pond Road
Date photo taken: 22 September 2018

The Quad at York is a student residence made up of a pair of U-shaped buildings. The various east and west-facing sides of the building are etched with a series of branching patterns. I was drawn to the lightning but there are others, equally beautiful. They're impressive from a distance, and even more engaging up close where you can see the shifting colours in the designs. They are the work of Montreal artist Nicolas Baier.

Traffic Signal Box - Nuthatch

Location: Jane St. at Alliance Ave.

Date photo taken: 7 September 2018

Image #10 in the Traffic Signal Box Series

Here's another traffic signal box that got spruced up in 2015 thanks to StreetARToronto's Outside the Box program. The artist is Erica Balon, also known as EGR, whose style I love.

Frederick and Duke

Location: Corner of Frederick and Adelaide

Date photo taken: 7 February 2018

Image 8 in the Remnants Series

This stone marker on the corner of George Brown's St. James Campus building is not a reference to Shakespeare but rather a reminder that Toronto is a city in constant flux. Back when this building was built in 1872 by Christie Brown & Co., maker of good cookies, the streets which ran east to west between King and Queen looked different than they do today. They were more disjointed and in some stretches they were called by different names. As seen on this 1884 fire insurance map, the street which ran between Jarvis and Parliament, north of King, which is today part of Adelaide, was at that time Duke Street. North of it was not Richmond, but Duchess. Hence, this now curious street marker.

Lacey and Layla Portrait

Date photo taken: 4 September 2018
Location: Laneway north of Dundas, west of McCaul

In August, Womxn Paint hosted an event in the laneway that curves between D'Arcy and McCaul, just north of Dundas. They invited female identified artists to come out and transform the garages along the lane with art. The organization's goal is to empower women through art, and in the process, to diversify the public art experience throughout the city. This mural was done by Lacey Jane and Layla Folkman, a professional art duo based out of Montreal. Check out their Instagram feed for some images of the event in progress.

Little Champion

Location: College and Dovercourt

Date photo taken: 6 June 2018

This triumphant figure is Little Champion, a sculpture by Dr. Harry Rosen. To date he has created 16 works and donated them to organizations in Montreal and Toronto. All feature this distinctive layered look. While this piece is done in bronze, it mimics the look of his work in stone, which is composed of thin layers of carefully ground and shaped stone. 

Bike Rack - O Ring Posts

Location: King and Toronto Streets

Date photo taken: 1 May 2018

The majority of bike racks across the City are of this standard post-and-ring design, created by city designers David Dennis and Eric Pederson. Early models even included their initials. 25 were installed as part of a pilot project in 1984. Prior to this most cyclists locked their bikes to parking meters. When the city began removing coin-operated parking meters in 1999, the city began installing these bike posts instead with about 3000 posts being installed over a 3 year period. By 2016 approximately 17,500 had been installed around the city. Pros of the design, according to the City's website, include that they are easily recognized, spatially efficient, inexpensive and robust. Cons include that they are kind of challenging for users, and older styles are not tamper-proof, leaving bikes more vulnerable to vandalism and theft. A new and improved design was introduced in 2008, and as more focus is given to cycling across the city, many more unique designs are showing up on private property and city land all across Toronto.

Antique Carousel

Location: Centreville, Centre Island

Date photo taken: 3 August 2018

Choosing which mount to ride on the carousel at Centreville is not an easy decision. While there are a few horses to be had for the purists among you, there are animals to suit everyone's fancy, from these sprightly rabbits, to charging pigs, trotting ostriches, and fierce tigers. There are 52 mounts in all, including 36 which jump and 2 chariots. The variety may be explained by the fact that the animals are hand-carved from wood, not made from molded plastic. It was created in Germantown, Pennsylvania by the G.A. Dentzel Steam & Horsepower Company around 1908. It was purchased for the park in 1964. After suffering major losses due to the extensive flooding on the island in 2017, Centreville owners agreed to sell the carousel to Carmel, Indiana, sparking outcries around the city. The deal fell through when Carmel council vote 5-2 against the purchase, and in October Toronto's city council passed a motion to amend the current license agreement at Centreville to ensure that the carousel remains in the park for future generations to enjoy.

Parcade

Location: King Street, between Church and Jarvis

Date photo taken: 30 July 2018

When it comes to the King Street Transit Pilot I am definitely in the "love it" camp. Except for having to remember to wait before walking once the light turns green, my walks to work are pretty stress free and lunch time is far more relaxing thanks to the groups of Muskoka chairs placed conveniently close to my office. Now add to this some fun new installations spaced along the route. Parcade is one of four designed by students at Ryerson University's SpaceLab. The planters provide some interactive fun, even if it's a bit more low-tech than their namesakes. 

There's Something on the Garage

Location: in laneway between Logan and Ferrier

Date photo taken: 13 February 2017

On August 3 1978, just in time for long-weekend trips to the lake, Piranha hit theatres. I vividly remember seeing this movie and refusing to go swimming for days afterward. These memories return whenever I see this garage, painted by cruz1 (Angel Carrillo) as part of a Wallnoize event back in May 2015. Wallnoize9 brought a number of artists to brighten the walls and garages surrounding the small parkettes running west from Pape Station. Themes were nature, animals, characters, and kid friendly. 

Centreville - Saugreen Lumber Company

Location: Centreville, Centre Island
Date photo taken: 12 July 2018

Centreville, the amusement park situated on Centre Island, has been delighting children since 1967. Built to resemble a turn-of-the-century Ontario town, the park started small with only 7 rides but food and game stands followed in 1970 and the park now features over 30 rides, mostly geared to young children. These floating cars are from one of the more exciting rides, The Saugreen Lumber Company log flume, which was introduced in 1972. Admission to the park is free, but tickets are required for the rides, or you can buy an All Day Ride Pass.

Fuzzy Slippers

Location: Everywhere
Date photo taken: 10 July 2018

This is the first time I've included fashion on NeaTO but I just couldn't resist this trend. I've always loved vintage marabou slippers and now it seems that street-worthy, though far less elegant, versions have hit the streets.

Commerce Court Model

Location: Public space, Commerce Court South building

Date photo taken: 5 April 2018

This is a close-up of the top portion of a scale model of the Commerce Court North building. It is part of a larger model depicting the entire Commerce Court complex, complete with cars, trees and people. There's even a streetcar sitting on a miniature King Street. It was built between 1969 and 1970 and has been adjusted over time to reflect changes on the ground. I think miniatures and models are really cool and this is a perfect example of how they can inform as well as entertain. Seen from the ground, the carved faces set around the 32nd floor observation deck are pretty impressive. Given the chance, through the model, to compare their size to the size of the people on the adjacent deck gives you a more proper sense of how massive they really are.

To find the model, enter Commerce Court from the Wellington Street side, near the coil-mounted Jump sign, and go up to the upper level. As a bonus, it's sitting next to one of William McElcheran's businessman statues.

Sunscreen Dispensers

Location: Sugar Beach
Date photo taken: 30 June 2018

If you find yourself at Sugar Beach this summer but forget your sunscreen, no worries, the City has you covered. Just look around until you find this bright yellow box. It's a touch-free dispenser filled with SPF 30 sunscreen. First piloted in 5 waterfront locations last year, the program has been expanded and now features 50 dispensers located all along the Waterfront Trail. Costs for the program are being covered by the David Cornfield Melanoma Fund and the Douglas Wright Foundation, and they are also responsible for keeping the boxes filled and maintained. A map showing dispenser locations and a list of sunscreen ingredients can be found on the besunsafe.ca website.

Happy Canada Day!

Location: Queen Street East

Date photo taken: 16 June 2018

Happy Canada Day from NeaTO and whoever is responsible for painting this patriotic planter on Queen Street East.

Duct Tape is Amazing

Location: Don Valley trail, south of Queen Street
Date photo taken: 16 June 2018

Call me a pragmatist, but I love duct tape. When we traveled, we carried a roll of bright orange tape, to match our bikes, and it never failed us. So it was a moment of stunned appreciation when I came across this beautiful rendering on the chain link fence along the Don Valley trail. Someone, and I haven't managed to determine who - if you know, please tell me! - has created multiple works of colourful patternwork along the trail. This was my favourite.

The Dream Chaser

Location; Church Street, just south of Dundas

Date photo taken: 27 April 2018

Today, one small bit from the block-wide, absolutely crazy, wonderful mural on Church Street called The Dream Chaser. The project was organized by Wallnoize, and involved students from a local school. It was a real community effort, with even local police lending a hand.

Snapshot - Richmond St. West of Sherbourne

Location: north side of Richmond St., west of Sherbourne

Date photo taken: 29 April 2015

Image 3 in the Snapshot Series

I love this strip of Richmond with its row of red brick warehouses. The neighbourhood around it is undergoing major change, but somehow this small stretch has managed to survive.

Canada Life Beacon

Location: University Avenue, north of Queen

Date photo taken: 31 January 2017

In 1951, the Canada Life Assurance Company added an almost 100 metre tall beacon tower to the top of its stately building on University Avenue. The purpose of the tower was not to signal airplanes, but to transmit the weather forecast. Anyone in the know could look to the tower and decode the light signals to determine what was on its way, and in this, little has changed. The lights might be energy efficient LEDs now, but calls are still placed to the Environment Canada Weather Centre at Pearson several times a day to keep the beacon's message up to date, and the signals themselves are the same. The box at the top of the tower tells what type of weather is coming: steady green for clear skies, steady red for clouds, flashing red for rain and flashing white for snow. The temperature can be discerned from the lights on the support tower. If they are running up, expect it to get warmer, down means cooler, and steady means no change. 

Where's Waldo?

Location: ?????
Date photo taken: 21 January 2018

This one is just for fun. Does anyone know where Waldo is?

Beavers

Location: Lower Don Valley

Date photo taken: 2 May 2018

I often walk along the Don Valley Trail, but it's been awhile. On my last walk, my attention was grabbed by the sight of a tree with a big, light-coloured circle where the bark had been stripped away. Then I noticed that the tree beside it looked like this. As I continued my walk, I kept seeing more and more trees chewed or gone, with only the pointy stumps remaining. Surprise, surprise! It seems that beavers are at work along this urban waterway. It was a nice reminder that wildlife - other than squirrels and raccoons - still makes its home here in the city.

Spring Has Sprung

Location: Scotia Plaza

Date photo taken: 2 May 2018

After an unusually long wait, spring weather has arrived and parks and planters across the city are finally starting to show some colour. Trees are starting to bud and the daffodils and tulips are blooming - much to the delight of the local squirrels. I thought these purple and yellow combinations were particularly lovely.

Public Art at Pier 27

Location: Pier 27 development, Queens Quay

Date photo taken: 18 February 2018

The Pier 27 development is currently taking shape as part of Toronto's waterfront redevelopment. It constitutes a number of condo buildings on the plot of land between Yonge Street and the Redpath Sugar Factory. In the fall of 2017, the space between the buildings at 29 and 39 Queens Quay became the permanent home of a large art installation by American artist Alice Aycock. The forms, that of the cyclone, seen here, and the whorls of paper, glimpsed on the left edge of the picture, are reminiscent of her Park Avenue Paper Chase, which appeared in 6 locations along Park Avenue in New York between March and July of 2014.

Carved Panel - Factory Worker

Location: Lower level, 2 Queen Street E.
Date photo taken: 16 February 2018
Image 7 in the Remnants Series

This panel is one of five that used to run vertically up the exterior of the Peoples Optical Building at 8 Queen St. E. When the building was demolished in 1995, the limestone bas-relief panels were saved and eventually relocated to their present location, in the hallway outside the lower subway entrance at the north east corner of Yonge and Queen. 

Topiary Street Light

Location: Lakehurst Crescent

Date photo taken: 9 September 2013

In honour of Earth Day - a streetlight completely overwhelmed by greenery.

Traffic Signal Box - Anna Bucciarelli

Location: North east corner, Gerrard and Sherbourne
Date photo taken: 16 February 2017
Image #9 in the Traffic Signal Box Series

This latest traffic signal box to be featured on NeaTO was painted in 2016 by Anna Bucciarelli. The design pays homage to the traditional Ukrainian decorative style known as Petrykivka which generally features plants, especially flowers, often accompanied by birds, on a white background.

Barrymore Arms Apartments

Location: 2A Salem Avenue

Date photo taken: 9 June 2014

Image 2 in the Portals series

As I've mentioned before, doors have always held particular interest for me. There is so much about this doorway that I love. The birds above the door, the door itself with its collection of windows, the lanterns on either side, the name. Built around 1935, The Barrymore Arms is now looking a little shabby but its name and its stonework are still pretty impressive. Which leads to something else I find fascinating - the practice of naming buildings. Condo and apartment complexes all over the city bear names that often seem quite fanciful. At one point I started mapping them. It's a work in progress.

Rabbits

Location: Queen Street at River

Date photo taken: 30 January 2018

These two rabbits are part of a new mural which appeared last summer along the Queen Street facade of the Toronto Humane Society building at River Street. The artist, Uber5000, got up close and personal with the different types of animals that the THS cares for when he volunteered to help decorate the two meet-and-greet rooms in the building. Those rooms now each sport a doggie portrait. The outside is more inclusive, featuring, in addition to these rabbits, cats, gerbils, and a turtle, along with the dogs.

Lineal Order

Location: 71 Simcoe Street, near King
Date photo taken: 3 June 2014

This gaunt figure stands outside of the Symphony Place condominiums on Simcoe Street. The man, cast in bronze, is dressed in a nondescript overcoat and nothing more. Across from him, unseen in this picture, is another bronze figure, this time of a child, similarly clad in just an overcoat. The figures are timeless and one can't help but wonder what they are meant to evoke, standing as they do on the doorstep of this luxury condominium. The installation is by George Boileau.

No Shoes

Location: Mill St. and Bayview Ave.
Date photo taken: 20 October 2017

This monumental sculpture adorns the southern edge of Corktown Common, the park that anchors the new West Don Lands community near the Don Valley and Lakeshore. Composed of painted girders and natural wood poles, its materials are a perfect match for the neighbourhood which lies close to both a natural corridor and industrial lands. It was a surprise to me then to learn that this piece was actually commissioned for the International Sculpture Symposium in High Park held in 1967. The work was restored and moved to Corktown Common in 2013, with the help of the sculptor, Mark Di Suvero. Here's a great shot of it sitting in High Park in 1967, from the City of Toronto Archives.

Sugar Beach

Location: At the foot of Lower Jarvis, south of Queens Quay
Date photo taken: 19 February 2017

Sugar Beach, located across the slip from the Redpath Sugar factory, is one of Toronto's newer and already most iconic parks. Half of the park is given over to a beach space complete with comfy chairs and 36 lovely pink umbrellas. The other half of the park is a plaza designed for hosting programmed and more spontaneous events. The two halves are bisected by the Waterfront Promenade. Even in the winter, Sugar Beach has its appeal. On a sunny day like this one, the water looks spectacular and the sand under the umbrellas glows pink. This weekend, the park will once again host Sugar Shack TO, a free event with live entertainment, a marketplace, a specialty bar and of course, some sweet treats.

Owl and Raccoon

Location: East end of Carlton Street

Date photo taken: 30 January 2018

What happens when a tree dies in the city? While dead trees provide homes for birds and animals, when they are located along the street or in a park, they also represent a significant safety risk. For this reason, the city's Parks, Forestry and Recreation division will come and remove it. When an oak tree on the edge of Riverdale Park West died several years ago however someone came up with a twist on the idea. While the majority of the tree was removed, the bottom portion of the trunk was left intact. Jim Menken, a chainsaw artist, then worked his magic. Drawing inspiration from the shape and quirks of the tree, he populated the stump with some local wildlife. Apparently the original tree was so diseased it was hollow inside, so another stump had to be brought in from the city's wood lot, but it all worked out in the end.

Note: Over the past several years, due in large part to the emerald ash borer, the City has had to remove a lot of trees. Traditionally, these have been chipped and then disposed of. While researching this blog, I read about someone who thought this was a waste and did something about it. Sid Gendron now operates a sawmill that takes urban wood and turns it into wood products that local businesses can use. Read more about Sawmill Sid in this National Post article.

Kingsway Billiards

Location: 3056 Bloor St. W., near Royal York
Date photo taken: 9 January 2017

The Crooked Cue pool hall and restaurant has been in this Bloor Street West location since 1992 but the building has been dedicated to recreation since its first tenant opened its doors in the late 1940s. The Toronto Star ran a notice announcing the opening of the 16 lane Kingsway Bowling Academy on September 19, 1947. The Pappas family bought the building in the 1950s and eventually bowling gave way to billiards. The old school pool hall with its snack bar was renovated in 1992 when the next generation of the Pappas family took over, adding a full bar and restaurant. I'm not sure when during the building's history the neon sign was installed but I love it.

Flower Hearts

Location: Maclean Avenue
Date photo taken: 1 May 2013

I'm going to guess that these charming hearts are long gone but they sure brightened my day when I spotted them on the base of the street lamp posts along Maclean Avenue years ago. Happy Valentine's Day!

Echoes - I Am Looking For a Job And I Found It

Location: Lawrence Ave. E. bridge over Highland Creek
Date photo taken: 13 October 2015

This is a small snippet from the lengthy community-inspired mural that runs along the south side of the Lawrence Avenue bridge spanning Highland Creek Park. Made up of imagery and text reflecting the diverse members of the neighbouring communities, this Mural Routes project was completed in the summer of 2011 by local artists and a large group of volunteers. To see more, check out this earlier NeaTO post or watch the slideshow on Mural Routes' website.

Taber Hill Memorial

Location: Bellamy Rd north of Lawrence Ave.
Date photo taken: 18 February 2017

This small, unassuming little hill near Markham Road and Lawrence is the resting place of over 500 individuals. It is a Huron/Wendat burial mound. It was discovered in 1956 when construction equipment was brought in to level the site. When bones were uncovered, experts were brought in to evaluate the site. It was determined that the skeletons were buried in a ritual manner consistent with the Wendat Feast of Souls. Walter Kenyon, who supervised an archaeological examination of the site, described it as "the most significant ethnological discovery in Canada's history." The site was quickly designated as a historical site and the bones were re-interred. Representatives of the Iroquois Six Nations were invited to supervise an Iroquois Feast of the Dead reburial ceremony which took place over three days. In 1961, a memorial was placed at the top of the mound, to inform visitors of the significance of the site.

Toronto Light Fest

Location: Distillery District
Date photo taken: 23 January 2018

The Toronto Light Fest is back for its second year. From now until March 4th the Distillery District is home to over 30 light art installations. Some, like this one, have a message. Others are pure fancy. Like the candy-coloured pyramid made from gummy bears. Or the circle of birds that fly with you while you run. Picking a favourite seems silly, but if I had to, it would probably be the giant dandelion puffs transformed by coloured lights into a fireworks display.

Bloordale Village

Location: Brock Ave. and Bloor St. W.
Date photo taken: 9 June 2014

Bloordale Village is a bit different than most of the neighbourhoods featured so far on NeaTO. It refers to the stretch of Bloor Street between Lansdowne and Dufferin. To the north is Wallace Emerson and to the south is Brockton Village. In between sits Bloor and, like the areas around it, it's in the midst of a transformation. The House of Lancaster Gentleman's Club, Salvation Army and variety stores now sit side by side with art galleries, vinyl stores, and microbreweries. To follow what's new in the area, check out the Bloordale Village BIA's Facebook page.