Santa's Computer

 

Location: Hudson's Bay Company, Queen Street West

Date photo taken: 23 December 2020

This friendly looking computer, which keeps track of the GPS coordinates for those on the NICE list among other things, is one of the animated Christmas windows on display at the Hudson's Bay store on Queen Street. It's the second year that the windows have offered the same behind the scenes glimpses into Santa's operations, but this year the Nutcrackers flanking the windows are sporting masks and holding signs with messages such as "Be safe, wear a mask" and "Thank you for practicing social distancing".

Flying Christmas Pig

 

Location; Regent Park
Date photo taken: 22 December 2020

Happy Holidays! May you find joy in unexpected places.

Brownley Apartments

 

Location: 40-42 Isabella Street, between Yonge and Church

Date photo taken: 3 February 2013

Image 3 in the Portals series

It's been awhile since I posted my last door pic, so here's another Art Deco favourite. The Brownley Apartments were built in 1931 and the building is listed on the Toronto Heritage Registry. While today this section of Isabella is mostly dominated by later 20th century apartment complexes, prior to the construction of this building it was largely given over to comfortable single family homes. For those paying attention, remnants of the older street still persist and the two buildings just west of the apartments are prime examples. The Jared Sessions House at 34 Isabella was built prior to 1860, and 36 Isabella, known as the Robert Wood House, was built in 1885. 

One of my favourite things

 

Location: Eglington Avenue and Kennedy Road

Date photo taken: 27 February 2017

Image #15 in the Traffic Signal Box Series

I love the treatment Margaret Cresswell gave this traffic signal box as part of the Outside the Box project in 2015. It's simple but thanks to that delightful earworm of a song, strikes me as both whimsical and full of possibility. When I was scrolling through my photos, this one just jumped out at me. These days I can't leave my apartment without seeing boxes in the hallway, scattered around the lobby, and overflowing from the mailroom. None however are tied up with string. 

Friendly Robot

Location: 1712 Ellesmere Road

Date photo taken: 18 February 2017

This friendly-looking flower loving robot can be found on the barrier wall edging the property of Community Living Toronto at 1712 Ellesmere. On the other side of the wall is the portion of Line 3 that extends between McCowan station and the McCowan Yard, where the trains rest when not in service.

The mural is one of several that were painted as part of the WALL EXPRESSIONS - Community Strong!! Event held over a weekend in June 2015. A collaboration between Team SPUDBomb, StreetARToronto and Toronto Police Services, the project was designed to inject some extra colour, fun and positivity to the neighbourhood.

Cabbagetown Heritage Conservation District

 

Location: Sumach at Carlton

Date photo taken: 18 September 2013

To help communities across the province highlight and protect areas within their boundaries that have unique heritage value, the Ontario Heritage Act provides municipalities with the ability to designate Heritage Conservation Districts. While changes are permitted within these spaces they must adhere to certain rules and principles to ensure that the characteristics that make these places special are not lost. Within the City of Toronto this means that anyone in an HCD who wishes to make changes to the street-facing portion of their property needs to apply for a Heritage Permit. Property owners in these areas may be eligible for restoration grants or tax relief to help compensate them for having to adhere to the standards. 

The Cabbagetown Heritage Conservation District is actually comprised of 4 separate designated areas with two more being proposed. Sumach and Carlton, where this sign was snapped, is part of the Cabbagetown North HCD which was designated in 2004. Others include Cabbagetown-Metcalfe (2002), Cabbagetown South (2005) and Cabbagetown Northwest (2007). 

Yonge and Adelaide, 1922

 

Location: pedestrian walkway between Yonge and Victoria, north of King Street

Date photo taken: 11 March 2019

Last year the pedestrian pass through that connects Yonge and Victoria and brushes past Adelaide Courtyard got a lot more interesting. A number of large vintage photographs depicting scenes from the neighbourhood's past were installed mosaic-style along the walkway. This one shows road work being done at the corner of Yonge and Adelaide in 1922. The photograph is part of the William James collection at the City of Toronto which consists of over 5000 photographs taken by members of the William James family. Taken largely between 1900 and 1939 they provide a fascinating look into Toronto's past.

Weston Cenotaph

Location: Little Avenue Memorial Park, Little Avenue near Weston Road
Date photo taken: 22 May 2015

This memorial sits in a pretty little park just off the Humber River valley in the community of Weston. Unveiled in October 1950, it replaced an earlier monument which had fallen into disrepair. Elements from the initial cairn were salvaged and incorporated into the new cenotaph, including stones, the bronze sword, and the original World War 1 plaque. An alteration was subsequently made to add a third plaque, reading simply PEACEKEEPING. 

Text from the plaques:

1914 1918

In memory of those of Weston who made the supreme sacrifice

and in honour of those who served in the great war.

1939  1945

To the glory of God in honour of those who served and to the

glorious memory of those who died in the Second World War

Toronto Club Under Wraps

 

Location: 107 Wellington St. W.

Date photo taken: 20 July 2020

With all that protective wrapping, don't you just wonder what's going on in there? While I wasn't able to find out for sure, it's a pretty safe bet that it's not demolition. The building hidden under there is the Toronto Club, Canada's oldest private club. At first I thought that all of this might be to protect the heritage designated building while the recladding took place on the adjacent tower (note the scaffolding and metalwork running up the building on the left) but comments online indicate that the club might also be working on their brick work. It will be interesting to see what emerges from this temporary cocoon.

If like me, you find wrapped buildings interesting, you might want to check out a photographic series done a few years ago by artist William Mokrynski. 

Lenticular Fright

Location: Riverside neighbourhood

Date photo taken: 21 October 2020

The Halloween display at this Riverside home filled their yard and incorporated a nice mix of store-bought props and home made elements. Among the former were some engagingly frightful lenticular pictures of small girls that changed from pleasantly perfect to perfectly fiendish as you walked past them. This is the first year I've noticed these, and while I came across several houses displaying them, I loved that at this house they put them right out at the sidewalk where I could fully appreciate their creepiness without feeling like a creep myself.

St Michael slaying the dragon

Location: Courtyard off Nicholson Lane
Date photo taken: 16 September 2013

This sculpture of St. Michael slaying the dragon, by 19th century French sculptor Emmanuel Frémiet, sits quietly in the corner of the Max Tanenbaum Courtyard Garden. Unless you're an opera fan, or fond of exploring the city's laneways and back alleys, you may not yet have discovered this space. The courtyard sits behind the Canadian Opera Company's building on Front Street, and faces the rather unimposing Nicholson Lane. The lane is so mundane that stumbling across this green and leafy space for the first time, with its decorative fencing and charming gazebo, felt quite magical. Fans of the series The Umbrella Academy may recognize the courtyard, and this statue, from the opening episode.

Eaton Mausoleum Decorative Glass

 

Location: Mount Pleasant Cemetery

Date photo taken: 14 July 2019

Stained or painted glass windows may not be the first type of ornamentation that comes to mind when thinking about cemeteries but they are a fairly common feature in mausoleums. If you're brave (or brazen) enough to walk right up and peer through the doors, you might just be rewarded with some colour and light. Mount Pleasant Cemetery has several beautiful examples, which provides just one more reason to visit this National Historic Site.  This particular window adorns the private Eaton family mausoleum which serves as the resting place of successful early Toronto merchant Timothy Eaton and 17 members of his family.

The Big Social: AR Edition

 

Location: Natrel Pond, Harbourfront Centre, Queens Quay

Date photo taken: 6 October 2020

If the fine fall weather that is about to hit the city entices you outside and you find yourself in the vicinity of Harbourfront Centre, make your way to the Natrel Pond to experience THE BIG SOCIAL: AR Edition. Using your own tablet or phone you can access a series of dance presentations brought to life on the pond right in front of you, thanks to this augmented reality experience presented by Fall For Dance North. I had initially intended to use a screen capture for the image here but decided that would be a spoiler! The show is available from dawn til dusk until October 18th and it's a great way to enjoy Toronto's arts and culture scene while socially distancing.

Gardiner Rehabilitation

 

Location: below the Gardiner Expressway

Date photo taken: 30 August 2020

The Gardiner Expressway, named for Frederick G. Gardiner, the first chair of the former Metro Toronto Council, was constructed between 1956 and 1965, making parts of it over 60 years old. Regular wear and tear combined with weather and the effects of road salt have taken their toll and in 2019 the first phase of the Gardiner Expressway Rehabilitation Strategy was implemented. The focus for this first phase is the section between Jarvis and Cherry Streets, at the eastern end, and represents approximately 1.5 kilometers of the elevated portion of the expressway. The deck is being replaced using a new method known as accelerated bridge construction in which replacement sections are pre-fabricated elsewhere (in this case, in very large tent-like structures just to the east of the site) and then transported  and lowered into position. Work on this section, including repairing the ramps, is expected to be completed in 2021.

#DYK that the expressway is 18 kms long, with 11 km at grade and 7 km elevated? For more facts, and some great early photos, check out About the Gardiner Expressway on the City's website.

The Boa

 

Location: 100 Wellington Street
Date photo taken: 15 February 2018

I just love these elegant yet fun bike racks, which can be found in various lengths around the buildings of the Toronto Dominion Centre. I even love their name, The Boa. This rack actually consists of 5 shorter segments arranged together. And guess what? They're made in Canada, the work of Dobra Design, based in Vancouver.

Creativity is contagious

 

Location: 95 Wellington West

Date photo taken: 20 July 2020

The building at 95 Wellington Street West between Bay and York Streets is getting a face-lift and to help distract from the fuss and bother, the street level columns along Wellington have been outfitted in colourful artworks and quotes about creativity. The work started in 2018 and is expected to be completed sometime next year.

Out of Order

 

Location: Lawrence and Orton Park Road

Date photo taken: 7 September 2020

Image #14 in the Traffic Signal Box Series 

Here is yet another traffic signal box upgraded through the City's Outside the Box program. It was done in 2016 but I just stumbled across it on the weekend. It's a new favourite and a great example of why it pays to look at both sides.

Tribute to Labour

Location: Heritage Court, Enercare Centre, CNE

Date photo taken: 25 August 2015

Attending the CNE has been a yearly tradition for me for countless years now and warm days turning to coolish nights makes me nostalgic for the fair. As COVID has cancelled the fun this year I've gone back through my files and dredged up this image from the flower show at the Ex 5 years ago. This figure positioned among the prize winning greenery in the Heritage Court was designed by Charles McKechnie in 1928 to adorn the new Electrical and Engineering Building. Eight statues in total, consisting of four matched pairs, stood dramatically atop the entrance and each was a tribute to labour. They were fabricated from poured concrete and were salvaged when the building was demolished in 1972. The four on display in the Heritage Court have come home in a way, as the Enercare Centre is located where the Electrical and Engineering Building once stood.

If you're feeling nostalgic for the CNE, they have some wonderful archival material up on their website, including photos of the figures sitting atop the entrance to the Electrical and Engineering Building. There are also some fantastic images from the Midway over the years. Browse and you never know what you'll find. For example, I was surprised to see that in 1954 there was a Midway attraction called Striporama!

Water Guardians

 

Location: Front St. E., between Rolling Mills and Tannery Roads

Date photo taken: 1 June 2019

The West Don Lands community is a still developing neighbourhood at the eastern edge of the downtown core. Home to the Pan Am Games athletes in 2015, all aspects of this community were carefully planned to create a vibrant, livable neighbourhood. A gorgeous park anchors one end, transit options abound and sidewalks are wide enough to be called promenades. Waterfront Toronto, the body responsible for the redevelopment, even incorporated a Public Art Strategy into the early stages of the work. The result is a collection of pretty amazing new works and the seamless integration of an older piece. Water Guardians, created by Jennifer Marman and Daniel Borins with James Khamsi is one of the new pieces. It sits adjacent to the splash pad and is, for the most part, endearing. I'll admit though that there have been times at night when its glowing eyes and lumbering attitude evoke a classic monster-movie vibe.

Blast From the Past - Croft Street Garage

 

Location: Croft Street

Date photo taken: 29 August 2013

This mural is one of many that adorn Croft Street, a laneway running between College and Harbord. Or rather, it did. It was painted over, or the garage door replaced, sometime between June 2016 and July 2018. While these eyes may no longer watch over the lane, there are still more than enough murals along this stretch to qualify it as one of the most Instagrammable spots in Toronto.

Connaught Gates

 

Location: Claxton Blvd at Bathurst

Date photo taken: 23 November 2019

These gates, which sit majestically at the entrance to Claxton Boulevard, have had their ups and downs. When first built in 1913, they were a promise of good things to come. Standing at the entrance to what would become Cedar Vale, an upscale community of expensive homes and large lots, they were intended as a lure for potential buyers. The first world war intervened however and that community never took shape. For years the gates stood in isolation, a developer's folly, but inevitably a community did grow behind the gates. With its modest homes and low rise apartments however it seemed out of step with its grand entrance. Eventually the gates fell into disrepair. Enter Terry McAulffe, a local resident and historian. In 1999 he started a campaign to have the gates restored to their former glory. Councillor Joe Mihevc convinced the City to restore the gates, and members of CLARA, the local Ratepayers' Association, took on the task of replacing the large lanterns which had disappeared long ago. A local firm, Lighting Nelson & Garrett, was commissioned to design and build the fixtures and on Victoria Day 2004, the lights were lit for the first time. To see design drawings and fabrication photos, as a well as an archival photo of the gates standing in isolation, check out the Connaught Gates page on CLARA's website.

Fire happens fast

Location: Sherbourne, between King and Adelaide

Date photo taken: 5 August 2020

I stopped and did a double take when I saw this ad. Not because I thought the building was on fire, but I wanted a closer look. This isn't a peel, running up the brick and onto the windows. There are no windows on this wall. The ad was created to match the wall colour and the size, placement and detail of the windows perfectly. Well done Publicis Media.

Lakeside Pumpkinseed

Location: Lakeshore Road, between Lower Sherbourne and Richardson St.
Date photo taken: 29 July 2020

This image of Toronto is from the block long mural currently to be found on the construction hoarding around the Lakeside Residences site on Lakeshore. By artist Pam Lostracco, the scene reflects both the built city and the nature that surrounds it. Water plants, birds and fish, such as this pumpkinseed, all represent local species. Each is identified by name and rendered actual size, so walking the length of the mural can be an educational experience. The hoarding itself is reflective, so in addition to the city being reflected in the water of the mural, the mural itself also reflects the sky and its neighbour, the Gardiner Expressway. The uneven surface also reflects taillights in a beautiful way at night.

Flying Angel Mission

Location: Cherry St. & Unwin Ave., in the Port Lands

Date photo taken: 23 June 2019

Last year while walking in the Port Lands I noticed this sign, half hidden and looking more than a little weather-beaten. I thought it was intriguing enough to snap a picture but then promptly forgot about it. Recently however I listened to a podcast about the fate of the men and women working aboard the world's shipping vessels during COVID-19 and it has inspired me to post this. During COVID-19 these workers have been deemed essential personnel as they ensure that the global flow of goods continues. During the pandemic however most ports ban sailors from leaving their ships. It is estimated that each month 100,000 mariners reach the end of their contracts. Under normal circumstances they would leave their ships and fly home but this hasn't been possible during COVID. Many have seen their contracts extended with no opportunity to see family or friends. This is where The Flying Angel Mission comes in. The Flying Angels is a worldwide organization that supports seafarers. While a society of the Anglican church, they support "seafarers of all faiths - and none". The Southern Ontario chapter describes themselves as "The Ministry of Small Gestures: keeping the Wifi running, the coffee hot". In normal times they provide access to chaplains but also to basic services such as transportation to local shopping facilities, as ports are often far removed from the commercial centre and aren't usually well-serviced by public transportation. During COVID they are fundraising to enable them to provide a greater range of support, from increased advocacy to portable Mifi units to allow shipboard personnel to connect with family and friends.

Keep Ur Distance

Location: Lower Don River Trail, south of Corktown Common

Date photo taken: 15 July 2020

I love this Banksy-esque bit of street art for so many reasons. Mostly because I love raccoons, or at least the idea of them. I'm not sure if I had a backyard I'd want them in there, but I love seeing them depicted around the city. I love that the artist chose to render this one pretty much life-sized and low to the ground, easy to overlook if you're not paying attention. And finally I love the duality in this image. Is this a friendly safety message from one of Toronto's unofficial ambassadors? Or is it a warning, backed up by the threat of physical violence? I wonder whether having a backyard influences your reaction?

This raccoon is not alone - there are several more of them out there. Where have you seen them?

St. Lawrence Market

Location: St. Lawrence Market, Front and Jarvis

Date photo taken: 10 September 2013

As you can see from the date above, this is an old picture. Those people walking around aren't wearing masks, but that's okay, back then they didn't need to. While more stringent restrictions were in place, those in the know were getting their favorite food stuffs via curbside pick up, but now the  Market is basically back to normal, operating Tuesday thru Saturday although with slightly restricted hours. This image was taken from the Market Gallery, the city-run gallery on the mezzanine level. As well as providing great views over the main floor of the hall, the upper levels also feature a public-facing exhibit space and storage for the City's art collection. At present the Gallery still has not re-opened.

Traffic Signal Box - Maple Leaf Mosaic

Location: Maple Leaf Drive at Jane
Date photo taken: 22 February 2020
Image #13 in the Traffic Signal Box Series

Happy Canada Day!

This box is the work of Thomas Dannenberg and it was commissioned in 2018 as part of the 6th year of the Outside the Box project. This city run program invites artists and graphic designers to apply for the opportunity to paint one of the many traffic signal boxes that dot intersections across the city. Applicants are encouraged "to consider the context of the local area and the city as a whole" when creating their design. Outside the Box is one of many projects run by Street Art Toronto, which also maintains an artist directory - the perfect place to find an artist to paint that garage mural you've always wanted.

SPUDway

Location: East side of 625 Richmond Street West

Date photo taken: 11 April 2019

Here's a fairly early mural by Toronto born graffiti artist SPUD. Completed in 2005, this mural stood alone on the side of this building for almost 10 years before being joined by a colourful group of characters. But they're for another post.

Brew Buddies

Location: 297 Victoria Street, between Gould and Dundas

Date photo taken: 15 September 2015

These figures can be found palling around over the doors of the limestone-clad heritage facade at 297 Victoria Street, which today is part of the Ryerson downtown campus. The facade was recently incorporated into the newly constructed Heaslip House which houses the G. Raymond Chang School of Continuing Studies but for those who look closely, and who can identify the flora depicted, there are clues to the origins of the building. O'Keefe House as it was once known was constructed in the late 1930s to serve as the head office of Canadian Breweries Ltd., which bought up or merged with many smaller breweries after the end of prohibition, including, in 1934, the O'Keefe Brewery, located on Victoria Street. This relief includes both grain and hops, key ingredients of beer.

Fudger House Courtyard

Location: Bleecker Street south of Wellesley

Date photo taken: 6 December 2014

Fudger House is a very solid, rather boring brick building built in the 1960s. It fills the block between Sherbourne and Bleecker, pushing right up against the sidewalk on the latter. Once upon a time it seems to have had an exit onto Bleecker but at some point that door was bricked up. Then around 2010 that closed off space was transformed into a window of sorts. A trompe l'oeil mural has been painted over the brick, creating the illusion of an entryway into the inner courtyard, complete with decorative iron gate and a fountain within. This long term care facility does indeed have a courtyard, and while I've never seen it, I like to think that this is an accurate representation. 

This building currently offers 250 long term care and hospice beds but this site once provided housing for a much younger crowd. Sherbourne House, also known at various times as Sherbourne Villa and Fudger House, began its life as a grand Victorian mansion. In 1916 it was purchased by H.H. Fudger, president of the Robert Simpson Company, to provide safe and reputable lodgings for the young women who worked for the compamy.

Revolving Doors

Location: 1 Adelaide Street East
Date photo taken: 7 February 2018

I spend a lot of time thinking about how people use doors. Strange but true. Two behaviours fascinate me: over-use of disabled assist buttons and avoidance of revolving doors. The pandemic has changed my attitude toward the first, but revolving doors are a good Environment Day subject. Originally designed in the 1880s to prevent the "entrance of wind, snow, rain or dust" they are now recognized for their ability to curb unwanted air flow (think cold air blasting you when you walk by a store's open door in the summer). This can result in significant energy savings, but only if people use them. Sit and watch the entrance to a building with revolving doors however and you'll notice that a lot of people avoid using them if they have another option. Oxford Properties is one company trying to change that. They have decorated the revolving doors in several of their downtown locations with green leaf patterns and included wording about energy efficiency in an effort to win users over.

NeaTO: Students at MIT were curious enough about the phenomenon of revolving door avoidance to author a study on the subject. When they polled people about their door choices, attitudes toward revolving doors boiled down to fear, loathing and laziness: fear of getting trapped, either entirely or just an arm, leg or bag; distaste at potentially having to share the space with a stranger or have them dictate the speed of rotation; and complaints about the effort required to push the door.

Clockwork Bees II

Location: Queen St. E. at Saulter

Date photo taken: 5 January 2017

One thing that can be said for our wet spring is that we now have an abundance of beautiful flowers around the city. Even on the balcony, my flowers are thriving and they are already attracting bees. Which reminded me of the various gorgeous Nick Sweetman murals around the city, as they often feature bees. This fellow is from the same mural I featured back in July 2017. The clock element resonates as I bide my time and wait for the city to reopen. 

Foxes

Location: Corner of Sherbourne and Linden
Date photo taken: 28 November 2017

The Boardwalk in the Beaches isn't the only place in Toronto to see foxes. While not as fuzzy as the kits that have caused such a sensation this spring, these foxes are much easier to snap a pic with. Part of a multi-piece installation by Toronto-based artist Eldon Garnet, these foxes can be found in the grounds around the historic James Cooper House, which now serves as amenity space for the adjoining condominium tower. They aren't alone. Other animal pairs can also be found, creatively placed around the small space.

Wexford Heights

Location: Lawrence and Crockford

Date photo taken: 27 February 2017

Wexford Heights stretches along Lawrence Avenue between Victoria Park and Birchmount and is part of the larger Wexford / Maryvale neighbourhood in Scarborough. The local BIA was formed in 2004 and the jewel in their crown is the Taste of Lawrence Festival. Celebrated each year in July, it is Scarborough's largest street festival and as the name implies, food plays a central role in the festivities.

I admit when I took this picture, it was as much about the butterflies attached to the post as it was about the Wexford Heights sign. These critters were made by AC Waterjet Inc., a business located just down the road. They also have some much larger creatures on display next to their showroom but that's for another post.

Toronto Reference Library

Location: 789 Yonge Street
Date photo taken: 19 September 2013

It's no secret that I love the Toronto Public Library. While we can't currently visit them, the system has 100 branches which are as diverse as the city itself. They include beautiful Beaux Arts branches built with grant money from Andrew Carnegie and small storefronts tucked into strip malls. Then there's this grand and airy gem designed by Canadian architect Raymond Moriyama. In addition to housing the bulk the of the library's reference collection, the Reference Library also includes the TD Gallery, special collections such as the Baldwin Collection of Canadiana and the Arthur Conan Doyle Collection, a Digital Innovation Hub and countless spaces for lectures, talks, workshops, classes and more.

Even in these days of closures and social distancing, the library is still making books, movies and music available to Torontonians through their digital channels.

Passing on the TTC

Location: Bessarion TTC station

Date photo taken: 14 July 2019

Again this week an image that references people. Sort of. The work is by Montreal born, Toronto based artist Sylvie Bélanger. The tiled photo collages which together are called "Passing" are found throughout Bessarion station. The entrance floor is where you will find this section, and other legs and feet. Go down a level to the platform and you find lots of heads. At first the placement puzzled me, but once I got beyond simple anatomy (head high, feet low) I saw a logic to the presentation. The upper concourse is where people are in motion, coming and going, and there is space to move. On the platform, things can get more crowded, and more often than not, your view is limited to the backs of the heads in front of you. Although from what I hear, crowding isn't exactly a problem at this particular station.

Fun fact: In the 2018 ridership statistics (the latest currently available on the TTC website) Bessarion station typically sees 2990 customers coming or going on an average weekday. While this number is pretty low, it's not the least travelled station in the system. Ellesmere, Midland and Downsview Park all see fewer patrons. 

Toronto Trees

Location: Allan Gardens, Gerrard close to Sherbourne
Date photo taken: 18 August 2015

There are several areas in the city where it is possible to visit some truly spectacular trees. In honour of Earth Day, here is a personal favourite. Allan Gardens, along with being home to a beautiful conservatory, also houses over 300 trees. Not bad for a modestly sized urban park.

The City of Toronto has embraced its urban forest and is attempting to grow its tree canopy. Permits are required to remove trees, even, in some cases, on private property, and in the decade between 2008 and 2018, the city invested over $600 million in maintaining and growing its urban forest. City estimates put the overall canopy at approximately 30 percent. Treepedia, a project by MIT's Senseable City Lab, uses a different metric. Rather than measuring the tree cover from above, they take a pedestrian view to measure how many trees can be perceived on city streets. They call their score the Green View Index. By this metric, Toronto scores 19.5%. The lower number likely reflects the relatively large percentage of Toronto trees that grow in parks, ravines and backyards. For comparison, New York has a score of 13.5% and Montreal scores 25.5%.

City People

Location: Beside the RBC building, Front and Bay
Date photo taken: 3 November 2012

I think the selection of this image was definitely influenced by a slight case of cabin fever. I have been avoiding going out lately. Even my short morning walks were forsaken a few weeks ago because in my neighbourhood, there are just too many people to dodge around. And yet, I am still drawn to people. I especially like to stand on my balcony and watch people walk their dogs. There is a terrier in my building and his morning walk is easily the highlight of my day.

Enough about me. This piece is called City People and it's by the American artist Catherine Widgery. It's an early public work for her and it varies quite significantly from her more recent installations, which is perhaps why it has been excluded from the catalogue featured on her website. I love these figures however. They are basically to scale and just so normal. And despite having been installed in 1989, they are just vague enough to remain timeless. There is extra charm to viewing them in person, as a few are on poles and change their routines based on the wind.

Concourse Building Entrance

Location: Adelaide St. W. at Sheppard St.

Date photo taken: 11 February 2018

This gorgeous entryway graces 100 Adelaide Street West, also known as the Concourse Building, which opened in 1928. Canadian artist and Group of Seven member J.E.H. MacDonald and his son, artist Thoreau MacDonald, designed the decorative elements of the building including the colourful mosaics which adorn the entrance. Depicting the four elements and various Canadian industries, these mosaics, along with the rest of the south and east facades, were retained when the rest of the building was demolished to make way for the new 40+ storey EY Tower.

Heckle and Jeckle

Location: Laneway off Denison Avenue

Date photo taken: 16 August 2013

In these days of social distancing I was drawn to this image of casual closeness. I was never a fan of Terrytoons stars Heckle and Jeckle but I may spend some time in the next few weeks revisting them on YouTube. I am curious to see how the original cartoons from the 1940s compare to the versions created in the late 1970s and 80s. 

Artscape Horn 1

Location: Artscape Gibraltar Point

Date photo taken: 12 July 2018

While it may look like a remnant of a vintage early warning system, this horn is actually half of a two-piece art installation by Mitchell Fenton. Commissioned by Artscape, this piece originally sat atop their Liberty Village location at 60 Atlantic Avenue but it was relocated when that project closed in 2012. The companion piece can be found on the roof of another Artscape facility at 900 Queen Street East.

Communicating

Location: North side, 481 University Ave.

Date photo taken: 7 May 2019

This sunken relief carving is one of two panels designed by Canadian sculptor Elizabeth Wyn Wood. Both are meant to represent communication. While the woman holds a paper scroll, author John Warkentin argues that the inclusion of a bird, sun and clouds, combined with the impression that she is floating, are meant to indicate that the information is being sent through the air. This building was commissioned by Canadian communications giant Maclean-Hunter. Known for publications such as Maclean's magazine and the Financial Post, Maclean-Hunter began diversifying into radio in 1961, the same year that this building opened.

Inner City Gate

Location: Elizabeth Street, north of Gerrard

Date photo taken: 12 December 2017

While it may be unusual for large pieces of public art to move around, it's certainly not unheard of. But what happens to the art when it moves? This piece, Inner City Gate by Kosso Eloul, today sits on a small grassy mound outside the Elizabeth Street entrance to Toronto General Hospital. While it looks at home there, it was originally created for the urban square at the TD Centre. There it reflected, on a more human scale, Mies van der Rohe's black office towers, and the pieces were arranged to imply movement, as if the sculpture were glimpsed in mid-stride. The artist felt that the move to the new location changed the personality of the piece. It is now more firmly-rooted and solid, creating a monumental entrance to the hospital complex behind. 

Louis B. Stewart Observatory

Location: Hart House Circle

Date photo taken: 16 February 2017

The Louis B. Stewart Observatory, located in Hart House Circle and home to the University of Toronto's Students' Union, used to be something very different. It even used to be somewhere different. The Royal Magnetic and Meteorological Observatory, considered to be the birthplace of Canadian astronomy, was first built in 1840. Measurements taken there helped determine that sunspots caused fluctuations in the Earth's magnetic field. At the time, it was located to the west of its present spot, close to where Convocation Hall now stands. In 1855 the log building was replaced by this more solid structure, but as early as the 1890s, development around the site was rendering it unsuitable for its original purpose. The use of metal for streetcar tracks and in the construction of modern buildings was interfering with the magnetic instruments, and light pollution eventually posed separate challenges. In 1907 the telescope housed under the dome was moved and the building was donated to the university. It was subsequently torn down but thanks to the efforts of Louis B. Stewart, it was reconstructed in its present location. It would provide a home for a number of different functions over the next 45 years before becoming the home of the Students' Union. 

In this photo the dome is painted to resemble a Poke ball. It has become a tradition to re-paint the dome under cover of night. Other treatments include a rainbow, a mushroom from the Mario video games, and a storm trooper helmet. 

Toronto Light Festival 2020 - Sydmonaut

Location: Distillery District
Date photo taken: 12 February 2020

Back for its fourth year, the Toronto Light Festival has once again brought light and colour to the darkest months of winter. The Distillery District is hosting installations from 13 different artists representing 5 countries. Some, such as the Cloud Swings, are interactive. Others like the Sydmonauts are just there to discover. Designed by Amigo & Amigo from Australia, there are 9 astronauts in total scattered around the site.

The Light Festival is free to attend and continues to March 1.

103 Church

Location: SE corner of Church at Richmond

Date photo taken: 4 April 2013

"The window arrangement is particularly pleasing and a graceful note is added by the use of wrought-iron balconies, entranceway and ornamental lamps." That's how the Toronto Daily Star of January 24, 1930 described the newly proposed building at the corner of Richmond and Church. It was to be the new home of the J. Frank Raw Co. Ltd., makers of surveying instruments and machines for creating blue prints. It was designed by Murray Brown and it won him an award from the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada. I am pleased that the new building was such a beauty because it replaced one of the oldest remaining store blocks from the early days of Toronto.

Supernova

Location: Shops at Don Mills

Date photo taken: 14 July 2019

This clock tower, situated in the Town Square at the Shops at Don Mills, pays homage to the distinctive style of housing and the explosive pace of suburban development that characterized Toronto in the 1950s and 60s. What I love most about this Douglas Coupland piece isn't the piece itself, but one reaction to it that I found online. To sum up, "Wrong, wrong, wrong." On her Don Mills blog, Jane points out that while the house forms incorporated in the sculpture are similar in style to the homes built in Don Mills, "they Ain't. Don. Mills. Houses." Don Mills is unique in that it was Canada's first planned community and part of what makes it special is that the house plans were designed by select architects to suit the area. Those in Coupland's sculpture were based on blueprints generated by the government and supplied through the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation. I love both the attention to detail that Coupland showed in the creation of the work, and the knowledge and passion exhibited by Jane in pointing out the historical inaccuracy.

Family Group

Location: 1470 Don Mills Road

Date photo taken: 14 July 2019

Sitting outside a small office complex on Don Mills just south of York Mills is a sculpture featuring a three member family grouping. Despite their spindly appearance, described in one source I read as “emaciated”, I get a sense of joyfulness from this piece. It is the work of Prince Monyo, a Romanian exile, done while he was living in Canada in the 1970s. He claims that he never aspired to be an artist, but that a friend here taught him to work in bronze. He later opened one of the largest bronze foundries in Florida.