Pink Panther

 

Location: North east corner of Dundas and Dovercourt

Date photo taken: 9 July 2022

It was suggested that this week I post something relating to New Year's Eve. I don't know why, but scrolling through my images, this one just seemed appropriate somehow. This Pink Panther is the work of Matt Gondek, an L.A. based artist known for putting dark, destructive spins on pop culture icons. It's looking a little faded now - it was painted in 2018.

Barksy

 

Location: Berczy Park

Date photo taken: 4 December 2022

Berczy Park is always full of dogs, and for the holiday season, the Old Town Toronto BIA has added one more. This is Barksy, and he's taken up residence in the park. If you snap a photo with him and post it to social media you could win a $100 gift card to your favourite Old Town Toronto business. Ho ho ho! 

Black-capped chickadee

 

Location: Leslie Street

Date photo taken: 8 May 2021

The relatively new postal sorting station at the corner of Leslie and Commissioners is decorated down the length of Leslie Street with oversized versions of various stamps, all of which feature birds. This particular stamp is from the third and final release in the Birds of Canada series which was issued in 2018. At that time, a domestic stamp in Canada cost $0.85 if you bought it as part of a booklet. Thanks to the introduction of the "permanent" stamp concept in 2006, that same stamp, if you still had it in your drawer, would get your Christmas card mailed today, despite current rates sitting at $0.92. 

These stamps were designed by Mike Savage and the chickadee is the work of illustrator Keith Martin.

Enjoying a good read

 

Location: Osler Street north of Dupont

Date photo taken: 7 December 2022

I have a fascination with little box libraries. I think they're a brilliant idea and I love that they exist. They encompass so many things I value. Books of course, but also re-use, neighbourliness and creativity. I love that the owner of this rustic-looking library thought to include windows, which frame images of people enjoying a good book. If you get up close enough, you can even read over their shoulder.

To find your closest library, you can check out the map on the Little Free Library website. Keep in mind that it only lists boxes which have officially registered with them, which costs money, so if you don't see one close by, don't despair. Get out and take a look - there may be an awesome unlisted box in a neighbour's yard near you.

Queen Street Bridge

Location: Queen Street where it cross the Don River

Date photo taken: 21 August 2021

Bridges are built to last, and unlike buildings, which often undergo renovations or facelifts, they usually remain static, garnering little love or attention. So it was surprising for me to delve into the history of this bridge, which spans the Don River at Queen Street, and see just how many changes it has undergone over the years. To start with, this is actually the third bridge (at least) to span this section of the river. The first was a wooden affair, built in the very early 1800s. At some point that was replaced by a metal truss bridge. In appearance it was fairly similar to today's bridge, but like its predecessor,  it was built close to the water line. When the current bridge was constructed, Queen Street on either side was elevated, necessitating the expropriation and demolition of several buildings. Opened in 1911, the new bridge remained relatively unchanged for years until 1996 when the Riverside BIA commissioned a public art project to beautify the gateway to their community. The work, entitled Time and a Clock, encompassed a number of different pieces at different locations, including, most strikingly, one on the bridge itself. A clock and the words "This river I step in is not the river I stand in" were added to the western end of the bridge, invoking both the literal river running below, and the philosophical idea of change, a nod to the revitalization then happening in Riverside. In advance of the 2015 Pan Am Games the most recent upgrade to the bridge occurred. The artwork and the architectural features of the bridge were illuminated thanks to a whole host of talents, including the original artist Eldon Garnet. 

The Blackburns

 

Location: The Esplanade between George & Frederick Streets

Date photo taken: 11 August 2022

This poster appeared on the Esplanade one day this summer. It looks like a movie poster but it is in fact part of a city-wide art project entitled Unveiling Heroes of the Block which tells the stories of Black Canadians who left a lasting legacy. Depicted here are the Blackburns, Lucie and Thornton, who established Toronto's first taxi service after escaping slavery in the United States. Their steampunk look is courtesy of artist Quentin VerCetty. The project was created by the Black Speculative Arts Movement (BSAM) Canada and is part of ArtworxTO. A digital companion to the various sites is available on the Heritage Toronto website. If you click through on the various stories you will find detailed histories of those profiled, including the Blackburns.

Town of York Cenotaph

Location: Eglinton Avenue West, near Keele

Date photo taken: 14 October 2022

Located at the York Civic Centre, this cenotaph pays tribute to the men and women from the Town of York who gave their lives in the service of their country in the First and Second World Wars. It also, unlike many of the memorials in the city, includes the Korean War. While overshadowed in our collective consciousness by the wars proceeding it, it's important to remember that more than 26,000 Canadians served during this conflict. 

Street art in Alex Faulkner Lane

 

Location: Alex Faulkner Lane, between Islington and Sixth

Date photo taken: 24 March 2022

This bit of wildstyle is just a small piece of the colourful street art that covers two sides of the Toronto Tree Care building at the corner of Sixth Street and Alex Faulkner Lane in New Toronto. Many of the lanes in this part of town are similarly colourful, making it a fun place to explore.

Giant Skeleton

 

Location: Dundas Street East

Date photo taken: 16 October 2022

Oversized skeletons are definitely a thing this fall. I see them in front yards and hanging out on porches, even riding giant skeletal horses. Or, in this case, watching the street life from the safety of the backyard.

Afrophilia

 

Location: Sculpture Garden, King & Church
Date photo taken: 5 October 2022

The Toronto Sculpture Garden is currently occupied by 9 busts on elevated plinths, but these aren't the typical white marble depictions of ancient philosophers or founding fathers. Instead, Jamaican-born artist Frantz Brent-Harris celebrates young black people in hues of bright orange and red. He describes it as a love letter to Black People. From his artist statement: "Unapologetically, my artwork seeks to present a juxtapose palate to the white gaze, standing in defiance of historical notions of heroes, representation of beauty and those worthy of being immortalized in a statue. Grounding my work in an anti-colonial and anti-racist lens, I present images that works to dismantle and provide alternative embodiment of beauty.” The work is presented by Black Artists' Networks in Dialogue (BAND) Gallery and Cultural Centre in partnership with the City of Toronto. 

Art Wire & Iron Co.

 

Location: Lakeshore Blvd between Carlaw and Leslie

Date photo taken: 1 May 2021

Last week I talked about the dismantling of the eastern-most part of the Gardiner and the public art project that arose from the demolition. If you look carefully at the pillars that are part of the installation, you'll notice that each has a large plaque affixed to it. These are actually stainless steel plates, each etched with an image of local significance. Some of them document the dismantling of the elevated portion of the roadway, while others delve into the more distant history of the area. This particular image shows employees at the Art Wire & Iron Company Limited on Carlaw Avenue, probably in the mid-1940s. The Art Wire & Iron Company set up shop at 3 Carlaw Avenue around 1923, with Charles R. Shipway as proprietor and manager. They specialized in ornamental iron work. The building still stands today and is now the home of Habitat for Humanity's ReStore. The former business name is still visible in ghostly letters on the exterior.

Fun fact: Prior to the Art Wire & Iron Company locating at 3 Carlaw, the site housed a chemical manufacturer, and before that, Fuller Stanbury Co, one of the many pork packers that helped give Toronto its Hogtown nickname.

Gardiner East Dismantling

 

Location: Lakeshore Blvd between Carlaw and Leslie

Date photo taken: 1 May 2021

In 1999 Toronto City Council voted to demolish the eastern-most portion of the Gardiner expressway. This section served no real purpose, having been built to link up to a Scarborough Expressway that was never built. When it was demolished in 2001 the work involved a reinvention of this section of the Lakeshore. It was designed to accommodate more traffic capacity but also included bicycle lanes, landscaping and public art. Artist John McKinnon took the expressway itself as his inspiration, transforming remnants of the structure into a visually striking new installation. In his words: "Probably the most oppressive part of the Gardiner is the overhead deck and with the deck removed the columns take on a life of their own and that is actually the best part. It almost has a kind of marching Stonehenge… sort of almost millennial sense about it. And this kind of thing actually is what gives now the whole piece a distinct character."

Here's the Ben Wicks

 

Location: South wall of 426 Parliament Street

Date photo taken: 19 May 2022

Ben Wicks was many things - Toronto resident, writer, media personality - but he was best known for his cartoons. Starting with the Toronto Telegram in the 1960s, his work eventually appeared in newspapers across Canada and the United States. And eventually on the wall of a building in Cabbagetown. It turns out Ben Wicks was also a would-be restaurateur. His self-named restaurant The Ben Wicks opened at 424 Parliament Street in 1980 and remained open for over 30 years, although the majority of that time it was owned and operated by Robert McEnirney, Wicks having realized very quickly that his talents lay in other areas. The Ben Wicks, like Wicks himself, is now gone, but the mural remains and has been joined by a heritage plaque, tucked away on a nearby railing.

Nathan Phillips' sundial

 

Location: Nathan Phillips Square, north west corner

Date photo taken: 1 November 2019

While not immediately obvious, at least to me, this sculptural piece on the north west corner of Nathan Phillips Square is a sundial. Designed by engineer and geophysicist G.R. Johnson, it's six feet in diameter and made of brass. It was a gift to the people of the city from former mayor and namesake of the square, Nathan Phillips. He served the city as alderman for 28 years and then as mayor for eight more, from 1955 to 1962. The international design competition held for the new city hall, which sits adjacent to the Square, was undertaken during his tenure and he was still in office when construction began. Phillips wanted to show his gratitude for being allowed to serve, and he wanted his gift to be something that would be artistic, unusual, functional and permanent and this sundial was the result. It was presented in April 1969.

Former entrance to Blantyre Public School

 

Location: Blantyre Public School

Date photo taken: 29 November 2020

This former doorway stands ready to welcome students back to school. Sort of. If you were to walk through it, you would actually find yourself in the parking lot. 

I love it when pieces of older buildings are salvaged and repurposed on site. They act as landmarks in time, helping us to better understand the history of a place. In this case, this installation takes us back to 1928 when Blantyre Elementary first opened. I find the placement a bit odd but I believe it serves a purpose. It seems that this doorway, paired with the hedge that runs out from either side of it, is a feature designed to stop the unwitting from tumbling down the short steep grade behind.

Fun at the Fair

 

Location: The Farm, Canadian National Exhibition

Date photo taken: 1 September 2022

After a pandemic-related hiatus, the CNE is back on and it seems that Toronto has really missed it. I know I have. Going during my usual mid-week evening I was shocked at the number of people in attendance. Even the Farm building, usually an oasis of calm and quiet, seemed busy. That's where this sand sculpture is located. Unlike previous years, there was no butter sculpting (a long tradition at the CNE - just search "butter" in their photo archives if you don't believe me) and no international sand sculpting competition, but Karen Fralich's oversized sculpture of the farm animals kicking back and having fun at the fair provides lots of viewing pleasure. 

Bell Box - The Golden Frogs

 

Location: Simpson Avenue

Date photo taken: 16 October 2021

Image #17 in the Bellbox Series

A colourful and super cute Bell Box to liven up this steamy August week. These frogs, the work of Colombian-born, Toronto-based artist Andrea Rodriguez, if real, would probably love this weather! 

86 Lombard

 

Location: Lombard Street

Date photo taken: 20 July 2020

I've always liked this building. For those curious, like me, about its original purpose, it used to be spelled out in stone over the door, but the words "City Morgue" have long since departed. This was Toronto's third morgue, or "dead house" and it served the city in that capacity for almost 70 years. Built in 1908, it contained 14 body receptacles and was considered "commodious" in its day, but by the 1960s the city had grown almost 10-fold and this facility could no longer keep pace. A new morgue was constructed and this building was turned over to other uses. If you're interested in an in-depth history of the building, you can check out "I See Dead People (On Lombard)" by Kristine Morris, on her blog, Lively Legacy of Lombard Street. Details on the first 2 morgues can be found in Chapter 2 of Robertson's Landmarks of Toronto.

Endless Summer

 

Location: Paul Estrela lane

Date photo taken: 5 August 2022

With its nostalgic summer vibe, I loved this mural on sight. It's tucked down a laneway that runs parallel to Danforth but thanks to its sunny burst of colour it's still hard to miss. It was created last year by Andria Keen on behalf of Carter's Ice Cream, which is right around the corner. Just in case you find yourself with a craving!

Lynx

 

Location: Sherbourne north of Lakeshore   

Date photo taken: 11 July 2022

I love stumbling across wildlife in the city, even when it's a just cut-out pasted to the wall. This lynx surprised me as I walked under the railway corridor north of Lakeshore on Sherbourne. A fisher with a fish clenched in its jaws is under there too. I have no idea who put them there or why. If you know, please leave a comment!

Update: Mystery solved!! This is part of the street art project known as Downtown Critters, and their website promises lots more to come.

Middle Road Bridge

 

Location: Sherway Drive

Date photo taken: 18 June 2022

This humble looking bridge spans the Etobicoke Creek, just north of the QEW. It sits in parkland, connecting the leafy neighbourhood of Sherway in Mississauga to Etobicoke Valley Park North in Toronto and its scale seems perfectly suited to the pedestrian traffic it now serves. When it was built in 1909 however it was part of Middle Road, an important transportation corridor connecting the former counties of York and Peel regions. Middle Road was eventually absorbed by the new highway in the 1930s, but the bridge still remains. Both Mississauga and Etobicoke have recognized their ends of the bridge for its heritage value, and the plaque visible at the bottom right declares the bridge a National Historic Civil Engineering Site. It states that the Middle Road bridge was the first reinforced concrete arch-truss bridge in North America.  

Playing Tiger, Sittin' Dragon

 

Location: Gristmill Lane, Distillery District

Date photo taken: 7 July 2022

This large, vaguely human-shaped block is one of 13 arrayed in a line down Gristmill Lane in the Distillery right now as part of 6IX Art Outdoors. Each statue provides a canvas for a Canadian artist to share something of their personal identity and their culture. This particular one features a family portrait by Yen Linh Thai, who represents her family members through their zodiac animals. The exhibit is part of the Lavazza IncluCity Festival which runs until July 17.

Bell Box - Angel Carrillo

 

Location: Morrison Street

Date photo taken: 24 March 2022

Image #16 in the Bellbox Series

Here's another painted Bell box courtesy of the Bell Boxes Murals Project, a nonprofit street art program. This one is in New Toronto and was done in 2021. The artist is Angel Carrillo and if you love the style, he also happens to be a tattoo artist and co-owner of Southside Ink. 

Poop power

 

Location: Rolling Mills Road

Date photo taken: 7 October 2020

When I first saw this post, it was the cute little cut-out of a dog at the top that caught my attention. The diagram on the front, with the words "Dog waste only", got me intrigued. It turns out these bright green pillars are an innovative new way to dispose of your pooch's poop and turn it into something positive. This pillar sits atop a concrete containment well sunk into the ground, where the poop is collected and kept safely contained. Out of the sun, the contents remain cooler and smell less. The bins are emptied regularly and the waste is delivered to a facility that converts it into energy. With approximately 230,000 dogs in Toronto according to the city's website, that amounts to a lot of energy potential. The condo development in the Canary District was the first in Toronto to have these collectors installed but it seems like such an elegant solution that I'm hopeful more will start popping up around the city. 

Laughter Solves Depression

 

Location: Noise barrier along the rail corridor, viewed from Sudbury just south of Queen St. W.

Date photo taken: 11 November 2021

This mural, encapsulated within a large letter S, is one small part of the gigantic mural that stretches along the sound barrier adjacent to the railway lines running through West Queen West and Liberty Village. While not that noticeable at street level, the wall is highly visible from the adjacent condos, and Urbancorp, developers in the neighbourhood, were responsible for keeping the space from becoming an eyesore. Attempts to cover the barrier in ivy met with little success and the wall was repeatedly and extensively tagged. The eventual solution was to accept that the wall was the perfect canvas and offer it up to street artists. Large blocky letters marked out in white primer, spelling out Toronto, Parkdale, West Queen West, and so on, provided over 50 street artists with individual canvases on which to contribute their own visions. If you want to learn more, a short documentary was created detailing the project. 

History of Yorkdale Mall

 

Location: Yorkdale Mall

Date photo taken: 9 December 2018

Yorkdale Shopping Centre, located at Highway 401 and Allen Road, opened in 1964. At the time, it was billed as the largest enclosed shopping mall in the world and it was definitely something new for Toronto. According to the Toronto Star, approximately 100,000 people visited on opening day. Since opening, the mall has consistently reinvented itself, having gone through four major renovations to date. On a visit not that long ago, I was delighted to discover that one of the interior hallways leading to the washroom facilities had been given over to a display of vintage photographs of the mall. A space that in many such facilities is overlooked and often bleak had been transformed into a gorgeous gallery celebrating the development of this cultural space. It was really interesting to study the archival images and then re-emerge into the modern mall and note the differences and similarities. Definitely worth a look on your next visit, even if you don't need the facilities.. And for those interested in urban development and the future of shopping malls, you might want to check out the ambitious redevelopment plans currently being put forth for Yorkdale and its surroundings.

Torrent at Redpath Refinery

 

Location: Redpath Refinery, Queens Quay at Jarvis

Date photo taken: 1 June 2022

Depending on where you live in Toronto, I think it's sometimes easy to forget that we're a waterfront city. And even if you're a fan of our waterfront, it's easy to forget that it was once dominated by shipping piers and industry. One of the few remaining remnants of this industrial past is the Redpath facility at the foot of Jarvis. According to their website, Redpath is Canada's oldest food company, in operation since 1854. The refinery on the lake front was opened in 1959 and the official opening ceremony was attended by Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip. Today it receives regular shipments of raw sugar on ships such as this one. Did you know that there are websites that let you learn about and track ships like this? For example, this ship, which is the bulk carrier Torrent, was built in 2010 and sails under the flag of Cyprus. Before arriving in Toronto, its last marked location was Montreal, and before that, Brazil. Fascinating.

Fun fact: The green arm at the right of this image is a large claw which reaches into the hold and unloads the sugar. You can stand and watch it, and if the wind blows just right, you can actually smell the raw sugar. 

Bell Box - Long Branch Public Library

 

Location: Thirty Second Street at Lakeshore

Date photo taken: 10 July 2021 

Image #15 in the Bellbox Series

The mural on this Bell Box is an ode to books and to the Long Branch Public Library, which it sits just beside. This branch was opened on May 26, 1955 by the Village of Long Branch. In 1967 it was taken over by the Etobicoke Public Library Board when the Village amalgamated with the Township of Etobicoke, and in 1998 it became part of the Toronto Public Library system. The branch is home to the Long Branch Historical Society Local History Collection as well as a large collection of materials in Polish, and an art exhibition space. 

The mural is the work of Naz Nahidi and was painted as part of the Bell Box Murals Project in 2020.

Clandestinos on Sutton

 

Location: Sutton Avenue, east of Sackville

Date photo taken: 17 April 2021

This strikingly beautiful figure forms the left portion of a building length mural tucked away on Sutton Avenue. It's the work of Clandestinos, an artistic duo consisting of Bruno Smoky and Shalak Attack.

TRAFx post

 

Location: Tommy Thompson Park

Date photo taken: 8 May 2021

Where I work, May is Data & Analytics month. In honour of that, I present this post. This particular one is located in Tommy Thompson Park, but it is just one of many installed by the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority to collect usage data for their trails. The post contains a TRAFx trail counter. As the sign on the post is careful to point out, it doesn't contain a camera. What it does have is a special sensor designed to count people using the trail. The sensor works by detecting the infrared wavelength that people emit. So if you see a post like this the next time you're out enjoying one of Toronto's many trails (the city provides maps to help you find a trail near you), know that your presence has been noted.

Joy of Life

 

Location: St. Joseph Health Centre

Date photo taken: 11 November 2021

This is one of many sculptures in Toronto dedicated to moms and the bond between mother and child. This one is by Lea Vivot. It sits out front of St. Joseph Health Centre, and it was unveiled in 1983. The bench on which the pair sits is inscribed with messages of love and life contributed by Cardinals from around the world. 

Happy Mother's Day to all the moms out there. 

Traffic Signal Box - Smile

 

Location: Bathurst at Elderwood Drive

Date photo taken: 23 November 2019

Image #18 in the Traffic Signal Box Series

Smile. It's good advice. This is courtesy of Bareket Kezwer and it's a common theme in her art. As are bright colours and positivity, which is why I love that her work is showing up more and more places around the city.

Recycling Staples

 

Location: Staples store, Richmond west of Parliament

Date photo taken: 2022-03-31

This installation adorns the wall of the new Staples location at Richmond and Parliament. If you could read the tiny writing curving along the bottom of the piece, you would know that it was made from bits and pieces of pens and electronics which had been dropped off at Staples stores for recycling. Beneath the piece are four drop boxes, each for a different type of material that can be brought in to store for recycling. This includes batteries, ink and toner cartridges, electronics and writing tools like old pens and highlighters - all things not accepted in Toronto's blue bins. Staples works with partners like TerraCycle, Call2Recycle and eCycle Solutions to ensure that materials are recycled properly and in 2020 they helped Canadians divert more than 136,000 kilograms of batteries and two million kilograms of electronics from the waste stream. So the next time your highlighter dies, don't toss it in the trash. Toss it in your bag instead and let it live again as a piece of playground equipment.

Crocus

Location: Everywhere

Date photo taken: 12 April 2022

You know that spring is officially here and making a stand when gardens begin to sport splashes of purple and yellow. I have always thought of crocuses as the quintessential sign of spring in southern Ontario so I was a little surprised to learn that they aren't native to North America. Their ability to tolerate extremes of hot and cold make them ideal for our climate however, and their perennial nature, early blooming and glorious colours make them popular for gardens. 

Fun fact: The prairie crocus, which is the provincial flower of Manitoba, isn't actually a crocus. It's an an anemone, belonging to the buttercup family.

New Toronto Toad

 

Location: Laneway between Fifth and Sixth streets in New Toronto

Date photo taken: 24 April 2022

Walking in New Toronto recently I was drawn down an alley by a riot of colour. Among the murals was this handsome fellow. The work of cruz1 and Zegar, it was part of a Wallnoize project in 2021. 

Primrose

 

Location: Bay north of St. Joseph

Date photo taken: 28 March 2022

You are loved, Donkey! Get well soon

That's one of the many messages that have been written on the casts of this adorable donkey sculpture in Clover Hill Park. At first I wondered if the casts had been added as a prank, but no. Canadian artist Myfanwy MacLeod took inspiration from a real live foal named Primrose who was outfitted with pink casts to help her underdeveloped legs form properly. Cast in bronze, and larger than life, the donkey is a playful send-up of the traditional equestrian monument. This work was commissioned by the City of Toronto, selected via a competition led by the City's Economic Development and Culture division, and financed through Section 37 funding. 

Raccoons

 

Location: Quinn's Steak House & Irish Bar, 96 Richmond Street West

Date photo taken: 27 March 2021

While it might not be immediately obvious, this post carries on the St. Patrick's week tradition of highlighting Guinness advertising around the city. I chose to crop out the actual glass of Guinness to keep the focus on Emily May Rose's raccoons. I feel like she's nailed them. I mean, it's probably just a matter of time before they start using paint to mark their territories. I'm sure they've already figured out how to operate a spray can.

Clairlea

 

Location: Kingswell Crescent and Pharmacy Avenue

Date photo taken: 27 February 2017

In June 1950 the Toronto Star was full of ads for bungalows and two-storey homes in Clairlea, "the east end's newest subdivision". Located on the western edge of Scarborough and bordered by Victoria Park, Warden, Eglinton and St. Clair, the neighbourhood featured a park and a school and modern shopping district were under construction. The ads for the 6-room bungalows ran as follows: 

These solid brick bungalows have everything. Large, bright living with full dining room adjoining. Modern, gleaming tile kitchen with lots of cupboards. 3 good size bedrooms with clothes closets in each. 4-piece tile bathroom. Steel beam construction. Divided basement with recreation room facilities. All on wide lots with private drive. 

All for just $9,950.

Hive

 

Location: Lobby of 401 Bay

Date photo taken: 23 February 2015

The former Simpson Tower is now almost unrecognizable thanks to a recent recladding project, but the interior lobby still looks very much the same. The grooved stone walls around the elevator banks remain, as does the large light installation by Leo Villareal. Hive features a series of hexagons formed from LED tubes, arranged up the wall in clusters and animated by a custom software program. A static image doesn't convey the full impact of this piece so if you find yourself near the corner of Queen and Bay, pop in and watch it for awhile. 

Stop and Smell the Flowers

Location: Lane off Natalie Place

Date photo taken: 21 February 2022

I know that it's not spring yet and that there are still plenty of cold days ahead, but the weather on the weekend provided a little taste of things to come. Soon we'll all have the option to stop and smell the flowers. This mural is by illustrator Natalie V. Bochenska, also known as Natalie Very B.

 

171 Eastern

 

Location: 171 Eastern Avenue

Date photo taken: 6 July 2020

Last year lots of people in the city were reading about the Foundry, a grouping of historic buildings formerly occupied by the Dominion Wheel & Founderies Company. The Province had ordered the demolition of the buildings, all of which were included on the City of Toronto's Inventory of Heritage Properties, to make way for a new housing development. Thanks to quick action by a group of concerned citizens, demolition was halted and discussions have resulted in two of the four structures being retained. They will be incorporated into a new design for the site. This building was not one of the lucky ones. It's not surprising and few will miss it, but I have always loved this building. Built in 1930 to house the Foundry offices, it was really quite ordinary. But ordinary can be pleasant, especially when ordinary no longer equates with common. The new plans look exciting though, and I can't wait to explore the revitalized space.

Control No Control

 

Location: Harbourfront Centre

Date photo taken: 9 February 2022

I used to really look forward to the Toronto Light Festival. Brightening up our long January nights with light-based art installations seemed brilliant. That tradition is back in a new form. Harbourfront Centre and Fjord Studio out of Norway are co-presenting Nordic Lights, a series of pieces by Canadian and Nordic artists. There are six in total, a mix of physical works and projection-based art. You can follow the provided map, or just wander through the park and discover each for yourself. Pictured here is Control No Control by Montreal-based studio Iregular. It's mesmerizing to stand back and watch, but if you're more hands on, it also reacts to touch.

Bell Box - Neighbourhoodie

 

Location: Wellington Street West at Niagara

Date photo taken: 11 November 2021

Image #14 in the Bellbox Series

Here's another Bell Box painted through Community Matters and their street art program. It was done in 2018 by Toronto-based illustrator Tak Bui. 

I love to discover these mini murals as I wander around the city, but if you wanted to plan a walk, there is now a map available showing the locations of the more than 450 boxes painted to date. 

Masc - Confederation Life Building

 

Location: 20 Richmond Street East

Date photo taken: 4 April 2013

Image 5 in the Mascs of Toronto Series

The Confederation Life building at 20 Richmond Street East is one of those buildings that's just covered in interesting carved bits. Among the decorative foliage you'll find dragons and gargoyles and this fellow. I think it's the architectural equivalent of an Easter egg and while I haven't yet found proof, I believe that it's a portrait of Confederation Life founder John Kay Macdonald.

Pay phone

Location: Logan and Gerrard

Date photo taken: 14 August 2019

When's the last time you used a pay phone? Or even noticed one? While their numbers have declined steeply over the last two decades, they are still out there. Many of the survivors have taken a beating. This one, though rough looking, still functions, and it's still 50 cents to make a call. That rate (or maximum tariff) is one of the few regulations that applies to pay phones. The other is the need to notify a community before the removal of its last pay phone. Other than that stipulation, there are no regulations relating to provision or placement of phones. While usage has declined with the advent of cell phones, many argue that pay phones do still provide a valuable service, especially for more vulnerable communities and income sensitive groups. Some things I hadn't considered: 

• Each call is pay-per-use so you only pay when you use it and there is no time limit, so being kept on hold or put in a queue doesn't eat up your minutes. 
• Pay phones provide free access to 1-800 numbers and toll-free calls, so again, you're not using up your minutes when you make this type of call.
• All you need is 50 cents or a prepaid phone card - no credit check or subscription required. Also no roaming plan if you happen to be a tourist. 
• Pay phones are anonymous which can be important, such in cases of domestic abuse where the abusing party may have access to service history.
• Pay phones are reliable. They aren't affected by poor cell service, which can be a factor especially in rural areas, and basic calling features work even during power outages.

457 Richmond Street West

 

Location: Richmond Street, west of Spadina
Date photo taken: 11 April 2019

This mid-century modern building is located in the heart of Toronto's Garment District, an area of the city once dominated by textile warehouses and factories. Built in 1950, it's a small but wonderful example of the type of building that once dominated this neighbourhood. A browse through the 1950 city directory lists the earliest tenants of the building as the New York Cloak Co., the Du-Rite Dress Co factory, Golden Gate Dress Co Ltd. and Nu-Line Sportswear. The basement also housed Richmond Lunch.

In December 2017 this property and 93 others were added to the City of Toronto's Heritage Register, all contributing properties in the King-Spadina Heritage Conservation District Plan. It is unlikely the building will survive however as an application has been made to develop this site for a new condo and there are no plans to retain this structure. 

Javelin

Location: Kerr Hall, along Nelson Mandela Walk

Date photo taken: 27 February 2021

One benefit of winter in Toronto is that things obscured by leafy growth during the nicer months are often more easily appreciated. This bas relief of a student athlete about to let fly his javelin is a great example. It is one of six similarly athletic figures created by Thomas Taylor Bowie to adorn Kerr Hall, opened in 1962, when Ryerson was still a Polytechnic institute. Bowie was a Scottish born artist who emigrated to Canada in the 1950s and became Director of Sculpture at the Ontario College of Art.