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.