26 May 2022

Bell Box - Long Branch Public Library

 Traffic signal box painted with a mural depicting the Long Branch Public Library, with floating books and balloons

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.

18 May 2022

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.

11 May 2022

TRAFx post

 

Rectangular wooden post set in a natural setting. Post has a sign affixed to the side at the top, and a lens is visible

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.


4 May 2022

Joy of Life

 

Life size sculpture of a woman cradling a child while seated on a bench.

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.