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."
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