East Point Pavilion

Location: East Point Park

Date photo taken: 4 February 2024

This structure is part of a viewing pavilion designed to enhance the bird watching experience in East Point Park. According to the City's website, the park, which is located atop the Scarborough Bluffs, is a migratory staging area for monarch butterflies and over 178 species of birds. As part of an initiative to enhance and protect bird habitat within its borders, the City has designated the eastern portion of the park as a bird sanctuary. The design of this weathered steel wall reflects that. It is laser cut with a swarm of tiny birds, below which are included the common and scientific names of many of the birds that can be spotted in the park. The pavilions and other improvements to the site were the work of PLANT Architect Inc. and their work won them a Toronto Urban Design Award. In creating the site, they took pains to disturb as little as possible, including routing the paths through the park to minimize tree destruction and timing construction around the nesting seasons of local birds. 

Hugman

 

Location: The PATH, Exchange Tower

Date photo taken: 8 September 2024

If you've been in the Financial District in the last few weeks, you might have noticed a bit of a quiet invasion. Scattered inside and out, across several properties, are a number of Hugman sculptures. These crude human figures, which range from pint-sized to roughly adult height, are the work of Nathan Sawaya, an American artist, and they are made completely out of Lego. What started out as a street art project in New York has now spread to cities around the world. Brookfield Properties is responsible for bringing Hugman to Canada, first to Calgary, and now most recently, to Toronto. While to some eyes the tree-hugging stance may evoke thoughts of protest, Hugman just likes to hug. According to signage, the series was inspired by the simple idea of embracing others. 

Limelight Hydrangeas

Location: Berkeley Street 

Date photo taken: 18 September 2024

Walking up Berkely Street, there's a garden bed planted with small shrubs that have for some time been simply overflowing with the most magnificent flowers. Thanks to the signage so thoughtfully included by whoever planted these, I know that they are Limelight Hydrangeas and that I should be able to appreciate the blooms for a few more weeks yet. While there are great apps to help the curious identify plants, I love that in this case, I didn't have to pull out my phone to know what I was looking at, especially considering that this bed isn't part of a city park or associated with a garden centre.

Flyer

Location: Princes' Blvd, Canadian National Exhibition

Date photo taken: 24 August 2024

For those with an interest in heritage, there is always something to appreciate at the Ex. Most of the time it's in the background, like the Charles McKechnie figures in the Heritage Court or the outline of Fort Rouillé in the southern garden, but this year history is deliberately more in focus. An exhibit in the Withrow Common Gallery looks back at the relationship between the CNE and the AGO, and in the Enercare Centre, the 100th anniversary of the Canadian Association of Fairs and Exhibitions is celebrated with an exhibit dedicated to carnivals. On display are photos, ephemera and artifacts from past midways, including cars from the Flyer, a roller coaster built on the CNE grounds in 1953. The cars, like the illuminated letters pictured here, were salvaged when the Flyer was dismantled in 1992. The CNE Association refurbished the sign and restored the cars and both are now ready for your selfie moment. 

Traffic Signal Box - Painted Ladies

Location: Dundas St. West at Wimbleton

Date photo taken: 25 June 2024

Image #21 in the Traffic Signal Box Series

I have to admit, I have no idea if these are Painted Lady butterflies. They could very well be American Ladies, which are similar, or something else entirely. Both Painted Ladies and American Ladies regularly migrate between Mexico and Ontario, and while most of the time neither are particularly plentiful here, every once in awhile they will arrive in great numbers. 

Love Hands

 

Location: King Street east of Bay

Date photo taken: 10 June 2024

This installation for Pride is located on the north terrace of Commerce Court West. It's more than just a fun piece celebrating Pride however, it also channels the power of social media to fundraise for the 2SLGBTQ+ community.  If you happen to visit it, take a snap, share it to Instagram and tag @commerce.court. If you do, QuadReal and Commerce Court will donate $2 to the 519 Community Centre. Hopefully, all those toonies will add up to some serious support for the 519 and their programming.

William Devenish House

Location: 1355 Victoria Park Avenue

Date photo taken: 9 February 2024

Walking up Victoria Park Avenue, mixed in among the mid-century housing is a remnant of another age. This field stone home was built around 1845 by William Devenish, a carpenter from London, England, who found prosperity in his new home. The property, which originally spanned 200 acres, was first occupied by Devenish in 1803. Over the years, he cleared the land, established a farm, and found work as an assessor, tax collector and commissioner for the township. One story has it that despite his success, he found life in the new area lonely and in order to increase his society, he offered another newcomer a lifelong lease on half his farm for one shilling a year and thereby secured himself a neighbour.

Vino

 

Location: 531 Queen Street East

Date photo taken: 25 February 2024

This mural is located down a driveway on the east side of Fusilli Restaurant on Queen Street. It was commissioned by the owner in 2021. The NOT ART tag, and the distinctive style, call it out as the work of Toronto artist Mahyar Amiri. 

Go Ahead in the Rain

 

Location: Laneway off Pelham Avenue

Date photo taken: 7 December 2022

A perfect mural for our showery April but it's also a call out to 90s hip hop band A Tribe Called Quest. Go Ahead in the Rain was a track on their first album and it's also the name of an award winning book about the group. 

Billie Holiday

 

Location: Logan Avenue, north of Lakeshore
Date photo taken: 4 September 2020

This beautiful portrait of jazz great Billie Holiday forms the southern part of a huge mural on Logan Avenue, just north of Lakeshore. If you're a fan, you might know that Holiday was born Eleanora Fagan on April 7, 1915, in Philadelphia. The northern end of the mural features another jazz legend, also with a Philadelphia connection. You'll have to visit the mural to find out who.

Easter Bunny at work

Location: Cabbagetown

Date photo taken: 28 March 2024

Large inflatables aren't just for Christmas and Hallowe'en anymore. While not as prevalent as at those other times of year, I was surprised how many yards were sporting various egg and bunny themed blow ups. What makes this yard display special is something you can't see in this picture - dozens and dozens of painted eggs spread all over the yard. 

Winged fairy

 

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

Date photo taken: 11 November 2021

The jagged edge on the right side of this mural is explained by the fact that it forms the final E in the name Parkdale. It's part of a lengthy mural that adorns the sound barrier along the railway lines south of Sudbury Street. Each letter is blocked out against black and features its own mural. Further murals spell out Liberty Village and West Queen West. Another mural in this set was featured in 2022 and you can read more about the project in that post. 

This mural was contributed by EGRart. According to their statement, "In a metaphorical framework, her art delves into the notion of finding our place in the world by depicting archetypes within wondrous urban and natural settings; fantastical characters blessed and at times burdened by our modern day ways of living. Figures convey strength, vitality and power; winged characters and fairies represent angels among us."

Pi

 

Location: Wellington Street, just west of Bay

Date photo taken: 12 August 2020

Tucked away in one of the Financial District's many weird pedestrian access lanes sits this unusual multi-part bronze sculpture by Toronto-based sculptor Evan Penny. It was commissioned in the 1990s while Penny was teaching at the Toronto School of Art and it is actually meant to function as seating. I couldn't find any information about the specific subject of the piece but I can't help seeing a resemblance to Sir Wilfred Laurier.  

Signal box by Natalie Very B

Location: Lakeshore at Thirty Seventh Street

Date photo taken: 10 July 2021

Image #20 in the Traffic Signal Box Series

In honour of International Women's Day this Friday, here's one of Natalie Very B's gorgeous everyday goddesses. She painted it in 2020 as part of that year's crop of signal boxes prettied up through the city's Outside the Box program. Her boldly beautiful depictions of body positivity and self-love caught the attention of CBC and in 2020 they commissioned her to create a CBC Arts logo for Women's History Month. You can check out that logo, and read the article and interview here.

Slurry management

 

Location: Laneway north of Queen, between Munro and Hamilton

Date photo taken: 15 March 2023

I've said it before but I love it when murals thoughtfully work existing infrastructure into their narrative. In this case Emily May Rose has her raccoons monitoring the flow of what I can only assume is some form of deliciousness while also keeping an eye on the posted notices. The work was created in 2021 as part of Women Paint Riverside, a partnership between East End Arts, Women Paint, Native Women in the Arts and the Riverside BIA.

The St. Lawrence and the Griffon

Location: Front and Jarvis Streets

Date photo taken: 4 September 2018

At the north east corner of Front of Jarvis sits this unusual installation. Part bench, part historical curiosity, it includes two round medallions each featuring a sailing vessel with ties to the Great Lakes. This side features the HMS St. Lawrence. One of the largest and most heavily armed warships built in Canada during the War of 1812, it changed the balance of power on the Great Lakes during that conflict. The reverse side features the Griffin (more often referred to as the Griffon), a 17th century ship of exploration that disappeared on the Great Lakes shortly after being launched from Niagara, never to be found. 

These medallions were designed by Canadian sculptor Emanuel Hahn for installation in the Memorial Arch at Niagara Falls. When that structure was demolished in 1967, they were retained and eventually installed here. The placement was likely a nod to the historic proximity of the waterfront before landfill occurred, but today, without specific signage, that connection is lost. Encroached upon as it by the expanded patio of a nearby restaurant, and with other installations more effectively calling to mind the old waterline, I feel that the placement of these medallions deserves to be revisited. With new waterfront communities currently being planned and developed in Toronto, surely these pieces can find a better home. 

Yonge Street artifacts

 

Location: Inside 3 Brewers at Yonge and Dundas

Date photo taken: 30 December 2023

These detailed figurines and the more mundane - but still fascinating - items below them are part of a large display hanging on the left wall as you enter the 3 Brewers brewpub on Yonge Street. Displayed are a tiny fraction of the almost 18,000 artifacts unearthed during an extensive archaeological investigation of the property begun in 2006. They are remnants and reminders of the many uses to which the site has been put over the years, starting with a shoemaker in 1843. The buildings now sitting at 275 and 277 Yonge Street were commissioned by John Bugg in 1868 and, according to a City report, "are significant as early surviving examples of the low-scale commercial buildings that are associated with the historical development of Yonge Street." Kudos to the building owners, Prime Properties, for collaborating on the installation of this display, for funding the archaeological assessment and excavations which made it possible, and for the restoration of the building exterior.

Pepper's Food & Drink

 

Location: 189 Wallace Avenue

Date photo taken: 23 October 2023

Painted in 2021, this mural can be found on the west side of Pepper's Food & Drink, a take out spot with hot comfort food to go plus Korean  prepared foods and a wide selection of Asian snacks and ramen. As for this toad, what's in store? A tasty treat or a shocking snack? I'm leaning toward the former. Armed with that bottle, I think this toad knows exactly what it's about to chomp down on. 

Garden of Future Follies

 

Location: Front Street at Bayview

Date photo taken: 1 June 2019

This installation created by Canadian art duo Hadley+Maxwell playfully attacks our city's historic monuments, bringing them to the people and into the present. Their folly is comprised of over 150 unique elements copied from 80 different monumental works around the city. The original pieces are often oversized, elevated and designed to inspire awe. By taking fragments, juxtaposing them in whimsical ways and placing them at our level, the artists invite us to get personal with the pieces, and to re-examine their stories. It also makes me wonder if any monument buffs out there have successfully mapped back the various pieces. This excellent 2016 article from Spacing Magazine gives a few of them away.