Passages - Don River

Location: Lower Don Trail

Date photo taken: 20 September 2015

On the Lower Don Trail where it passes under Don Mills Road, something lies waiting beneath the bridge. Have no fear, it's not a troll but rather an art installation called Passages. It consists of pieces of bright red canoes which have been set into the concrete at odd angles. It both celebrates the history of the Don River as an important artery and recreational waterway, and invokes its former power. Installed in 2015, it is the work of Labspace Studios, a sustainable arts enterprise. 

Find the Love

Location: The Danforth, east of Woodbine

Date photo taken: 3 November 2019

There's nothing like a shot of colour to brighten the grey days of a Toronto winter. You're welcome. Completed in November 2018, this wall is the work of Bareket Kezwer and is a collaboration between the not-for-profit East End Arts, the East End BIA and the City of Toronto.

Beer in Toronto - Muddy York Brewing Co.

Location: 22 Cranfield Rd.

Date photo taken: 21 March 2017

Toronto is home to over 60 craft breweries which means that it's a good place to be if you're a beer fan. Distribution across the city is markedly uneven however and if you live in East York, your options are limited. Luckily, one of the choices is Muddy York Brewing Co. It's a small batch brewery located in an industrial park between O'Connor Drive and the Don Valley. One thing that sets them apart is that while they offer a range of different types of beers, their mainstays are more traditional styles often overlooked by other brewers. Personal favourites of mine in this category include Muddy York Porter and Major Small Best Bitter. Opened in 2013, they've slowly been expanding their operations and now their location includes a retail bottle shop. Perfect for stocking up for the long weekend!

Elevated Wetlands

Location: Between Don Mills Rd. and the Don Valley Pkwy
Date photo taken: 20 September 2015

This picture captures two of a total of six large plastic planters situated in the Don Valley. While many people seem to think they look like teeth, I've always thought of them more as elephants, perhaps due to their size and they way they cluster together. They're actually called Elevated Wetlands and that's basically what they are. Part public art project, part PR experiment, these planters were commissioned by the Canadian Plastics Industry to engage the public and show off the uses of recycled plastic. Made from, you guessed it, plastic, these large planters contain a mix of different recycled plastic products instead of soil. Plants found within the Don Valley wetlands were then planted in them and are fed water from the Don River by way of solar-powered pumps. By the time the water filters through the chain of planters it is much cleaner than when it went in. For more details on the concept, creation and science of this work, check out the slideshow on artist Noel Harding's own site.

Hartman Jones Memorial School Cairn

 

Location: Outside Westwood Middle School, 994 Carlaw Ave.

Date photo taken: 15 August 2004

Image 2 in the Remembrance Series

This simple cairn pays tribute to 21 former students of Hartman Jones Memorial School who gave their lives during the Second World War. The school, built in 1931, later became Westwood Junior High, and is today Westwood Middle School. 

The names of the fallen are:

James D. Allan

Donald Allen

Johnny Brooks

Earle Chase

George E. Clarke

Jules De Baeremaeker

Edward Hood

Thomas Hunter

Alex Johnson

Donald McAulay

Martin McAulay

Jack S. McIver

Jack McKinnon

Walter Mercer

John Munro

Gordon Phillips

Howard A. Smith

Jack Stevenson

John Wardman

Ernest Watson

Gordon R. Yeates