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.

Jarvis Street Gargoyle

 

Location: Jarvis Street facade, Jarvis Street Baptist

Date photo taken: 17 March 2017

This is one of several dragon-like gargoyles stationed on the exterior of Jarvis Street Baptist, the large, brown-stone church at the corner of Jarvis and Gerrard. Built by the firm of Langley, Langley and Burke, it was originally constructed in 1875 and then rebuilt in 1938 following a devastating fire.

Toronto Hearts

Location: Yonge-Dundas Square

Date photo taken: 14 July 2021

Exploring the ravines is definitely one of the things I love about Toronto. Also Cafes and Patios, The Raptors and the Toronto Zoo. Apparently I'm not alone in loving these things. Members of the community were recently asked what they love about the city and their responses can now be found on hearts like this one, carefully spaced across Yonge-Dundas Square. In addition to calling out all the things we love about our city, these hearts also help us with physical distancing as the city starts to re-open. 

Walking the dog

Location: Church and McGill Streets

Date photo taken: 10 April 2021

This is part of a decorative screen running down the length of the driveway behind a new condo development at 365 Church Street. It obscures the wall behind it, letting just the right amount of its rough charm shine through, and the figures add a touch of life to what might otherwise be a lonely lane. It was designed by NAK Design Group and built and installed by Eventscape in 2017.

Brew Buddies

Location: 297 Victoria Street, between Gould and Dundas

Date photo taken: 15 September 2015

These figures can be found palling around over the doors of the limestone-clad heritage facade at 297 Victoria Street, which today is part of the Ryerson downtown campus. The facade was recently incorporated into the newly constructed Heaslip House which houses the G. Raymond Chang School of Continuing Studies but for those who look closely, and who can identify the flora depicted, there are clues to the origins of the building. O'Keefe House as it was once known was constructed in the late 1930s to serve as the head office of Canadian Breweries Ltd., which bought up or merged with many smaller breweries after the end of prohibition, including, in 1934, the O'Keefe Brewery, located on Victoria Street. This relief includes both grain and hops, key ingredients of beer.

Toronto Trees

Location: Allan Gardens, Gerrard close to Sherbourne
Date photo taken: 18 August 2015

There are several areas in the city where it is possible to visit some truly spectacular trees. In honour of Earth Day, here is a personal favourite. Allan Gardens, along with being home to a beautiful conservatory, also houses over 300 trees. Not bad for a modestly sized urban park.

The City of Toronto has embraced its urban forest and is attempting to grow its tree canopy. Permits are required to remove trees, even, in some cases, on private property, and in the decade between 2008 and 2018, the city invested over $600 million in maintaining and growing its urban forest. City estimates put the overall canopy at approximately 30 percent. Treepedia, a project by MIT's Senseable City Lab, uses a different metric. Rather than measuring the tree cover from above, they take a pedestrian view to measure how many trees can be perceived on city streets. They call their score the Green View Index. By this metric, Toronto scores 19.5%. The lower number likely reflects the relatively large percentage of Toronto trees that grow in parks, ravines and backyards. For comparison, New York has a score of 13.5% and Montreal scores 25.5%.

Traffic Signal Box - Succulent

Location: corner of Jarvis and Carlton
Date photo taken: 5 January 2019
Image #12 in the Traffic Signal Box Series

With spring flowers and outdoor greenery still several weeks away, here's a lovely succulent courtesy of self described art person and plant enthusiast Angelica Fernandes. If this box leaves you wanting more just pop across the street and check out the Arid House in Allan Gardens, home to a large display of unusual cacti and succulents.

3 Mutual Street

Location: Mutual Street, just north of Queen

Date photo taken: 17 March 2013

This handsome building sits on the lower portion of Mutual Street in an area currently undergoing intense redevelopment. In 1973 it was added to the city's heritage register but, unlike the row houses just to the north, it has never been designated. An application has been submitted for a 35 storey condo development on this corner, but initial plans call for the partial retention of this building as well as some of the buildings around the corner on Queen. It will be interesting to see how the project develops.

BirdO Mural

Location: Down the side of 194 Sherbourne, just north of Shuter

Date photo taken: 28 November 2017

If you make a habit of looking down alleys or around corners, you've probably noticed that the city is home to more than a few strange creatures like this one. The surreal birds and beasts are the work of the Toronto-based artist known as BirdO. For more on the artist, check out this great short interview piece.

Allan Gardens Christmas Flower Show

Location: Allan Gardens Conservatory
Date photo taken: 12 December 2017

The beautiful Allan Gardens Conservatory, sitting in the middle of the park at Carlton and Sherbourne, is once again all dressed up for Christmas. The greenhouses are decked out with more than 30 varieties of poinsettias and there are countless seasonal surprises hidden among the greenery. It's free to visit and is open daily from 10 am to 5 pm. On weekends until mid-January, you can also enjoy the scene by candlelight.