Love Birds

Location: Humber River Recreational Trail, where it passes under the 401

Date photo taken: 22 May 2015

Happy Valentine's Day!

Back in 2015 as part of the lead up to the Pan Am Games, a section of the Humber River Recreation Trail was designated as part of the Pam Am Path system, and various events were held and improvements undertaken along the route. These birds are part of a much larger mural entitled Born This Way painted on the section of the trail that passes beneath the 401. 

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.

Born This Way Mural

Location: Humber River Recreational Trail, where it passes under the 401
Date photo taken: 22 May 2015
Image 17 in the Mural Series

This is one small section of a long, beautiful mural painted this May by Essencia Art Collective. As the title suggests, the mural seeks to address discrimination based on sexual orientation and it is yet another legacy of the Pan Am games being hosted here. Like the vuducatz work featured a few weeks ago, it's located on the Pam Am Path, where the Humber River Recreation Trail passes under the 401, just south of Pine Point Park.

Pan Am Path Underpass Mural

Location: Humber River Recreational Trail, where it passes under the 401
Date photo taken: 29 May 2015

The Humber River Recreational Trail has gotten a lot more colourful over the past few weeks. That's thanks in part to the masses of flowers that are blooming along the route but also because a large portion of the trail has been incorporated into the Pan Am Path. From May to mid-August, a series of events is scheduled along this city-spanning path to engage citizens in both art and recreation. Over a nine day period in May, the western side of the underpass was painted with one long mural by a group of three artists, then the weekend of the 23 saw the east side tackled through a graffiti jam attended by a who's who of Toronto street artists. This mural is by vuducatz.