Black-capped chickadee

 

Location: Leslie Street

Date photo taken: 8 May 2021

The relatively new postal sorting station at the corner of Leslie and Commissioners is decorated down the length of Leslie Street with oversized versions of various stamps, all of which feature birds. This particular stamp is from the third and final release in the Birds of Canada series which was issued in 2018. At that time, a domestic stamp in Canada cost $0.85 if you bought it as part of a booklet. Thanks to the introduction of the "permanent" stamp concept in 2006, that same stamp, if you still had it in your drawer, would get your Christmas card mailed today, despite current rates sitting at $0.92. 

These stamps were designed by Mike Savage and the chickadee is the work of illustrator Keith Martin.

TRAFx post

 

Location: Tommy Thompson Park

Date photo taken: 8 May 2021

Where I work, May is Data & Analytics month. In honour of that, I present this post. This particular one is located in Tommy Thompson Park, but it is just one of many installed by the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority to collect usage data for their trails. The post contains a TRAFx trail counter. As the sign on the post is careful to point out, it doesn't contain a camera. What it does have is a special sensor designed to count people using the trail. The sensor works by detecting the infrared wavelength that people emit. So if you see a post like this the next time you're out enjoying one of Toronto's many trails (the city provides maps to help you find a trail near you), know that your presence has been noted.

Typha

Location: Leslie Street at Lakeshore

Date photo taken: 26 February 2021

Typhus is a relatively new sculpture, installed in December 2020. Designed by artist Dean Baldwin with fabrication work and installation by Lafontaine Iron Werks, it stands at the edge of the Leslie Spit. I love everything about this piece. It's rough and wild and beautiful and cattails are a perfect tie to nearby Tommy Thompson Park, an area described as an accidental wilderness and now designated as an Environmentally Significant Area. There's more to it than that though. With the spit and park looking the way it does now, it's easy to forget that it is in fact man-made, the result of years of dumping construction materials and material dredged from the harbour. If you wander the beaches, you're likely to glimpse bits of rusted out rebar and other bits of scrap. Some people have created mini sculptures from them, and this inspired Baldwin. If you look closely, you'll notice that threaded throughout the sculpture are smoothed bits of brick and even some marine floats. Finally, many of the upright stalks you see are reclaimed track rails from Toronto's streetcar system, It's both an example of creative re-use and a nod to the Leslie Barns just next door. 

Commissioners Street Stack

 

Location: Lakeshore at McCleary Park

Date photo taken: 7 July 2020

Standing 137 metres tall, the stack at the former incinerator complex on Commissioners Street in the Port Lands is an impressive sight. Though not as tall as the Hearn's stack (which is poking out from behind in the photo above) the open vista provided by McCleary Park makes it easier to admire. Built in the early 1950s, it was the last incinerator facility to be built by the City and today the building is a listed heritage site. It ceased burning things in 1988 due in part to health concerns about released toxins and today functions as a transfer station for the City's Solid Waste Management Services division. It's also where you can go to drop off your household hazardous material and e-waste, although possibly not for long. The Port Lands are currently under redevelopment and the Port Lands Planning Framework re-envisions this complex as a community hub with a creative sector incubator. Fingers crossed! The stack itself recently underwent extensive rehabilitation so it's all set for whatever the future has in store.

Flying Angel Mission

Location: Cherry St. & Unwin Ave., in the Port Lands

Date photo taken: 23 June 2019

Last year while walking in the Port Lands I noticed this sign, half hidden and looking more than a little weather-beaten. I thought it was intriguing enough to snap a picture but then promptly forgot about it. Recently however I listened to a podcast about the fate of the men and women working aboard the world's shipping vessels during COVID-19 and it has inspired me to post this. During COVID-19 these workers have been deemed essential personnel as they ensure that the global flow of goods continues. During the pandemic however most ports ban sailors from leaving their ships. It is estimated that each month 100,000 mariners reach the end of their contracts. Under normal circumstances they would leave their ships and fly home but this hasn't been possible during COVID. Many have seen their contracts extended with no opportunity to see family or friends. This is where The Flying Angel Mission comes in. The Flying Angels is a worldwide organization that supports seafarers. While a society of the Anglican church, they support "seafarers of all faiths - and none". The Southern Ontario chapter describes themselves as "The Ministry of Small Gestures: keeping the Wifi running, the coffee hot". In normal times they provide access to chaplains but also to basic services such as transportation to local shopping facilities, as ports are often far removed from the commercial centre and aren't usually well-serviced by public transportation. During COVID they are fundraising to enable them to provide a greater range of support, from increased advocacy to portable Mifi units to allow shipboard personnel to connect with family and friends.