Mario Water Level

 

Location: Behind the Pam McConnell Aquatic Centre, Dundas Street East

Date photo taken: 20 February 2023

Regent Park is only part way through its redevelopment but already it has tons going for it. Now even Mario and friends are making an appearance. In October 2022 the two large cement structures behind the pool complex at Dundas and Sumach were brightened up with images inspired by the Mario Brothers video games. While all of the murals stick close enough to the game esthetic to be strongly nostalgic, I love this one with its more whimsical take on Mario and his swimming costume. This does sit behind the aquatic centre after all. Thanks to Alex Simku and Tanya Giannelli for this bit of fun.

Clandestinos on Sutton

 

Location: Sutton Avenue, east of Sackville

Date photo taken: 17 April 2021

This strikingly beautiful figure forms the left portion of a building length mural tucked away on Sutton Avenue. It's the work of Clandestinos, an artistic duo consisting of Bruno Smoky and Shalak Attack.

Traffic Signal Box - Shoot the Shooter

Location: North east corner of Dundas and Sumach

Date photo taken: 20 June 2021

Image #17 in the Traffic Signal Box Series

Here's another striking mini mural thanks to StreetARToronto's Outside the Box program. This one was done in 2015 by Toronto artist Matt Cohen. For those of you unfamiliar with the neighbourhood, Dundas and Sumach is right in the heart of the former Regent Park housing development which has been the focus of intensive redevelopment since 2005. In the background of this photo you can see the colonnade of the new DuEast high rise condo development at 225 Sumach. If you visit the artist's blog, you'll notice that the background of the photo he took after completing the box looks much, much different. It's almost as if this photographer was placed here to capture the changes taking place in the neighbourhood.

NeaTO: The City of Toronto Archives has a massive photograph collection that documents much of the city, and it happens to have a picture of the north east corner of Dundas and Sumach from 1972, showing the low rise housing of Regent Park. 

736 Dundas St. E.

Location: Dundas Street east of River

Date photo taken: 29 April 2015

While this building may currently be called the Tannery Lofts, the building itself never housed a tannery. The name was inspired by an earlier business located slightly to the east. A one storey tannery building was built by H.B. Johnston in 1910, when this block of land still had a River Street address. In 1913, a new factory was built for the Adam Beck Cigar Box Manufacturing Company. Located on the new extension to Wilton Avenue, which would later become Dundas, it is this building that is now the Tannery Lofts. Originally 3 storeys tall, the building was designed by famed Canadian architect John M. Lyle, better known for designing banking halls, Union Station and the Royal Alex Theatre. In 1931, the property was acquired by G.H. Wood & Co., makers of paper cups and assorted sanitary products.  It would undergo conversion to lofts in 2007, at which time two additional floors were added.

Fun fact: Adam Beck of the cigar factory is the same Sir Adam Beck who founded the Hydro-Electric Power Commission of Ontario and whose statue can be found on University Avenue.