Drink Canada Dry

 

Location: 900 Queen Street East   

Date photo taken: 28 April 2019

This awesome vintage Canada Dry sign hangs out front of Eddie's Convenience on Queen Street East just west of Logan. Whenever I see vintage signs like this, I wonder about their story - when they were first hung and how it is that they have survived. So I turned to the city directories to see if I could discover anything. It turns out that Eddie's Confectionery, the business name that appears in faded letters at the top of the sign, first appears in the city directory at this location in 1954, operated by Sylvia Rosenbloom. The "Eddie" is explained if you look further back. In earlier years, the listing for this address simply read "Rosenbloom, Edward, confy". 

With stores on retail strips coming and going and changing from one type to another, it was interesting to me to discover that since this address first appeared in the city directory in the late 1900s, it has been occupied by a number of different people - Norman Shier, Geo Sernissi, Nathan Besserman, and perhaps others - but it was always a confectionery.

Slayer

 

Location: 739 Queen Street East

Date photo taken: 17 February 2025

Slayer Burger is a Toronto burger chain that proudly proclaims their love of heavy metal. This is the mural on the Queen East location and it features Slayer founding member and co-lead guitarist Jeff Hanneman. There's another one of him inside. The distinctive style, more apparent up close, is the work of Toronto-based calligraphy artist Rei Misiri. 

Given the name of the company it might come as a surprise that the mural at the first location doesn't pay tribute to a Slayer band member. Fans of the genre will likely not be surprised to hear that the mural there features Motörhead founder, lead singer and bassist Lemmy.

Slurry management

 

Location: Laneway north of Queen, between Munro and Hamilton

Date photo taken: 15 March 2023

I've said it before but I love it when murals thoughtfully work existing infrastructure into their narrative. In this case Emily May Rose has her raccoons monitoring the flow of what I can only assume is some form of deliciousness while also keeping an eye on the posted notices. The work was created in 2021 as part of Women Paint Riverside, a partnership between East End Arts, Women Paint, Native Women in the Arts and the Riverside BIA.

Queen Street Bridge

Location: Queen Street where it cross the Don River

Date photo taken: 21 August 2021

Bridges are built to last, and unlike buildings, which often undergo renovations or facelifts, they usually remain static, garnering little love or attention. So it was surprising for me to delve into the history of this bridge, which spans the Don River at Queen Street, and see just how many changes it has undergone over the years. To start with, this is actually the third bridge (at least) to span this section of the river. The first was a wooden affair, built in the very early 1800s. At some point that was replaced by a metal truss bridge. In appearance it was fairly similar to today's bridge, but like its predecessor,  it was built close to the water line. When the current bridge was constructed, Queen Street on either side was elevated, necessitating the expropriation and demolition of several buildings. Opened in 1911, the new bridge remained relatively unchanged for years until 1996 when the Riverside BIA commissioned a public art project to beautify the gateway to their community. The work, entitled Time and a Clock, encompassed a number of different pieces at different locations, including, most strikingly, one on the bridge itself. A clock and the words "This river I step in is not the river I stand in" were added to the western end of the bridge, invoking both the literal river running below, and the philosophical idea of change, a nod to the revitalization then happening in Riverside. In advance of the 2015 Pan Am Games the most recent upgrade to the bridge occurred. The artwork and the architectural features of the bridge were illuminated thanks to a whole host of talents, including the original artist Eldon Garnet. 

Otter and Turtle

Location: alley south of 189 Booth

Date photo taken: 8 May, 2021

This otter and turtle form part of a long mural that covers the low wall around the south and west sides of the new building at 189B Booth Avenue in Riverdale. It was painted this spring by Philip Cote. He was commissioned by the Red Door Family Shelter to create something that would "educate, inspire and imbue healing energy to our clients, staff, volunteers, and supporters for years to come”. According to Carol Latchford, Executive Director of Red Door, they also plan to create “programming opportunities for children, and adults too, to learn and understand the stories associated with Philip’s mural.” The Red Door Shelter provides sanctuary to women, children and families in need, with 64% of their residents being children. In this new space, they will be able to provide each family with their own bedroom and washroom, a first for the organization. 

For the greener good

 

Location: Bruce Mackey Park

Date photo taken: 21 March 2021

If you've spent any time in Riverside lately, you've probably seen a tree or two wrapped in a green plastic ribbon. I don't know when they first started appearing, but I first encountered them shortly after St. Patrick's Day. I have to admit I was a bit irked. I assumed someone had decided to green up their neighbourhood for the day and was in no hurry to reverse the process. I am therefore thankful to whoever it was who had the foresight to attach plastic-covered information sheets to a smattering of the trees. The green ribbons are part of a campaign by local residents to raise awareness about the new Ontario Line and the effects that it will have on their neighbourhood. While much of the line will be underground, the portion running through this area will be built at level, adjacent to the existing rail corridor. This happens to be where most of the green space and recreational facilities are located, putting them at risk. Save Jimmie Simpson! is working to engage residents in the fight to have this portion of the line buried. Visit their site to learn more. They've also got some cute buttons for sale.

Lenticular Fright

Location: Riverside neighbourhood

Date photo taken: 21 October 2020

The Halloween display at this Riverside home filled their yard and incorporated a nice mix of store-bought props and home made elements. Among the former were some engagingly frightful lenticular pictures of small girls that changed from pleasantly perfect to perfectly fiendish as you walked past them. This is the first year I've noticed these, and while I came across several houses displaying them, I loved that at this house they put them right out at the sidewalk where I could fully appreciate their creepiness without feeling like a creep myself.

Clockwork Bees II

Location: Queen St. E. at Saulter

Date photo taken: 5 January 2017

One thing that can be said for our wet spring is that we now have an abundance of beautiful flowers around the city. Even on the balcony, my flowers are thriving and they are already attracting bees. Which reminded me of the various gorgeous Nick Sweetman murals around the city, as they often feature bees. This fellow is from the same mural I featured back in July 2017. The clock element resonates as I bide my time and wait for the city to reopen. 

Inside Out Project

Location: East wall of the school near Broadview and Dundas

Date photo taken: 14 August 2019

Running down the entire eastern wall of this school on Dundas Street East is a double row of large black and white photographs. The portraits were facilitated by the Inside Out Project, a global program designed to engage people with art and their communities. 

Happy Canada Day!

Location: Queen Street East

Date photo taken: 16 June 2018

Happy Canada Day from NeaTO and whoever is responsible for painting this patriotic planter on Queen Street East.

Carp

Location: Railway underpass on Queen St. E. near Degrassi

Date photo taken: 5 January 2017

If this panel looks familiar, it may be that you are remembering the cute little fox featured a few weeks ago. Both are part of the Frames of Life mural. I'm drawn to this panel because it's not often that you come across realistic representations of fish around the city, which seems unfair. It is much more likely that someone living in Toronto will encounter a real live fish than they will a moose after all. The City of Toronto website has a page dedicated to fishing in the city which includes a list of some of the best places to fish, such as the Toronto Islands, Grenadier Pond in High Park and the Rouge and Humber River marshes. It's legal to fish on public land anywhere along the lake, but if you're between 18 and 64, you need to have a provincially issued fishing licence. Want to give it a try but don't have any equipment? No problem! Tackle Share is a program started by The Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters that allows new anglers to borrow a rod, reel and tackle to try out the sport. There are currently 5 locations in Toronto where Tackle Share is available, including the Ralph Thornton Centre, which is just down the street from this mural. 

Clockwork Bees

Location: Queen St. E. at Saulter

Date photo taken: 5 January 2017

This gorgeous bee is one small element in a vibrant mural gracing a wall in the Riverside neighbourhood east of the Don Valley. The mural by artist Nick Sweetman blends two themes: bees and clocks. The bees represent the green spaces throughout the Riverside neighbourhood and the growing practice of bee-keeping in this area. The clocks and gears are a tribute to Albert Edelstein who worked as a clockmaker and jeweller and was one of the initiators of the Riverside Business Improvement Area. Disparate as these two themes may seem, their blending is explained as follows:  "...the Gears in the mural represent small things working together to make big things happen - like bees in a hive, or a community in a neighbourhood..."

For me, the moment I saw this mural, I was reminded of a book called Angelmaker by Nick Harkaway. You’ll have to read it to find out why. Don’t worry, you’ll love it! 

Frames of Life - Fox

Location: Railway underpass on Queen St. E. near Degrassi

Date photo taken: 5 January 2017

This cute little fox is part of a beautification project undertaken back in the early 2000s in the South Riverdale neighbourhood, east of the Don Valley. A dark and gloomy railway underpass was converted with the help of a team of artists and lots of community support, into a tribute to the Don River and the life it once supported. Each of the 20 panels on the underpass was painted with a local species of bird, fish or mammal. These constitute the Frames of Life. All around these panels flows a lovely blue river, the River of Life. Many of the panels have sustained damage over the years and in 2017, thanks to a Canada 150 grant, this underpass will be getting a new mural. I look forward to the new project but will miss the familiar faces.

Thanks to Tony Prashad, creator, coordinator and river painter, for information on this project.

All Hail the Giant Acorn

Location: Joel Weeks Park, near Queen & Broadview
Date photo taken: 9 August 2015

This whimsical statue is one of three commissioned by the City for the relatively new Joel Weeks Park. The park itself has an urban river theme and the three sculptures in the park, collectively known as Echo, are meant to reflect the flora and fauna of the nearby Don Valley. The squirrels are meant to represent the forest element of valley, while the other characters, a beaver and a fox, represent the water and the shoreline. The concept was the winner of a national competition. The artist is Canadian Mary Anne Barkhouse.

Snapshot - Queen Street East

Location: North side of Queen Street East, at Hamilton Street 

Date photo taken: 21 December 2014

Image 2 in the Snapshot Series

This Snapshot shows the north side of Queen Street just west of Broadview. This short stretch is in for some changes. The windows of the building on the left are papered over, the tenant Dark Horse Espresso having moved to the new Streetcar sales centre just down the street. The Broadview Hotel, the building at the right with the peaked roof, which until recently operated as Jilly's strip club, has been purchased by Streetcar and is currently undergoing renovations. What exactly it will become has not yet been announced but the company assures those in the community that this historic building is in good hands. And finally, the streetcars on Queen Street are set to be replaced by the new sleek models, but not until 2016/2017.