Garden of Future Follies

 

Location: Front Street at Bayview

Date photo taken: 1 June 2019

This installation created by Canadian art duo Hadley+Maxwell playfully attacks our city's historic monuments, bringing them to the people and into the present. Their folly is comprised of over 150 unique elements copied from 80 different monumental works around the city. The original pieces are often oversized, elevated and designed to inspire awe. By taking fragments, juxtaposing them in whimsical ways and placing them at our level, the artists invite us to get personal with the pieces, and to re-examine their stories. It also makes me wonder if any monument buffs out there have successfully mapped back the various pieces. This excellent 2016 article from Spacing Magazine gives a few of them away.

Bat Box

 

Location: Corktown Common

Date photo taken: 19 June 2023

Walking around the eastern side of the hill at Corktown Common this summer, I noticed several of these installations. They're called rocket boxes and they provide roosting habitat for bats. Did you know that eight species of bat call Ontario home? Or that four of those eight are considered endangered? Habitat loss is one aspect contributing to their demise and these boxes help to provide a solution. That said, not a lot is known about the roosting habits of particular bat species, but several organizations are working to change that. The Toronto Zoo and the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority are two of them, working together to record and monitor bat populations and habits. The square box mounted lower on the pole contains a mesh screen which captures falling guano from the box, which can be analyzed to determine what types of bats are roosting inside. I'm not sure who is responsible for installing these particular boxes but I hope that they are well received by the locals, both bat and human alike.

To learn more about bats, check out this publication by the Toronto Zoo. In addition to general  information, plans for bat boxes, and some myth-busting, it includes some unexpectedly adorable bat portraits.

171 Eastern

 

Location: 171 Eastern Avenue

Date photo taken: 6 July 2020

Last year lots of people in the city were reading about the Foundry, a grouping of historic buildings formerly occupied by the Dominion Wheel & Founderies Company. The Province had ordered the demolition of the buildings, all of which were included on the City of Toronto's Inventory of Heritage Properties, to make way for a new housing development. Thanks to quick action by a group of concerned citizens, demolition was halted and discussions have resulted in two of the four structures being retained. They will be incorporated into a new design for the site. This building was not one of the lucky ones. It's not surprising and few will miss it, but I have always loved this building. Built in 1930 to house the Foundry offices, it was really quite ordinary. But ordinary can be pleasant, especially when ordinary no longer equates with common. The new plans look exciting though, and I can't wait to explore the revitalized space.

Water Guardians

 

Location: Front St. E., between Rolling Mills and Tannery Roads

Date photo taken: 1 June 2019

The West Don Lands community is a still developing neighbourhood at the eastern edge of the downtown core. Home to the Pan Am Games athletes in 2015, all aspects of this community were carefully planned to create a vibrant, livable neighbourhood. A gorgeous park anchors one end, transit options abound and sidewalks are wide enough to be called promenades. Waterfront Toronto, the body responsible for the redevelopment, even incorporated a Public Art Strategy into the early stages of the work. The result is a collection of pretty amazing new works and the seamless integration of an older piece. Water Guardians, created by Jennifer Marman and Daniel Borins with James Khamsi is one of the new pieces. It sits adjacent to the splash pad and is, for the most part, endearing. I'll admit though that there have been times at night when its glowing eyes and lumbering attitude evoke a classic monster-movie vibe.

Keep Ur Distance

Location: Lower Don River Trail, south of Corktown Common

Date photo taken: 15 July 2020

I love this Banksy-esque bit of street art for so many reasons. Mostly because I love raccoons, or at least the idea of them. I'm not sure if I had a backyard I'd want them in there, but I love seeing them depicted around the city. I love that the artist chose to render this one pretty much life-sized and low to the ground, easy to overlook if you're not paying attention. And finally I love the duality in this image. Is this a friendly safety message from one of Toronto's unofficial ambassadors? Or is it a warning, backed up by the threat of physical violence? I wonder whether having a backyard influences your reaction?

This raccoon is not alone - there are several more of them out there. Where have you seen them?

No Shoes

Location: Mill St. and Bayview Ave.
Date photo taken: 20 October 2017

This monumental sculpture adorns the southern edge of Corktown Common, the park that anchors the new West Don Lands community near the Don Valley and Lakeshore. Composed of painted girders and natural wood poles, its materials are a perfect match for the neighbourhood which lies close to both a natural corridor and industrial lands. It was a surprise to me then to learn that this piece was actually commissioned for the International Sculpture Symposium in High Park held in 1967. The work was restored and moved to Corktown Common in 2013, with the help of the sculptor, Mark Di Suvero. Here's a great shot of it sitting in High Park in 1967, from the City of Toronto Archives.

Cranes

Location: Looking east from Trinity Street, south of Eastern
Date photo taken: 26 January 2013

Cranes have sprouted up all over the area referred to as the West Don Lands, a large area of land bordered by the Don River, King Street, Parliament Street and the railway corridor adjacent to the Gardiner. These cranes are busy constructing the future home of the Pan-American Games, which come to Toronto in 2015. The facilities for this event are being built as part of a much larger community plan which will see a vibrant new neighbourhood in this corner of the city. For an idea of what it all will look like, visit the Waterfront Toronto website.

The red brick building with the red door was built in 1859 as the Palace Street School, and was remodeled and expanded in 1890 to become Irvine House, a hotel. In the years since then, it changed hands and uses many times, but from 1965 until 2007 it was the home of the Canary Restaurant.