The Ned Hanlan

 

Location: Hanlan's Point

Date photo taken: 17 September 2021

This tugboat, now stationed near the ferry dock at Hanlan's Point, is a true piece of Toronto history. It was built for the Toronto Works Department in 1932 right here in Toronto. This piece of information shocked me. For some reason it never occurred to me that this city, despite being on a such a large body of water, would have a shipbuilding industry. 

The boat was retired from service in the 1960s and eventually moved to Exhibition Place before being relocated to Hanlan's Point in 2012. You may have noticed the name of the boat written on the side and assumed that it and Hanlan's Point are named for the same person, but you'd be wrong. The point is named for James Hanlan, an early settler on the Island. The tug was named after his son, an early Canadian sports hero who won seven straight world sculling championships in the 1880s.

Artscape Horn 1

Location: Artscape Gibraltar Point

Date photo taken: 12 July 2018

While it may look like a remnant of a vintage early warning system, this horn is actually half of a two-piece art installation by Mitchell Fenton. Commissioned by Artscape, this piece originally sat atop their Liberty Village location at 60 Atlantic Avenue but it was relocated when that project closed in 2012. The companion piece can be found on the roof of another Artscape facility at 900 Queen Street East.

Inner City Gate

Location: Elizabeth Street, north of Gerrard

Date photo taken: 12 December 2017

While it may be unusual for large pieces of public art to move around, it's certainly not unheard of. But what happens to the art when it moves? This piece, Inner City Gate by Kosso Eloul, today sits on a small grassy mound outside the Elizabeth Street entrance to Toronto General Hospital. While it looks at home there, it was originally created for the urban square at the TD Centre. There it reflected, on a more human scale, Mies van der Rohe's black office towers, and the pieces were arranged to imply movement, as if the sculpture were glimpsed in mid-stride. The artist felt that the move to the new location changed the personality of the piece. It is now more firmly-rooted and solid, creating a monumental entrance to the hospital complex behind. 

Louis B. Stewart Observatory

Location: Hart House Circle

Date photo taken: 16 February 2017

The Louis B. Stewart Observatory, located in Hart House Circle and home to the University of Toronto's Students' Union, used to be something very different. It even used to be somewhere different. The Royal Magnetic and Meteorological Observatory, considered to be the birthplace of Canadian astronomy, was first built in 1840. Measurements taken there helped determine that sunspots caused fluctuations in the Earth's magnetic field. At the time, it was located to the west of its present spot, close to where Convocation Hall now stands. In 1855 the log building was replaced by this more solid structure, but as early as the 1890s, development around the site was rendering it unsuitable for its original purpose. The use of metal for streetcar tracks and in the construction of modern buildings was interfering with the magnetic instruments, and light pollution eventually posed separate challenges. In 1907 the telescope housed under the dome was moved and the building was donated to the university. It was subsequently torn down but thanks to the efforts of Louis B. Stewart, it was reconstructed in its present location. It would provide a home for a number of different functions over the next 45 years before becoming the home of the Students' Union. 

In this photo the dome is painted to resemble a Poke ball. It has become a tradition to re-paint the dome under cover of night. Other treatments include a rainbow, a mushroom from the Mario video games, and a storm trooper helmet. 

Black Creek Pioneer Village

Location: Black Creek Pioneer Village, near Steeles and Jane

Date photo taken: 22 September 2018

School may be out for summer but there's still lots to see and do at Black Creek Pioneer Village. This site, run by the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority, is a careful recreation of an Ontario town from the 1860s complete with all the buildings you'd expect, costumed interpreters and heritage breed animals. If that's not enough to tempt you, how about a haunted walk? Or some axe throwing? Or maybe some goat yoga with the cutest kids around? These are some of the special programming available through their Nightlife program.

If you just can't make it out to the Village but want to travel in back in time, all of the buildings and animals are profiled on the Black Creek website. 

Carved Panel - Factory Worker

Location: Lower level, 2 Queen Street E.
Date photo taken: 16 February 2018
Image 7 in the Remnants Series

This panel is one of five that used to run vertically up the exterior of the Peoples Optical Building at 8 Queen St. E. When the building was demolished in 1995, the limestone bas-relief panels were saved and eventually relocated to their present location, in the hallway outside the lower subway entrance at the north east corner of Yonge and Queen. 

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.

Moving House

Location: Howard Street, near Bloor and Parliament
Date photo taken: 9 May 2016
Image 5 in the Remnants Series

A few weeks ago this blog featured Campbell House and described how it was relocated rather than demolished back in 1972. Here is a modern version of the same story.  A large multi-tower development is set to transform the land between Bloor and Howard streets, west of Parliament, which happens to be where this building stood, one of the few remaining survivors of an upscale residential neighbourhood that has since been radically transformed. The house was built in 1887 for William Whitehead and was once surrounded by other equally grand homes. The first blow came when many of the homes were demolished to extend Bloor Street, which also cut the neighbourhood off from the ravine and its Rosedale neighbours. The exodus to the suburbs after World War II sent the area into further decline and many of the homes were converted into rooming houses. The final blow to the original neighbourhood came shortly after when the majority of the homes were acquired and demolished to build the St. James Town development.

In a move to preserve the remaining history in the area Lanterra Developments hired ERA Architects, who specialize in heritage projects, to come up with a plan. The result was the restoration of several properties on nearby Glen Road, and the shifting of this house to sit closer to them. For a more detailed account of the work and some great pictures, check out the Globe and Mail article from last December.

Campbell House

Location: Northwest corner of Queen and University

Date photo taken: 6 May 2016

This stately Georgian-style building sitting in park-like grounds at the corner of Queen and University is a fraud. The building itself is genuine. Built in 1822 for Chief Justice William Campbell, it's the oldest surviving building from the Town of York. And that's the clue. This building originally stood near the corner of Frederick and Adelaide, or Duke Street as it was called at the time. In the 1970s, the building's owner decided to demolish the house to expand their parking area, but the Advocates' Society stepped in and purchased the building, on condition that they would move it. They worked with the city planning office to find a suitable location and in 1972 the house made its slow way across Adelaide to its new home. Today Campbell House functions as a museum, event space and unique theatre venue, and while the grounds are maintained by the city as a park, the building itself is operated by the Sir William Campbell Foundation.

Images of the building in its original location and during the move down Adelaide are available online through the City of Toronto Archives.

Ned Hanlan

 

Location: Hanlan's Point, Toronto Islands

Date photo taken: 22 May 2014

This tribute to great Canadian oarsman Ned Hanlan greets you as you step off the ferry at Hanlan's Point, part of the Toronto Islands. The Hanlan family were some of the first permanent residents on West Point, as this area was once known. Ned grew up here and started rowing at an early age. He went on to dominate the sport in both North America and Europe, and was the first Canadian athlete to become a world champion in an individual event. After retiring from rowing, he bought land on the island and opened a hotel. He also entered politics and was a strong advocate for the waterfront and recreation. During his time as alderman he advocated for bike lanes in the city and for more swimming pools.  He lost his place at the Toronto Harbour Trust when he strongly criticized them for allowing sewage to be dumped in the lake.

This statue was erected in 1926, almost twenty years after his death. It was originally located by the water on the grounds of Exhibition Place, but was relocated to Hanlan's Point in 2003.