What's this?

Location: Distillery District
Date photo taken: 7 June 2019

Three huge, glowing white forms, humanoid but alien, have landed in the Distillery District. We are all encouraged to interact with them. One is even called Poke, but only gently please. These figures are part of a larger art project known as Fantastic Planet, the creation of Amanda Parer and Parer Studios, the ones responsible for the huge bunnies that intruded upon Brookfield Place back in 2016. The inspiration for the project was the stop motion film of the same name from 1973. Toronto isn't the only city these figures will be visiting. Over the summer they will also make appearances in Bilbao, Central Queensland and L.A. They'll be hanging out in the Distillery until July 31.

Ka'Wine & Dine

Location: Queen Street East

Date photo taken: 2 June 2019

Last week, Toronto made history. The first NBA finals game ever played outside the United States was won right here. It might have taken 24 years, but the Toronto Raptors are in the finals. A huge factor in this impressive achievement is Kawhi Leonard, who the Raptors acquired last summer. The problem is, he's a free agent after this season and most reports indicate he wants to return home to California. Sports fans in the city want him to stay here. Ka'wine & Dine is one of the creative ways businesses across the city are showing their love. By placing one of these decals in their window, they are promising to provide free meals to Kawhi for life if he stays here next year. Other businesses have taken the campaign and added their own twist (the one by the Adult Safe Hockey League is one of my favourites). If you're not a business, you can still show your love by making a donation to a charity supported by the "Give back for Kawhi" campaign.

Metal Viking

Location: Dundas St. W. at Brookside Avenue

Date photo taken: 26 May 2019

Ever wanted to take a selfie with a Viking? The opportunity is yours in the parking lot of Dynamic Iron Limited, makers of custom wrought-iron work since 1970. While their website features lots of railings, window grills and furniture, it also includes a sculpture category with a few more whimsical designs. A project not (yet) featured on the website is the unique historical plaque erected in 2014 by the Junction's BIA. It highlights in part the the area's rich rail heritage and the base is fashioned from two train wheels donated by Metrolinx. John Mrsic, who runs the family-owned Dynamic Iron, welded them together. 

Happy Garbage Bin

Location: St. Lawrence neighbourhood

Date photo taken: 20 September 2018

I love subtle upgrades like this one. Unobtrusive and fun. 

Bracondale Hill

Location: Hillcrest Drive and Bracondale Hill Road

Date photo taken: 8 October 2015

Bracondale Hill is a residential neighbourhood located north of Davenport, between Bathurst and Oakwood. It takes its name from the stately home built by Robert John Turner about 1847, located at Davenport and Christie. When Turner's son inherited the estate, he helped establish Bracondale Village, selling hundreds of building lots around the home and building the village's first post office. In 1909 Bracondale was annexed by the City of Toronto. The date on the sign refers to the subsequent development of another subdivision by the Turner heirs on lands to the north and west of their family home. The character of the neighbourhood was set by the inclusion of a minimum construction cost per house. This varied between $4,000 and $7,500 depending on the location, quite significant sums for the period. The house that started it all was expropriated by the City in 1930 and demolished in 1937 to make way for Hillcrest Park.

Binoculars

Location: Teesdale Place near Pharmacy Avenue

Date photo taken: 27 February 2017

This mosaic is part of a larger community art project coordinated by Arts for Children and Youth in 2010 which enlivened the underground parking entrance and the walls of the basketball court adjacent to the Teesdale Community Centre in Scarborough. Local youths were hired to be arts leaders as the community helped with the construction of the mosaics. In addition to large projects like this one the group also holds community art days where they encourage passers-by to join them in the creation of small scale artworks. In this case participants were invited to create a small face on a peace of clay. Those small faces were later incorporated into the community murals.

255 McCaul

Location: 255 McCaul Street

Date photo taken: 4 September 2018

255 McCaul is large building built by the Toronto Board of Education in 1931 to act as its supply warehouse. It was designed by C.E. Cyril Dyson, the Board’s Chief Architect and the man responsible for such iconic Toronto schools as Jarvis Collegiate and Northern Secondary. The building still serves education, acting now as the Exam Centre for the University of Toronto’s St. George Campus. Completely retrofitted in 2008, the building was the university’s first LEED Gold building. It uses roughly 60 percent less water and 30 per cent less electricity than a typical building, despite its age. It accomplishes this in part through two large cisterns in the basement which collect water for flushing toilets and a large solar array on the roof. The building’s green attitude is brought to life by the living wall in the lobby.