Commissioners Street Stack

 

Location: Lakeshore at McCleary Park

Date photo taken: 7 July 2020

Standing 137 metres tall, the stack at the former incinerator complex on Commissioners Street in the Port Lands is an impressive sight. Though not as tall as the Hearn's stack (which is poking out from behind in the photo above) the open vista provided by McCleary Park makes it easier to admire. Built in the early 1950s, it was the last incinerator facility to be built by the City and today the building is a listed heritage site. It ceased burning things in 1988 due in part to health concerns about released toxins and today functions as a transfer station for the City's Solid Waste Management Services division. It's also where you can go to drop off your household hazardous material and e-waste, although possibly not for long. The Port Lands are currently under redevelopment and the Port Lands Planning Framework re-envisions this complex as a community hub with a creative sector incubator. Fingers crossed! The stack itself recently underwent extensive rehabilitation so it's all set for whatever the future has in store.

Delivery with heart

Location: Distillery District

Date photo taken: 25 January 2021

Meet Geoffrey, your adorable zero emission local delivery robot. I've seen these cute little boxes roaming the sidewalks of the Distillery District, Corktown and the Canary District. With the help of real-life but remote pilots, who also handle communications, these mobile lock boxes currently pick up orders at twelve partner restaurants. Delivery fees currently range from $2.99 to $5.99.

Hydro House

 

Location: 746 Scarlett Road

Date photo taken: 26 May 2019

This house has a secret. While the neatly trimmed shrubs and tidy yard may fool casual onlookers, anyone taking a second look is bound to notice the Danger sign next to the heavy duty front door, or the security equipment mounted at the corner. This building houses not people, but one of the city's many electrical substations. Scattered throughout the city to ensure the flow of power, these substations are designed to blend in and they are well maintained to ensure that neighbours have nothing to complain about. And for safety reasons of course. Most are shells, built by Toronto Hydro specifically to house equipment and in that, this house is a little different. It was once a regular home, but was purchased by Toronto Hydro and gutted to serve its new purpose.

Rainbow Tunnel

Location: East Don Trail
Date photo taken: 23 January 2021

This rainbow tunnel is likely familiar to any who have driven up the Don Valley Parkway. It sits on the east side, just south of the Lawrence exit and it's been around since the very early 1970s. It was originally painted by a youth named BC Johnson as a memorial to a friend who died in a car crash on the nearby roadway. Every time the city painted it over, which happened often, he would return and repaint. Eventually the City embraced the mural and in 2013 it provided funding to Mural Routes to refresh the rainbow and to create a further mural on the inside of the tunnel. If you want to visit it in person it can be accessed from west of the Don Valley via Moccasin Trail Park, or from the east side via Milne Hollow and the East Don Trail.

Trumpeter Swan

 

Location: Humber Valley Pond in Summerlea Park

Date photo taken: 22 May 2015

Last weekend I found myself on the waterfront down by Tommy Thompson Park and I'm pretty sure there was a family of 5 trumpeter swans hanging out in the bay. They were a little too far out to say for sure, but I checked the park's website and the 2019 Bird Nesting Report confirms that there were two active nests located that year. This is pretty exciting because until relatively recently, these swans were extinct in Eastern Canada. Native to Ontario, hunting and habitat loss led to their disappearance in the wild about 200 years ago, but in the 1980s efforts were undertaken to reintroduce them. While their numbers are still dwarfed by the more common mute swan, which is an invasive species, it's nice to see that they are successfully breeding, even in the city.

Blast from the Past - Lick's Homeburgers & Ice Cream

 

Location: 1585 The Queensway

Date photo taken: 12 May 2014

This week's post offers up a double dose of nostalgia. Licks was a Canadian fast food chain that offered up better than average food, including their meatless Natureburger and decadent milkshakes. The chain actually started with a single ice cream parlour, opened in 1978. The 1970s, especially the later years, experienced a spate of 1950s inspired movies, music and television (think Grease and Sha Na Na) which carried over to general culture, and obviously influenced the branding at Licks. I just love the nostalgic vibes coming off this sign! 

When I snapped this picture, the chain's decline was already well advanced, with the flagship location having closed in 2012 and many of the franchises closing in the subsequent year. While they have largely disappeared, Licks' demise was not total. A Google search has revealed a lone Lick's Homeburgers & Ice Cream on the Golden Mile, and according to their menu, their milkshakes are still made with real ice cream.

Bear

 

Location: Guild Park

Date photo taken: 15 March 2020

The Guild Park & Gardens in Scarborough is littered with wonders but this roughly life-sized carving of a brown bear was a stand-out for me. Apparently it's also very popular with children who are not discouraged from climbing on it. The bear is the work of E.B. Cox, with help from Michael Clay. Cox was a Toronto based sculptor who worked primarily in stone and who is credited with having more sculptures on public display in the city than any other artist. This particular piece was commissioned in 1979 by Spencer Clark who used to own the property on which the park now sits.