The Midway - Starship 4000

Location: The CNE Midway
Date photo taken: 25 August 2014

Experiencing the lights of the Midway at night is one of my most anticipated summer rituals. Viewing them while passing by on the Lakeshore or the Gardiner is a treat but nothing beats wandering in among the rides for sheer sensory overload. While I rarely ride at the Ex these days, I do still have my favourites. Starship 4000 is one of them. Its classic graphics and the blur of its lights while spinning perfectly combine Midway fun with a great retro sci-fi vibe.

The Ex is open until September 1 and then the rides will be packed up and whisked off to their next event. The Midway attractions are provided by North American Midway Entertainment, based out of Indiana.

Livestock Medallion - Pig

Location: Direct Energy Centre, Canadian National Exhibition grounds
Date photo taken: 24 August 2013
Image 4 in the Remnants Series

This cast stone medallion is one of many roundels that once decorated the Livestock Pavilion at the CNE. Built in 1926 as an addition to the Coliseum (now known as Ricoh Coliseum, home of the Toronto Marlies) the Livestock Pavilion consisted of the Cattle Palace, the North Extension or Swine Pavilion, and the Fraser Pavilion. The building, also known as the Industry Building, was demolished to make way for the new Direct Energy Centre. I'm happy that the faces of the pigs, cattle and sheep that adorned that original building remain to remind us of the pride of place that livestock displays and competitions once held at this national exhibition.

Brickman

Location: Jarvis St. just north of Adelaide
Date photo taken: 17 March 2013

This solidly imposing and yet somehow still whimsical figure is called Brickman. He stands outside of a condo building at Jarvis and Adelaide and he was commissioned by the developer as part of the City of Toronto's Percent for Public Art Program. Toronto's official plan "recommends that a minimum of one percent of the gross construction cost of each significant development be contributed to public art" and in this case, I think the piece is pretty special.

Brickman was created by the German art collective inges idee. According to their website, the sculpture is meant to evoke smokestacks and the grid pattern of urban streets and its materials call to mind the 19th century roots of the neighbourhood in which it now sits. One of the coolest things about this piece is that the forced perspective created by using smaller and smaller bricks as you move toward the head of the figure makes it look even larger than its 8-meter height.

Uber5000 Mini Mural

Location: SW corner of Kingston Rd. and Scarborough Rd.
Date photo taken: 30 March 2014
Image #1 in the Traffic Signal Box Series

Murals large and small have been sprouting like mushrooms around the city in the past few years. On the smaller side, it started with the painting of the ubiquitous short stout Bell phone boxes but colourful corner artworks now come in a new shape. Traffic signal cabinets, which normally sit quietly at intersections, invisible in plain view, are the targets of a new initiative by StreetARToronto. In 2013 they commissioned local artists to liven up 30 of these boxes. This great box is by Allan Ryan, aka Uber5000.

Monarch Caterpillar

Location: Humber Bay Butterfly Habitat
Date photo taken: 23 July 2014

The Humber Bay Butterfly Habitat is a waterfront park just west of the Humber River. While it's a joy to walk through, the native species planted here were selected with butterflies and other pollinator species in mind, not humans. One of the most important species in the area is milkweed. It's important because Monarch butterflies lay their eggs on milkweed plants, and once the caterpillars hatch, they feed on the leaves. Milkweed leaves contain toxic compounds which the caterpillars store up, making them unpalatable to birds and other creatures that might otherwise consider them lunch.

The best time for spotting Monarch butterflies in Toronto is late August, and one of the best places to see them is Tommy Thompson park. The park is hosting a Butterfly Festival on August 23rd, with activities, nature hikes and educational displays. Hopefully, there will be a good turn out, but Monarch populations have been in steep decline in recent years. One cause is a decline in native species, many of which are considered weeds. To help out the struggling butterflies, the David Suzuki Foundation has launched their #gotmilkweed campaign to encourage Torontonians to plant milkweed and other butterfly-friendly plants in their gardens and in under-utilized public spaces like medians and hydro corridors.

Norman Bethune

Location: Queen's Park Crescent W. just north of College
Date photo taken: 8 July 2014

This statue, located on the paths leading to the University of Toronto Medical Sciences Building, is relatively new. It was unveiled at the end of May and pays tribute to Canadian physician, humanitarian, and U of T alumni, Norman Bethune. This year marks the 75th anniversary of his death and this statue is part of the university's Bethune Legacy Celebration.

Bethune is depicted wearing traditional Chinese clothing and a stethoscope, which recalls his time spent in China training their medical practitioners and treating the sick and wounded during the Second Sino-Japanese war. This statue, and other Legacy iniatives, were funded through a donation from two Chinese businessmen, Zhang Bin and Niu Gensheng. The sculpture was created by Toronto sculptor David Pellettier.

Literary note: Norman Bethune and his mobile blood banks make an appearance in Matadora, a recent book by Toronto author Elizabeth Ruth.

Elicser and His New Bathurst Street Mural

Location: East side of rail underpass on Bathurst, north of Dupont
Date photo taken: 7 July 2014
Image 12 in the Mural Series

Last year the railway underpass on Bathurst, just north of Dupont, got a lot more interesting. Street artist Elicser was selected to produce a mural on the west wall as part of the City of Toronto's StreetARToronto program (or StART for short). The program, which is part of the city's transportation division, provides funding for murals across the city with the dual goals of encouraging walking by making the city brighter and more pleasant, and reducing vandalism. Underpasses are a specific target as are traffic signal boxes but any public or private surface is eligible.

The 2013 mural is entitled We Built This City and includes imagery inspired by the neighbourhood, its businesses and residents. Now Elicser is back, painting the east wall of the underpass. Can't wait to see the final product!