Bell Box - Long Branch Public Library

 

Location: Thirty Second Street at Lakeshore

Date photo taken: 10 July 2021 

Image #15 in the Bellbox Series

The mural on this Bell Box is an ode to books and to the Long Branch Public Library, which it sits just beside. This branch was opened on May 26, 1955 by the Village of Long Branch. In 1967 it was taken over by the Etobicoke Public Library Board when the Village amalgamated with the Township of Etobicoke, and in 1998 it became part of the Toronto Public Library system. The branch is home to the Long Branch Historical Society Local History Collection as well as a large collection of materials in Polish, and an art exhibition space. 

The mural is the work of Naz Nahidi and was painted as part of the Bell Box Murals Project in 2020.

Clandestinos on Sutton

 

Location: Sutton Avenue, east of Sackville

Date photo taken: 17 April 2021

This strikingly beautiful figure forms the left portion of a building length mural tucked away on Sutton Avenue. It's the work of Clandestinos, an artistic duo consisting of Bruno Smoky and Shalak Attack.

TRAFx post

 

Location: Tommy Thompson Park

Date photo taken: 8 May 2021

Where I work, May is Data & Analytics month. In honour of that, I present this post. This particular one is located in Tommy Thompson Park, but it is just one of many installed by the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority to collect usage data for their trails. The post contains a TRAFx trail counter. As the sign on the post is careful to point out, it doesn't contain a camera. What it does have is a special sensor designed to count people using the trail. The sensor works by detecting the infrared wavelength that people emit. So if you see a post like this the next time you're out enjoying one of Toronto's many trails (the city provides maps to help you find a trail near you), know that your presence has been noted.

Joy of Life

 

Location: St. Joseph Health Centre

Date photo taken: 11 November 2021

This is one of many sculptures in Toronto dedicated to moms and the bond between mother and child. This one is by Lea Vivot. It sits out front of St. Joseph Health Centre, and it was unveiled in 1983. The bench on which the pair sits is inscribed with messages of love and life contributed by Cardinals from around the world. 

Happy Mother's Day to all the moms out there. 

Traffic Signal Box - Smile

 

Location: Bathurst at Elderwood Drive

Date photo taken: 23 November 2019

Image #18 in the Traffic Signal Box Series

Smile. It's good advice. This is courtesy of Bareket Kezwer and it's a common theme in her art. As are bright colours and positivity, which is why I love that her work is showing up more and more places around the city.

Recycling Staples

 

Location: Staples store, Richmond west of Parliament

Date photo taken: 2022-03-31

This installation adorns the wall of the new Staples location at Richmond and Parliament. If you could read the tiny writing curving along the bottom of the piece, you would know that it was made from bits and pieces of pens and electronics which had been dropped off at Staples stores for recycling. Beneath the piece are four drop boxes, each for a different type of material that can be brought in to store for recycling. This includes batteries, ink and toner cartridges, electronics and writing tools like old pens and highlighters - all things not accepted in Toronto's blue bins. Staples works with partners like TerraCycle, Call2Recycle and eCycle Solutions to ensure that materials are recycled properly and in 2020 they helped Canadians divert more than 136,000 kilograms of batteries and two million kilograms of electronics from the waste stream. So the next time your highlighter dies, don't toss it in the trash. Toss it in your bag instead and let it live again as a piece of playground equipment.

Crocus

Location: Everywhere

Date photo taken: 12 April 2022

You know that spring is officially here and making a stand when gardens begin to sport splashes of purple and yellow. I have always thought of crocuses as the quintessential sign of spring in southern Ontario so I was a little surprised to learn that they aren't native to North America. Their ability to tolerate extremes of hot and cold make them ideal for our climate however, and their perennial nature, early blooming and glorious colours make them popular for gardens. 

Fun fact: The prairie crocus, which is the provincial flower of Manitoba, isn't actually a crocus. It's an an anemone, belonging to the buttercup family.