Queen Street Bridge

Location: Queen Street where it cross the Don River

Date photo taken: 21 August 2021

Bridges are built to last, and unlike buildings, which often undergo renovations or facelifts, they usually remain static, garnering little love or attention. So it was surprising for me to delve into the history of this bridge, which spans the Don River at Queen Street, and see just how many changes it has undergone over the years. To start with, this is actually the third bridge (at least) to span this section of the river. The first was a wooden affair, built in the very early 1800s. At some point that was replaced by a metal truss bridge. In appearance it was fairly similar to today's bridge, but like its predecessor,  it was built close to the water line. When the current bridge was constructed, Queen Street on either side was elevated, necessitating the expropriation and demolition of several buildings. Opened in 1911, the new bridge remained relatively unchanged for years until 1996 when the Riverside BIA commissioned a public art project to beautify the gateway to their community. The work, entitled Time and a Clock, encompassed a number of different pieces at different locations, including, most strikingly, one on the bridge itself. A clock and the words "This river I step in is not the river I stand in" were added to the western end of the bridge, invoking both the literal river running below, and the philosophical idea of change, a nod to the revitalization then happening in Riverside. In advance of the 2015 Pan Am Games the most recent upgrade to the bridge occurred. The artwork and the architectural features of the bridge were illuminated thanks to a whole host of talents, including the original artist Eldon Garnet. 

The Blackburns

 

Location: The Esplanade between George & Frederick Streets

Date photo taken: 11 August 2022

This poster appeared on the Esplanade one day this summer. It looks like a movie poster but it is in fact part of a city-wide art project entitled Unveiling Heroes of the Block which tells the stories of Black Canadians who left a lasting legacy. Depicted here are the Blackburns, Lucie and Thornton, who established Toronto's first taxi service after escaping slavery in the United States. Their steampunk look is courtesy of artist Quentin VerCetty. The project was created by the Black Speculative Arts Movement (BSAM) Canada and is part of ArtworxTO. A digital companion to the various sites is available on the Heritage Toronto website. If you click through on the various stories you will find detailed histories of those profiled, including the Blackburns.

Town of York Cenotaph

Location: Eglinton Avenue West, near Keele

Date photo taken: 14 October 2022

Located at the York Civic Centre, this cenotaph pays tribute to the men and women from the Town of York who gave their lives in the service of their country in the First and Second World Wars. It also, unlike many of the memorials in the city, includes the Korean War. While overshadowed in our collective consciousness by the wars proceeding it, it's important to remember that more than 26,000 Canadians served during this conflict. 

Street art in Alex Faulkner Lane

 

Location: Alex Faulkner Lane, between Islington and Sixth

Date photo taken: 24 March 2022

This bit of wildstyle is just a small piece of the colourful street art that covers two sides of the Toronto Tree Care building at the corner of Sixth Street and Alex Faulkner Lane in New Toronto. Many of the lanes in this part of town are similarly colourful, making it a fun place to explore.

Giant Skeleton

 

Location: Dundas Street East

Date photo taken: 16 October 2022

Oversized skeletons are definitely a thing this fall. I see them in front yards and hanging out on porches, even riding giant skeletal horses. Or, in this case, watching the street life from the safety of the backyard.

Afrophilia

 

Location: Sculpture Garden, King & Church
Date photo taken: 5 October 2022

The Toronto Sculpture Garden is currently occupied by 9 busts on elevated plinths, but these aren't the typical white marble depictions of ancient philosophers or founding fathers. Instead, Jamaican-born artist Frantz Brent-Harris celebrates young black people in hues of bright orange and red. He describes it as a love letter to Black People. From his artist statement: "Unapologetically, my artwork seeks to present a juxtapose palate to the white gaze, standing in defiance of historical notions of heroes, representation of beauty and those worthy of being immortalized in a statue. Grounding my work in an anti-colonial and anti-racist lens, I present images that works to dismantle and provide alternative embodiment of beauty.” The work is presented by Black Artists' Networks in Dialogue (BAND) Gallery and Cultural Centre in partnership with the City of Toronto. 

Art Wire & Iron Co.

 

Location: Lakeshore Blvd between Carlaw and Leslie

Date photo taken: 1 May 2021

Last week I talked about the dismantling of the eastern-most part of the Gardiner and the public art project that arose from the demolition. If you look carefully at the pillars that are part of the installation, you'll notice that each has a large plaque affixed to it. These are actually stainless steel plates, each etched with an image of local significance. Some of them document the dismantling of the elevated portion of the roadway, while others delve into the more distant history of the area. This particular image shows employees at the Art Wire & Iron Company Limited on Carlaw Avenue, probably in the mid-1940s. The Art Wire & Iron Company set up shop at 3 Carlaw Avenue around 1923, with Charles R. Shipway as proprietor and manager. They specialized in ornamental iron work. The building still stands today and is now the home of Habitat for Humanity's ReStore. The former business name is still visible in ghostly letters on the exterior.

Fun fact: Prior to the Art Wire & Iron Company locating at 3 Carlaw, the site housed a chemical manufacturer, and before that, Fuller Stanbury Co, one of the many pork packers that helped give Toronto its Hogtown nickname.