as I walk Toronto

After a very warm October, colder November days aren’t always easy to get used to!  The solution?  There are lots of paces to walk in Toronto where indoor pathways can be used to warm up!

below: Loblaws at Empress Walk, our starting point that day.

below: Glass ceiling at North York Centre.  Before amalgamation of the six Toronto boroughs into what is now the City of Toronto, this was a busier place as it is adjacent to North York City Hall where City Council offices and meeting spaces were.

below:  Interior of the library

below: The next two photos are taken from the south entrance to the library. First is looking south along the edge of North York City Hall. A  sliver of Mel Lastman Square is on the left.

below: Now looking east towards Yonge Street with Mel Lastman Square on the right.

below: West side of North York Centre (& library)

below: “Green Between” (1994) by Peter Hide stands beside Meridian Arts Centre on North York Blvd (not to be confused with Meridian Hall which is downtown at Yonge & Front)

below: Also North York Blvd., the south entrance to North York City Hall as well as the Board of Education building.

below: Benches! On Yonge Street

below: Fountain in the small park by Joseph Shepard Building (federal government).  Now dry for the winter season.

below: Hearts on planters –  These are 2 of the 19 hearts that make up the Willowdale Mosaic Mural Project.  They were created by Robin Hesse and Cristina Delago under the auspices of Mural Routes.   You can find them on West side of Yonge Street, between North York Boulevard and Upper Madison Avenue.

below: The Yonge Sheppard Centre on the northeast corner of that intersection has been renovated and the the exterior is totally changed/improved.

below: A pedestrian walks beside the Yonge Street side of the redesigned Yonge Sheppard Centre

below:  Even though there are already a lot of condo towers in the area, construction continues on more of them.  This new building is just north of Sheppard.

below: The Legion building (dark brown, with the Canadian flag) is now dwarfed by development around it.

below: There are still some sites that have not yet been redeveloped.

below: Public bulletin board with posters of a few of the people kidnapped by Hamas in Israel back in October.

below: In an alley near Yonge & Greenfield; a joint effort by Carillo Art Studio, Cruz1, Luvs (Moise) and Zgar as part of Bit Lane 2021.

below: A pink and purple tiger watches the blue jay standing on the branch by June Kim and Nixo Street Art (Erika James). The orange snake is the work of Muisca (aka Daniela Rocha)

below: More wildlife, a sparrow, in among the crates in a corner of the lane.

below: Lots of birds! On TTC property, Sheppard station bus loop, another mural by June Kim.

 

With thanks to my mother for being my walking partner that day (which as it turns out, was one of the colder days this month).