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Archive for the ‘events’ Category

All Eyes on indigenous rights

Posted: October 31, 2020 in events
Tags: all eyes on, Caledonia, defending, indigenous rights, land back lane, mi'kma'ki

I came across these two posters near Eastern Commerce Collegiate (high school) the other day. There was a third but I didn’t take a picture of it because it was the first I saw and I didn’t realize that there was a series. I have learned that there was a National Week of Action, (Oct 19th through 24th) organized by the Idle No More movement to stand in solidarity with Indigenous nations. There were rallies in Vancouver, Saskatoon, Halifax, and other cities across Canada.

below: “All Eyes on Land Back Lane”, specifically 1492 Land Back Lane. This refers to the land near Caledonia Ontario.

below: “All Eyes on Mi’kma’ki” and the Sipekne’katik First Nations fishers’ struggles to open their own fishery in Nova Scotia.

rats, bones, and a pumpkin or two

Posted: October 30, 2020 in events
Tags: bones, decorations, halloween, hands, mask, pumpkin, rats, skeleton, skull, spider web

Happy Hallowe’en!

Immersion in Van Gogh

Posted: September 6, 2020 in events, galleries
Tags: #VanGoghTO, blossoms, floor, images, iris, mirrors, paintings, people, projection, rooms, selfie, sky, starry starry night, sun, tree, Van Gogh, watching

Van Gogh Immersive Exhibit at the old Toronto Star building at 1 Yonge Street.

Images from paintings by Vincent Van Gogh were projected on all four walls plus the floor of a very large space. The installation includes his work the Mangeurs de pommes de terre (The Potato Eaters, 1885) to the Nuit étoilée (Starry Night, 1889), Les Tournesols (Sunflowers, 1888), and La Chambre à coucher (The Bedroom, 1889). It was a slow moving video that was about 35 minutes long.

There were circles on the floor in which you had to stand/sit but you could move from circle to circle if there was an empty one.

The most interesting portraits were those of people dressed in white.

Mirrors were placed around any structures that were in the way.

Link for more information on the exhibit
which continues at least until the end of October

#VanGoghTO

around Yonge and Bloor

Posted: August 25, 2020 in construction, events, history, old buildings, public art, reflections
Tags: clock tower, construction, covid, dog, drinking coffee, fleurs de villes, flowers, Gillie and Marc, hockey player, library, Love Negotiation, mannequins, Manulife centre, mask, Patrick Amiot, people, rabbit, reflections, Scollard Street, sculpture, Starbucks, stores, William Sexton, Yonge St., Yorkville

…

below: He may be sitting on the bench but this hockey player is prepared. He’s practicing social distancing and he’s got his mask on just in case. He’s also a reminder that the NHL playoffs for the 2019-20 season are being played in a bubble here in Toronto at the moment… but the Maple Leafs didn’t make the cut. After having to take a few months off because of Covid-19, the NHL scheduled the playoffs in only two cities, Toronto and Edmonton. Games started at the beginning of August and are scheduled to finish the first week of October. There is talk that maybe the 2020-21 season can begin after that but like everything else these days, who knows.

below: ‘Love Negotiation’ on Scollard Street by Gillie and Marc. Dogman and Rabbitgirl share a few minutes over coffee. They too are outside are are socially distanced… or perhaps they have been isolating together are have escaped their tiny downtown condo for a bit of fresh air. ” Rabbitgirl and Dogman invite the world to sit with them symbolically at their Table and take the first step to understanding and loving each other. The sculpture is where we sit, discuss, and solve problems. The world has reached a crisis where our differences are causing hatred and division.”

below: The William Sexton houses on the NE corner of Bay & Scollard are being preserved and incorporated into a condo development. They were built by Sexton in 1890 in a style similar to the Queen Ann Revival style. Although it looks like one large brick house, it is actually a row of 4 houses. In 1974 they were added to Toronto’s Heritage Register. That was also the last year that all four were used as residences.

below: A slightly fuzzy 1974 photo of William Sexton houses.

below: Another hole in the ground. I liked the bits of orange and black hanging around.

below: Reflections of the clock tower on the Yorkville Firehall, the oldest firehall in the city, in one of the newer glass walls across the street.

below: Looking east on Yorkville Ave towards Yonge Street and the large Toronto Reference Library.

below: The Starbucks on Yonge Street just north of Bloor is now closed. The sign in the window says “thanks for your loyalty over the past 20 years.” For those of us who still remember Albert Britnell’s book store at that location it is a bit of a shock to realize that 20 years has past.

below: Yonge Street at Hayden

below: looking northwest from Charles Street on the east side of Yonge. The older black and grey building is the CIBC tower on the NW corner of Yonge & Bloor. The cranes are working on the SW corner of that intersection.

below: Condo construction at the southwest corner of Yonge & bloor continues.

below: One of the entrances to the Manulife Centre on Bloor Street. It was decorated in flowers as part of a Fleurs de Villes event.

below: Inside the Manulife Centre there were many mannequins decorated with flowers

As the summer winds down but the covid lingers on, stay safe and stay sane

Pride, no parade 2020

Posted: June 28, 2020 in events, people
Tags: crowd, dancing, flags, float, flowers, fun, laugh, LGBQT, naked, nude, parade, people super soaker, rainbow, spectators

Instead of pictures of this year’s Pride Parade, I am posting some photos from previous Pride weekends from my archives. I have tried to use pictures that weren’t chosen for prior blog posts. As you know, the fall out from Covid-19 includes cancellation of parades in Toronto this summer. There was a virtual Pride parade online this year (so I hear) but that doesn’t lend itself to photography. We miss the social interactions that normally occur. We miss the atmosphere and the fun. This collection is a poor substitute for the real thing but maybe it will bring back a few memories….. See you in 2021!

signs of Covid-19

Posted: May 18, 2020 in events, reflections, stores, windows and walls
Tags: 6 feet apart, advice, be well, CEBA, covid-19, fence, homes, hope, houses, keep your rent, life is tough, nurses, posters, rainbow, signs, social distancing, stay safe, stores, sweatshirt, theatre, wash your hands, we're all in this together, windows

Signs, signs, everywhere there are signs

below: Signs for hand sanitizer, masks, and gloves

below: Signs of thanks to essential workers

below: Life is tough but so are you. I wish I could get a better view of the dancing figures in the window!

below: This too shall pass on a rainbow of colours.

below: Rainbow because it doesn’t rain forever.

below: Please Practice Social Distancing – keep those 2 metres apart!

below: Marking those 2m (6 feet) on the sidewalk

below: CEBA (Canada Emergency Business Account) won’t save us sign in the store window.

below: Keep Your Rent poster for The Annex, outside Bathurst subway station

below: Similar signs appeared in Little India (Gerrard St East)

below: But in Little India the signs were multilingual (8 languages? or more?)

below: And then a poster for what happens after you’ve kept your rent. But below that is another small notice to (exclamation marks !!) your mask is weakening your immune system. Reader beware.

below: Two posters on construction hoardings. By mistake I cut off the lowest part of the posters and in doing so, I missed line of text on the poster on the right. It says: “We’re closer now having been through this together – Love.”

below: We’re no longer holding hands, we’re now 6 feet apart. Peace.

below: At Bathurst subway station, wash your hands. It was one of many in a series of “Staying safe on public transit”

below: Eglinton Theatre, stay positive

below: Lower Ossington Theatre

Winter Stations 2020

Posted: February 28, 2020 in events, locations, public art, waterfront
Tags: bells, boxes, chair, Charlie Sutherland, climbing, Cristina Vega, drums, iheartblob, jumping, Kaleidoscope of the Senses, Lake Ontario, lifeguard station, mirage, Noodle Feed, Pablo Losa Fontangordo, people, public art, sand, snow, water, waterfront, winter, winter stations, Woodbine Beach

This is the 6th annual Winter Stations art installation event at Woodbine Beach. It was officially opened on Family Day, February17th.

below: Tying yellow ribbons on the yellow metal frame in “Mirage”, designed by Cristina Vega and Pablo Losa Fontangordo. The orange frame is parallel to the lake and the yellow sections are perpendicular. Depending on where you are standing, you see either a red transparent sun setting or a light and bright rising sun laying on the horizon.

below: “The Beach’s Percussion Ensemble” by Centennial College while under construction.

below: The end product. There is now graffiti on the boxes

below: and cowbells hung from the underside of boxes in a couple of places.

below: “Kaleidoscope of the Senses” is a strong piece designed by Charlie Sutherland of SUHUHA (An architecture studio in Edinburgh). People were lining up to take turns sitting on the lifegusard chair.

below: “Noodle Feed” by iheartblob was very popular on the Sunday before Family Day (the official opening of ‘Winter Stations’). It wasn’t designed to have a jumping feature but that’s what all the kids were doing that day. The fabric tubes are filled with straw.

below: When I returned to the beach a few days later, the installation was gone.

Information about the installations can be found at winterstations.com

IceFest 2020

Posted: February 13, 2020 in events, people
Tags: #icefest20, artist, blocks of ice, chainsaw, chisel, drill, Elton John, Garfield, hats, heart, ice, Icefest, legs, Loch gallery, metal, Patrick Amiot, people, posing, power tools, sculptures, skier, snow, winter, Yorkville

This year’s theme at the Yorkville IceFest was “Awesome 80’s” and the feature ice sculptures were all things 80’s.

below: Fabulous red heart embedded in the ice! The ice made the red shine. Needless to say, these two women weren’t the only ones who did this!

below: Leftover red balls from Christmas added to the festivities.

below: Posing with the rock ’em sock ’em robots (Cool hat too!)

below: A younger version of Elton John made an appearance at the Ice Fest

below: Posing with Garfield the cat

below: Walking on air, but so cool with the leg warmers on.

below: Driving the De Lorean

below: Most of the sculptures came already made and were set up on Saturday morning. Starting at noon, several artists began carving some sculptures – partially as a demonstration of their craft and partially as a contest for best sculpture.

below: Because it was a cold day, some time was spent warming up inside the nearby art galleries. I saw this little ski guy stuck in the snow outside Loch Gallery. Does it look like he’s shivering too? (artwork by Patrick Amiot).

below: Another wonderful creation by Patrick Amiot. I’m not sure that a hockey player (especially a Leaf?!?) should look frightened?

as the lights come on

Posted: December 8, 2019 in events, locations, waterfront
Tags: beach, boardwalk, Christmas decorations, Christmas lights, Christmas ornaments, dogs, evening, fence, Kew Beach, Lake Ontario, Leuty lifeguard station, Light up the Beach, lights, path, sand, snow, snow fence, trees, waterfront, Woodbine Beach

I’d heard that there were some Christmas lights brightening up the sky at Kew Beach. What I didn’t know then was that this is now an annual tradition; it was started by DeClute Real Estate in 2007. Since there was still some daylight left, I started my walk at Woodbine Beach, a bit west of Kew.

below: Small waves crash over the rocks at the shore.

below: Leuty Lifeguard Station closed up for the winter.

below: Ready to run

below: Once I got to the Kew Beach boardwalk I discovered that there are other reminders that it is now December. And what could be more appropriate than some Christmas decorations to add some cheer ? Pine and poinsettias on a bench.

below: Bright red ribbons tied around a small tree.

below: Shiny Christmas ornaments hanging from branches and a wreath on a tree trunk.

below: More signs that Christmas is soon – Some of the trees along the bike path and boardwalk at Kew Beach have been decorated with Christmas lights. As the daylight begins to fade, the Christmas lights become more noticeable.

below: Looking back towards the city as the sun goes down.

below: The mood and atmosphere of the beach changes as it gets dark outside. The light shining on the Muskoka chairs highlights the pink and green colours and almost makes the chairs look translucent.