Archive for the ‘events’ Category

color me rad

Posted: May 31, 2015 in events, people
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Color Me Rad, 5 km walk/run
Downsview Park, Saturday 30 May 2015,
in aid of Big Brothers and Big Sisters
15,000 participants of all ages

shoes covered with orange powder, and socks and legs

color me rad run near the start of the race when everyone is still clean

color me rad run, runners running under three inflatable orange banners

women wearing tutus in color me rad run

A man wearing a red baseball cap is running through a haze of purple powder - color me rad run

color me rad run through Downsview Park, on the path, past newly planted young trees, some runners are on the path running towards the camera while others are on another path running in the opposite direction

Two young men get hit with orange powder bomb, one of them gets it in the face

Young women wearing sunglasses, color me rad run

running through clouds of orange powder, color me rad run

running through clouds of orange powder, color me rad run - a woman in blue is throwing orange powder at a group of runners who are wearing white. Two of the women are wearing white shorts with big letters spelling RAD on the back

Four runners running past a direction sign on the color me rad run

A child holds its mother's hand, color me rad run

color me rad runners

man with arms raised as a woman throws purple powder at him.

A child hold its father's hand, color me rad run

Two women wait with orange powder bombs in their hands, as a group of runners approach them, color me rad run

running through clouds of orange powder, color me rad run - three kids, the boy in front is clutching his arms to his chest and he is smiling. A girl is beside him and smiling as he gets covered with orange powder

A young girl with a pink flower on her hair band, and wearing pink sunglasses is running through a cloud of orange powder, a couple of men are in the haze behind her

A young woman in pink shorts is jumping as she goes past those who are colour bombing in the color me rad run. Her hair is standing on end.

One woman throws purple powder at another woman whose arms are raised above her head.

A woman with a lot of yellow and orange powder in her hair raises her arms as another woman throws purple powder at her.

Three color covered people are lying on the grass, heads together in a triangle, while a man takes their picture from above.

running through clouds of orange powder, color me rad run , a woman with 'Northern' written on her Tshirt is getting hit with orange powder.

running through clouds of orange powder, color me rad run - a group of runners

The orange powder station from a distance in the color me rad run. Many runners are heading towards it.

One woman is throwing purple powder at another woman

Three women are walking through a cloud of purple powder, color me rad run

A man in yellow sunglasses who is covered in orange and red powder is throwing purple powder at his girlfriend

A woman runs out of a cloud of purple powder, her arms raised, many people behind her in the haze, color me rad run Toronto May 2015

A young girl in a frilly tutu and blue sunglasses is holding a spray can of colour and she is spraying the people around her.

sunglasses splattered with orange powder on the face of a smiling woman

color me rad run finish line with a few people crossing over it at the end of the race. People are standing behind blow metal fences to watch the finishers.

A man is on stage and a lot of people are standing in front with the arms raised waiting for him to throw packets of coloured powder their way

urban mud hero

Posted: May 26, 2015 in events, people
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Mud Hero – Urban Toronto
Ontario Place, 23 May 2015

6km course with more than 20 obstacles,
with lots of water and mud!

A row of muddy legs with very brown socks and filthy shoes, after the Mud Hero race

Ontario Place cinesphere, the dome, with an obstacle course being run in front of it

At Ontario Place, looking towards the meeting area for the Mud Hero race - where the race starts and finishes. Some competitors are just heading out and some muddy runners are just coming back in.

A team dressed in bright pink tops await their turn to start the race at the course start line.

Two young women pose for the photo, being taken by a man whose back is to the viewer in this photo, before they start a race

A man with his back to the camera watches team mates jump through, and off the side of, old wooden boats that were once part of a tourist attraction at Ontario Place

Two young women, mud hero participants, pose for the camera

runners in a race around Ontario Place go through the old "loading zone" area. Toronto skyline and CN tower in the background.

Two runners are holding hands as they cross a very tippy and wobbly floating bridge, many runners are behind them, waiting their turn to cross

runners on the beach with the Mississauga skyline in the distance

A couple is helping each other over the top of a wood A-frame climbing frame as they come over the top and change positions to go down the other side

crossing over the top of a green wood climbing frame.

A race organizer in a bright orange jacket stands on a platform between two large tanks filled with muddy water as racers wade through the chest high water

a group of people are wading through deep muddy cold water and they don't look happy about it

wading through deep muddy cold water

A young man stands on top of a car with his arms upraised in triumph as he proceeds through an obstacle course

A group of people running over some wrecked cars as part of an obstacle race. They are muddy.

A couple holds hands while running across the roof of some wrecked cars

runners at Ontario Place, with part of the dome and white metal structures in the photo, only 2 runner, one coming down a blue ramp and one in the immediate foreground. The man in the foreground is running to the right and is almost out of the picture

Competitors climb over the top of a very large and very tall rope climbing frame

people climbing over the top of a rope climbing frame

A muddy man balancing on a metal beam as he makes his way past some large green punching bags

People balancing on metal beams as they walk through many punching bags, as part of an obstacle race

The front of a Tshirt on a competitor at the end of the Mud Hero race, along with the medal earned for completing the course

A very muddy couple walks past the shower area after the Mud Hero race in Toronto, many people are trying to get the mud off themselves using hoses and cold water

A woman covered in mud poses for a photograph while a couple of people give her strange looks.

a person is holding a muddy pink running shoe, close up shot of the hand and the shoe

#turbanup

Posted: May 17, 2015 in events, locations
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This afternoon at Yonge Dundas Square,
Turbanup, presented by the Sikh Youth Federation.

There were many people there helping to wrap

Passersby have stopped to watch a an is wrapping a red turban around a young woman's head.

and many colours of fabric to choose from.

People in turbans are at a table sorting and folding purple and pink and blue fabric that is available for making turbans with.

A young man having his head wrapped in a dark blue turban. His eyes are closed. Close up shot.

Two men sitting in chairs while having their heads wrapped in a turban, one purple and one orange.

A man is wrapping a light blue turban around a young woman's head.

A man in a bright yellow T shirt is sitting in a chair while another man wraps an orange turban around his head. To the right, an older man is waiting his turn to get a turban.

A man is grimacing while having a yellow turban wrapped around his head (and into his eyes) by an older Sikh man with a a dark red turban.

A black woman with long hair is having her head wrapped in a turquoise turban

Three men in their new turbans are standing together while a fourth man is taking their picture.

bolts of many different colours of cloth being folded by some people

CANstruction

Posted: May 9, 2015 in events
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Since 1999 CANstruction has been an  annual contest amongst the GTA design community.  Companies build structures with canned or packaged foods for the benefit of the Daily Bread Food Bank.  These structures are then displayed and judged  before the food is donated.

Photos from some of the entries for this year’s competition:

below: Hunger for Sport, by HDR
Toronto is about to play host to both the PanAm Games and the ParaPan Games.  These games are a celebration of individual triumph and collective national achievement.  Food fuels the body and the mind and is needed for individuals to strive for their goals.  But many go without.

sculptures on display that were entered in a contest in support of the Daily Food Bank, sculptures made of canned food in a theme pertaining to hunger awareness - a white curved wall with two symbols representing sports on it

below: Feed People not Trash, by Cannon Design
Canadians waste food, a lot of food.  Expired food and uneaten leftovers become organic landfill.  This sculpture is an oversized trash can overflowing with food; about 12,000 of these sized trash cans of edible food are thrown out in Canada each day.

sculptures on display that were entered in a contest in support of the Daily Food Bank, sculptures made of canned food in a theme pertaining to hunger awareness - an oversized trash can overflowing with cans of food. The trash can is made of gray coloured cans

below: Food for Thought, by rebanks pepper littlewood architects inc.
Hunger can have a profound effect on the brain and as a result, how we learn, behave, and make decisions.  Healthy and energetic minds need complete and balanced meals.  This sculpture represents the brain with each lobe being a different food group and in turn, each food group is different coloured can.  Fruits and vegetables are green, grains are yellow, dairy is blue, and meats and other protein sources are red.

sculptures on display that were entered in a contest in support of the Daily Food Bank, sculptures made of canned food in a theme pertaining to hunger awareness - close up of a representation of the brain with a string of little lights representing the brain at work

31% of food bank recipients are children.  By feeding hungry mouths with good food we ensure that minds are nourished and the brain can focus on learning, developing, and growing.

sculptures on display that were entered in a contest in support of the Daily Food Bank, sculptures made of canned food in a theme pertaining to hunger awareness - close up of a representation of the brain with a string of little lights representing the brain at work

below: Constructing Hope, by PCL Constructors Canada with Entuitive
Biomimicry uses nature’s patterns and strategies to find solutions to human challenges.  Here we have a calla lily, a resilient and beautiful flower modelled from nature.   In turn, society can learn from nature to work together using available resources to ensure the survival of all.

sculptures on display that were entered in a contest in support of the Daily Food Bank, sculptures made of canned food in a theme pertaining to hunger awareness - a calla lily in yellow and blue cans

sculptures on display that were entered in a contest in support of the Daily Food Bank, sculptures made of canned food in a theme pertaining to hunger awareness - close up of the yellow and blue calla lily

below: Can the Force Be With You, by GHD Inc.

sculptures on display that were entered in a contest in support of the Daily Food Bank, sculptures made of canned food in a theme pertaining to hunger awareness - a large picture of Darth Vader's head

below: On the Front Lines of Hunger, by Aercoustics Engineering Ltd.
“The war against hunger is truly mankind’s war of liberation.”
It’s a war with many fronts.  Food inequality impacts 13% of Canadian households especially people with disabilities, single people, and single parent households.
“United we can stop hunger in its tracks.”

in the trenches, a sculpture made of cans on display as part of a competition

below: Oppor[tuna]ty by Ryerson University Dept of Architectural Science
The tuna fish is one of the most common sources of protein and other nutrients such as Vitamin B12 but it is still inaccessible and unaffordable for those who struggle financially.  The completed head and tail of this structure represent those who live comfortably.  The middle section, the “bare bones” of white beans, represent the nutritional issues faced by those who live on cheaper low protein foods.

a large fish skeleton, a sculpture made of cans on display as part of a competition, representing oppor Tuna ty

below: Fortuna, by BA Consulting Group
Fortuna was the ancient Roman goddess of fortune and symbol of the random and unpredictable forces that control human life.  This fortune cookie is made of over 9000 cans of tuna.

sculptures on display that were entered in a contest in support of the Daily Food Bank, sculptures made of canned food in a theme pertaining to hunger awareness - a large fortune cookie made of 9000 cans of tuna

below: Shifting Perspectives, by Quadrangle Architects
Objects seen from different angles appear differently.  So to with situations and challenges such as hunger in midst.

sculptures on display that were entered in a contest in support of the Daily Food Bank, sculptures made of canned food in a theme pertaining to hunger awareness - close up of a representation of the brain with a string of little lights representing the brain at work
sculptures on display that were entered in a contest in support of the Daily Food Bank, sculptures made of canned food in a theme pertaining to hunger awareness - from one angle this sculpture is a red wall with the word HUNGRY written on it in block white letters

sculptures on display that were entered in a contest in support of the Daily Food Bank, sculptures made of canned food in a theme pertaining to hunger awareness - a red folded wall with a white plate, white knife and white fork on it.

 CANstruction was:
→ presented by Design Administration Canada,
→ supported by Consulting Engineers of Ontario and The Design Exchange, and
→ hosted by Cadillac Fairview Corp.

Information and photos from previous years entries on CANstruction website.

pillow fight!

Posted: April 5, 2015 in events, people
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Pillow Fight
Nathan Phillips Square, Saturday of Easter weekend
Lots of pillows to dodge.
Lots of exuberant fun.
Pillow fights, now a spectator sport!

 

two young men hitting each other with pillows in a pillow fight.

One young men is sitting on the shoulders of another. He is swinging a pillow around in a pillow fight. Many others, who are not on shoulders, are trying to hit him with pillows

A boy is swinging a brown pillow at a woman in a pillow fight.

Two Asian women wearing pyjamas are hitting each other with pillows. Lots of hair flying around.

A young man in a batman shirt is being hit over the head with a red pillow in a large pillow fight.

people at a pillow fight

A group of young men having a pillow fight outdoors,

A young woman is sitting on the shoulders of a young man. She is laughing. She has a pillow in her hand. The crowd is behind her. A large man's face is on the very left of the photo.

A group of young people in a crowd who are having a pillow fight at Nathan Phillips square. A woman wearing a t-shirt that says "Lets pretend this never happened" is ducking pillows and laughing.

A young woman is holding a pillow with a pillowcase that has pink, green and yellow geometric shapes on it. She is getting ready to hit someone with it in a pillow fight. She is laughing

A young man on the shoulders of another at a pillow fight at Nathan Phillips Square.

A groupd of young people in a crowd who are having a pillow fight at Nathan Phillips square. Old city hall is in the background.

A happy couple taking a break from a pillow fight. He is laughing, she is saying ouch and putting her hand over her ear.

a couple taking photos from the upper level of Nathan Phillips square. Down in the square below them is a large pillow fight, and a lot of spectators and photographers

four young men laughing as they partake in a pillow fight.

Three young men are in the foreground, all are at a pillow fight. One man, wearing glasses, has his pillow held tightly over his head, one is looking away from the camera and the third looks like his head hurts as he puts his hand on his forehead.

CTV reporter ducking pillows as she gives commentary. Camera of cameraman is just in view on the right. Crowd at the pillow fight is behind her.

A boy in a blue jacket is in the foreground, he's hitting a woman in a black jacket. A group of young people in a crowd who are having a pillow fight at Nathan Phillips square. Old city hall is in the background.

A young woman has her eyes closed and is smiling as the people around her are hitting each other with pillows.

A young red headed man is on the shoulders of another person in a pillow fight.

Lots of pillows being held up in the air.

crowds of people at Nathan Phillips square on a spring Saturday afternoon

Two young women and a young men at a pillow fight

A smiling man, crouched shoulders, clutching a pillow, walks past a crowd in a pillow fight.

A group of young people taking a selfie photo at a pillow fight.

Man with a spiderman pillow and woman with a pink pillow at a pillow fight

A group of young men enjoying a pillow fight as they swing their pillows at other people

Bald man wearing a ferrari jacket is smiling at the camera as he walks through a crowd having a pillow fight

pillow fight

Two young men having a pillow fight while a crowd stands around them in a circle and watches.

Young man in a black leather jacket has his eyes closed as he hits someone with a pillow in pillow fight.

Young men swinging pillows at each other and trying to hit each other, all in good fun.

A young woman wearing a maroon McMaster shirt is holding a very large stuffed yellow cartoon character bird (tweety bird?)who is wearing a blue denim hat. Posed for the camera. Smiling.

A little boy in a blue jacket with a determined and fierce look on his face in hitting someone in a pillow fight.

A man being hit in the face with a pillow

Three people in costumes are posing for a group selfie as a photographer walks past.

A young woman with black curly hair and glasses is smiling as she takes part in a big pillow fight.

Young people having a pillow fight and laughing.

Man with a beard and a moustache, wearing a white fuzzy jacket with a pale purple artifical flower pinned to it. He's smiling and holding a pillow over his head.

A young man's glasses are falling off because he's just been hit with a pillow.

Two women in a pillow fight, lots of long hair blowing and being thrown around.

Man wearing a yellow top with hood that says on the front "Random yellow fruit". He's yelling and is holding a pillow over his head.

Young woman with long light brown hair is smirking at the camera and showing off her pillow - it is a body pillow with a picture of a male movie star on it and he's dressed in purple tux and black bow tie.

A young man is swinging a pillow while someone on the left is taking his photo.

Young woman with a pillow in a mickey mouse pillow case

Boy wearing a fuzzy brown hat and a camo print fleece bathrobe over a grey T-shirt

A young man being overwhelmed a bit by a large number of pillows being aimed his way.

 

Irish for a day

Posted: March 16, 2015 in events, people
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St. Patricks Day, 17th March

Watching people watching the parade in downtown Toronto on Sunday afternoon.

A couple watching a St. Patricks Day parade. He is wearing big shamrock shaped glasses. They are both wearing green hats. He is waving to the camera.

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A woman walking a dog that is all dressed in frilly green. It's also wearing a hat that says "Kiss me I'm Irish".

A heavyset man wearing long green robe and carrying a plastic snake. He is supposed to be St. patrick, the patron saint of Ireland who drove the snakes out of Ireland many centuries ago.

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A man dressed in green, green pants, green shirt, big green bowtie, green shunglasses, and a big green hat, and he's wearing a shamrock around his neck.

A group of Irish setters with green bandanas around their necks. They are part of the parade. One of them is being hugged by a girl spectator along the edge of the parade route.

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anti bill C-51protest

Posted: March 14, 2015 in events
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Stop Bill C-51 Protest and Rally
Nathan Phillips Square, noon, Saturday 14 March

It was a foggy and damp morning before the protest.

Nathan Phillips square on a foggy wet day. Greyness. There are a few people under the stage overhang but otherwise the square is empty
but the rain held off once the rally started.

View of a protest from the back of a stage. The backs of 4 photographers is to the camera. They are taking pics of the crowd.

A young woman is holding a piece of white fabric on which words have been printed: "Fuck bill C-51" is in larger letters.

“Protect our Charter Rights. Fuck you Harper”

 

Two young girls are holding protest signs. One says "Stop Harpers Secret Police" and the other says "Stop C51".

Stop C51″. “Stop Harper’s secret police”

 

A coalition of groups under the banner of StopC51.ca organized a “National Day of Action”.  Included in the events were protest rallys in cities across Canada. 

crowd shot at a protest

A group of 3 people. A woman on the right is holding a purplish grey umbrella. The other 2 people are holding protest signs.

People at a protest rally. One man has duct tape over his mouth and he is holding a placard that says "Citizen journalism will be silenced by Bill C-51"

“Citizen journalism will be silenced by Bill C-51”

 

A man is holding a placard that says Don't Let the Terror Win at a protest

“Don’t let the terror win”

 

A protester is holding a hand written sign that says #rejectfear

#rejectfear

 

A man is handing out protest signs that say "Say no to Islamophobia"

“Say no to Islamophobia. Say no to war.”

A crowd of people at a Canadian protest rally

A boy on his mother's shoulders is holding a sign with a picture of Lisa on it.

The other side of the Lisa Simpson sign are the words “I don’t want a big brother”

 

protesters at a rally.

A group of people around Henry Moore's sculpture "the Archer" in Nathan Phillips Square. They are there for the anti Bill C51 protest. A couple are sitting and talking to each other. Others are standing under umbrellas.

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The Toronto Raging Grannies were also there with their own unique sound.

 

Photograph ers are shooting a man who has a flag around his neck

signs lying on the steps as people walk around.

“Not the Canada we want or need”

sheep, ram or goat

Posted: March 2, 2015 in events
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Happy belated Chinese New Year!

19 Feb 2015 was the Lunar New Year, the start of the Year of the Sheep (or Ram or Goat).

Sheep are considered auspicious animals, and the Year of the Sheep, therefore, heralds a year of promise and prosperity.  This year will be the year for contemplating and appreciating what has already been accomplished and to think about bringing goodness to others.

Three little stuffed rams with smiling faces on a shelf in a store. They are red and gold and look like they are wearing traditional Chinese clothes.

Are you a sheep (or a ram or goat if you prefer)?
If you were born in one of the following time frames, then you are a sheep:

17 Feb 1931- 5 Feb 1932
5 Feb 1943- 24 Jan 1944
24 Jan 1955- 11 Feb 1956
9 Feb 1967- 29 Jan 1968
28 Jan 1979- 15 Feb 1980
15 Feb 1991- 3 Feb 1992
1 Feb 2003- 21 Jan 2004

The Sheep is thought to be the most feminine sign of the zodiac, perhaps because this is a very creative sign. The Sheep is artistically talented, and has a great sense of fashion.

hanging paper decorations for Chinese New Year in bright colours and featuring ram and sheep shapes.

Sheep are wise, gentle and compassionate and can cope with business cautiously and circumspectly. In their daily life, they try to be economical. They are willing to take good care of others, but they should avoid pessimism and hesitation.

They are very romantic, sensitive, sweet and darling. Empathy comes natural to sheeps.   In relationship, they could be sometimes a little bit bossy and lazy, but with their gentle and caring nature, it will be hard to resist them.

hanging paper decorations for Chinese New Year in bright colours and featuring ram and sheep shapes.

Sheeps avoid confrontation and are not born leaders.
They can be indecisive, timid, vain, pessimistic, moody, and weak-willed.

hanging paper decorations for Chinese New Year in bright colours and featuring ram and sheep shapes.

On the 8th of February 2016 it will be the Year of the Monkey.
In the meantime, enjoy your Year of the Sheep!

Photos taken in the Dragon City shops at Dundas and Spadina.

Icefest

Posted: February 23, 2015 in events, locations
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Bloor Yorkville Icefest, Frozen in Time
Cumberland Ave., February 21 & 22

 Ice sculpture beside a sidewalk. The top part has the words Bloor Yorkville icefest and the bottom part has the words Frozen in time, icefest 15. The middle section looks like a large face made of Egyptian motifs.

The 10th annual Icefest featured the carving of blocks of ice into Ancient Egypt themed sculptures.

Four ice sculptures with Ancient Egyptian themes - King Tut, and a pyramid amongst them. Also a wall of hieroglypics with two guards beside it.

Both Saturday and Sunday were snowy days but the weather didn’t deter the crowds, or their picture taking.  I’m sure that there are thousands of photographs of the sculptures!
Here are a few of mine.

A man in a white parka is standing beside a sculpture with his elbow resting on it. A woman in white coat and hat is taking his picture.

A woman is facing a sculpture of a dinosaur. Both of them have their mouths wide open.

A boy is standing beside a sculpture

A mother with two little kids is posing with an ice sculpture.

A little girl in a pink snow suit it peaking throw a whole in an ice sculpture

A father is taking a photograph of his son beside an ice sculpture

A group of four people are standing around an ice sculpture. They all have puzzled looks on their faces as though they can't figure out what the sculpture is supposed to be.

An ice sculpture of a bear with it's front paws raised, looms over the interesection of Yonge and Bloor.

This bear loomed over the NE corner of Yonge and Bloor.

Most of the sculptures along Cumberland Ave (west of Bellair) are still there and will remain as long as the temperatures remain low and no one vandalizes them.

gumhead

Posted: February 4, 2015 in events
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Gumhead is a “gum-based, crowd-sourced, publicly interactive, social-sculpture self portrait” in the words of Douglas Coupland, the artist who conceived and developed this idea.

It sits inside the entrance of Holt Renfrew Men on Bloor St. West.

A large (about 6 foot tall) black head sits in the front of a menswear store. People have been encouraged to add chewed wads of gum to the head. It is about one third covered.

People are encouraged to add their own chewed gum with the intention that the head will become covered, obscured, and transformed.  And people have done so, some with imagination or whimsy.

He now has eyelashes on one eye.

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Gumhead is scheduled to remain until March 9th.
And yes, gum is provided…. as is the Purell!

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