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College to Elm

Posted: December 9, 2024 in construction, graffiti and street art, locations, public art, stores, windows and walls
Tags: Adrian Hayles, arch, Aura, buildings, College St., condos, construction, Elm St., History of Music on Yonge St., hoardings, Joseph Sheard parkette, lights, McGill St., mural, redevelopment, Steps Art, trees, Yonge St., Zanzibar tavern

…. A short distance but with a lot happening.

An early morning walk with a weak winter sun low in the sky. Tall buildings that cast shadows, or reflect light. Patterns of light and shadow.

below: Crossing Yonge from Carlton to College

below: North on Yonge. The facade above Shoppers remains. “….has design value and technological merit as a representative of the 1950s Toronto School of ‘Picturesque Modernism’ in its expressive use of concrete seen in the cantilevered canopy and decorative piercings of the concrete screen for the above-ground parking, in the ‘egg-crate’ elevations designed to reduce solar gain, and in the predominant white aesthetic of glazed white brick and concrete surfaces.” (form City of Toronto report on heritage inclusion)

below: Rising above Yonge and College

below: Looking north, up the canyon that Yonge has become. The very tall building that is obviously under construction in the distance is at Yonge and Bloor.

below: Empty, boarded up and waiting its turn. Southeast corner of College & Yonge. I have vague memories of a candy store on this corner although I think that there were a number of businesses that passed through here.

below: The east half of Yonge street in front of College Park is now a construction zone. An additional entrance on the east side of Yonge along with more elevator service between street and track levels, is being built for College subway station. Are there any streets in the downtown area that don’t have partial closures for construction?

below: Sunspots, reflected light on the side of College Park

below: More emptiness, more waiting.

below: Granby and McGill are two streets that run parallel to College but don’t actually meet Yonge Street, pedestrians only here

below: Looking back at Yonge Street from the same spot. When the area was pedestrianized back in the 1980s, the city purchased added the arch. The arch came from St. Andrews United Church at Bloor and Park Road (not on this site, moved here). The mural on the wall, right hand side …

… is The ‘History of Music on Yonge’ mural that covers two large walls on the same building. This is the south side of that building. It was painted by Adrian Hayles and features music legends who played in Toronto in the 1950s and 1960s.

On the north side of building, the mural shows Ronnie Hawkins, Glenn Gould, Dianne Brooks, Jackie Shane, Muddy Waters, Shirley Matthews, B.B. King, Gordon Lightfoot, and Oscar Peterson.

below: Behind Yonge street, between Granby and McGill (Joseph Sheard parkette)

below: Looking north up Yonge from Granby

below: Aura

below: People on a corner… To the woman in the brown coat – A penny for your thoughts (Does anyone use that expression anymore?)

below: The southeast corner of Yonge and Gerrard is still a construction site….

below: …. but now it is on its way up!

below: On the northeast corner, also Yonge and Gerrard is an older building that is still standing… for now. An almost obscene 76 storeys with 828 residences. No car parking; parking for 828 bikes only. May I recommend the elevator repair business as a career prospect for those who are looking for ideas? Also, we could have quite the discussion about bikes and bike lanes……

below: Looking south on Yonge from Elm

below: The Zanzibar Tavern glows in the morning light

below: Hoardings around the construction site on the northwest corner of Yonge and Elm

below: Orange! Even more construction on Yonge, this time the southwest corner of Yonge and Elm

below: No more pizzas here.

below: Looking west on Elm

below: A quick stop at the Cong Caphe. That’s an iced coconut coffee!!

Dr. Adams was here

Posted: December 7, 2024 in graffiti and street art, history
Tags: 33wallflower33, Bay St., graffiti, paper, paste ups, plywood, posters, redevelopment, windows

Dr. John Gennings Curtis Adams left a small mark on the city just over a hundred years ago.

a Heritage Toronto plaque on the sidewalk outside an old three storey brick building that is boarded up and covered with graffiti. Plaque tells about Dr. Adams who was a dentist in the late 1800s.

Dr. John G.C. Adams (1839-1922) Dr. John G.C. Adams is regarded as the father of public health dentistry in Canada. His Methodist faith inspired him to become Canada’s first resident dental missionary. He funded and operated the first free dental hospital on the continent in 1872, primarily treating poverty-stricken children and their mothers. Toronto’s Hospital for Sick Children opened three years later and, in 1883, Dr. Adams became its first dentist of record.
In the building here, Dr. Adams operated Christ’s Mission Hall and Dental Institute from 1897 until 1899 when the City closed it for non-payment of taxes. A champion of preventative health through education, Dr. Adams advocated for dental check-ups in public schools and dental treatment for underprivileged children. His recommendations were finally realized in 1911 with the beginning of dental check-ups in Toronto schools. Canada’s first publicly funded free dental clinic opened two years later.

Although Adams had a mission here, it was only for a few years and he lost possession because he didn’t pay his taxes. So I am not sure why the plaque is here (to bolster the heritage designation of the building?). It’s earlier history is just as interesting, if not more so. Before Adams, it had been a coffee shop run by The Toronto Coffee Association Coffee House – off on a tangent for a moment. the Coffee Houses of the 1880s and 1890s were in response to Prohibition laws and many were run by the Temperance League. I found a thorough, well-written history of these coffee houses as well as Bay Street at the time at Scenes from Toronto

If you have passed by the intersection of Bay and Elm (just north of Dundas), you may have noticed the building on the southwest corner. It’s been derelict for quite a few years now. It has become a small canvas for some graffiti artists; although it gets ‘cleaned up’ every once in awhile, traces remain. Dr. Adams wouldn’t recognize it… nor would he approve of it!

below: Two faced

below: Like a repeating pattern on wallpaper or fabric, columns of men with the same hair cut and facial features. An army of clones.

below: Mexican Jesus

below: 33wallflower33

This building, 55 Elm, is at the east end of a row of bay & gable houses from the late 1800s. All of them are empty and boarded up, awaiting the usual fate of such properties in this city. The image below is a screenshot of the row of houses that was included in the 2021 City of Toronto report (pdf) that designated the row as heritage properties. The study was prompted by the possible tear down of one of the houses in 2019. In other words, these have been empty for a long time.

These houses back onto a large parking lot. The last few photos are a quick look at remains behind.

some games people play

Posted: November 30, 2024 in graffiti and street art
Tags: dice, games, Jasmine Pannu, monopoly guy, mural, Picachu, pokeman, wizard, Yonge

… on view in a mural on the side of 401 Games on Yonge. It was painted by Jasmine Pannu and it features a number of characters that gamers and fans of anime might recognize… such as Picachu, Charizard, and other Pokemon characters…. and Wizards, sorcery, and flaming dice. I am sure that some of you have a much better idea about the source/name of some of these images!

below: The Monopoly Guy aka Milburn Pennybags, or Rich Uncle Pennybags.

all connected

Posted: November 23, 2024 in galleries, graffiti and street art, public art
Tags: 401 Richmond, A Space Gallery, All Beings Connected, art, August Swinson, Carole Conde, Cecilia Vicuna, Citra Sasmita, cows, Emily Pope, Evan Penny, Harold Town, It's Still Privileged Art, Janet Cardiff, Karl Beveridge, Katharine Burns, Morris Lum, Mycelium, Nicholas Baier, Nicholas Galanin, Open Studio Contemporary, painting, sculpture, Tessa Mars, Union station, Vera Frenkel

a photograph from 1975, colour, couple sitting on old couch, words on white wall behind them that say it's still privileged art, woman is leaning away from man, head turned away too, man has his hand up toward camera

Photo taken of a picture on an art gallery wall. The original was taken by Carole Conde and Karl Beveridge in 1975 as part of a series titled “It’s Still Privileged Art”. Now it is part of a retrospective exhibit of the artists’ work at A Space Gallery at 401 Richmond West.

Is art privileged? What does that mean? I hadn’t meant to get philosophical when I planned a “Downtown Art Hunt” walk. Put the question aside for a bit and let the ideas simmer in the back of your head. Instead we’ll wander around downtown Toronto and see what we can find.

below: I wasn’t looking for Taylor Swift but she’s difficult to avoid these days.

below: It’s hardly art but it’s probably better than grey concrete. Better still would be to get rid of these Jersey barriers that line Front Street in front of Union Station. They are a temporary solution that is fast becoming a permanent installation. “aaniin boozhoo” is Anishinaabemowin (also known as Ojibwe) and is a greeting. (UPDATE – 25 Nov: I just read that these barriers are being removed this week!! Maybe complaints do get action!!).

below: “All Beings Connected” by August Swinson in the Main Hall of Union Station.

below: The figure in the image is rooted to the ground, drawing their strength from the earth beneath, connected to the life around.

The West Wing of Union Station connects the main building to the walkway to the UP Express or to the Skywalk that leads to the CN Tower and vicinity. A lot of people pass by here. At the moment there are two art exhibits, both of which are part of “Precarious Joys”. This is the name given to a collection of art exhibits around the city, the Toronto Biennial 2024 (which ends December 1st).

below: Using art as a backdrop to a family photo. the Tong Yan Gaai (Chinatown) series by Morris Lum

below: Nicholas Galanin, part of “Threat Return” 2023

below: “Mycelium” is the name of this network of lights designed by artist Nicholas Baier. In biology, mycelium refers to a root-like structure of a fungus that consists of a network of thin fungal strands called hyphae. In Toronto, it is found on the Bay Street bridge that connects Scotiabank Arena with CIBC Square and the GO Bus Station.

below: Because the walls of the Bay Street bridge are glass, “Mycelium” is also visible from the outside.

below: A green acorn. From little acorns….. There was a picture and a planter beside the elevator in this lobby. Nothing more. A small austere space but someone cared enough to hanging a painting of an acorn.

below: Tucked away in a corner where it’s often overlooked is “Pi” by Evan Penny (1996). A man’s head has been cut into four pieces, disconnected, and left sitting on the ground. I have walked past here many times and not noticed it.

below: It’s art, but it’s also a place to sit.

below: Another painting on a wall in a quiet lobby. No signs. Abstract, but it reminds me of two faces smushed together. One of the faces has a mouth and chin made of crushed shredded wheat. He, or she, is wearing a black mask. What else does it look like to you?

below: More lobby displays. One of a group of paintings by John Eric Laford (1954-2021), an Ojibway artist from Manitoulin Island.

below: Mama elephant is still leading her two little ones behind Commerce Court.

below: If the elephant could see, this would be her view. I am not sure it’s art, but the white light trees that come out around Commerce Court at Christmas time are now up.

In same square (does it have a name? Or is it just Commerce Court?), is an art gallery, Collision Gallery. They are one of the locations featuring art from the Toronto Biennial.

below: Cecilia Vicuna helped co-found of Artists for Democracy in 1974 after she left her home country Chile. A military coup upended that country in the early 1970s. Here at the Collision Gallery she has an installation, “Futur.O [Futur.E]” that pays homage to Gail Kastner.

below: Words written on strips of paper. From the left, the first four are: “I had a very [illegible] feeling in my head. I had a blob not a head”, “The whole purpose was not to research brain washing but to design a system for extracting information from resistant [forces?]”, “These little books are her memory”, and “To defend herself and preserve her mind from erasure she created little books packed with extremely dense miniature handwriting” When you read the story of Gail Kastner and her treatment at a Montreal psychiatric institute in 1953, these writings will make more sense.

below: Vicuna connects the electroshock experiments of the 1950s to the use of such techniques in interrogation and torture. In this drawing she writes about electroshock treatment being used in Chile to “erase the past and the future, creating a great lie”. Almost as an aside, I’m not sure that creating lies requires such drastic measures; it seems these days that all you have to do it shout it loud enough and often enough and you can create whatever reality you want. How do we retain our memories under such circumstances? Memories help keep us connected to our past and to our present. Who are we without our memories?

below: Dreamlike mythical figures dancing together in “Joyous Procession/The Infinite Serpent” by Rajni Perera.

below: Details of a couple of the banners that hang from above to form a circle around an LED light fixture that suggests fire. Artist: Citra Sasmita

below: “All Islands Touch” by Tessa Mars, another installation at Collision Gallery. I am not fond of things lying around on the ground counting as art and I don’t think that they add much to the piece. You might disagree and that’s okay.

below: Fingers growing out of rocks? Plant life at the bottom of the sea reaching skyward toward the light?

below: Playing with the cows

below: Denyse Thomasos (1964-2012) Trinidadian-Canadian, is the artist who painted this picture that hangs inside in the lobby of the TD Centre-Mies van der Rohe building. An abstract, but very much an urban scene with its vibrant chaos.

below: In the same lobby as the image above, this abstract by Susanna Heller (1956-2021) tells a different story. There is also chaos but it seems more “natural”, more like nature instead of man-made. It is titled: ‘Restless Prowling from Night to Day Break’ and is 30 foot long.

below: Jose Bautista flips his bat after hitting a home run ….and his fans cheer.

below: Emily Pope and her series of (mostly) blue, black, and white. “Antidotes for Yearning” or the examining of “the instinctual urge to ward off the inevitable despite our guaranteed decay. Through symbolic imagery…” Abbozzo Gallery

below: Also at the Abbozzo Gallery are a series of very realistic looking paintings of waves by Katharine Burns. (It looks better in real life!)

below: One of the wave pictures, zoomed in a bit. Translucence, light, spray, motion, and so much more.

below: At the BAND (Black Artist Network in Dialogue) Gallery is a small showing of artworks owned by the founders of the gallery. The BAND Gallery has temporary space at 401 Richmond West while its usual space at 19 Brock is being renovated.

below: Two large paintings by Janet Cardiff, large figures, connected. Dancing, Intertwined. Are they happy?

below: In one of the halls of 401 Richmond West is a large poster. It is a collage of photos taken by Vera Frenkel with some of her words added to them. Title: “Once Near Water: Notes From the Scaffolding Archives” 2008. She took pictures of any scaffolding that she saw while walking around Toronto. At the top left she opens with these words: “By the time you see this, the city we know will be gone. Once a rich multi-course meal, now a dry biscuit.” Do you think that we are turning into (or have become?) a “dry biscuit”? We’re definitely changing and I’d like to think that some of the changes are for the better (and it would help if Doug Ford would keep his hands out of the cookie jar).

below: On another hallway wall (in the basement) of 401 Richmond is this piece….Do you think that you are tough? A tree made of bricks.

below: He’s got a long way to go. Smashing the tree, brick by brick, smash, smash, hurt your head, crash, faster harder, smash, smash

below: An oldie but goodie; a painting by Harold Town (1924-1990). It’s on display at the Simon Bentley Fine Art Gallery along with a number of other paintings and artworks.

If you can remember waaaaay back to the beginning of this post, you will recall that I started with an image by Carole Conde and Karl Beveridge. I am going to end the post with a couple more of their photos. They obviously care very much about social issues.

below: A marvelous collage, “A Work in Progress”. The original dates from 1979. In 2006 it was updated by adding four in the series so that now 12 decades of women’s work/life is now covered. This is the picture that encapsulates the 1950s. The wartime image out the window is actually the Hungarian uprising. Elements include a calendar on the wall showing a woman working in a factory, a coffee percolator on the table, a Beatrix Potter children’s bowl on the table, a crucifix on the wall, a red squeezie ketchup bottle, the syrup container with the pull back tab opening, baby bottle, star weekly magazine, the old radio….

below: Not a Care, A Short History of Health Care. This is actually a series of 12 images, each one representing a time and place in history from neolithic times to the present (made in 1999). I discovered that the whole series is online and if you are interested, you can see them here: Conde & Beveridge’s website

As for that statement about privilege and art… there is no answer; there are many answers. Making art is not for the privileged few; most of us have the need to create. Whether it’s shouted from the rooftops or whispered quietly in a little corner, all art is valid to some degree.

Viewing art is not just for the privileged; there is so much out there… just get out and look. You will think some of it is stupid, or mediocre but sometimes you’ll find something that makes you stop and think. Or stop and stare.

Those sentences barely scratch the surface and may seem quite lame but this is probably not the time nor place for philosophical essays… but feel free to leave your comments/opinions on the subject.

“Opinions? I’m supposed to have opinions?”

When the fare inspectors get onboard.

from a few alleys north of the Danforth

Posted: August 25, 2024 in alleys, doors, graffiti and street art, windows and walls
Tags: alley, backyards, chairs, concrete, doors, fences, garages, garbage bins, graffiti, lane, laneway, stairs, stickers, textures, trees, windows

cracks in the pavement,
weeds, shrubs, trees and other green things,
windows and walls, stairs and balconies,
infill housing and new structures, rooflines,
old textures and rusty hinges,
colours, graffiti, and peeling paint.
solitude

These are a few of the photos that I took as I walked alleys and lanes north of the Danforth, shown in no particular order.

Starting with, Hey Gwan!

walking River Street, mostly

Posted: August 20, 2024 in alleys, construction, graffiti and street art, locations
Tags: Adam Beck Box factory, Bevy coffee shop, Broadview, CN Tower, Cornwall St., DVP, graffiti, Joseph Lammirato, mural, Nigel Smith, Queen City Vinegar Co., railway tracks, redevelopment, Regent Park, River St., River Variety, Toronto Humane Society, uber5000

The general plan was to walk River Street. River Street runs parallel to the Don River (makes sense!) on the west side with the north end of the street just above of Gerrard. Transit on River Street is limited (is there any?) so I started the walk at Broadview and Gerrard, just to the east of River Street.

below: At the corner of Broadview and Gerrard is the Roman Coliseum mural that was painted in 2016 as part of ‘Around the World in East Chinatown’. It was one of seven murals and all of them were featured in a blog post back when they were new (seven new murals, August 2016)

below: Chinatown East mural by ACK crew, bacon, wunder, tensoe 2, and cruz1, on Gerrard east of Broadview. Chinatown East is generally Gerrard east of Broadview, but we’re going to walk west today and leave Chinatown for another day.

below: A long vacant lot on Gerrard.

below: Munro Street, south of Gerrard

below: On the north side is the site of the old Don Jail and its Governor’s House.

many yellow flowers in the garden in front of the Governor's House, with plaque in the garden

Governor’s House,1888, From 1888 until 1968, this was the residence of the Don Jail’s governor (chief administrator). Until this house was finished, the governor lived in an apartment in the central administration block of the jail. Designed by architect Mancel Wilmot, this house features a shallow pitched roof with a front-facing gable and double-height bay window that are typical of Toronto’s late 19th century residential architecture.

below: Bridgepoint and the old Don Jail with the red brick steeple of St. Johns Presbyterian church on Broadview in the distance. Bridgepoint Health Hospital was built on the site of the old Riverdale Hospital which in turn replaced an older building. The original House of Refuge was built in 1860. The Don Jail has been repurposed as part of the hospital complex.

below: Looking north from the bridge at Gerrard towards the green pedestrian bridge that connects the two sections of Riverdale Park. Beyond that is the Bloor Viaduct.

below: Northwest view

below: View from the Gerrard St Bridge (over the Don River and DVP). Looking southwest. The tall brown buildings are at River Street.

below: Miniature racer, art on a pole by Joseph Lammirato.

… and another! You’ll find lots more on his Instagram page (@joseph.lammirato)

below: Flower Power happiness

below: The north end of River Street (north of Gerrard)is showing signs that redevelopment is in the works.

below: If you are driving north on River Street, chances are you are headed down the hill to the Bayview Extension. The alternative route is a small street that swings left and joins up with Spruce Street.

below: It also leads to access to Riverdale Park. – there’s that green pedestrian bridge again. From here you can see Broadview Avenue on the other side of the ravine.

below: Back to River Street, and let’s head south.

below: St. Sava, Serbian Orthodox Church.

below: Walking past some of the older Regent Park brick buildings that still remain. The intersection of Gerrard and River streets marks the northeast corner of the original 1940s and 1950s Regent Park development.

About 20 years ago, redevelopment of the area began. The work was divided into five phases. Phases 1 and 2 have been completed while the third phase is either close to completion or has just been finished. There is a lot of information online so you should be able to find many more details if you want. I didn’t feel like going down that rabbit hole!

below: I was surprised at how much variety there was in the housing that I saw.

below: Queen City Vinegar Co. Ltd. factory built in 1908 and converted into lofts (residential) in 2008.

below: Stalled development (Dare I say arrested development?) According to the development notice sign, the original file dates from 2017. Even by Toronto standards that is slow!

below: Behind the red hoardings is just a vacant lot. Nothing seems to be happening here. When I said arrested I was not implying anything criminal…..

below: Of course the CN Tower can be seen here too! This is the view along Shuter Street.

below: Dundas, looking west towards River Street with tables in front of Bevy Coffee. The slightly darker brick building was the Adam Beck Box Factory where cigar boxes were once made. Like the Queen Vinegar Company mentioned above, this building has been converted into lofts (Tannery Lofts, mis-named as this wasn’t a tannery! But it does sound sexier than Box Lofts!).

below: Similar location, but from the parking lot and alley behind – brick building is the Tannery Lofts

below: 1930s view of Beck’s cigar box factory

below: Monsters ready to box

below: River Variety is no more.

below: No more gyros or poutine here.

below: At Mark Street, more old and new

below: Every child matters

below: West side of River Street, at Queen

below: Old photo from 1914, working on the Queen Street bridge over the Don River, looking westward towards River Street. The light coloured bank building is still on the southwest corner (see above photo). The red brick structure on the northwest corner is also still standing, although an additional storey has been added to it.

old black and white photo of men working on the queen street bridge over the don river

photo credit: City of Toronto Archives

below: Looking north on River Street from King. South from here River becomes Lower River.

below: Part of the mural on the side of Toronto Humane Society (Queen & River) painted by Uber5000

below: Parked in the bike lane.

Note: River Street is serviced by TTC bus route 121 that runs between Gerrard (just west of Broadview), then down River to Queen before heading west to the Esplanade and Union Station.

an evening out

Posted: August 18, 2024 in alleys, doors, graffiti and street art, people, stores, transportation
Tags: College St., couples, Dundas, graffiti, Jarus, Kensington, Kleeshay, motorcycles, mural, Nazare Snack Bar, Nick Sweetman, Ossington, people, posters, reflections, roam_t.o, Sankofa Square, tensoe2, tomatoes

This used to be Yonge Dundas Square (photo below) – soon it will be Sankofa Square. Or at least I think that’s what’s happening as there was some controversy over the name change. Although the name Yonge Dundas is very dull and unimaginative, that is what we’ve become accustomed to calling it. Some of us still claim that the Leafs play at the ACC or that the Blue Jays call the SkyDome home – yeah, we can be rather slow!

Whatever its name, that intersection is usually a colourful place on a summer evening.

So that is where I started walking late in the afternoon the other day. The walk was rather meandering, and did include a quick hop on a streetcar or two. The weather was perfect and the streets were alive. It was nice to see so many people out enjoying the evening. Many (all?) of the curbside patios were busy too.

below: Spiderman sits on a chair waiting for someone to hang out with.

below: Garfield is not amused (but he is shiny… or is that why he’s grumpy?)

below: On a balcony in Kensington, a war protest or at least a pro-Ukraine and anti-Russian statement. Lots of sunflowers fill the space and Putin (presumably) is hung in effigy.

below: August is tomato season in Ontario!

below:Buddha prays (meditates?)

below: A rare species spotted in Kensington – a rainbow tree

below: Shadow play on a Kensington graffiti wall.

below: Laundry time

below: This young man still watches over College Street (mural by Jarus).

below: Lord of the Fries!

below: A creative use of a few chairs.

below: Mural by roam_t.o

below: Where danger lurks around the corner, unseen and unexpected! (mural by Tensoe2 and Nick Sweetman)

below: Nazare Snack Bar

below: Taking a rest from riding on the broom?! Hallowe’en shopping done early!

below: A sign that claims that Ossington is the coolest neighbourhood. Any opinions?

below: Don’t text me!

below: “Freedom is a state of mind” (not just another brick?)

below: Graffiti, text on a poster, by Kleeshay, “All the fun things we did when we were kids never stopped being fun we just stopped doing them”

below: “We are taught to put emphasis on our differences because it would be too dangerous if we ever realized how much we have in common “

below: A third Kleeshay poster – “You might forget who you are if you’re surrounded by people who act like you aren’t who you are. “

below: Turtle Island, bald eagle

below: Locked up; behind bars

below: “Respect the Space”, an urban collage on a door in Keningston. “Baby’s first pistol” – yikes!

below: Another collage, sort of – I find it hard to believe that someone actually taped a coffee cup to a pole… but seeing is believing?

below: Nothing fancy here, but I was fascinated by the old concrete posts that are keeping this fence up. She walked in front of me as I slowed down for a closer look…..

below: This final picture is for the person who mentioned that they once thought of collecting images of all the shopping carts they saw abandoned around the city. Ever since reading that comment, I see shopping carts everywhere!!

below: What do you see when you walk around Toronto?

a short walk up Church Street

Posted: July 18, 2024 in construction, graffiti and street art, locations, old buildings, stores
Tags: Church St., churches, Gilda Radner Way, Lombard St., Metropolitan United, mural, Paint Your Faith, pawnbrokers, Piliriqatigiingniq, redevelopment, St. Michaels, stores, streetcars, TTC

Northbound, starting at King… where this large mural still shines. Piliriqatigiingniq was painted in 2015 (see link for more info)

below: A yellow parking lot attendant booth, a throwback to an older, less digital age. Back before machines and parking apps on your phone changed our lives.

below: Looking west on Court Street through to Toronto and Victoria Streets (and beyond). A wide range of sizes and styles all mixed up together.

below: The omnipresent condo construction and ubiquitous summer roadworks can be found here too!

below: Lots of glass on the northeast corner of Church & Lombard – This section of Lombard is also Gilda Radner Way.

below: The view on Lombard, looking east from Church. Lots of midrise buildings.

below: Crossing Lombard. Looking north up Church Street

below: Church & Richmond, northeast corner.

below: Church & Richmond again but from a different angle, south side of Richmond with McVeighs Tavern on the southwest corner.

below: Flags flying over the entrance to McVeighs (“since 1962”) – a little bit of Nova Scotia and Newfoundland & Labrador.

below: West on Richmond.

below: A stretch of Church Street was known for its pawn shops and many still remain. Here we have Simon’s Pawnbrokers as well as two “exchanges”, Five Star Exchange and Toronto Exchange.

below: Balconies old and new.

below: Can you tell where this picture was taken? A little bit of Toronto love on a mailbox on the corner of Church and ???

below: Peeking over the mail box above is the yellow of the old Shwarma King on the northeast corner of Queen and Church. It is now being demolished.

below: The side of Metropolitan United Church.

below: The north end of Metropolitan United with St. Michaels Hospital behind it (just south of Shuter).

below: More of the mural as well as St. Michaels Cathedral on the other side of Shuter Street. The mural is “Paint Your Faith” by Elicser, Chor Boogie, Mediah and Siloette

below: St. Michaels RC Church in the foreground, looking north along Church St.

below: Many more facades that have been preserved during redevelopment.

below: 205 Church Street with its green awning; Its neighbour may be feeling the squeeze, just south of Dundas.

below: Looking east on Dundas

below: Northeast corner of Church and Dundas.

below: Westward along Dundas towards the Bond Place Hotel and its tall blue mural celebrating health care workers and their dedication during the COVID pandemic (and since?)

below: mmm

silliness and more, in their words

Posted: July 15, 2024 in graffiti and street art
Tags: alleys, graffiti, poem, political, protest, Refaat Alareer, scrawl, text, walls, words

This post is a small collection of “text only” graffiti that I have seen over the past few months. They come from no particular place in the city. The authors, except one, are anonymous. Some are silly, others are poignant. Not all of them make sense. No matter what the sentiment, someone took the time and (very little?) effort to make their thoughts known.

below: “Wake up and smell the corruption!”

below: “I love her tho” along with “We’re probably gonna break up in 3 days”. Ah, life.

below: “Was I ever not crazy”, maybe a rhetorical question?

below: “In your pants” is not a good place to P.

below: “Sorcery not science runs your world.” I’m curious as to whether the writer is expressing their opinion as in “I think sorcery…” or if they are expressing a complaint as in “You think sorcery…”.

Someone’s reply is: “I am interested in your thoughts on how sorcery interacts with the urban planning process”

Which leads to: “Exhibit A: the streets of Washington D.C”

Totally makes sense, right? LOL

below: “I’m nosey because I care.” and “If only you could know me but maybe we’re meant 2 be lonely.” All around a bright red symbol for female, or in Egyptian hieroglyphs, an ankh, the symbol for life.

below: “If you read this, God bless you my friend”

below: “How many times I’ve to tell you God loves you, so smile.”

below: “free the white girls Let them eat cake”

below: Conversation (monologue?) on a vent goes something like this:
“U know when it feels exactly like drowning?
Yeah I do
I almost did almost drowning
[purple] was interesting and fun
I Don’t Recommend
will not try again”

below: “Anti-graffiti graffiti crew”

below: “Stay true to yourself and you will attract the greatest things the world has to offer”

below: A poem on a pole. Although it mentions Gaza, it would also apply to Kiev, or Kharkiv, or a little farther back in time, Aleppo.

graffiti, words, a poem by Refaat Alareer about dying in Gaza, making a kite

If I Must Die
by Refaat Alareer
If I must die,
you must live,
to tell my story
to sell my things
to buy a piece of cloth and some strings.
(make it white with a long tail)
so that a child, somewhere in Gaza
while looking
heaven in the eye
awaiting his dad
who left in a blaze
and bid no one farewell
not even to his flesh
not even to himself –
sees the kite, my kite you made,
flying up
above
and thinks for a moment
an angel is there
bringing back love
If I must die
let it bring hope
let it be a tale

***

Previous posts with many words:

paper words in the alley (2019)
positive words are never wrong! (2018) and
protests. advertisements. words (2021)

Proudly Parkdale

Posted: July 11, 2024 in abstract, construction, graffiti and street art, locations, old buildings, stores, windows and walls
Tags: alleys, Canadian flag, Chief Ladybird, Elicser Elliott, emily may rose, hello kirsten, Hope community garden, houses, lanes, Monica on the moon, muisca, murals, Queen St. West, Rocky Zenyk, store windows, stores, TTC, TTC streetcar, windows

… a little bit of Queen Street West

below: These late-19th and early 20th century commercial buildings along Queen Street West with their display windows are part of the Parkdale Village Heritage District. The 2022 draft plan for this district describes this row as Edwardian Classicism style. The plan is more than 160 pages long but in case you are interested in the history (and politics?) of it, here’s the link: Parkdale HDC plan (a pdf )

below: South side of Queen West, looking west from Jameson

below: A broom for $8.99. $7.99 will buy you a pair of crocs or six tall glasses. Chili sauce, lights shaped like lotus flowers or Buddha, wicker baskets, espresso makers, mixing bowls, and frying pans also available!

below: Lightning alert! It’s a potato, no, it’s a cloud! Or maybe a lightning bug! Small metal street art by Rocky Zenyk

below: Where the aliens hang out on a hot July day!

below: Scaffolding in front of the church – Epiphany and St. Mark Anglican church. The octagonal belfry is being repaired and restored with the help of a 2024 Toronto Heritage Grant. It is considered to be Gothic Revival style. The cornerstone laid October 1880 and the first service in the church was held in January 1881. The gateway was added much later.