locations | as I walk Toronto

Archive for the ‘locations’ Category

back to Wilson station

Posted: December 7, 2016 in graffiti and street art, locations
Tags: abstract, Allen Expressway, brunosmoky, colours, concrete, face, fingers, hands, patterns, pillars, shalak, sidewalk, smoky, street, subway, TTC, urban, Wilson Ave., Wilson subway station

Back in mid October I blogged about the new murals on the south side Wilson Ave as it passes under the Allen Expressway (where Wilson subway station is).

below: Looking across Wilson Avenue to part of the mural on the south side.

When I was there last, the murals on the north side were not completed. The other day I remembered that I hadn’t seen the finished work, so I took the subway back to Wilson station to see what the pillars on the north side look like. There is more light on the north side as there are entrances to the subway along the sidewalk here. There is also more pedestrian traffic.

This side was also painted by shalak and smoky (as was the south side).

below: In the center by one of the well-lit subway entrances.

below: Looking east along Wilson Avenue.

below: A little street artist with his can of spray paint has been left in a corner.
He’s not easily spotted.

Peperonata Lane

Posted: December 6, 2016 in graffiti and street art, locations
Tags: 2013, alley, bird, building, clandestinos, colours, construction, deer, Elicser, faces, fiya, Galle, garage, garage doors, hawk, houses, lane, Little Italy, miles, Montrose, paintings, people, Peperonata Lane, poise, poser, renovations, shalak, smoky, squares, street art, tags, wallnoize

Peperonata Lane runs north from Harbord Street. Most of the garage doors in the alley have been painted. Some were painted as part of a Wallnoize project in 2013.

below: Take a seat… and see what kind of street art there is here.

below: A woman feeds the chickens.

below: This mural, done in 2009, is one of the older ones in the lane.

below: A deer and a hawk

below: Elicser people and a text painting by poise.

below: Split face on a fence, by fiya

below: A poser bunny

below: Multicoloured grumpy cat by shalak and clandestinos.

below: Wrinkled man with fish in hand, by smoky

below: A garage door painted by miles.

From City of Toronto documentation on the naming of Peperonata Lane, November 2012:

“The residents whose properties border on the lane have provided the following background information on the proposed name:”

” …throughout each year, the Galle family, who’ve lived at 441Montrose (the east side) since 1972, includes many Montrose residents in their annual celebration of making the “sugo” or tomato sauce, the roasted peppers and peperonata party, and the spirited soppressata contest, which they bring from their home country of Italy. Everyone learns the old world techniques and celebrates their new life in our Canadian context.

To commemorate how our lives have been enriched by the Galles welcoming and generous spirits, and in keeping with the traditions they’ve taught us and that we’ve now made our own, we propose the lane be named “Peperonata Lane” as a way of celebrating their unsung contribution to our neighbourhood”.

painted Beatrice in the parking lot

Posted: December 5, 2016 in graffiti and street art, locations
Tags: artchild, Beatrice, Bickford, bird, chicakdee, flowers, Garrison Creek, grace, history, Little Italy, monarch butterfly, mural, parking lot, Pascal Paquette, public art, spud bomb, StART, streetARToronto, VIBE arts

On Beatrice Street just south of College there is a small parking lot. The walls of the buildings on the north and east sides have been painted with a large mural called ‘A Stroll by Garrison Creek’ .

below: On the east side of the parking lot is a painting that represents Emily Bickford and her two daughters, Beatrice and Grace. The street that the parking lot is on was named for Beatrice Bickford. The next street parallel to Beatrice is Grace, named for Grace Bickford. You might recognize the name Bickford if you are familiar with the area – Bickford Park is just south of Christie Pits. Emily Bickford was responsible for donating some of her family’s land to the city to be used for parkland.

below: You may have spotted the words Spud Bomb in the picture below. Also, you might recognize the shapes in the dress that she wears as being similar to shapes seen in a lot of street art in Toronto. They are the work of Pascal Paquette. Both Paquette and Spud1 collaborated on this mural along with artist Artchild.

below: A large chickadee dominates the mural on the north side of the parking lot.

This mural was a StreetARToronto (StART) project, with help from VIBE Arts and the Toronto Parking Authority. It was completed a couple of months ago, September 2016.

intersections – Queen and Sherbourne

Posted: December 1, 2016 in intersections, landmarks, locations
Tags: animals, birdo, birds, cens, graffiti animals, Kim's Convenience, Kormann House Hotel, Moss Park, mural, parrots, Queen St. East, Sherbourne, smoky, street art, vemo, vorteks

Queen and Sherbourne – It’s a grubby corner.

below: Built in 1897 on the southwest corner and a major part of the intersection since then, is the Kormann House Hotel named for its hotel keeper in 1898, Franz J. Kormann. The Torontoist described the building in 2008 as “Though vacant for the past few years, this old watering hole will open its doors once again as part of an upcoming condo development.” That was 8 1/2 years ago. It is still vacant. The projected renovations and mid-rise condo development never got off the ground.

below: Diagonally opposite is now the Moss Park Discount Store.

below: The same corner as above but from a slightly different angle as it looked about a hundred years ago. Note the cobbled streets, streetcar tracks on both Queen and Sherbourne, and the lack of traffic lights. Photo found on Lost Toronto blog

Adding a bit of colour to the intersection is the new mural on Sherbourne Street, on the side of building that houses the Moss Park Discount Store. It features a young man in a baseball cap adorned with the Brazilian flag. Three parrots are also in the mural.

Close ups of parts of the mural:

Just north of Queen, there is a small dead end alley that runs east off Sherbourne. At the end of the alley is a mural by Vorteks…. she’s come to save someone (the world?) from an orange creature.

This birdo is still looking good. It’s just east of Sherbourne.

below: On the north side of Queen Street East, looking towards Sherbourne Street from Kim’s Convenience (with the birdo mural on the wall). I was going to write something about it ha ha having the same name as the CBC TV series “Kim’s Convenience”. Luckily I looked it up before writing because lo and behold it is the same store! The store was up until recently called Mimi Variety. The new name and new signs are leftovers from filming the TV shows. Most of the buildings in this block are heritage listed sites, especially those towards Sherbourne Street.

A few more little details to end the post with:

below: A triptych with the center panel missing or a diptych with a mystery middle.

below: On a pole, a grominator lovebot hybrid with its long red tongue. The other little guy’s tongue just can’t compare.

below: A dying breed, three Saabs in a row. It’s not just old buildings that catch my eye.
Perhaps the one on the right has been cannibalized?

below: And last, hearts seen on a Queen St. East building.

questions in the park

Posted: November 30, 2016 in history, locations
Tags: cannon, Dr. Sun Yat-Sen, King George III, Riverdale Park, statue

The other day when I was walking through the east part of Riverdale Park I wandered over to a statue I hadn’t noticed before. He stands amongst trees a distance from Broadview Avenue. With the leaves gone from the trees he’s much more visible now.

below: A grey Dr. Sun Yat-Sen stands in the park on a grey November day.
It was commissioned by the Chinese Canadian Commission and sculpted by Joe Rosenthal in 1984/5.

The transcription of the English portion of the brass plaque that accompanies the statue:

“Dr. Sun Yat-Sen (1866-1925)

Dr. Sun Yat-Sen, also known as Sun Wen, was a native of Tsu-Heng village Chung Shan District in Kwantung Province. A devout Christian, he studied medicine in Hong Kong and took upon himself the task of overthrowing the tyranic Ch’ing Dynasty and of establishing a republic of democracy and freedom. Having completed his studies, he practised medicine for a few years, since 1893, he devoted himself to the above political ideal and wrote his famous works “Three Principles of the People”, “The Five-Power Constitution”, “Plans For National Reconstruction”, and “Fundamentals for National Reconstruction”. He planned and led no less than ten uprisings until the Wuchang Uprising in October 1911 brought about the success of the revolution. He was elected provisional president but resigned soon afterwards and still devoted himself to the cause of the National Revolution. On March 12, 1925 he died in Peiping and was given a state burial at Nanking in June 1929.”

Why does he stand here? A political figure with no known ties to Canadian history. There aren’t too many statues of such people here in Toronto. Part of the answer probably lies on the back of the statue where there is a list of the names of those who donated to the building of the statue. Most of them are Chinese, members of the Chinese diaspora in Toronto. Added note: it was interesting to learn that Yat-Sen had visited Toronto to raise money for his fight in China.

When I was walking toward the statue, I stumbled upon an old cannon in the park. It’s aimed over the DVP towards the Bloor Viaduct. Another little surprise on a grey day.

Why is there a cannon here I wondered? Of course the internet has the answer to all questions. Apparently, “When the Hon. A.P. Caron, Minister of Militia and Defence, made a visit to Toronto in 1881, a local Alderman asked him for cannons with which to decorate Riverdale Park.” (I assume the Hon. A.P. Caron was a federal minister in Ottawa). Five were delivered from Quebec City to Riverdale Park where “they were set up on a wooden platform in battery-like formation.” In 1886 one of those five was moved to its present location on the Broadview side of the park. (source)

below: This 32 pound cannon bears the cypher of King George III on the top of the cannon. King George III ruled from 1760 until 1820 for a total of 59 years and 96 days. He was the third longest reigning British monarch – behind Queen Victoria (63 years and 216 days) and Queen Elizabeth II (64 years and counting).

Two pieces of history located within a stone’s throw of each other in a quiet Toronto park. Two very diverse, and different, histories but both part of the political and social history of this city.

Craven Road fence

Posted: November 25, 2016 in locations, public art
Tags: 100 years, art, artifacts, Canadian flag, cat, Craven Road, decoration, fence, found items, framed pictures, history, knee pads, Marilyn Munroe, mirror, painted pine cones, painting, pictures, planters, plants, Queen Elizabeth I, shoes, things, wood, wrist guard

Just over a year ago, I posted some pictures of the art work hanging on a fence along Craven Road.
Some of it is still there, especially some cat pictures like this one:

below: Quite a few little planters have been mounted on the wall. Because it’s now cold November, most of the plants have died. These are two exceptions.

below: Some of the things that are now on the fence. Because there are no houses on the west side of the street, the fence can serve as a gallery wall.

below: A close up picture of the “Celebrating 100 years” sign as well as the picture of Queen Elizabeth I, engraved by Crispin van de Passe the Elder, after a drawing by Isaac Oliver.

below: Andy Warhol’s Marilyn Munroe beside many shoes in twos, knee pads and a walking cast.

below: Mirror, mirror on the wall… Bird pictures to the left and trees and sticks to the right.
Scattered among them are a few glow in the dark stars.

below: Artfully arrange artifacts… mask, hockey stick, dog pictures, toy helicopter….

below: A woman with three wolves, a young boy and dragonflies listening to your heart.

below: A composition of found items. A still life made of remnants of the past.

below: And lastly, a couple of pictures of some of the original paintings.

music makers on Yonge

Posted: November 17, 2016 in graffiti and street art, locations
Tags: Adrian Hayles, B.B. King, Diane Brooks, downtown, entertainers, faces, Glenn Gould, Gordon Lightfoot, guitar, Jackie Shane, Muddy Waters, mural, musician, Oscar Peterson, people, Ronnie Hawkins, singer, Yonge Street

As I was walking down Yonge Street yesterday I happened upon this, faces playing peak-a-boo with passersby on the street. It’s a new 22 storey mural being painted on the north side of 423 Yonge Street. A ‘musical mural’ featuring the faces of musicians from the 1950’s, 1960’s, and 1970’s.

below: From top to bottom: Ronnie Hawkins, Glenn Gould, Diane Brooks, Jackie Shane and Muddy Waters.

below: The bottom of the mural

below: Looking up…. Shirley Matthews, B.B. King, Gordon Lightfoot and Oscar Peterson.

#yongemural | #adrianhayles

down to Coronation Park

Posted: November 16, 2016 in history, locations, memorials, nature
Tags: autumn, bad grammar, bathurst st., city, CN Tower, condos, construction, Coronation Park, Douglas Copeland, G20, graffiti, history, Inuksuk, Lake Ontario, memorial, park, Queens wharf lighthouse, sculpture, sign, soldiers, street art, street scene, streetcars, Tommy Hobbs, trees, TTC, urban, VIA Rail, Victory Peace monument, waterfront, WW2

This is another meandering blog post… a post about being out and about on yet another wonderful autumn day, going wherever my feet and eyes take me.

below: The first picture of my day was this intriguing wall made of old wooden doors. Bathurst Street.

below: A small elicser mural tucked away at the end of a parking lot. The man has his back to the viewer but I can’t figure out what’s behind him or what he might be doing.

below: The leaves have fallen off the vines to reveal a yellowish creature with his baseball cap askew.

below: Toronto’s tallest icon framed by a construction crane.

below: And on a similar note, a vacant lot cleared and ready for the next stage of its life.

below: No more cranes here (and not many vacant lots either for that matter). A view showing how much development there has been on the south side of the railway tracks. Fort York is between the tracks and the condo towers.

below: And what’s this? An old blue canoe beached on the tracks?

below: Standing guard over Bathurst Street, Fleet street and the Lakeshore, is one larger than life gold replica of a Royal Newfoundland Regiment and his fallen silver American foe. A sculpture by Douglas Copeland entitled “A Monument to the War of 1812”, a nod to nearby Fort York and the history of Toronto.

below: My favorite example of bad grammar still exists! Off-leash dog area at Coronation Park.

A beautiful day in the park. A slight November nip was in the air but it was sunny and the sky was a brilliant shade of blue. Coronation Park is named in honour of the coronation of King George VI who was crowned on 12 May 1937. At that time nearly 150 trees were planted here.

Apparently, an oak tree was planted to honour the king. Surrounding it, a ring of silver maples was planted. This was to symbolize the countries of the British Empire. I wish I had known that bit of trivia before I walked through the park because now I am curious if these trees are still there. Some of the trees are quite substantial.

below: Long shadows for the morning sun, low in the sky.

below: Looking back towards the city center, past the empty docks of the National Yacht Club to the residences on Stadium Road. A small group of people were making a video in the dog park.

below: This Victory Peace Monument was unveiled on 14 November 1995 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the end of World War 2 and honour those who died in that war. It was designed by John McEwen; the bronze pieces resemble the bow of a ship.

below: On the inside of one of the bronze pieces is a map of eastern Canada and the Atlantic Ocean. Each boat on the map represents a ship or U-boat that was sunk during the war. The Canadian ships are located on the map at “their last known position”. I hadn’t realized that so many ships were lost so close to North America.

Trees were also planted to represent the four divisions of the Canadian Expeditionary Force (WW1) and its units as well as those who fought in the Fenian Raids of 1866-1870, the Northwest Rebellion of 1885, and the Boer War (1899-1902). Once upon a time, brass plaques were placed at the foot of each tree to indicate the units the tree stood for. If any plaques remain, I didn’t see them.

below: Another memorial is close by, a “Memorial to Lieut. Tommy Hobbs gallant British Canadian soldier in the Great War 1914 – 1918. Died on active service November 10, 1940. Beloved and remembered by his comrades.” Tommy Hobbs was involved in the creation of this park.

below: A little farther on I noticed another rock, one that was painted red. The bronze plaque on the rock says that 20 trees have been planted here in commemoration of the G20 Summit held in Toronto in 2010.

below: A 30 foot tall Inukshuk stands looking out over Lake Ontario. Approximately 50 tonnes of mountain rose granite was used to create the Inukshuk, which was made by Inuit artist Kellypalik Qimirpik from Cape Dorset, Nunavut.

below: Streetcars across the baseball outfield.

below: A closer look at that brown octagonal structure in the middle of the streetcar loop for the 509 and 511 cars. Apparently it’s the Queens Wharf lighthouse, one of a pair built in 1861.

The lighthouses marked the entrance to the Toronto Harbour from 1861 until the Western Channel was built in the early 1900’s. This one stood on Queen’s Wharf which used to be at the foot of Bathurst Street, adjoining Fort York. The wharf was built by the military; in 1833 it was a pier 42 feet long. The pier no longer exists; a hundred years ago it was buried under what is now Bathurst Quay.

below: A picture of an historical map (1886 or 1887) of the area showing Toronto Harbour, Fort York and the railway lands. Queen’s Wharf is the pier on the left. At that time, Front Street was the southern most street in this part of the city. All the present day development south of the train tracks is on reclaimed land.

below: Taken from google maps, what the layout of the city looks like now. As you can see, there have been many changes!

body soul mind

Posted: November 14, 2016 in graffiti and street art, locations
Tags: Alexandra Park, autumn, bathurst st., colours, Elicser, faces, hands, hat, mural, park, people, Troy Lovegates

In the southwest corner of Alexandra Park (near the SE corner of Bathurst and Dundas) there is a large colourful mural. It was painted a couple of years ago by Elicser and Troy Lovegates.