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Parc Downsview Park

Posted: November 29, 2021 in history, locations, memorials, nature, public art
Tags: airplanes, autumn colour, bird feeders, bird houses, Bombardier, Chris Mitchell, Danilo Deluxo McCallum, de Havilland, DHC-Beaver, Future Simple Studio, Greg Mitchell, John Dickson, Mediah, models, muskoka chairs, trees, Ulysses Curtis, Wind Rose

below: Ulysses Curtis mural by Danilo Deluxo McCallum. Curtis (1926-2013) played for the Toronto Argonauts football team in the 1950s. He was considered to be the first black player on the team.

The Downsview area and airplanes have been linked since the late 1920s when land here was being used for airfields—Barker Field, the Canadian Express Airport and the Toronto Flying Club. In 1929 de Havilland Aircraft of Canada purchased 70 acres of farmland along Sheppard Avenue West. In the mid-1950s de Havilland moved its operations to newly constructed modern facilities to the southeast. De Havilland Canada was sold to Boeing in 1988 and then to Bombardier in 1992.

below: Bombardier facility and GO tracks on the east side of the park. Downsview Park station at the north end of the park connects the GO system with the TTC’s Line 1.

In 2017, the Sesquicentennial Trail was developed on part of the site. Sesquicentennial means 150 years, as in Canada was 150 years old in 2017.

below: The North Plaza of the trail features a semi-circular wall of rusted steel with cutout silhouettes of real historical photographs showing various people, buildings, and airplanes that was designed by John Dickson.

Small models of four of the aircraft built by DeHaviland ‘fly’ over the trail – the DH.60 Gipsy Moth, the Dash 8, the DHC-6 Twin Otter, and the Mosquito. They cover years of both DeHaviland and aircraft history from the bi-winged Moth in the mid-1920’s to the turboprop Dash8. The later was developed in the early 1980s and is still in production today.

below: High overhead, a DHC-Beaver, a bush plane developed in 1947 here at Downsview.

Grounded! But still great for child’s play.

Hundreds, and probably thousands, of trees have been planted on the site.

below: Tulip tree

below: Other areas have been set aside for native grasses and wildflowers such as milkweed, purple coneflower, and wild lupine.

below: There is a large hill in the park and this is the view to the southwest from there.

below: At the top of the hill stands an installation of blue flags along with two of the many red muskoka chairs scattered around the park. This is “Wind Rose” by Future Simple Studio. This picture doesn’t show it very well but at the northwest corner, two of the flags are not blue – one is black and the other white (black for west and white for north). These two flags, “The Turtle and the Traveller,” were designed by Mi’kmaq artists Chris and Greg Mitchell. They are best seen when the wind is blowing!

Downsview has also been associated with the military. In 1937, the Royal Canadian Air Forces expropriated portions of the site to establish the RCAF Station Downsview. The site once had two residential areas with barracks – one for the enlisted soldiers and their families and another for the commissioned officers and their families. Over the years the base expanded to include the original de Havilland lands. In the 1960s, the military expropriated the lands adjacent to the Downsview Airport and closed 2.5 miles of Sheppard Avenue between Dufferin and Keele Streets. That is why Sheppard Avenue swings north around what is now Downsview Park.

In 1996 CFB Toronto officially closed. Parc Downsview Park Inc. was established in 1999 to build and operate Downsview Park but administrative control over the land wasn’t transferred to the Park until 2006.

below: ArtworxTO Hub North with a mural by Mediah. At the time, the site was being used by a film crew.

below: Another mural on the exterior of the ArtworxTO Hub building. This one was painted by Kreecha.

Taber Hill & Bendale

Posted: June 8, 2019 in locations, memorials, nature
Tags: Bellamy Ave., Bendale Park, bike trail, bridge, dames rocket, Elicser, Gatineau Corridor, hesperis matronalis, Iroquois, Lawrence Ave East, lilac, Meadoway, mural, ossuary, prayer, river, Scarborough, Taber Hill, West Highland Creek

I went east this afternoon, out to the boondocks. Whenever I think of the word ‘boondock’, I hear it sung to music. Billy Joe Royal sang the song ‘Down in the Boondocks” in 1965 (You can find it on youtube). Boondock is one of the few words that English has borrowed from Tagalog where bundok = mountain. Yo-yo is another. I don’t mean to be derogatory but when you’re battling Toronto traffic, Bellamy and Lawrence seems like a long, long way.

I drove but as I subsequently walked along Lawrence Ave., I wondered about buses and public transit and all the talk about a subway to Scarborough. The Sheppard East LRT will service Scarborough to the north of here but has it even been started yet? For now there is the Lawrence West station on the Scarborough RT but there is also talk of replacing the Scarborough RT line – that plan is still on the Metrolinx website but does anyone know what’s really happening?

Perhaps you’ve been asking yourself, why Bellamy and Lawrence? Recently I had heard about Taber Hill Park and a rock that sits on top of a hill.

a large rock wits on a stone and concrete platform on the top of a grassy hill, Taber Hill memorial

The plaque reads: “TABER HILL site of an ancient Indian ossuary of the Iroquois Nation, burials were made about 1250 A.D. This ossuary was uncovered when farm lands were developed into residential properties in 1956. This common grave contains the remains of approximately 472 persons. Dedicated as a historical site by the Township of Scarborough October 21, 1961.

below: You can even see the CN Tower from the top of the hill.

After Taber Hill I walked to Bendale Park which is just a bit west of Bellamy.

One of the first things that I saw in Bendale Park was a mural by elicser. It is on the walls of the bridge where Lawrence Avenue passes over the West Highland Creek. The mural is beside the path under the bridge. A better angle for a photo of the whole mural would have been from the other side of the creek but I couldn’t find any access – and I wasn’t about to take off my shoes and go wading! Instead, here are four pictures of parts of the mural.

Bendale Park merges with Thomson Memorial Park. Immediately north of these parks is St. Andrews Bendale Presbyterian church (that I have mentioned in a previous blog post – see link). This is one of the first areas of Scarborough to be settled; the original St. Andrews Church was built in 1818.

below: Lilac bush in bloom. Lilacs are not native to Canada and they don’t grow in the wild. If you see a lilac bush in places like this, or along the road, chances are someone once had a home here and they planted the lilac.

below: Another pink flower found in abundance in the ravines at this time of year is this one, Dame’s Rocket, or Hesperis matronalis. There is also a white variety

below: Passing through here is the Gatineau Corridor which is a bike trail ….

well, actually it is a hydro corridor which runs diagonally through the city from Leaside in the west to Meadowvale and beyond in the east. In the late 1920’s the Great Gatineau Power Station was built in Leaside as a transformer station to enable the city to use electricity generated in Quebec and delivered via this corridor to provide power to the city. There is still a hydro substation at Millwood and Overlea (in Leaside)

This corridor is being turned into a park called the Meadoway. Sections of the park and bike trail are finished including this part between Brimley and McCowan. When it’s finished, this linear park will be 16 km long and will connect the Lower Don Trail to trails in Rouge Park at the city’s eastern boundary.

below: Reflections in the West Highland Creek

below: I saw quite a few red wing blackbirds, especially around the bulrushes and reeds in the wetter places in the park.

below: The last time I walked I saw a McLaren (next blog post), today it was these flashy bright gold things!

below: More car stuff, but this time it’s my car as I was driving home.

… but I’ll be back. There is a lot more to this part of the city that I want to explore, including this mosque just east of Midland Avenue.

***

On the back of the rock on Taber Hill is another plaque which reads:

IROQUOIS PRAYER
O Great Spirit whose voice I hear in the winds and whose breath gives life to all the world, Hear me.
I am a man before you, one of your many children. I am small and weak. I need your strength and wisdom. Let me walk in beauty and make my eyes ever behold the red and purple sunsets. Make my hands respect the things you have made, my ears sharp to hear your voice. Make me wise so that I may know the things that you have hidden in every leaf and rock. I seek strength O Creator, not to be superior to my brothers but to be able to fight my creators enemies myself. Make me ever ready to come to you with clean hands and straight eye so that when life fades as the setting sunset my spirit may come to you without shame.
credit: White Cloud, Approved by Iroquois Council 2-2-60.

battle worn

Posted: November 11, 2018 in history, memorials
Tags: Battle of Ridgeway, Decoration Day, Fenian Raids, Limeridge, memorial, monument, remembrance day, soldier, statue

Battle of Limeridge Monument

This monument, by Robert Reid, was unveiled on 1st July 1870. It is located on the University of Toronto side of Queens Park Circle.

war memorial on a slight hill, grassy, in autum with yellow and orange leaves around, a white statue on top, with more statues (two) below.

Words on the plaque at the bottom of the memorial: “Canada erected this monument as a memorial to her brave sons the volunteers who fell at Limeridge or died from wounds received in action or from disease contracted in serve whilst defending her frontier in June 1866.”

The Battle of Limeridge (also known as the Battle of Ridgeway) was the first fight during what is known as the Fenian Raids. It was fought near the village of Ridgeway which is across the Niagara River from Buffalo NY, close to Fort Erie. It was the first time that a battle was fought by Canadian troops and led by a Canadian. They lost the battle. There were a few more skirmishes but the Fenians fled back across the Niagara River when British troops and Canadian reinforcements arrived a short time later.

The funds for the monument came from donations from the citizens of Toronto. The Canadian government refused to recognize the Limeridge veterans until 1899. The loss had been blamed on the frontline troops that panicked and broke even though they were out numbered, undersupplied and undertrained. The officers in charge had been absolved.

The Fenians were Irish-Americans, many of them veterans of the US Civil War which had just ended. Their goal was to take Canada hostage to provoke a crisis in England that would lead to an independent Irish Republic. At the time, Canada was still a British colony.

On June 2nd 1890, the Veterans of ’66 Association held a protest by this monument and they placed flowers around it. The protest became an annual event. June 2nd became known as “Decoration Day” as memorial to Canadians who died in the Battle of Limeridge as well as the Northwest Rebellion (1885), the South African War (Boer War) (1899-1902) as well as the Great War (WW1). It wasn’t until 1931 that November 11th became Remembrance Day.

The passing of the Remembrance Day Act in 1931 removed the losses from the Fenian Raids and the Northwest Rebellion. It is specifically for Canadian casualties overseas.

———–

Killed in action at Limeridge, June 2nd 1866
Queens Own Rifles
Ensign Malcom McEachren, No.5 Command
Lance Corporal Mark Defries, No.3 Command
Private Christopher Alderson No.7 Command
Private William Smith No.2 Command
Private Malcolm MacKenzie No.9 Command

Bloor, Spadina to Bathurst, generally speaking

Posted: December 22, 2017 in memorials, old buildings, public art
Tags: Annex, dominos, garage, hands, hoardings, Honest Eds, Jimi Hendrix garden, mannequin, mummy, mural, pizza pizza, posters, sculpture, sign, Theodore 1922, window

This is part of my ‘end of the year clean up and sort through photos’ process that I start most years at this time – I don’t always finish but that’s a whole other story. One of the drafts that I found this morning was this post which I was in the midst of writing when the fan on my laptop died. The technological hiccups have been dealt with and on we go…. . back in the fall I spent some time around Bloor and Spadina and this is the result.

below: On the SE corner of Spadina and Bloor are these supersized Dominoes. It’s rather silly but I like the juxtaposition of Dominoes and Pizza Pizza. This is also part of Matt Cohen Park.

below: The hoardings went up around Honest Eds late in October. By the time you read this, most (if not all) of the building will be gone.

below: Jimi Hendrix Sculpture Garden includes the bronze sculpture “People helping People” 1990, by Al Green. The sculpture also appears on the property of an apartment complex in Davisville – the connection being that the two properties were developed by the same family company (the Green family as it turns out). The garden also includes two bas-relief sculptures on the wall. These are reproductions of some of the decorative facades of the Victorian houses (1890’s) that used to be on this site until they were torn down in 2004.

below: What the well dressed mummy was wearing this fall season.

below: There is not a lot of street art as you get closer to Spadina (there is more closer to Bathurst). This garage door is one of the few pieces.

below: Poster for the YCL (Young Communist League) of Canada.

below: The Ten Editions books store which sits on University of Toronto property. There is some debate/discussion going on at the moment re the development of this site. Ten Editions has been there since 1984. At that time, the building was 100 years old as it was started its life 1885 as the John James Funstan Grocery Store. The University of Toronto wants to tear it down so they can build a 23 storey residence on the site.

below: On the grounds of Trinity St. Paul Church is a sign that marks the spot of another garden. This one is the Heart Garden and it is there to honour the children who were lost in or survived the residential school system. “May we be part of a future of reconciliation and justice”. It is designed in the shape of an Indigenous Medicine Wheel. You can see the four concrete ‘paths’ that divide the wheel into four sections. I have never noticed this garden before and it is unfortunate that the first time was late in the autumn when nothing was growing. I will come back in the spring and/or summer to take a closer look. Apparently it is part of a project, just one of many heart gardens across the country.

below: Walmer Road street sign. Most of these green Annex signs have faded over time and it is rare now to find one in good shape like this one.

As I type this, there is still snow falling from the sky, the tail end (I hope!) of the latest snow fall. .. so you can expect some snowier pictures in the near future!

Heritage Trail, mural 8

Posted: July 7, 2017 in graffiti and street art, history, memorials, public art
Tags: Alexandra Hood, burying ground, cemetery, church, grave makers, graveyard, Highland Creek, historic, John Hood, Jordan Post, Melinda Woodruff, monuments, mural, Scarborough, stones, store, tombstones, Wesleyan Methodist, William Tredway, winter scene, Zeb Salmaniw

Sometimes when you search for one thing you find another.

The other day I posted pictures of the Cliffside murals in Scarborough. When researching, them I discovered that there are other murals in Scarborough thanks to Mural Routes. Of course, I had to go exploring!

Murals are often in parking lots or in alleys. Last weekend I found one in a cemetery. “Building the Addition to the Wesley Methodist Chapel, Highland Creek, Winter 1867” is on the side of a building that abuts the Wesleyan Methodist cemetery on the east end of Old Kingston Road.

below: Most of the mural. Design and artwork by John Hood , assisted by Alexandra Hood and Zeb Salmaniw, 1994. There is a small portion of the mural missing in this picture. On the right is a panel that tells the story of the mural.

This is what the words say:

The following is an extract from the ‘The Christian Guardian’, a Methodist newspaper:
Your numerous readers will be glad to hear of the success of the Wesleyan Methodist Church at the Highland Creek, on the Scarboro’ Circuit. The above church was found to be entirely too small for the accommodation of its increasing congregation. The friends therefore decided to put an addition to the church 18 feet by 24 feet. It was re-opened and dedicated to God by divine service last Sabbath…” Wm. Tredway, Scarboro Dec 20, 1867
This mural depicts this event as it may have appeared from the northeast corner of this cemetery, looking southwest, across Old Kingston Road in mid November of 1867.

below: The William Tredway mentioned on the mural opened his first general store at the corner of Eglinton Ave & Kingston Rd. In 1865 he sold it and started over with a store on Old Kingston Road at Morrish Road. It is this second store that is shown in the mural. Tredway sold that store in 1878 to devote himself to politics as well as a career as a Justice of the Peace.

below: The bronze plaque near the entrance to the cemetery.

bronze plaque on a stone wall in the Wesleyan cemetery on Old Kingston Road, Highland Creek, Scarborough

“This Highland Creek burying ground dates back to the reign of George III prior to 1800. On this site stood Wesleyan Methodist Church 1865-1891 merged with Bible Christian Methodist Church 1863-1891 which became Centennial Methodist in 1891 and later Centennial United Church 1925, plaque erected 1967, Centennial of Canada’s Confederation by Centennial United Church of Canada and Wesleyan Cemetery Board. “

The cemetery consists of a 1/2 acre plot. Back in 1834 it was part of 500 acres that was acquired by Jordan and Melinda Post in trade for their 15 acres at King & Yonge. Some of the stones predate 1834 and as mentioned on the plaque, there was a burying ground here before 1800. The oldest stone might be that for William Pearce, son of John and Susan who died 18 Aug 1813 at age 11 years & 5 months. Local legend says it became a burial ground when a passenger on a passing stage coach died there.

Jordan Post (1767-1845) and his wife Melinda (nee Woodruff, abt 1780-1838) were both born in Connecticut but were married in York (Toronto) in 1804. Jordan was a watch maker and when he arrived in York in 1802 he was the first watch maker in the town. He had other businesses as well but he probably made most of his money speculating in land. In 1834 he moved to Scarborough township, to the location of this cemetery, where he built a sawmill. Both Jordan and Melinda are buried here along with an unknown number of others, including other Posts and Woodruffs. There are stones for 76 people including Ann (d. 1903) and Edward Littlejohns (d. 1887) pictured above.

below: An interesting juxtaposition – The real monument on the left is for Edith, infant daughter of Henry and Eleanor Lanktree, died 26 Sept 1872 at age 16 months. The bottom part of other stone also mentions Henry and Eleanor Lanktree but I can’t read the inscription on the top part.

The church is no longer there. It once stood next to the location of the mural with the cemetery around it. Today the cemetery is maintained by the community.

Queen Victoria and the boys

Posted: April 17, 2017 in history, locations, memorials
Tags: George Brown, Hamilton MacCarthy, John Graves Simcoe, John Sandfield Macdonald, Legislative Assembly, Mario Riggi, Ontario, politics, provincial politicians, Queen Victoria, Queens Park, Sir James Whitney, Sir John A. Macdonald, Sir Oliver Mowat, statues, Walter Allward, William Lyon Mackenzie

subtitle: Hanging out in front of Queen’s Park

There is a collection of statues in the front of Queen’s Park. With the exception of the statue of Queen Victoria, they are of men who helped shape Toronto, Ontario, and Canada in the early years. I was going to spend some time writing about what each person did but this post started to become very dull. I don’t mean to diminish the accomplishments of these men, but reading a summary of their lives isn’t the most interesting way to spend time. If you want to learn more about any of them, I’m sure you can find much more information online!

First, the monarch. Queen Victoria. She was born in 1819 (almost 200 years ago!) and became Queen in 1837 when just 18 years old. She reigned for more than sixty years until her death in January of 1901. Her husband, and father of her 9 children, was her first cousin Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. The fact that her statue’s here is no surprise. Queen’s Park was named in her honour after all – it was opened by her son Edward in 1860. The statue though didn’t appear here until 1902, after her death. It was designed by Mario Riggi.

Also in the front of the parliament buildings are the statues of six other historical figures: Sir John A. Macdonald, John Graves Simcoe, Sir Oliver Mowat, George Brown, John Sandfield Macdonald, William Lyon Mackenzie, and Sir James Whitney. Most people would recognize Sir John A. Macdonald as the first Prime Minister of Canada and some Torontonians might be familiar with the contributions of Mr. Simcoe to their history, but the other four men, who are they?

Let’s start with John Sandfield Macdonald (no relation to Sir John A. ) He was born in Glengarry County Upper Canada in 1812. He was the first Prime Minister (Premier) of Ontario, starting with Confederation and the formation of the province of Ontario on 1st July 1867. He held that position until 1871. The sculpture is by Walter Allward, 1909.

Next, Sir Oliver Mowat . He was born in Kingston Ontario in 1820. In 1840 he moved to Toronto to study law but in 1857 he was elected a Liberal member of the Legislature of the Province of Canada. He held various government positions at both the provincial and federal levels up until his death in 1903. He took part in the Quebec Conference of 1864 which led to Confederation in 1867. He was the third Prime Minister (Premier) of Ontario after John Sandfield Macdonald and Edward Blake (who was leader for less than a year and has no statue). He led from 1872 to 1896. During his almost 24 years as leader of the Ontario Legislature he introduced the secret ballot in elections and extended suffrage beyond property owners. He also created the municipal level of government. Between 1897 and his death he was a Senator and then the Lieutenant-Governor of Ontario. This monument was unveiled in 1905 and was also designed by Walter Allward.

below: Sir James Whitney was a member of the Ontario Legislative Assembly from 1888 until his death in 1914. For the later part of those years he was the Premier of Ontario – he was elected four times as Premier. The statue was sculpted by Hamilton MacCarthy and was unveiled in 1927

I’ve also included William Lyon Mackenzie (1795-1861) with this group of men even though his statue is more to the west of the parliament buildings than in front of them. He was the first mayor of Toronto (1834) although he was only mayor for a year. He was also a leader of the Upper Canada Rebellion in 1837.

below: The oldest man of the lot is John Graves Simcoe (1752-1806), founder of the city of Toronto, the designer of Yonge Street, and one busy man in his time.

And last, the most well known of the men, Sir John A. Macdonald, first Prime Minister of Canada.

back on the streets again

Posted: February 16, 2017 in general Toronto, history, memorials, old buildings, people, windows and walls
Tags: alphabet, banner, beams, Bettys, brick wall, cars, coca cola sign, construction, Dieu et mon droit, doors, Full Circle, ghost outline, graffiti, homeless, James Beaty, King St., letters, lights, lion, magnet, motto, Pacific Junction Hotel, people, Peter von Tiesenhausen, puddle, reflections, relief sculpture, snow, snowman, statue, stencil, streets, trees, windows, words

Another reason why I haven’t posted recently? I’ve been sick. Icky sick; can’t get out of bed sick. This morning was the first time that I’ve walked Toronto streets in many, many days.

It was a beautiful blue sky morning but I made a mistake and stopped for coffee first. Clouds rolled in and we were back to greyness by the end of the first mug. Argh. Maybe back inside for a secong mug?

In the end I’m glad I got my momentum back. I walked streets I’ve walked many times before but I walked it with a long lens in hand. I started searching for details that I’ve missed before as well as shots that are easier (and sneakier!) with a lens zoomed out to the max.

In no particular order….

below: The front of Betty’s on King street. These magnets have been here for a while now although their numbers may have magnified. In hindsight, I should have gone over and written something like, “Hi my name is Joe and I’m the Prime Minister of Canada”.

below: The bright colours of this exposed wall caught my eye. It’s been revealed because of the demolition of a building at Victoria and Lombard and I suspect that it will get covered up again in the near future.

below: This is a closer view of the men in the photo above. I hadn’t purposely taken their picture but I like the portrait look of the picture. A kind of Mike Rowe’s ‘Dirty Jobs’ image comes to mind.

below: Banner for the Pacific Junction Hotel.

below: Drink Coca-cola

below: Sitting together in silence. Black and white. Alive and not alive.
Both aren’t moving and both don’t see me.

below: I have always been intrigued by these vertical windows at St. James Cathedral, especially with the winter trees in front of them. I’ve taken pictures here before but none have been satisfactory. This one is certainly not perfect but the sense of scale that the woman provides is a big help.

below: These two small ionic-ish columns help support an archway over the door.

below: A bit of a rant. At one point did it become acceptable for people to be sleeping on the sidewalks? How did we learn to walk past? When someone walks past a person sleeping in the middle of the sidewalk, what thoughts go through their head? Is there a solution? Or is so normal now that we don’t consider it a problem? This man was right in the middle, there was no easy way to avoid him, but avoid him we did.

below: Trying to cross King Street.

below: An exposed support beam, two wood planks on end sandwiched between steel I beams.

below: High on a brick wall he suffers in anguish as the pigeons keep pooping on him.

below: A bit of a cliche. Walking the dogs in the park on a winter day.

below: The Christmas lights are still wrapped around the trees in St. James Park.

below: Two mis-matched windows side by side. Old brick, rusty metal.

below: Above 10 Toronto Street is this royal coat of arms of the United Kingdom. The unicorn represents Scotland and in the royal coat of arms for Scotland, the lion and the unicorn are reversed. You’ll also noticed that the unicorn is chained. Apparently this is because in legend, the unicorn is a dangerous beast. I’m not sure what this says about Scotland! The words on the banner below the lion and the unicorn say “Dieu et Mon Droit” (= God and My Right). The words around the middle circle say “Honi soit qui mal y pense”. This is the motto of the Order of the Garter and it translates to ‘shame upon him who thinks evil of it’.

below: This is the building that used to house Starbucks on King Street near George Brown College. Many months (more than a year) ago there was a fire in the building and Starbucks closed down. The windows and doors were boarded up and then nothing happened. That looks like the makings of scaffolding lying on the sidewalk so maybe some renovation work is about to begin.

below: A ghost building outline.

below: An octopus runs up the stairs. Or would it slither?

below: Passing by the five faceless naked men who silently and stoically watch over the intersection of Queen and Victoria. A sculpture “Full Circle” by Peter von Tiesenhausen.

below: I also met James Beaty this morning. He too stands silently but he is tucked away in a dull and quiet corner so he doesn’t get much to look at. The original James Beaty was born in Ireland 1798 and came to Canada as young man. He was a leather merchant, he established the newspaper ‘Toronto Leader’ in 1852, and in 1867 he became a federal politician.

below: Any idea what this might be? Dancing figure?

below: It was a puddle jumping, slushy kind of day. I’m sure that there are lots more of those ahead!

below: There are always more paths to walk and more chances to see what’s around around the next corner and through the gate!

kids and soldiers

Posted: January 16, 2017 in memorials, public art
Tags: Bay St., bronze, Canadian, children, city hall, downtown, Italian, Italy, Ken Lum, liberate, memorial, Ortona, sculptures, seated, sitting, soldiers, statues, war, WW2

Sculptures by Ken Lum.

I was walking up Bay Street yesterday when I stopped. Out of the corner of my eye I had caught a glimpse of a sculpture that I had never seen before. It is ‘Two Children of Toronto’ by Ken Lum, 2013.

Two children, a boy and a girl, sit opposite each other, some distance between them.

What you can’t see in the above picture is that there are words in bronze mounted on the wall. The words say: “Across time and space, two children of Toronto meet”. The two kids are looking towards each but not each other.

below: Both children are wearing clothes from bygone days.

below: But the boy’s clothes are more Chinese looking.

After my walk the other day, I started researching Ken Lum. I discovered that he has another sculpture nearby, and fortuitously, it was one that I took some pictures of back in December. It is “Peace Through Valour” located at the NW corner of City Hall property. Winston Churchill is standing close by.

It commemorates the 93,000 Canadians who fought in the Italian campaign of WW2 and was dedicated in June 2016. A Canadian soldier stands vigil at each corner of the memorial. The top of the 7 foot x 7 foot square is a topographical map of Ortona, a town in Italy that was a scene of a battle at Christmas time in 1943. Ortona is on the Adriatic coast and its streets were narrow which made it difficult for Allied forces to liberate the town from Nazi Germany.

Money for the sculpture was donated by the Italian-Canadian community.

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!

four women

Posted: May 8, 2016 in history, memorials, public art
Tags: bronze, bust, Edith Clavell, Florence Wyle, Frances Loring, history, Mary Pickford, memorial, nurses, plaque, sculpture, WW1

Happy Mothers Day!

I didn’t write this blog post specifically for Mothers Day even though it’s about four women, Mary Pickford, Edith Cavell, Florence Wyle, and Frances Loring. Just because they are women doesn’t mean that they are mothers, in fact only one is. Mary Pickford adopted two children. I also didn’t intend to write a blog post on the merits of motherhood vs childlessness so I am going to say nothing further on the subject!

The first woman can be found at the corner of University and Elm. Here, there is a a bronze portrait bust of Mary Pickford that was sculpted by Eino Gira in 1983.

The plaque beside her says:

Born in 1893 in a house which stood near this site, Gladys Marie Smith appeared on stage in Toronto at the age of five. Her theatrical career took her to Broadway in 1907 where she adopted the name Mary Pickford. The actress’s earliest film “Her First Biscuits”, was released by the Biograph Company in 1909 and she soon established herself as the international cinema’s first great star. Her golden curls and children’s roles endeared her to millions as “America’s Sweatheart”. She was instrumental in founding and directing a major film production company and starred in over fifty feature-length films including “Hearts Adrift”, “Pollyanna” and “Coquette”. For the last named film she received the 1929 Academy Award as the year’s best actress.

below: Just up the street, next to one of the entrances of Toronto General Hospital, is a memorial to British nurse Edith Cavell (1865-1915) and to all the Canadian women who served as nurses in WW1. The memorial was installed at University Ave and College St. in 1921 but later moved to its present location.

In memory of Edith Cavell and the Canadian nurses who gave their lives for humanity in the Great War. “In the midst of darkness they saw light”

Cavell had been working in Brussels when WW1 broke out. After the Germans invaded Belgium, Cavell helped wounded Allied soldiers escape to the Netherlands. She was caught by the Germans, charged with treason, and executed on 12 October 1915. She became the most well known woman casualty of WW1.

The above memorial was designed by Florence Wyle. There is a memorial to Wyle and her partner, Frances Loring (also a sculptor), in a small park at the corner of Mt Pleasant and St. Clair.

below: bronze bust of Florence Wyle, by Frances Loring

below: bronze bust of Frances Loring, by Florence Wyle

below: There are a couple of small statues by Wyle in the same park, including this one.
“Young Girl”, about 1938.

Loring and Wyle are responsible for a number of sculptures around the city. Two of these used to be on the Bank of Montreal building at the northwest corner of King and Bay. It was built in 1887 by architects Marani and Morris and demolished in 1968. The building featured a series of sculptures representing the Canadian provinces that were done by a number of artists. Frances Loring sculpted the panels for Ontario and Quebec. When the Bank of Montreal building was demolished, all of the panels were moved to the grounds of the Guild Inn in Scarborough where they remain today.

as I walk Toronto

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