Archive for the ‘transportation’ Category

Union Station and beyond

Posted: August 19, 2023 in construction, locations, people, public art, transportation
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,
1

Welcome back!

one of the statues of Maple Leaf hockey players,

below: Posing with the men of Legends Row

people taking picture

below: The CN Tower peaks out from behind glass buildings on Bremner.

CN Tower peaking out from behind galss buildings on Bremner, reflections in the glass too

below: A slightly different angle, but still looking west on Bremner towards the Rogers Centre, which of course everyone still calls the SkyDome. The very east end of Bremner is also known as Raptors Way in celebration of the Toronto Raptors NBA Championship win in 2019 (that’s basketball for those of you who don’t follow such things).

Bremner street scene, Longos, people, Rogers Centre in the background

below: Maple Leaf Square.  The three rusted metal cones form  “Search Light, Star Light, Spot Light” (1998) by John McEwen.  At night, light shines through the thousand star shaped holes in the metal.

3 large conical structures as public art, with star shaped holes in them, in front of Union Station

below: South entrance to Union Station.

south entrance of Union Station, at Maple Leaf Square, with tall office buildings behind,

below:  More public art with lights can be seen in the foyer at 25 York Street (enter at Union Station in photo above and turn left). Thirty thousand lights suspended from the ceiling and they are constantly changing colour.   This is David Rokeby’s “Pixel Cube”.

 

light art installation suspended from high ceiling, titled pixel cube,

below: If you had turned right instead of left into 25 York,  you would find yourself in the foyer of Scotiabank Arena, home of the Toronto Maple Leafs.  Pictured, larger than life on the wall, are 90 Ryan O’Reilly, 16 Mitch Marner, and 88 William Nylander.

picture on interior wall at one of the entrances to Scotiabank arena, showing portraits of 3 maple leaf hockey players

west entrance to scotiabank arena, interior shot, Canadian flags hanging from ceiling, reflections in polished floor, people,

a family of four with suitcases passes through entrance to Union station from scotiabank arena, with large picture of a Maple Leaf hockey player watching them

below: Russell Peters gives directions?

sign inside Union Station, on a large picture of comedian Russell Peters, directional signs showing York and Bay concourses as well as GO station and TTC

below: Although much of the Union Station renovation is complete, there are still mystery parts behind temporary walls and plastic barriers.

man walking with a cane, inside hallways of union station where there is still construction and renovation going on

people inside union station, at top of escalator for GO regional trains

union station, escalator, upper level with clear railing, advert on pillar

below: The walk from the railway side of the station to the TTC portion is now covered.  No more dodging the elements!

covered space between railway station at union station and entrance to TTC subway

construction and maintenence equipment like a wheelbarrow kept behind a green mesh fence, with danger due to construction signs on it

people walking down exterior stairs, union station

two men outside union station one in black pants, white shirt, and black tie standing and a construction worker in orange and yellow vest sitting on railing with back to camera

below: Construction on Bay Street, immediately north of the railway tracks.

construction of a tall building, steel frame of lower floors completed, tall crane, Bay street

below: A typical day in downtown Toronto?  Construction vehicles caught in the gridlock.

flatbed truck loaded with metal pipes, n Bay street, in traffic, with pedestrians waiting beside the road to cross over

pasteups and sticker graffiti on a red newspaper box with the word free on it

below: Intersection of Bay and Front (that truck is still there!).

a man on a scooter and other traffic at bay and front streets

below: At street level, something is happening with the gold tinted glass windows on the Royal Bank building.  No opportunities to play with reflections in the angled glass walls.   As an aside, if you want to discover how many plainclothes security people are lurking in the area, put your camera over the wall and aim it at the building.  Then smile.

construction zone around the base of the royal bank building at bay and front, a gold tinted glass building

below: Heading north, Bay and Wellington

people crossing wellington street on bay, pedestrians, tall buildings on either side of the street

teo men hugging each other in greeting as another man with bright blue sunglasses and pink shorts walks past

a workman repairs the large wide stairs on bay with passersby looking at him

a man in an orange and yellow work vests rests against a billboard sign for tangerine

a couple walk their bike on king street

Finch West

Posted: July 21, 2023 in construction, public art, transportation
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
0

I have blogged a few times about the new Eglinton LRT/subway line that may or may not ever get finished in our life time.  As well, I have shared some pictures of the construction that is the beginning of the work on the Ontario line through downtown.  But apparently, that’s not all that Metrolinx is up to – I have heard rumours of another LRT line under construction in Toronto, the Finch West line.  So I went to investigate.

below: Waiting on the platform at Finch West subway station.

looking down from above, people sitting on benches on platform at Finch West subway station

Like so many transit projects in the city, the history of the Finch LRT has not followed a straight path.  In 2009 the provincial government announced a new subway/LRT line along Finch from Don Mills to Humber College.  But that promise was shortlived – the eastern end was removed a year later.  Next, mayor Rob Ford cancelled the whole project after taking office at the end of 2010.  City Council reinstated it (the western portion)  in 2012 and construction was to begin in 2015 for a 2020 completion date.  Work began a little later than planned but at least it actually started.  The new LRT line goes from Finch West station at Keele to Humber College, 10.3 kilometres in total.  It’s behind schedule but I don’t think that that surprises anyone.

man with a backpack riding escalator at subway station, going up, reflections in metal sides of the escalator

My walking plan was to take a Finch bus westward along the new route and then walk back….  Traffic, of course, was horrible and by the time we got to hwy 400 I was ready to get off the bus.  It didn’t help that they were repaving parts of Finch Avenue.

traffic and TTC bus on finch as approaching ramp to highway 400 north.

below:  Like many plans, changes had to be made along the way since the sidewalk kept coming to an abrupt end….

Finch avenue, construction new LRT line, sidewalk comes to an end, orange barricades

below: .. and intersections weren’t always easy to navigate.

a man on a motorbike rides past orange barricades at construction site, policeman patrolling the traffic at the intersection, Keele and Finch, LRT construction, stores on other corner of intersection in the background

below: At the eastern end of the new LRT, on the east side of the intersection of Keele and Finch is a new public art installation.  This steel structure is 40 feet high and represents Elia Public School which once stood at this intersection.  It was designed by Brandon Vickerd.  In the photo below, the building behind seems to be another Metrolinx building – that T symbol is on the new LRT stations as well.

new steel public art installation at keele and finch, by Brandon Vickerd, outline of building shape to remember the school that was once there

below: Also at Keele and Finch – there are already two buildings to access the subway.  It seems to suggest that TTC and Metrolinx have structures on three of the four corners of that intersection.  Finch West station is on the section of Line 1 (Yonge-University) that opened late in 2017.  Pictures from those days can be found at “to the end of the line”

Keele street, looking north from Finch, Finch West subway station sign and striped buildings

below: Most of the LRT runs above ground.  In order to provide easy access with the existing subway line, the LRT goes underground just west of Keele.

just west of Keele Street, on Finch, where tracks for new LRT go underground as they approach Finch west subway station, new construction,

below: New LRT trains parked at the new Finch West Maintenance and Storage Facility just west of Jane and Finch.

new LRT trains, black and grey, parked in TTC lot,

below: No one will be able to say that they can’t find the stations along Finch.  This is Driftwood station.

black structures as new lrt station on finch avenue, with apartment buildings behind

a woman in white looks to the other side of the street as she waits for traffic light to turn green, a couple wait on the other side

danger signs, active tracks, on new lrt rail tracks, at Jane and Finch

large sign for Norfinch Shopping Centre, two women on the sidewalk walking past it, KFC,

traffic directional signs, no right turn for large trucks, no left turn,

yellow and orange traffic barricades at construction site, finch avenue west

below: Walking past Norfinch Oakdale station.

to people walking along sidewalk, with orange barricades on both sides, new LRT station to the left, high rise apartments in the background, Finch Avenue west

construction of tracks and station, new lrt on finch

below: Track work at Tobermory station.

two workmen working on new tracks along finch ave lrt route

below: Looking west from Romfield

finch avenue west lrt construction

finch avenue west lrt construction

hidden behind long grass and weeds, an old sign that says congratulations class of 2020

reflections in red hexagonal tiles at finch wst station, along with the green light coming through the green glass on the windows of the station

Moving Toronto

Posted: May 12, 2023 in history, public art, transportation
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , ,
0

…for 100 years.  At the moment there is a selection of old TTC photos on display at Pape subway station in celebration of 100 years of Toronto Transit.

below: Already  lining the walls at Pape Station are images of Pape station itself and the surrounding neighbourhood. This is ‘Sources/Derivations’ by Allan Harding MacKay.   You can see the reflections of one of the old TTC photos in this section of MacKay’s artwork.

reflections of pape station sign, from the artwork on the walls of that station

The TTC posters are at platform level between the westbound and eastbound trains so you can look at them while waiting for a train.

below: First Pride bus, 2008

photo on display at pape subway station, from 2008, first Pride bus at Pride parade in Toronto, a woman in colourful clothes is walking in front of the bus

below: People waiting for the North Yonge bus at Eglinton station, 1950s

old photos of the TTC on display at Pape subway station, black and white photo old North Yonge bus at Eglinton station 1950s with people waiting to get on the bus. A stopped TTC subway car is behind the poster, a man in red is standing by the window

below: Waiting for the subway. “Line 1 customers ride the higher capacity Toronto Rocket (TR) subway train on its 2011 launch. By 2017, Line 1 had grown by 8.6 km.”

A subway train is stopped behind a poster at the station. on the poster is the back of a woman in a black parka with fur lined hood as she in turn is standing by a ttc subway train

below: Two posters, two eras. On the left: “A chartered TTC bus circles outside Rosedale station in 1961 as it awaits passengers.  Only one other station, Davisville, from the original 12 was a surface station.”  On the right: “Rushing to catch a Peter Witt streetcar along its Yonge Street route on a summer day in 1930.

people waiting on the platform of pape station, with posters of history of ttc on display

below: “A TTC car picks up scholars with disabilities outside their school in the 1920s.”  A couple with their COVID masks on sit in front of more images from ‘Sources/Derivations’ by artist Allan Harding MacKay.

an older Asian couple in covid masks sit on a bench at pape station platform, waiting for a train, posters of black and white old ttc photos on display between the tracks

below: “On a warm day in 1994, customers eagerly wait to board an Articulated Light Rail Vehicle streetcar along Queen Street at University Avenue.

platform level of pape subway station, woman on phone, artwork on walls by MacKay, poster of old TTC streetcar

reflections of building on Danforth ear Pape, tower with green domed roof, from the artwork on the walls of that station

swirling around the Science Centre

Posted: April 30, 2023 in construction, landmarks, locations, transportation
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , ,
2

 

Ontario Science centre from the south

Rumours swirling that is…. because the Ontario Science Centre has been in the news lately.  Doug Ford (and the Provincial PC’s) have said that they are going to move it from its Don Mills and Eglinton location to Ontario Place down by the Exhibition Grounds.  What then becomes of the Science Centre LRT station?  It hasn’t even opened yet and its already obsolete?  And needs a new name?  …..that’s assuming that the Eglinton Crosstown LRT ever gets done.  But hush, no one is talking about that, that’s a secret……

below: Behind fences, the new Science Centre LRT station and transit hub remains unfinished.  It is a very quiet construction site.  Not a soul to be seen.

metal construction fence in front of the science centre lrt station that is being built at Don Mills and Eglinton,

One of the arguments for moving the Science Centre is to open up the land for housing.  Let’s ring some bells and say ‘housing’.   Who can oppose housing, right?

below: This is southeast corner of Don Mills and Eglinton where a development notice stands.  Apparently two towers are planned for this location – 26 and 48 storeys high. (The Science Centre is on the west side of Don Mills Road).

In fact, on the east side of Don Mills Road, south of Eglinton (i.e. across the street from the Science Centre), there are two other properties with development notice signs.

brick townhouse row with a blue and white development notice in front, Don Mills Road, St. Dennis Drive

Four new towers, as infill, have been proposed for these sites.

brick highrise apartment building on Don Mills Road with development notice sign in front of it

AND

What is now the upper parking lot for the Science Centre is already on the books as new housing.  This is at the southwest corner of Don Mills and Eglinton.   The sign may have been flattened but that doesn’t make the plan disappear!

blue and white development notice sign lying on the ground in the shade under some trees, trash around it

below: Blocked sidewalk on the south side of Eglinton, upper parking lot is on the left side in the picture

orange signs on sidewalk saying sidewalk closed ahead

below: View looking south from the upper parking lot towards the Science Centre

view from upper parking lot of science centre which is empty, past line of tall evergreens, to lower parking lot and buildings

green exit sign with an arrow pointing to the right on which someone has written there's no, sign now says there's no exit

AND (Yes, there’s more)

There is a 60 acre development on the northwest corner of Don Mills and Eglinton (the old IBM/Celestica site) that is in the midst of being transformed into the Crosstown neighbourhood.

new construction at Aspenridge crosstown development

below:  This is a picture that I found (and have blatantly swiped from) on an Urban Toronto web page – It shows the development and infill at Flemingdon Park  among the existing structures. The planned buildings are slightly transparent – perhaps 14 of them?? (and that doesn’t include all of Crosstown)  The Science Centre is bottom centre.

image taken from urban toronto site showing development at Don Mills an Eglinton

So which developer whispered sweet nothings in Doug Ford’s ear?

Who thought that moving the Science Centre was a good idea?

Who owns the land now? Did you know that 81 acres of the land that the Science Centre is on is owned by the TRCA?  That’s the Toronto Regional Conservation Authority.  The rest of the land (a tiny sliver along Eglinton & Don Mills) is owned by the city of Toronto.  TRCA  and the City of Toronto jointly leased the property to the Ontario Science Centre for a 99-year term, expiring on June 30, 2064.

The TRCA owns the land because of the terrain – steep slopes, ravines, and waterways – i.e. not land suitable for housing.  Doug Ford’s announcement came as a surprise to the TRCA – but does that surprise anyone?

below: Another image that I found online that describes the area better than any words that I could write.  This is a map of the area showing who owns what.  Source: TRCA website

map of Don Mills and Eglinton showing ownership of the land by TRCA and city of toronto

BUT

What else is happening here?

The new subway/LRT line, the Ontario Line, Doug Ford’s favorite line, is also being built here.  It is the transit line that runs south from the Science Centre to close to the lakeshore before turning west through downtown (Queen Street closed for 4 years for construction!!) and ending at Ontario Place.

Work has already started in the ravine south of the Science Centre where there will be stops for both Flemingdon Park and Thorncliffe Park.  The whole north section of the Ontario Line will be elevated.  Between the Science Centre and Flemingdon stations it will run above the street and sidewalk (Don Mills Rd).  At some point between Flemingdon and Thorncliffe Park there will have to be a bridge over the West Don River.

pink sign on construction fence in park that is for Ontario line, transit construction

signs around a construction site, ravine erosion mitigation work, as well as drilling for new subway line

below: Where the Science Centre meets the West Don Trail

two men walk across the grass where the West Don Trail meets the Science Centre south entrance, spring, green grass, some buds on trees

Some other photos from the area

science centre exterior

view from entrance of science centre, curved outdoor stairs, apartment building in background

below: The Science Centre has interesting trash bins on its grounds.  Maybe they could teach the city a thing or two?

trash bin, metal, with colourful picture on the side

Ontario Science Centre banner on a pole on Don Mills Road with traffic and larger buildings in the background

below: West side of Don Mills Road

west side of Don Mills Road at Eglinton, new glass covered building on north side is partially completed, new science centre station entrance behind metal fence on south side

below: The southwest entrance to the Science Centre station from another angle

new entrance to Science Centre LRT station at Eglinton and Don Mills

below: Looking west on Eglinton towards Don Mills

looking east on Eglinton Ave towards Don Mills Road and new science centre station on the south side

below: Walking home after school

a small group of boys walking along the grass beside Eglinton Ave on the east side of Don Mills

It was four years ago that demolition of the old IBM buildings began.  On the surface it doesn’t look like much is happening.

fence, dirt, and weeds in front of crosstown redevelopment

construction site, steel girders slightly rusted upright into the ground, some water puddles, sand and dirt, start of a new street

construction site

Crosstown neighbourhood construction site

people waiting for traffic light to turn green at corner of Don Mills and Eglinton, two young women and an Asian woman with a black and white umbrella

Out of Service.  Nothing happening here.

sign that says out of service

Sorry, but I have a few more questions and comments about this thing I encountered at Don Mills & Eglinton ….

What is this?  A phallic rock in a concrete circle …. or Doug Ford giving the city the finger?  To those who design and build public art (if that’s what it is)…. that concrete circle is just a large garbage can.  It will collect trash.  It will fill with rain water.  It will be an unsightly mess.  It’s too low for a bench and it blocks the sidewalk.  There’s no sign and no explanation.  I can’t find anything about it online either.

a rock pillar stands upright, in the center of a concrete circle

prospects on Lawrence East

Posted: April 28, 2023 in intersections, locations, stores, transportation
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
2

Lawrence Avenue East between Victoria Park and Warden Avenues is a fairly typical Scarborough “thoroughfare” street, or arterial road.   It has seven lanes of traffic and is lined mostly by strip malls set back from the street to accommodate parking lots in front.  It is designed for cars.   Also typical of Scarborough are the many different ethnic restaurants and shops.  I decided to walk these few blocks after I heard about  The Lawrence Prospect which is a group advocating changes to this stretch of Lawrence Avenue…  Changes like dedicated bus lanes and bike lanes as well as sidewalk improvements to increase pedestrian safety. They are promoting the idea of a “complete street” which simply means that the street works for all users, not just for cars.

below: This stretch of Lawrence lies in the Wexford Heights neighbourhood

large black planter beside sidewalk with faded red ribbon, winter greenery pine and a wexford heights sign

below: The wavy roof over the entrance is a throwback to the late 1960s and 1970s when there was a lot of development in the area.  It was an era when the car ruled.  Land was cheaper and more abundant.  Strip malls and ‘plazas’ were popular.

front of an apartment building, with entrance, from the 1970s, with wavy roof over the entrance

Like many areas of Scarborough (and Toronto for that matter), it is very multicultural.  You can find a cast array of different ethnic restaurants and stores here.

Lawrence Avenue East

below: Weekend breakfast, Halwa Puri, Butter Chucken, Lunch Special, and Family Deal with tandoori chicken!

restaurant advertisement sign in parking lot on Lawrence East, for Ammi's Restaurant

below: Ibrahim BBQ Shawarma, halal, with Iraqi kabab and Shawarma wraps, 2 for 1!

Ibrahim BBQ and Shawarma restaurant window with pictures of items on the menu

below: Very few remnants of a much slower and sleepier past remain.  Little white picket fences are rare!

old low beat up white picket fence between parking lot and low rise apartment building

large billboard type sign in parking lot in front of strip mall, for Sequioa Lounge, Alzahraa halal grocer, and Shawarma Brothers,

below: Part of the impetus for the Prospect project was the fact that some street work was going to be completed here this spring/summer.  Why do a partial job only to have to redo it a year or two in the future?  As of today (28April) there is no construction happening here.  The only sign of work is at the corner of Lawrence and Warden where the sidewalk was widened.

metal construction fence around a newly widened sidewalk with bus shelter in the middle

spray paint marks on sidewalk in orange, yellow, pink, and white, marking different utility lines or construction points, sidewalk

Bike lanes on Lawrence Avenue from Victoria Park all the way to Rouge Hill (16.2km) were approved in 2008 but were never built.

speed bump ahead sign by parking lot of Tim Hortons, also a no trespassing sign

below: The Moon Lounge with its neighbours – Mayfair Drapery & Rug below with Tru Belle on top – skincare, hair care (pink!), and body sculpting advertised.

two storey store front on Lawrence with lowrise apartment building in the background

below: Unloading can, bags, and boxes

men unloading bags and boxes of groceries to an Asian, Indian, food store

below: Window of Top Gun Burger

looking in window of top gun steak and burger restaurant, logo is a tank with the bod of the tank is a hamburger

parking lot, strip mall, and newer condo building on Lawrence

below: Lawrence East is served by TTC route 54.  It runs east from Eglinton station (at Yonge) to Leslie Street, north on Leslie, then east on Lawrence.  The route ends at Starspray Blvd – you’ve probably never heard of it but it’s on the waterfront just before the Rouge River.  That’s a distance of almost 28 km.

2 TTC buses on Lawrence, a school bus parked beside,

view of lawrence avenue east as seen through a bus shelter

below: Greetings for Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, during which Muslims fast during daylight hours (among other things).  This year it was observed between 22 March and 20 April.

Ramadan Mubarak sign on lawn of restaurant

below: The planet is in our hands

painted Bell box on a sidewalk, a woman in yellow dress has her hands up in the air, holding onto the Earth with the text the planet is on our hands

below: Precious Blood Roman Catholic Church

Roman Catholic Church on Lawrence,

below: Looking west at Pharmacy with a Seniors crossing sign.

intersection of Pharmacy and Lawrence Ave East, yellow and black seniors sign,

below: Do any drivers notice these signs?  What are they supposed to mean?

yellow Senior Citizens centre sign beside yellow and blue wrapped pole

below: Wedged between the UPS store and Tim Hortons drive thru are these murals by Ian Leventhal. (NW corner Warden & Lawrence)

On the side of the UPS store, and beside Tim Hortons drive through, there are two murals on a wall

below: Moovattuphuza is a town in Kerala India.

Man's portrait on mural with route that he took from India, Moovattuphuza, Canada, Wexford

below: Diana is holding a large fish and is pictured beside a fishing village in Greece.

mural on a wall beside a tim hortons drive through

below: Nearby (SE corner of Warden & Lawrence) is Tony’s portrait.

Man's portrait, Tony, on a mural along with picture of a village in Greece, words, Greece, Canada, Danforth, Wexford,

below: Modernnisa women’s clothing store – evening gowns, kaftans, abaya, and hijabs

window and front wall of Modernnisa women's clothing store with floor length dresses and head scarves

below: “Dear Toronto, We’re just getting started, Love Scarborough”.  It’s an ad campaign for Scarborough Hospitals that is appearing in bus shelters.  Along with the play on the “Love Scarborough” phrase there is a sense that maybe Scarborough’s time has come.    In 2017 Catherine Hernandez’s novel “Scarborough was published; it has since been adapted into a movie.  The movie was shot primarily in Scarborough and premiered at TIFF in Sept 2021.

advertisement in a bus shelter for Scarborough Hospital, photo of a black man in scrubs, with text that says dear toronto, we're just getting started, love scarborough

used cars with no licence plates in a lot on Lawrence

below: Multicultural yet very Canadian.

cars for sale with Canadian flag licence plates on front,

below: Nigeria Palace, Bamar Biryani and Kabob, Luxmy Restaurant

businesses in two storey pale grey brick strip mall

below: Northwest corner of Warden & Lawrence

parking lot

There was one thing missing here – I didn’t see one single blue and white City of Toronto development notice sign!  Nada!

purple bin to donate clothing, broken sign, puddle in cracked pavement, street in the background, trees with no leaves

below: There is no construction happening here – left over from a previous job?

bent orange and black construction zone sign, on a hydro pole on Lawrence, also a yellow and blue slava Ukraine pole wrapper

raining, people walking past front of TTC bus

Osgoode trees

Posted: December 1, 2022 in construction, nature, old buildings, transportation
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
2

Welcome to Osgoode subway station.

young woman in short coat, boots, and a reddish handbag stands on the osgoode subway station platform

It’s not the busiest station on the University Line but changes are in the works.  It is going to become one of the transfer stations with the new Ontario Line.  This line will cross downtown underground with stations at: Corktown, Moss Park, Queen, Osgoode, Queen/Spadina, and King/Bathurst.

Osgoode subway platform

When the University Line was built in 1966, Osgoode station was yellow with greenish accents.

section of wall at osgoode subway station, original yellow tiles have been revealed when part of new white cladding was removed

Like other University Line station, it is nondescript and built with the minimum of fuss.

escalator from platform level at osgoode ttc subway station, yellow and green tiles on the walls

One could say the bare minimum

tunnel to an exit at Osgoode station, green tiles on walls, grey institutional flooring, overhead lights, exit sign at the end of the tunnel

One of the only extras that have been added to the station recently is direct access to the  Four Seasons Centre on the southeast corner.

stairs connecting osgoode subway station with Four Seasons centre

The other three corners of the University and Queen West intersection have stairwells on the sidewalks that connect to Osgoode station.   But…. I didn’t really mean to dwell on the station itself….

below: Canada Trust building on University Avenue
Canada Trust building on the west side of University Ave., just north of Queen, people crossing University Ave at the intersection, rainy day

I came here to document the intersection as it is now, pre-Ontario Line construction (and years of disruption!)

below: Looking north up University Avenue from Queen, east side of University (including the present subway entrance on the sidewalk – close to where the pedestrians are in the photo).

looking north up University Avenue, east side, from Queen, Osgoode law school with green grass and trees in front, surrounded by black wrought iron fence

Behind the black wrought iron fence is the former Osgoode Law School (for which the subway is named).  There is public access to the grounds and it is an oasis of green and shade in the summer time.  Green ribbons have been tied around the large trees.

trees in a park, late autumn, early winter, green ribbons are tied around the large trees

… and at least one tree has been tagged as an historic tree.

a large tree trunk with a gold ribbon and green tag on it. Tag says historic tree

Metrolinx wants to build another subway entrance here.  Apparently a third-party independent review of alternative station designs is in the process but hasn’t been completed yet.  Metrolinx decided that in the meantime they’d cut down the trees on the 5th of December (this coming week) anyhow.    If you want to see one of the ideas for the plan, there are artist’s renderings on their website:   The Ontario Line – Neighbourhood Updates – Downtown – Osgoode Station.  As usual, what is pictured now is never guaranteed to be the end product!

The Law Society of Ontario is the custodian of this greenspace and they have formally objected to Metrolinx trying to short-circuit the process.

green space in front of Osgoode Hall, trees, grass, tall buildings in the background (looking south)

Yet another location to keep an eye on!

opened! – the first new Port Lands bridge

Posted: October 7, 2022 in construction, locations, transportation, waterfront
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
0

The middle of three new bridges built for the Port Lands redevelopment has just been opened to traffic.

looking north up cherry street through new yellow and white curvy bridge

The bridge may be open to traffic, but the area is still a construction zone!

Eventually Cherry Street will be realigned so that there is no jog in it at Lakeshore.    At this point in time, the south part of the realignment is closer to completion.  This is where the new bridge is.

Commissioners Street has been extended westward to join the new segment of Cherry Street.

 below: This is the east intersection of Commissioners and Cherry (looking east).  Yes, it’s a mess!  There are traffic signals even though only two of the four approaches are open.  If you are traveling south on Cherry, you have to turn right onto Commissioners.

cherry street and commissioners street intersection, canary diner restaurant, construction, port lands redevelopment

below: Same intersection, looking west.

intersection of Cherry and Commissioners street, construction, police watching over, trucks in intersection, new traffic signals

below: New part of Commissioners Street

construction along the west end of Commissioners street in the port lands, with the toronto skyline in the background

below: The west part of Commissioners ends here

dead end street, Commissioners street, west end, fence and no entry signs, traffic lights

below: If you stand in the same place as the above photo but turn to your right, this is the view that you see.  This is the new part of Cherry Street being realigned to match the section north of Lakeshore Blvd.  The new bridges over the Keating Channel are in place but there is still a lot to be done before this part of Cherry Street can be opened.

Glooking north where the new part part of Cherry Street is being built, new double bridge to go over the Keating channel as well as condos in Distillery District are in the background

below:  Looking south… It is the middle bridge that has been opened to traffic first.  It is located approximately where the T ‘n T grocery store used to be.  An interesting line of large boulders!

new Cherry Street bridge with its yellow curved lines, large rocks in the dirt in the foreground, construction still in progress

below: This is the view from the new bridge looking west.  The large white crane structure predates the construction.  The channel has always been here as it provides water/ship access to the Lafarge cement site on the south side of the waterway.  What is new is that the channel is being extended eastward to join the mouth of the Don River.

view from the Cherry Street bridge new bridge, towards Lake Ontario, Toronto skyline in the background, construction equipment in the foreground for the redevelopment of the Port Lands

below: Traveling northbound

a cement truck and a ttc bus on Cherry street on the new bridge

two cyclists pass over the new Cherry Street bridge in the bike lane

below: Looking east from the bridge.   Pinewood studios in the background on the right.

looking east from port lands yellow bridge, overlooking construction in port lands

below: Another view to the east but slightly more south.  This time Pinewood Studios is more to the left in the photo.   A pedestrian bridge is already built to span the new water channel that is under construction.

port lands redevelopment, noew pedestrian bridge over new water channel that is being created

temporary pole with pedestrian crossing light at an intersection in a construction zone, a cyclist is passing through, new port Lands bridge in the background

below: Looking north up Cherry Street towards the Distillery District.  The old, and now closed part, of the street is being torn up.  The new street and bridge are to the left in this photo.

port lands construction site, starting to tear up the old part of Cherry Street, distillery district condos in the background

port lands construction site, starting to tear up the old part of Cherry Street, distillery district condos in the background

big yellow machinery digging up the asphalt from an old road and placing it in a dump truck

a man in a red shirt walks two dogs on the sidewalk along Cherry street, towards construction and the new bridge, TTC bus in the oncoming lane of traffic

orange construction sign that says be prepared to stop, haul trucks entering and exiting, with construction, and a large dump truck beside and behind the sign

below: To the south, the lift bridge on Cherry Street is being refurbished but not replaced.  This part of Cherry Street is not being moved.

looking south at Cherry Street to lift bridge that is being refurbished

in the early morning sun, stairs in the sunlight beside a bridge, going down to the water, an old building and its reflections behind

a summer day, a city meander

Posted: September 13, 2022 in construction, people, transportation, waterfront
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
0

Another day, another walk through the city starting at the Distillery District and heading west towards the waterfront and downtown Toronto.

below: Posing under the heart, Distillery District.

a woman and child posing under bright red heart installation at the Distillery District while a man takes their picture, also a line of tree shapes painted white, then painted with colourful pictures on parts of them,

below: Posing with the LOVE locks.

4 young women pose for a group shot beside the love word made from locks in the distillery district

below: Flowered Dress Madonna” by Ann Agee, 2021 as seen in the Corkin Gallery in the Distillery District.

small mother and child sculpture by Ann Agee called flowered drress Madonna, made in 2021

below: Looking east on Front Street from Berkeley. Police Division is the old brick building. Both sides of Front are lined with black hoardings as redevelopment of those sites started recently.

intersection of Berkeley and Front, looking east on Front towards police station in old building, black hoardings for construction sites on both sides of Front Street

below: Berkeley St., south of Front

a young man walking his white dog along the sidewalk, past black painted plywood hoardings around a construction site, Berkely Street

below: Another hole in the wall; another vacant lot waiting for redevelopment on Parliament Street. More tall buildings coming to the Distillery District.

an old door in a concrete block wall, now open to hole in the ground vacant lot waiting redevelopment

below: Looking south from the end of Parliament Street and across Lakeshore Blvd to the start of Queens Quay East. Many changes here!

looking south under Gardiner Expressway across Lakeshore Blvd at the end of Parliment where it turns into Queens Quay East

below: The CN Tower peaks through the gap created by one of the onramps for the Gardiner Expressway.

the CN Tower peaks through a gap in the Gardiner Expressway where an on ramp is

below: No Parkin’, Victory Soya Mills in the background

Victory Solya Mills in the background, construction in the foreground, a large yellow crane, a cement barricade spray painted with words no parking

the back ends of two tour boats with Canadian flags flying, end to end, with new condo developments seen across the water

below: Looking east towards the Port Lands redevelopment.  The new Cherry Street bridge is in the background.

waterfront, by Victory Mills silos, looking east towards new Cherry street bridge and portlands redevelopment

below: From the same spot on the waterfront as the above picture, but looking in the other direction.

yellow tent along the waterfront

below: Queens Quay East

looking west on Queens Quay East, construction in the foreground,

below: Relaxing by the lake.

sitting by the waterfront, a man in a yellow Muskoka chair, and a woman in an electric wheelchair, both facing the water

a person resting on wood bench in front of George Brown College on the waterfront, head on backpack, other people walking in the distance

below: Sugar Beach, spectator section, in the shade.

two men sitting on a bench beside water fountain sprayers at Sugar Beach, umbrellas, sand, and Redpath Sugar in the background

sugar beach, a man sun bathing on the sand, another person in Muskoka chair, green ship docked at Redpath Sugar, pink umbrellas,

below: On the rocks, Sugar Beach

two men sit on the rock at Sugar Beach, with green sugar ship docked at Redpath sugar, city skyline behind

below: I am not sure who this is or why he’s on the waterfront.  He’s made of wood – someone constructed him and left him here.

black and white wood cut out, upright of a man with no eyes or nose, white uniform, from waist up, standing on waterfront by Redpath Sugar

below: Closed – ramp to the the eastbound Gardiner at Lower Jarvis.

closed sign at the ramp to the Gardiner Expressway eastbound at Lower Jarvis, along Lakeshore

below: Lower Jarvis

pedestrians on sidewalk on Lower Jarvis with reflections in window beside and overhang above at Shoppers Drug Mart

below: A bucket full of bright and cheerful sunflowers on the sidewalk by St. Lawrence Market.

a turquoise bucket full of sunflowers for sale on the sidewalk by St. Lawrence Market

below: Market Street closed to traffic at Esplanade.

road closed sign, orange barricades, at the south end of Market Street to make it closed to traffic, and open to pedestrians only

below: Marvelous peppers and other veggies for sale at St. Lawrence Market

vegetables for sale at St. Lawrence Market, yellow peppers, range peppers, as well as red and green peppers in small green baskets in the foreground,

below: Someone’s looking a little distraught. Remember how your parents used to say that if you frowned too much, or you made too many weird faces, your face would freeze in that position? That is what this poor fellow reminded me of. “Frozen” in time on the side of St. Lawrence Hall.

small carved face, decorative, on the side of St. Lawrence Hall

below: In a window.  The title of the painting is “Alone” so perhaps she is alone in the city albeit surrounded by flowers.  Unfortunately, they are yellow and blue flowers so I suspect that there is Ukrainian symbolism at play here and that ‘alone’ has a much deeper significance.

painting in a an art gallery window with reflections of the city

below: Leader Lane ends at Wellington.

road closed for construction, pedestrian on sidewalk, Irish flag flying by pub, porta pottie, park in distance, downtown

below: Mama elephant and her two little ones are still walking through the courtyard behind Commerce Court.  They haven’t reached the pool yet (but at least there’s water in the pool now).

elephant statues, adult and two little ones, surrounded by tall buildings

below: This is one of the five Big City Blooms murals found around the city   (west side of Commerce Court).   The big bold and cheerful flowers in reds and pinks are the work of Alanna Cavanagh.

the glass walls of the window of Commercce Court are covered with pictures of pink and red flowers, blooms in the city art project

below: Same Commerce Court building as the above picture but from a slightly different angle.

tall city buildings, an older one of brownish stone, the other a newer glass and steel structure, flags poles,
below: Melinda Street

old stone building surrounded by newer glass buildings

below: Narrow city alley views, framing the gorgeous stone and brick work on the older building with its arched windows.

looking down a narrow alley to the old brick building on the next street

below: There appears to be a forest path in the middle of Brookfield Place.  It is actually a photograph that is part of an exhibit called, “Take Your Seat With the Group of Seven, Nature the Inspires Us”.  (now gone from Brookfield Place).

interior of Brookfield Place, a large photo of a path through a forest is standing in the middle
below: In this exhibit, locations used by the Group of Seven in their paintings were revisited. Photos were taken using a red director’s chair, placing the chair in the artist’s position. In this set of images, two small paintings from Coldwell Harbour are paired with a large photo of present day Coldwell Harbour – the chair is small but you should be able to see it on the rocky outcropping. The harbour is on Lake Superior near the town of Marathon.

two small group of seven paintings from Coldwell Harbour, plaus a large photo of a red directors chair at present day Coldwell Harbour

***

in transit

Posted: August 1, 2022 in old buildings, people, transportation
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
0

Yesterday, Sunday of the long August weekend, I was sitting on a streetcar after walking around downtown.  I was in no rush; I was enjoying the scenery and the people watching.  The streetcar detoured off route so I didn’t end up where I expected to.  But no problem, I had my camera with me.

very front of a TTC bus at a bus stop with a streetcar turning in front of it, also reflections of turning streetcar. Some people standing on the sidewalk

These photos are glimpses of life in the city as seen through a streetcar window as it passes by.  Most of them were taken through glass…  and often the streetcar was moving…  so please don’t expect technically perfect shots!

hot summer day, people waiting for an arriving TTC streetcar on College Street, woman in a wide brim blue hat and flowery skirt, man in blue Hawaiian shirt with orange and yellow flowers

below: Northeast corner of Spadina and College streets.

northeast corner of Spadina and College streets, people crossing Spadina, low rise old brick building

below: “The Best in Town”for banana boats! cones!  sundaes! shakes!

an ice cream truck on College Street,

a person in orange t shirt and white shorts running to cross intersection of Bay and College

below: Dundas at Bay. Ryerson School of Management, Best Buy, and Canadian Tire.

intersection of Bay and Dundas, westbound traffic and bikes, some pedestrians ready to cross Bay as well.

below: Reflections on Dundas

reflections of a TTC streetcar in the window of a building on Dundas

below: Surfacing from Dundas subway station

people exiting Dundas subway station on the northwest corner of Dundas and Yonge, a couple trying to figure where they are

below: The newest mural near Dundas and Victoria.

large black and white mural on Dundas Street, white car parked in front of it. Mural features portraits of people

below: University buildings at Dundas and Church – and the rebranding of Ryerson as TMU (Toronto Metropolitan University).

corner of Dundas and Church streets, looking northwest, Ryerson University buildings, a man on a bike waiting for a green light

below: Ran out of gas, northeast corner of Dundas and Church

northeast corner of Dundas and College. Old gas station that has pumps and most of buildings removed, overhang structure still in place, taller buildings behind

below: Dundas and Mutual.  An old building put to a modern use.

corner of Dundas and Mutual, two men on bikes, older house on corner with yellowish brick and mansord roof, now a cannabis shop

below: The sign says it all. Every time I pass Filmores I am surprised to still see it standing. I thought that it was supposed to be torn down months (years?) ago.  I was also surprised to see Filmores on sites like Expedia, Hotel.com and Booking.com.  You can’t actually book one of their “straight forward rooms” on these sites, you have to call or email the hotel directly.  If you want to know more than that, you’ll have to do your own research!

front of Filmores Hotel on Dundas Ave., with sign over front entrance that says the rumours of our closing are greatly exaggerated

below: You might be able to stay at Filmores, but you can’t eat at The Love Cafe anymore.

old sign for the love cafe, bent and slightly broken above heart shaped sign, on exterior of the restaurant

below: Christmas wreaths on the doors of Dunhill Electric Co.

Dunhill electric, a very narrow storefront on Dundas

below: Dundas and Ontario Streets, Royal Oak Inn

Dundas and Ontario streets, Royal Oak Inn, Hydra Tattoo

below: Dundas and Parliament, north side

Dundas at Parliament

people sitting on a TTC bus

a young woman in black hajib and white bag walks past closed doors of a bus

Happy trails!

Eglinton & Oakwood

Posted: July 14, 2021 in construction, locations, stores, transportation
Tags: , , , , , ,
1

Another Crosstown update…. The first of the new LRV trains are going through tests on the eastern end of the Crosstown line where the tracks are above ground. Work continues on the underground portion. Although Eglinton Avenue isn’t as much of an obstacle course through orange cones as it used to be, there is still a lot of work to be done. This is what it looks like at the moment at Eglinton West and Oakwood.

below: Still working on Oakwood station.

large blue crane above a construction site, building the new Oakwood Crosstown station on Eglinton West

below: Looking west along the north side of Eglinton from Oakwood

looking west on Eglonton Ave west at Oakwood. Construction of Oakwood station on the right hand side,

below: Asian Massage Therapy Center seems to have survived the upheaval but many storefronts are empty.

shops on Eglinton West behind construction for Crosstown, Asian Massage Therapy Center, and en empty store for lease.

a mother and daughter stand with a shopping buggy waiting for a traffic light on Eglinton West at Oakwood, stores, traffic, man on bench on sidewalk

below: Dodging orange cones and traffic

looking west on Eglinton Ave west at Oakwood.

below: Canadian Korean Buddhist Association and Nadines Hair Studio along with some good news perhaps – an “opening soon” sign on Betta Yaad seafood catering.  If google is correct, ‘yaad’ is Jamaican patois for ‘home’.

Canadian Korean Buddhists Association storefront on Eglonton West beside Nadines Hair Studio and Bettayaad Taste seafood

below: The River Restaurant & Bar beside Weemedical Society.

The River Restaurant and other business behind barricades because of Crosstown LRT construction on Eglinton

below: Peoples Choice Grocery, Casual International Hair Salon, and a few porta-potties

Peoples Choice Grocery and more, store on Eglinton West

The most exact information that I can find for an opening date for the Crosstown LRT is 2022.

Older Entries
Newer Entries