a common enemy

Posted: July 21, 2024 in galleries, history
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One of the pieces on display at TMU’s The Image Centre is this is pen and ink drawing signed by “Fun & Borckmann” from about 1895.  It is part of the exhibit, “Hypervisibility: Early Photography and Privacy in North America, 1839-1900.”  The drawing is on loan from the collection of Stephen Bulgar and Catherine Lash.   As you can see, across the top is the title, “A Common Enemy of Mankind”.  If you start at the first panel on the top left, you might think it is etiquette suggestions for photographers, but on closer inspection, is it?

an ink drawing from the late 1800s as seen in a gallery, framed and behind glass

Let’s take a look!

Panel 1 (below): ” The amateur
Photographer
A cheerful sort of nuisance is.
Does it occur To him – or her –
He shouldn’t take what isn’t his

part of an ink drawing by Fun and Borckman from about 1895 on the etiquette of photography, a common enemy of mankind

Panel 2 (above): A man whose life
Has been one strife
Against appearances of wrong,
Can’t kiss his wife
Lest lenses rife
On negatives his kiss prolong

Panel 3 (below) – along with “The other fellow’s girl!”
“Where’er one goes
To seek repose
Far from the city’s heat and din
Be cannot doze
In wooded close
But that a snap-shot takes him in.”

Can I call him a jaunty looking fellow with his striped blazer and the polka dot band on his hat?

ink drawing from circa 1895, a young man and a woman are sitting together outside, another man with a camera is hiding in the bushes behind them

Panel 4 (below): “Sometime mayhap,
A city chap
May linger in the moonlight fair;
He hears the tap
Of shutter-snap
And knows too well he’s pictured there.”

ink drawing with etiquette rules for photographers, or is it a guide to the follies of mankind? picture of two men about to kiss

Panel 5 (below): “Or in the street,
If he should meet
A former friend of single days,
It’s not meet
His smile so sweet
Be captured in actinic rays.”

bottom panel of drawings, a common enemy of mankind, with bottom title of Snap-Shots at the Amateur Photographer, about 1895 by Fun and Borckmann

Panel 6 (above): “But in default
Of dungeon vault
In which to lock this modern pest,
A plain assault
Might cause a halt –
But then, perhaps, a gun were best.”

Life’s little indiscretions now preserved in little snap-shots!   Please don’t shoot the photographer!

Extra litte note or two: Peter Borckmann was an artist whose pen and ink drawings appeared in the “New York Fun Magazine”. In the 1880s and 1890s, this art form became very popular as demand for humorous illustrations grew along with the increasing popularity of magazines and journals at that time. The “Fun Magazine” was published in the 1880s and early 1890s.

Oh, in case you were wondering about that word ‘actinic’.  I looked it up….According to Merriam Webster:  “of, relating to, resulting from, or exhibiting chemical changes produced by radiant energy especially in the visible and ultraviolet parts of the spectrum.”   Sounds a lot like old-fashioned, pre-digital, light hitting chemically treated film, photography to me!

 

a short walk up Church Street

Posted: July 18, 2024 in construction, graffiti and street art, locations, old buildings, stores
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Northbound, starting at King…  where this large mural still shines.  Piliriqatigiingniq was painted in 2015 (see link for more info)

part of a mural on a large white wall, a pink animal with blur antlers, also two windows in the wall

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

old yellow parking lot attendant booth in a parking lot on church street

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

looking west on Court street from church street, highrises

looking west on Court street from church street, highrises

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

a woman carries two bags full of shopping as she walks on a sidewalk beside a blue construction fence in downtown toronto

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

new construction on the northeast corner of church and lombard, also called gilda radner way

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

lombard street ooking east from church, new construction on the northeast corner, row of midrise apartments on the south side

below: Crossing Lombard.  Looking north up Church Street

people crossing street

below: Church & Richmond, northeast corner.

church and richmond, northeast corner, ttc streetcar headed north, wild wings,

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

church and richmond, southeast, people on southwest corner, streetcar headed north,

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

below: West on Richmond.

looking east on richmond street from church street

a lane off church street

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

pawn shops on church street

big red pawnbroker sign on a building

below: Balconies old and new.

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

graffiti sticker on a Canada Post mailbox, I green heart Tdot

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

northeast corner of Queen and Church, yellow tower on yellow building now being demolished

scaffolding and hoardings in front of a few buildings on church street, awaiting demolition and redevelopment

below: The side of Metropolitan United Church.

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

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

Church and Shuter, St. Michaels cathedral with St Mikes hospital in the background

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

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

older brick buildings whose facades were saved when redeveloped and condos built on top

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

house between two larger buildings

below: Looking east on Dundas

looking south on church street

below: Northeast corner of Church and Dundas.

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

looking west on Dundas from church street as a white bus passes by, Bond Place hotel, with a large vertical mural dedicated to health care workers.

below: mmm

silliness and more, in their words

Posted: July 15, 2024 in graffiti and street art
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This post is a small collection of “text only” graffiti that I have seen over the past few months.  They come from no particular place in the city.  The authors, except one, are anonymous.  Some are silly, others are poignant.  Not all of them make sense.  No matter what the sentiment, someone took the time and (very little?) effort to make their thoughts known.

below: “Wake up and smell the corruption!”

graffiti, words

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

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

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

graffiti, words, altered no parking sign with text in your pants, i.e. no peeing in your pants

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

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

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

Totally makes sense, right?  LOL

graffiti, words about sorcery and science on a blue and white development notice sign for masaryk cowan community centre

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

graffiti, words along with red female symbol, about loneliness and being nosey because I care

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

graffiti, words

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

graffiti, words

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

graffiti, words

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

graffiti, words

below: “Anti-graffiti graffiti crew”

graffiti, words, anti-graffiti graffiti crew

below: “Stay true to yourself and you will attract the greatest things the world has to offer”
graffiti, words painted in an alley, Stay true to yourself and you will attract the greatest things the world has to offer

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

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

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

***

Previous posts with many words:

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

Proudly Parkdale

Posted: July 11, 2024 in abstract, construction, graffiti and street art, locations, old buildings, stores, windows and walls
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… a little bit of Queen Street West

sticker on the window of a restaurant that says proudly parkdale

no parking sign, and parkdale village street sign for Queen st w, on a pole

parkdale architecture, old bay windows, oval glass,

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

row of brick apartments and store fronts at ground level.

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

queen street west, south side of street, west of jameson, row of three storey brick buildings, stores,

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

looking in a store window with many items on shelves, boxes of things, shoes, crocs, a broom,

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

small metal street art by rocky zenyk screwed onto a wood utility pole, blue background, orange cloud and 5 streaks of lightning emanating from the cloud

sign in a restaurant window that says we're all in this together

people walking past an empty store front in parkdale

on a corner, TTC streetcar approaches a stop, with TD bank in background and people waiting for the streetcar

orange lilies growing in a planter on the sidewalk on queen west, street car in the background

a young woman and her phone, waiting in a bus shelter in parkdale

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

exterior of small building painted made to look like an ice cream store with big window and awning, aliens are buying and eating ice cream, also an alien dog on a leash

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

Church of the epiphany, St. Marks, with scaffolding over the entrance

below: Hope over the entrance to the community garden at Masaryk Park

community garden in a park, with sign made of wood that says hope, over the entrance

below: Arty metal panels line the south wall of Masaryk-Cowan community center.  Bonar-Parkdale Presbyterian Church is in the background.

metal 2 d sculptural shapes on brick wall, exterior, presbyterian church in the background, highrise on the left

below: Notice for redevelopment of Parkdale Library and Masaryk-Cowan community centre site.

blue and white city of toronto development notice for queen west and cowan, redevelopment of parkdale library and masaryk cowan community centre

part of mural celebrating 136 years of sunnyside beach

below: Queen Fresh Market

Queen Fresh Market on Queen West, with fruits and veggies and plants for sale, displayed on sidewalk

below: A unique building topper – North side of Queen, at Dunn.

Queen West, old buildings in Parkdale

below: $25,000 winning ticket sold here! Hopes and aspirations… and Canada Dry.

window of a convenience store in parkdale, atm machine, coke and sprite ads,

below: More details on brick buildings on Queen West.

three storey red brick buildings in parkdale, on queen street west

below: Standing alone

3 storey red brick building in parkdale, standing on its own, now Daol Korean restaurant on the ground floor

people standing on sidewalk waiting for a green light, older brick apartment building behind them

below: Tiny Cafe

tiny cafe, a small yellow building with a red and white sign, large window in front, beside an alley in parkdale

upper part of a house with a large canadian flag as well as some paintings on display

balcony on a high rise apartment building that has a large Canadian flag

below: Murals and street art in an alley.  Butterflies and monochrome daisies

street art mural in a parkdale alley

below: Emily May Rose mural in an alley – women, we come in many shapes and sizes.

street art mural in a parkdale alley

below: Hello Kirsten on the far left

street art mural in a parkdale alley, hello kirsten

below: A mural painted by Chief Ladybird.  Mother and child finding peace in the city.

street art mural in a parkdale alley, seated woman holding baby, by chief ladybird

street art mural in a parkdale alley

mural on a garage door in an alley, curvy line drawings of women faces and heads

street art mural in a parkdale alley

below: Face in the alley

below: And more faces, Picasso like faces and body parts.

mural on brick wall in laneway, parkdale, round characters, faces mostly, in many colours

below: Muisca

street art mural in a parkdale alley

below: Elicser – so many faces merging into one.

street art mural in a parkdale alley, multiple faces in one, by elicser lliott

below: Monica on the moon – “Over the mountains; Under the stars”

street art mural in a parkdale alley, person on a motorcycle with text over the mountains and under the stars

street art mural in a parkdale alley

graffiti on a door in an alley, shape of a large blue bird in profile

below: A few reminders of Parkdale’s grander past on the quieter side streets – lots of old trees and some houses that remain as they once were.

pale yellow brick parkdale house with picket fence, gravel driveway, large front yard, and old garages in the back

maroon brick house with white gingerbread trim, attached to another brick house, orange colour, and beside a larger white brick house

beige brick house with red front door, between two other houses that re obscured by trees and large shrubs

two storey house behind a metal gate

brick house with curved porch with white trim and white railing

brown metal gate in front of a walkway to the front of a house

below: A little bit of religion and a little bit of social justice at the end.

build social housing poster

man in white clothes, standing on sidewalk, by dollarama store

portraying the city

Posted: July 6, 2024 in galleries
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For the last 12 days of June, Gallery 1313 had an exhibit of artworks that featured Toronto.  As someone who walks around this city with a camera, I was interested to find out how others “see” the city.

signs on a gate outside Gallery 1313 with the three posters about the shows there at that time

below: “Cranes on the Rooftop” (collage) and a photo of the old Humber Cinema on Bloor West.   Both are the creation of Jesse Miletin.

artwork on the wall of Gallery 1313, two colour photos

below: Two paintings by Kathleen McGuire (“Shwarma King” and “Abell Street Stop”), and a photograph by Courtney Fairweather of the Gooderham Building.  The distinctive yellow building on the northeast corner of Church and Queen was a Shwarma King restaurant in the last years of its life.  It is now being demolished.

artwork on the wall of Gallery 1313, 2 paintings and a photograph

below: Drawing of a raccoon (actually a digital print on canvas), “Toronto, Mood the Raccoon” by Edgar Baculi.

artwork on the wall of Gallery 1313, black line drawing of a raccoon

below: Two Toronto images – on the left the CBC building with shadows of people dancing or cheering by Phil Taylor.   And on the right a mix of Yonge subway station and the interior of a subway car by Tim Gorewich. Or at least that’s what the labels on the wall claim.  As it turns out, both pieces are Tim & Phil collaborations.  The two men have been friends and collaborators for more than 30 years.

artwork on the wall of Gallery 1313, 2 photos

below: Collage with a TTC theme, by Emily Pike, “Takeover”.

artwork on the wall of Gallery 1313, collage with ttc theme

below: “Why Wellesley” by Anshul Sharma.

artwork on the wall of Gallery 1313, platform at wellesley subway station

below: “Fresh Peaches” by Steve Schnier

artwork on the wall of Gallery 1313, painting in mostly blues and golds, of a woman looking a baskets of peaches for sale at a fruit and vegetable market, sidewalk, by Steve Schnier

below: On the left (and yes, it’s difficult to see), a pencil drawing by Michele Cross, “The Railway Bridge at King”.   In the middle is “Bus Stop No. 1” by Elnaz Hessami Pilehrood.  TTC bus route 39 is Finch East.

3 artworks on gallery wall, two paintings and a black and white drawing

below: A section of the “The Toronto Show” exhibit.

photographs on display in a gallery, on a wall with a white radiator

below: Two black and white photographs by Monique Campbell – “Timeless”, taken in a barber shop and “Union Station” showcasing the ornate decorative elements in the arched doorway.

two black and white photos on the wall of gallery 1313, above a radiator

below: Just looking

woman in a brown and white striped shirt looking at artwork on the wall of Gallery 1313

“The Toronto Show” was in the larger room at Gallery 1313.  Off to the side are two smaller rooms and each featured a different show.  One of these was “Artist Pets”.

below: “Whiskered Foster” by Mariel Pagliai

artwork on the wall of Gallery 1313, title whiskered foster, very orange, with black drawings of rabbit and cat, also in blue, a nest of eggs

below: Photo of a dog on an old wicker chair by Karen Perlmutter, “Gracie in the Woods”.  Gracie has had her photo taken MANY times!!  A star model.

artwork on the wall of Gallery 1313, sepia toned photo of a dog sitting on an old wicker chair

below: And last, a painting by Roy Wong of a barn in winter, seen somewhere in Caledon.  “Impressions of Beauty” was the title of the small exhibit of Wong’s still life paintings and landscapes.

artwork on the wall of Gallery 1313, barn on a lane in caledon, painted in winter

gallery wall, exposed metal vents or beams in the ceiling, image on the wall

lookin’ good – Pride 2024

Posted: July 2, 2024 in events, people
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canadian pride flag on a motorcycle

This is a blog post full of people shots from Sunday of Pride week-end.  Some taken during Church Street festivities and some along the parade route.   There are posed shots, selfies, and a few candids.  To me, Pride is about the people – the diversity of the crowd, the non-judgemental ‘come as you want’ attitude.  Put on your party hats and join the celebration.

crowd watching pride parade as woman on motorcycle passes by, waving rainbow flag,

men dressed up as dorothy from the wizard of oz, long brown braids, blue gingham dresses with white puffy sleeved blouses, shiny red shoes, at pride, two men hugging in the background

dykes on bikes on motorcycles, pre parade, rainbow flags, canadian flags,

hand on person's back, wearing t shirt that says pride is suicide prevention

women under rainbow umbrellas, pride parade

a couple looking a phone together, laughing, people behind them, pride parade

group of people standing on sidewalk, behind metal barricades, watching pride parade, rainbow flags,

pride, church street, man in rainbow hat, younger men in leather straps

woman in rainbow bra top and red skirt, beating on small drum in pride parade, spectators behind her, one woman taking pictures with phone

two people in pride parade, holding banner, cheering and smiling, one arm in air, wearing yellow vest, also rainbow flag over shoulders

two people walking down street, pulling wagon, with a trojan t shirt, other person lifting up top to reveal bare stomach

man wearing black and yellow dog muzzle as well as a gas mask, pride parade

traffic box painted with keith harig figures and words love is love, two young girls beside it, rainbow pride flag

two people holding hands, close up shot, from behind, person on right is wearing bright yellow green and red striped top, arm on left has hearts drawn on it

black woman with short hair, large glasses, yellow t shirt, behind her is a large pink feather, pride parade

young boy on adult shoulders, looking skeptical,

black man, and other people, under a large trans flag in turquoise, white, and pink stripes, walking in pride parade

crowds on yonge street during toronto pride parade 2024

woman on a float with black parasol, pride parade, spectators on roof of payless shoe store behind her

woman wearing a t shirt that says i make boys cry

two women with yellow t shirts, posing, one with a paper fan that says liberal on it, pride parade

people dancing on the sidewalk as they watch pride parade

police and other people watching parade, group in red t shirts marching, as hey turn from bloor onto yonge

people on sidewalk during pride parade

group of young people standing by a small tree, by sidewalk, watching pride parade, with coffee cups in their hands,

three women posing for a photograph, smiling, laughing,

young woman sitting on another person's shoulder, arm in air, taking a photo in a crowd, pride parade

people sitting on parade route, pride, older man looking at young woman dressed in grey, with many tattoos on arms

person with blue, white, and pink trans flag on shoulders, carrying a hand drawn sign that says piss off pierre

couple posing for photo at pride parade

woman helping another person tie rainbow bandana around his head

woman in orange sun hat and bright colourful reflective sunglasses

topless man, grey hair, holding his phone

two women standing in road, crowds, both with a young child in a stroller

Dyke March 2024

Posted: June 29, 2024 in events, people
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Another June, another Dyke March!

line up of dyke march southbound on yonge, with pink banner in the front

Dykes on Bikes led the parade as usual.

cheering dykes on bikes in parade

two women on motorcycles, dykes on bikes, rider in the back is also holding a big dog, laughing

dyke march image, woman in black sleeveless top is taking phone picture of others in dyke march

dykes on pikes, parade

women holding pink dyke march banner in a parade

two drummers drumming and laughing while walking in dyke march in toronto

policeman in yellow vest with back to camera watching parade goes by, one of the women in the parade watches him out of the corner o her eye as she walks past

below: Olivia Chow walks in the parade along with a Phenomenal Gaysian!

mayor of toronto, Olivia Chow, walks in Dyke March along with people holding a banner with her name on it,

NDP group in dyke march, with banner that says big dyke energy, led by Kristyn Wong-Tam with a blue megaphone. She is MPP for Toronto Centre

dyke march

dyke march, with flag in rainbow colours that says peace, Cheri DiNovo, carrying flag and giving peace sign with fingers. She is United Church minister and former politician.

two people holding hands, one is holding the index finger of the other, in a parade

women walking in dyke march, one is pregnant, carrying sign that says, 15 years a family, one baby and one on the way

people in the upper windows of aroma espresso bar on yonge, with rainbow flgs, watching dyke march below

dyke march, person wearing pink cowboy hat

 

person with lavendar hair and bright red glasses carrying a fan that says shady queen

rainbow coloured sign held up in parade that says loving is hard

photo from toronto dyke march, south asian women carrying pink sign that says lesbians do exist

woman with short dark hair , 2 small pride flags tucked into the back of her top

woman walking a dog in a parade. dog is wearing a rainbow coloured outfit

woman holding open umbrella and walking in parade, striped pride colours, other people walking too, yonge street, toronto

young southeast asian men with bike helmets on, standing on sidewalk, watching dyke march

dyke march, sign that says i put the bi in bitch

woman wearing red hat that says canada is taking selfie with another woman in dyke march

women by a bus stop on yonge, during dyke march. one is in cat costume with ears and another is draped in pink flag, with long blonde hair

woman in parade, sticking her tongue out

people walking in dyke march, one woman is smiling and waving a flag

women holding a banner for gals together, pals forever

middle age man trying to take a picture of a woman with a bubble blower as she walks in a parade

person in pink glasses and many blue and pink necklaces, dyke march

person wearing red bandana as a head scarf, with small lesbian pride flag inserted into knot of bandana

trans marchers in dyke parade

woman waving large flag in a parade

woman with umbrella that says love girls on it, watching parade

smiling woman, wearing t shirt that says dyke

family group poses for family selfie before dyke march parade starts, men wearing fedoras

father and daughter sitting on sidewalk watching parade, girl has a lesbian pride flag wrapped around her shoulders

person with rainbow flag draped over shoulders, giving a thumbs up sign

two people sitting on a sidewalk watching parade go past, one is wearing a brown cowboy hat

dyke march, person holding hand written sign that syas looking for a super graphic ultra modern girl

woman wearing a striped crocheted dress and bright pink shoes

dyke march, one woman is looking back at another who is scantily dressed in a very small bikini

person taking pictures, across street from zanzibar tavern

men watching a dyke march parade

crowd watching dyke march including a woman with purple hair and platform black and white shoes

crowds lining streets at yonge and gould to watch dyke march parade go by

a couple walking down the sidewalk, she is wearing a black dress and boots,

young woman wearing a head scarf, with drink in hand, taking pictures at a dyke march

man has hands on face of female police officer

woman taking a picture of two other older woman, at dyke march

True Colours

Posted: June 28, 2024 in galleries
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“True Colours” was a brief exhibit at the Dignam Gallery.  The gallery is run by the Women’s Art Association of Canada and is located in their building on Prince Arthur Street.  This was their 3rd Annual Uptown Pride Exhibition.  Saturday, 29th June is the last day of the show.

One of the nice things about this gallery space is the decor.

in an art gallery, a chaisse lounge against a wall with two paintings by karen taylor on it. another painting in the background

below: “Express Yourself” and “It’s bad bitch o’clock” by Karen Taylor

two paintings on a gallery wall, both by karen taylor. one is a long vertical and the other is square. both are words, express yourself on the left in orange, green, and purple. On the right is it's bad bitch o'clock in shades of pink and red

below:   Hung over this old fireplace is a painting by Stacy Athena May.  It is titled, “Hymn to Hera (Sisters Dance)”.

old fireplace painted white, painting above the mantel, art gallery space, painting by Stacy Athena May, two figures dancing, male and female body parts,

below:  Another Stacy Athena May painting, “Dismal Entity” hangs over a matching old white fireplace.  On the left is a painting by Shawn Skeir.

inside an art gallery with an old white fire place on an interior wall, paintings hung around the room

below: “Spirit Doll”, mixed media, sculpture by Steve Rose

small ssculpture, spirit doll, by steve rose, covered in fabric with lots of loose fibers, reds and oranges,

below: On the right is “Pride on the Subway”” (2019) by Lin Duperron.  The other 2 are by Steve Rose.

a green cloth covered wood chair, against a wall in dignam gallery, womens art association of canada, with three artworks on the wall behind the chair, 2 paintings and a photograph

below: What’s so crazy about peace, love, and understanding…. over and over again.  A twist on “What’s so funny about peace, love, and understanding” from the song written by Nick Lowe but made famous by Elvis Costello.

close up of artwork, with words what's so crazy about peace love and understanding, written many many times on white and yellow background, word love written loosely, and large, over the hand written text

At the Women’s Art Association, there are two galleries – the Ruth Upjohn Gallery has its own small room.   At the moment there are some marvelous photos by Ulla Djelweh, “Through the Garden Gate”, of flowers from a garden.  These orchids are hers.

lens based artwork by ulla djelweh, orchidsi n a garden, growing in small blue baskets

sewing mannequin form stands in front of an open door, photo on door, framed paintings on wall in hall, bottom of staircase can be seen

Uptown Yonge as the sun goes down

Posted: June 27, 2024 in construction, locations, old buildings, people, stores
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Were you an Edmonton Oilers fan?  Did you jump on that bandwagon?  On the night of the 7th game of the Stanley Cup playoffs were you glued to the TV?  Or are you wondering what I’m talking about?!

I usually watch hockey games now and again, especially during the playoffs but I found that watching the Edmonton-Florida series was just too stressful.  Instead, these long June evenings are great for walking!  A little bit of Yonge Street, Uptown Yonge, was my stomping grounds the evening of the last game.

banner for uptown yonge on a hydro pole, stores and new condo in the background, says eat up. street sign for st. Clements avenue as well

A few scenes from Yonge between Eglinton and Sherwood, in no particular order…

evening, coffee shop on Yonge street, also poke bar,

below: Old and new. I like the way the evening light catches the architectural details along the rooflines.

roofline, old brick buildings with architectural details in front of a newer high rise residential building

below: Playing peek-a-boo.  The new pushes from behind.

stores on Yonge street, prism hair salon, vape studio, goa hair salon,


below: Seating!

late evening, getting dark outside, looking at store front, cobbler's corner shoe repair,

ceiling art, white and green cubes with lights inside

round exterior wall of part of rio can yonge eglinton centre, short glass tower,

metal grille gate covers glass doors of now empty and closed store on yonge street

below: Northwest corner of Yonge and Eglinton, Yonge- Eglinton Centre with its updated glass facade.

yonge eglinton centre entrance

When the Yonge Eglinton Centre was built in 1968, Eglinton was the last station on the TTC subway line.  The Y-E Centre was a large development, and was the tallest building in the neighbourhood.   There was a shopping centre, a cinema, an office tower, two tall residential towers, most of which still remain.   Eglinton is no longer a gateway to suburbia; it is Midtown.  The Y-E Centre is just another tall building in a sea of them.

side of concrete building from the 1970s, Yonge Eglinton centre

tall concrete building

below: The new entrance to the Eglinton LRT (unopened of course)  with the Canadian Tire headquarters behind.  Southwest corner of Yonge and Eglinton.

southwest corner of Yonge and Eglinton, new entrance to Eglinton LRT (unopened), Canadian Tire head quarters building, 1970s concrete, new condo behind

Lament for the Eglinton LRT.  Metal fences and torn cloth.  In tatters and disarray.   Still not opened.

front glass of eglinton LRT station, behind metal construction fence and torn green cloth

stores on yonge street

sidewalk tunnel under scaffolding to protect from adjacent construction site

restaurant window, night time, sidewalk

Maybe one day I will be able to walk somewhere in this city and not run into another hole in the ground.  Note the usual – facades being saved, single houses that stubbornly remain.

construction hole in the ground

gravel roadway down into construction hole in the ground

Bus stop all tied up in knots.

TTC bus stop on yonge street behind orange and black cones and yellow caution tape

mural on the side of bmo bank on yonge, flowers, male face, female face, child face, dog, and lot lots of flowers

white car parked in front of a mural with flowers with many petals, and a woman's face

artwork on glass above subway entrance at canada square, corner of yonge and eglinton, a woman is carrying a potted plant, a man in green shirt with tattooed arm is looking at her

three plants in flower pots on a shelf in a room with a blue light, on the left is an orchid,

below: With some paparazzi stalker vibes I’m afraid.

… Back home in time for most of the third period…. Sad to see Edmonton lose, but why is there hockey this late in June?

booming Bessarion

Posted: June 23, 2024 in construction, locations, public art
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Bessarion subway station has always had the reputation of being one of the least used stations in Toronto.  I haven’t seen any recent numbers, but I suspect that a lot more people are now using the station.   There are a lot of development changes happening in the area so the numbers will only increase in the future.

below: South entrance to Bessarion station

entrance to bessarion ttc subway station on sheppard at bessarion, new high rise condos behind it, street scene

corner of bessarion subway station in the foreground, new community center on the right side, and construction of new condos in the background

below: A Stop sign sits in the middle of one of the entrances to the new development on Sheppard Ave East beside Bessarion subway station.  If you follow the left fork in the road, you will end up in the parking lot of the Canadian Tire store.  This store is all that is left from the original 50 acre site that was home to a Canadian Tire warehouse and distribution centre.  In 2000 Canadian Tire filed a plan to re-develop the whole site, including a new head office tower for the company.  Although the plan was approved, it never came to be.  Instead, most of the land was sold to Concord who is now in the process of redeveloping it.

new development on sheppard ave east

below: Concord has filled this community with a lot of public art including these colourful creations, “Jax” (2021) by Pierre Poussin

brightly coloured public ark in concord park place on sheppard avenue

below: A few maple leaves forming a canopy – “Maple Leaf Trellis” by Demakersvan (aka brothers Joep and Jeroen Verhoeven)

sculpture that looks like a canopy of giant maple leaves

below: Leaping Lamp by Inges Idee (a German artist collective)

leaping lamp, a large green sculpture by ingres idee of a lamp post with two very long legs as it walks over a stone wall

below: There is also a rabbit (title: “Rabbit”),  another artwork by Inges Idee.  It’s made to look like a folded ribbon of highway; it sits next to the 401 highway.

rabbit, a large sculpture by ingres idee, looks like it's made of a road all twisted into the right shape, outside new condo by the 401 highway

rabbit, a large sculpture by ingres idee, looks like it's made of a road all twisted into the right shape, outside new condo by the 401 highway

below: Birds hanging out together between Bessarion station and the new community centre.  They won’t be flying anywhere any time soon!

sculpture that looks like birds on a tree, including an owl looking out of a hole in the tree

close up of part of a sculpture with birds on a tree, showing owl looking out of hole in tree, woodpecker beside the hole

below: A small bird, a continuation of the tree full of birds, sits outside Ethennonnhawahstihnen’ Community Centre (it’s pronounced Etta-nonna wasti-nuh and it means ‘where they had a good, beautiful life”)

reflections in the window of a community centre, with small sculpture of a bird sitting outside the window

below: Real trees ready to plant.

trees with roots wrapped in burlap sitting on the ground, waiting to be planted, a row of condos newly built in the background

below: A line of towers with row houses on the lower level marks the south side. The 401 highway is behind. A new park, also Ethennonnhawahstihnen’, lies in front of the new residences.

below: Water feature in the summer, outdoor skating rink in the winter

concord development on south side of sheppard, on old canadian tire warehouse site, a curved shallow pond with a walkway around it, a small white building beside it, condos and new construction in the background

park in the center of condo development

tall glass and steel condo, one side clad in bright green

below: The view from the southeast corner of the property – the back of IKEA and the 401!

back of ikea on sheppard in north york, 401 highway,

below: At least there have been a lot of trees planted back here and some thought has been put into using the landscaping to mitigate the noise from the 401.  But the fact that thousands of cars and trucks pass her every day can never be downplayed.  I hope that the units are well sound proofed.  Having stood on balconies on other buildings that overlook a major road, I can imagine how noisy it is here too.

newly planted trees along a pathway beside the 401 highway

new condo development with a bright yellow rectangular section around a large window

the words slow down have been spray painted on a concrete barrier in front of a row of new townhouses

below: Looking southeast from Burbank

looking out of ttc bus shelter at burbank and sheppard

below: South side of Sheppard

view on sheppard, looking east near bessarion subway station

wrong way sign by driveway in front of medical building on sheppard

below: The north side of Sheppard Ave looks like this – a row of lowrise apartment buildings from the 1960s or 1970s.

lowrise apartment buildings on north side of sheppard

below: There are 2 major redevelopments proposed along here, 680-688 Sheppard and 690-720 Sheppard. Both involve condo towers.

development notice on front yard of a multiplex residential building on sheppard avenue

crumpled red and white sign says out, pole askew, between fence and tree

sign for apartment building, empty except for no vacancy and a graffiti scrawl

Just west of Bessarion station is Greenbriar Road.  There was a small community of single family homes, duplexes, and small apartment buildings back here.  Almost all of it is gone or on the way out

construction south of sheppard ave

below: A single, lonely, holdout surrounded by newer residences.

one older brick house surrounded by newer and taller residences

A 1970s brick bungalow in the foreground, new townhouses in the background

below: No sign?!

two brick duplexes, semis, or side split houses, with 5 towers of new condos behind

below: Southeast corner of Sheppard and Greenbriar  (12 storeys, 145 residences)

development notice on the frontyard of a house on corner of sheppard and greenbriar

below: There is a development notice sign on the front yard of 25 Greenbriar (23, 25, 27 and 29 to be replaced with 10 storeys, 169 residences).

orange sofa on a driveway in front of a garage between two brick buildings

large grassy backyards of two houses, one has an old swing set in the yard

below: A little farther south on Greenbriar the fences are already up (22-36 Greenbriar, 24 storeys, 351 residences).

house on Greenbriar, empty, with construction fence around it and blue and white development notice beside the fence

bessarion subway station

a woman walks eastward on sheppard near bessarion

Extra note: The northeast corner of the old Canadian Tire acreage, at 1181 Sheppard Ave East, remains undeveloped.  It is the last piece once owned by Canadian Tire.  It is adjacent to the Metrolinx rail corridor, about 100 m from the new Oriole GO station.  [ed note: Prime real estate by the sound of it!].  Two towers will probably get built here, once the heights are finalized.

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