Since my walking is still limited and I have time on my hands, I have been sorting and editing older photos.
Back on New Years day I went to Sunnyside Park to watch the annual Polar Bear Dip. Some of the photos that I took that day are now at: http://www.asiwalktoronto.com/lightbox_polar.html
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My Still Life
Your choice – meniscus, PCL or just “soft tissue injury of the knee”. The results are all the same – limited mobility.
That’s my life at the moment, my still life.
I’ve titled this photo “Behind bars – how I feel”. You can subtitle it as ‘A bit of silliness to make me smile as the lack of walking is starting to get me down.’
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Standing alone in a vacant lot on Sterling Road is the Tower Automotive Building. It was built by Northern Aluminium in 1920 and at some point became the property of Tower Automotive who used the site to build car parts. In 2005 it was declared a heritage building but it was closed shortly thereafter when the company declared bankruptcy.
The ten storey Tower Automotive building. In the foreground is the land left vacant after the demolition of the sheet casting machining buildings in 2010.
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Looking up the spine of the building. North side of Tower Automotive.
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walking along the west wall
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Faccio Sempre la Brava, translates from the Italian as, I always do the good.
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Loopy Le Loop with tags
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ungated
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interior, doors
When I was researching this building, I found a site that has a collection of great photos of the interior of the building that were taken in May of this year:
jermalism.blogspot.ca/2013/05/abandonment-issues-tower-automotive.html
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Fourth Annual Art Spin Exhibition,
Tower Automotive Building, 158 Sterling Rd.,
Aug 29 – Sept 1, 2013
18 artists, one old vacant heritage industrial building.
Interesting lighting. Interesting use of the space. Interesting relationships between the installations and their surroundings.
I have not included photos of all the art in the exhibit. My apologies to the artists whose work I haven’t shown.
looking at ‘Sound the Alarm’ by Caroline Larsen’ with the video installation ‘I,I,I,I’ in the foreground
‘We Are Happy’ by Michael Toke. Like a visit to the dentist’s office.
The painting on the wall to the left is ‘Exit Enter’ by Celia Neubauer.
‘Sterling Caer Observer’ by Noel Middleton
‘Untitled’ by Jinny Yu. Three shaped pieces of metal by brick wall.
artist: Mary Grisey
‘Floating in the Eye of the Storm’ by Lois Schklar.
wire sculpture
‘Stillnessence Vivarium’ by John Oswald.
This installation lent itself to a many interpretations.
more information about Art Spin http://www.artspin.ca
The video installation ‘Melting Bricks’ was in small room where it was shown fairly high up on the wall. It was the only source of light in the room. I focused on the relationship between the room and the light when I was taking pictures of it. (my apologies to the artist as I seem to have forgotten his/her name).
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An evening at the Canadian National Exhibition
A warm August evening.
Admission is only $5 if you go after 5 p.m., and if you don’t mind a few crowds!
Riding the Sky Ride over the CNE midway
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The Ex has always been a place to buy unhealthy, “interesting” food! Deep fried Mars bars, Twinkies, and Oreos are just some of the goodies available.
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The midway is also where you will find many games to play! Many ways to spend your money if you”re feeling lucky.
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Stuffed toys – the most popular midway game prize.
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Spinners
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line-ups are an inevitable part of a summer evening at the CNE
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waiting for the Twister
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Happily riding the bumble bees in Kid Land.
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the CNE website: http://theex.com/
more photos: http://www.asIwalkToronto.com/cne.html
other people’s photos:
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In 1913 the first of five Wychwood “Barns” were built by the city of Toronto as a streetcar maintenance facility. Streetcars accessed the site from the mainlines on St. Clair Ave., which is just to the north, via tracks on Wychwood Avenue.
There were five barns built from 1913 to 1921 as industrial buildings. They are brick structures, two storeys high with an interior steel structure that was exposed. The facility remained part of the TTC until 1992. The City of Toronto currently leases the site to Toronto Artscape Inc., a not-for-profit organization that develops and operates space for the arts, at $1 a year on a 50 year lease.
Barn 1 has been converted into a private live-work studio and housing for community artists, while Barn 2 was made into a community gathering space, including a theatre. Barns 1 & 2 became a covered street that is two storeys high, 60 metres long, and 10 meters wide. Barns 3 and 4 are private-public spaces where non-profit organizations can operate.
Interior of the present day Wychwood Barns, central part (barns 1 and 2). Historical photos of Toronto streetcars hang over the doors on the right.
A greenhouse and community gardens are located in Barn four. The roof was removed from Barn 5. All that remains is the steel structure that forms the arcade.
Barn number 5
Exposed interior wall
Sunflowers growing in the community gardens in barn 4.
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Behind the south side of Queen St. West, starting at Spadina and heading west. At Bathurst there is a slight detour because someone built a Loblaws grocery store and a condo in the way. But just turn south to Richmond and walk a short distance west. On your right there is a small alley; follow this lane to almost Dufferin street – if there is no construction in the way!
I have walked this route many times. Sometimes there are new things to see, or changes have occurred. Sometimes I just notice things that I missed on previous visits.
Larger than life. The woman on red has been there since the first time I walked this way a couple of years ago. The aquatic scenes on the building across the alley are a more recent addition.
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Tom and Jerry and their never ending chase scene.
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The alley changes with the seasons. Even here there is greenery.
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Sunshine and shadows in the lane.
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Above the alley. She now appears in a few places.
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Tag, baker, inserted between two windows
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I just want people to like me. A sticker in McDougall Lane, a good use of US Priority Mail labels.
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I resurrect the destructed poster with a few tags added accompanied by a girl with a broken heart.
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He evolves. First his face was added – with googly eyes and his tongue stuck out. Now he seems to be anatomically correct as well!
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Starting to fray at the edges
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Garbage bins guarding the door.
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I’m not sure what he’s drinking, but apparently he’s grain fed. He looks a bit grubby because he’s sitting on the ground next to the dust and dirt in the lane.
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A smiling Cheshire Cat and a few other creatures.
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Dundas Square, 9 Aug
A recipe for entertainment. Good for all ages, especially good for the kids.
Without talking,
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The number of different colours, shapes and sizes of the faces in this photo captured my attention… and they’re all looking at the plate.
Take a bow when the job is done! If you want more information, the link is: http://www.johnparkcomedy.com/
The original plan was to visit Dundas Square for their 10th birthday party. Love it or hate it, Dundas Square is now ten years old. Maybe one day I’ll call it by it’s proper name, Yonge Dundas Square. I was going to do a blog post on the events of the evening.
The official party was to start at 7:00. One of the opening acts was the Lemon Bucket Orkestra; their website describes them as a balkan klezmer gypsy party punk superband. During the last song that they played, they moved through the square towards the stage.
And this is where I changed course. Most people made room for the musicians, moved out of their way. But not one “photographer”. He stood his ground; he got up close and personal photos on his phone. My focus shifted from the music to the man in the middle.
Was he intrusive? Should he have moved?
If you want to know more about the Lemon Bucket Orkestra: http://www.lemonbucket.com/
first photo
second photo
third photo
last photo
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This year the long August week-end (Aug 3, 4 and 5) was warm and sunny. Like most summer week-ends in Toronto, there was lots going on. On both Sunday and Monday afternoon I dropped by the IRIE festival at Nathan Phillips Square.
There was a small but appreciative crowd at Nathan Phillips Square on Sunday afternoon for the IRIE festival.
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Samba Squad performing on Sunday afternoon.
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They were called the TD dancers and they were one of the opening acts on Monday afternoon.
Their performance was twelve minutes of non-stop, high energy movement.
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Seeking shade and a place to rest.
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There were not a lot of cameras clicking away during the performances that I saw. One exception were the four men with their long lenses that stopped by for a few minutes, took some photos, and left. I thought of African safaris as I watched them.
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Photo op in light blue.
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There were also a few vendors selling food & drink, clothing, and jewelry. Mostly it was a pleasant way to spend some time on a sunny summer afternoon.
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