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Richmond East and thereabouts

Posted: November 11, 2021 in construction, graffiti and street art, history, old buildings
Tags: Andrea Rodriguez, AndreaCataRo, Bentoghoul, Berkeley street, bike lanes, Christie Brown bakery, church, churches, Georges Diner, graffiti, Greek Orthodox, Jeremy Lynch, jumbleface, Mahyar Amiri, Mother of God of Prousa, Old Town, pasteups, redevelopment, Soloways hot dog factory, spudbomb, street art, urban ninja squardon, visual noise, Worts Lane

Starting at King and Berkeley and walking a little bit north and a bit farther west.

below: This wall, at King and Berkeley, used to have a large painting of a black chair on it. Now it has two boys on the run with an Afghan flag.

below: It was painted by Mahyar Amiri a few months ago in an effort to raise awareness of the ongoing crisis in Afghanistan.

below: In front of the Alumni Theatre on Berkeley Street.

below: Also on Berkeley Street, the old Christie Brown stables are now the lower floors of a condo building.

historic plaque for Christie, Brown and company stables at 95 Berkeley street

“This building was once a stable that housed horses and wagons for one of Canada’s largest biscuit manufacturers. From here, Christie, Brown & Co delivered baked goods prepared at its Adelaide Street factory across Toronto.”
“Designed by the architectural firm of Sproatt & Rolph, the building’s Beaux-Arts Classical style was popular at the turn of the 20th century for its appearance of stability and grandeur. With elements such as the contrasting stone trim and arcade windows, it was built to reflect the appearance of the nearby Christie factory. The state-of-the-art stable included two floors of wagon storage with a purpose-made elevator, stalls in the back for the care of sick horses, and a central horse shower underneath a large skylight. “
“Founded by Scottish-born businessman William Christie (1829-1900), Christie Brown & Co manufactured over 400 types of baked goods at its peak. In 1928, Nabisco acquired the company. The stable was later used as a garage, seed plant, and film production office. It is now part of a residential complex. “

below: Christie Brown biscuit factory on Adelaide street in 1902. The building still exists and is part of George Brown College. It takes up the whole block between George and Frederick streets.

below: This neighbourhood advertises itself as “Old Town, since 1793”.

below: But a lot of it is starting to look shiney and new (what? a new parking lot in downtown Toronto?)

below: A copy of a late 1890’s lithographic poster advertising bicycles from Fernand Clement & Cie Cycles Paris. The original artist was Jean de Paléologue (1860-1942). This version is a large mural on Worts Lane.

below: Mother of God of Prousa Greek Orthodox Church on Richmond East

below: Old and not so old. The taller grey building is the Chapter House for the Greek Orthodox church that is immediately to the east.

below: Apparently everything ends here on Ontario Street

… and around the corner

below: This street art faces a parking lot between Brigden and Queen East that is now fenced off. It is one of 4 or 5 paintings along that wall.

below: This is one of the street art pieces on the same wall. The photo was taken in 2012 when the site was accessible and before the vines and shrubs took over.

below: A very large empty building and vacant lot that used to be a car dealership. This is part of a large section of land that has been under redevelopment for at least five years (includes the parking lot in the photos above).

below: … The original proposal back in February 2016 was three towers of 39, 45 and 39 storeys, on top of two base buildings ranging from 3 to 11 storeys within a site bordered by Queen Street East, Ontario Street, Richmond Street East and McFarrens Lane. That was turned down by the city. Since then there has been various modifications, appeals, and litigation (ongoing?).

below: On what was once a Honda dealership there is now an art installation with words…

below: … and pasteups from jumblefacefoto aka Jeremy Lynch

below: On the same wall: In the line of fire – urban ninja squadron‘s t-bonez takes aim with very heavy firepower. It looks like spudbomb has already been hit by an arrow and is bentoghoul providing the target?

below: Looking west on Richmond from Brigden Place. Richmond Street jogs to the right at Jarvis – it doesn’t dead end like it looks in the photo.

below: Looking north on McFarrens Lane to Queen Street

below: About 1910 this is what the northeast corner of Richmond and Sherbourne Streets looked like. Not surprisingly, this is all long gone.

below: From biscuits to hot dogs…. Soloways Hot Dog Factory Outlet, in business since 1927. They sell a wide range of bulk meat, meta products, and plant based meat products both wholesale and to the public.

below: Richmond and George, with the bright red of the George Diner dominating the intersection.

below: The windows have been painted.

below: Old newspaper articles taped to the window. The top one is a review of the restaurant (with apologies for it being too small/fuzzy to read). The bottom one has a headline that reads “Don’t be like Dick”. With an image like that I immediately think of Dick and Jane (yikes, those of us who remember Dick and Jane from our childhoods are dwindling in number!).

below: At Richmond and Jarvis, northeast corner

below: Mystic Muffin on the southeast corner of Jarvis and Richmond.

below: Richmond Street bike lanes are now separated from traffic by a low kerb that has been decorated by a number of street artists. This section is the work of AndreaCataRo aka Andrea Rodriguez

below: Another view of the bike lane barrier, this one at the intersection of Richmond and Berkeley and looking west towards the city center.

Emery village

Posted: May 30, 2021 in construction, history, intersections, locations, stores, transportation
Tags: Alfie Zappacosta, Canadian Pacific, church, Claudio Vena, construction, CPR, development, Emery village, Finch Ave West, Finch West Mall, Ghana, Isaac Devins, Metrolinx, Sikh temple, Weston Road

Or, approximately Finch and Weston Road

Today, the intersection of Finch and Weston Road is a mess. Metrolinx is preparing to start construction on the Finch LRT, more than 12 acres on the southeast corner is being totally rebuilt, and water mains along Finch are being upgraded. The intersection also has the misfortune to lie in a hydro corridor.

below: Looking west on Finch at Weston Road.

below: Canadian Pacific tracks cross Finch just east of Weston Road

below: Emery train station just after 1900. This was a a flag station built for the Toronto Grey and Bruce Railway in 1870 (i.e. trains only stopped if you flagged them down). In the early 1880s the line was acquired by the Canadian Pacific Railroad. Photo source: Toronto Public Library

Like the rest of the GTA, development here began as a village that supported the surrounding farms. In 1796, Isaac Devins and his wife Mary Chapman were given 200 acres of land, south of what is now Finch Ave from Weston Road to Islington. Devins had worked with Governor Simcoe as a superintendent on the construction of Yonge St. Two of their grandsons opened businesses near the corner of Finch and Weston Road. – one was a blacksmith and the other a carriage maker. A brick schoolhouse came shortly after 1850 and the Methodist church followed in 1869. A post office was established in 1879… and Emery was officially a village.

below: 1902 photograph of Isaac Devins house. Source: Toronto Public Library

Celebrating the history of Emery are some plaques on display at a couple of bus stops on Weston Road. The one below describes two musicians with local roots, Claudio Vena and Alfie Zappacosta. Both men have streets named after them.

below: Finch West Mall was built in 1971 on the southeast corner of Finch and Weston Road on what had previously been farm land. Step-brothers Aubrey Ella and Orrie Truman had farmed here since 1930. …. but you can’t go shopping there any more. [transcription of the text can be found at the bottom of this post]

below: Development notice sign at the site of the former Finch West Mall. The proposal includes 5 towers, 2237 residences ranging from bachelors to 3 bedroom, some retail, and a park. All rentals.

below: Construction is only in the early stages so there isn’t much to see

below: Preparations for the construction of the Finch LRT are underway.

below: But not always well thought out – here sidewalk access ends but the only way to go is to cross Finch in mid-block with no help

Also like many places in Toronto, Emery has become very multicultural.

below: African Food & Groceries as well as Comida Colombiana

below: A Vietnamese restaurant and a West Indian grocery store

below: North York Sikh temple

below: Confusion?

below: More restaurants and businesses

below: Ghanaian Presbyterian Church, since 1994 (as seen from Finch Ave)

below: Prayer Palace

below: Lindylou park

below: Emery Creek south of Finch

below: Finch Avenue West, looking eastward towards Weston Road

below: Slightly closer to Weston Road (from Lindyloou park looking northeast)

below: Not taken from the same spot but also Finch Avenue West, looking eastward towards Weston Road in 1958 when Finch was still a dirt road. The brick building is Emery Public School (built 1914); and it looks like it had a portable in the yard… and is that an Elmer the Safety Elephant flag? The school was demolished shortly after the picture was taken. Photo source: Toronto Public Library, photo by James Victor Salmon

below: Farther east, now past Weston Road. If you go even farther you will come to Hwy 400

below: Most of the area north of Finch is zoned for light industry including this business, the making of prefab concrete staircases. With all the condo development in the city at the moment, there must be a lot of demand for these stairs!

below: Another vacant lot

*****

Transcription of Plaque (above):

“Emery’s first large indoor shopping complex was built in 1971. It was called the Finch West Mall and was located on the southwest corner of Finch and Weston Road… Prior to the mall being constructed, the land was used for farming. A farmhouse, barn, and some other farming structures remained on the property up until the construction of the mall began in the early 1970s. Aubrey Ella and Orrie Truman built a farmhouse on the lot in the 1930s just south of the intersection of Finch and Weston Road. During this time, the entire property permitted wide range agriculture with even an arena for sheep.”
“The opening of the Finch West Mall in 1972 was a big hit for the community. A sizable Towers outlet first appeared but it swiftly merged into a Zellers retail store. Zellers was the principal leaseholder located at the far north end of the mall. Safeway Canada quickly decided to build a grocery store connected to the south end of the mall.”
“In 1973, McDonald’s restaurant was added onto the site but as a separate building situated at the far south of the property. It was one of the first McDonald’s restaurants opened in Canada along with another outlet at Dufferin and Wilson. This McDonald’s even featured an outdoor sitting patio with six stone tables made out of lightly coloured presses marble complete with matching benches. Close to this historical marker was a dirt trail that was upgraded into a long set of wooden steps that permitted pedestrian entrance onto the site.”
“On occasions local bands were permitted to conduct live concerts right in the mall.”
“When Zellers shut down their store in the 1980s, Canadian Tire quickly opened an outlet to take its place. However, they too decided to close their doors at the turn of the new millennium. The commercial banks began moving out and countless other stores too. The mall had ceased to have sound commercial value and disappointingly started to become an endless array of dollar stores.”
“The owner of the mall (Medallion Properties) recognized these telltale signs and thought it might be ideal for a development upgrade which could inspire financial resurgence within the general community. The City of North York Planning Department made a recommendation to establish a Business Improvement Area (BIA) to stimulate economic recovery.”
“With the organized structure of the Emery Village BIA in place, city staff suggested creating a new secondary plan for the entire general community…The mall was demolished in 2006.”

*****

One of life’s unexpected coincidences… I didn’t read the text before I took the picture so it wasn’t until a few days later that I saw the name Orrie Truman. I have Trueman ancestors in this area… was he related? Orrie Truman was Orrie Levi Richard Trueman. I don’t know where the name Orrie comes from but Levi and Richard were his grandfathers, Levi Coulter and Richard Trueman. William Mellow Trueman married Eleanor (Nellie) Coulter and Orrie is their son. William died shortly after and Nellie subsequently married Ella. Going back a generation, William Mellow Trueman is the son of Richard Trueman and Rebecca Mellow who happen to be my great great great grandparents. My great grandmother, Ina Rebecca Moore was named after Rebecca Mellow, her grandmother. Ina would have been Orrie’s first cousin. Question: What relation am I to Orrie Trueman?

lowrise townhouses, red brick, with large pine trees

from Broadview eastward

Posted: November 4, 2020 in alleys, graffiti and street art, locations, nature, stores
Tags: #whatsvictorupto, Abyssinia Restaurant, alley, autumn, butterfly murals, Caitlin Taguibao, church, Cinnaholic, covid, Felstead Park, food, gewn, graffiti, Greek flag, Greektown, grocery store, houses, lanes, mad dog wrecking crew, mannequin, masks, mr. Toon, painting, religious art, renovation, sidewalk, skull, snaill, stores, street art, trees, unicorns, vines, wig, windows

My walk the other day started with a coffee and a croissant from Broadview Espresso, just north of the Danforth. It was a bit chilly and damp to be eating & drinking outside but that’s the way of the world at the moment, at least in Toronto. At least walking helps keep you warm! Anyhow, just outside the coffee shop was a sidewalk unicorn painted by whatsvictorupto. There was one on each of the 4 corners of the intersection of Broadview and Pretoria. Here are two of them.

whether you’re walking

upper part of a mural on the Danforth of a man walking on a map of the area, around two windows of the building on which it is painted.

Part of a mural by Monica on the Moon

or on a bike

there’s always something to see along the Danforth or behind in its alleys.

There are windows to look in

below: A great assortment of Covid masks

below: Multilingual covid signs on the window of the Greek grocery – where shelves with oregano, tomato paste, pasta, coffee beans, grape juice, eggplant, and candy are all display.

There is more street art and graffiti to find, sometimes at your feet

below: Grounded Together, A painting by Caitlin Taguibao on the sidewalk

and sometimes closer to eye level.

below: Skull and sticker

Posters with social/political messages can also be found.

below: End White supremacy above, and now a poster re stats in Toronto “Black people in Toronto are 20 times more likely to be shot and killed by the police”. Source: from the Human Rights Commission, 2018.

In this case, wake up and see the climate crisis. A faded bee on pink juxtaposed with the black, red, and white butterfly painted on the street box.

below: I get the no peeing part. I suspect that those aren’t eggs and this is a warning? or a threat?

And then there is artwork of a different kind – on the front of St. Irene Chrisovalantoy Greek Orthodox Church built in 1974

stained glass over the front entrance, from the inside

Even on a grey day there are colours to be found, not just in the artwork and stained glass windows, but in the nature around us.

below: Some sunshine in bloom

below: autumn vines with a street art background

below: This tree dominates with its abundance of red leaves. You may have also spotted the murals in the background.

below: These are the murals in the second Butterfly Laneway project (2018). Check this link (metamorphosis in the lane) to see all the murals.

below: One of the murals is carefully put aside while work is done on the back of this house.

below: More renovations. Apparently, people staying home because of covid = a boom in home renovations. Both Home Depot and Lowes reported increases in revenue for the second quarter of 2020, both were more than expected.

below: The unusual roofline and trim on these two houses caught my eye. I also love the fact that they are attached yet have a distinct character of their own. Brick vs stone, little peaked roof over the door vs. green and white metal awning, rectangular window vs bay window. Like identical twins trying to be their own person.

Danforth subway line, Donlands station. Ten years ago, it was decided that Donlands station needed a second exit and that it would be on the corner of Strathmore and Donlands, One building, 17 and 19 Dewhurst would have to be torn down to make way for the new exit. 19 Dewhurst was sold to the city in 2018 and just last year the property at 17 Dewhurst was expropriated.

Across the street at 14 Dewhurst, the old Temple Baptist Church (1925) is being redeveloped as condos, the Sunday School Lofts.

The home remodeling business may be doing well but the restaurants are hurting. As of the end of October, indoor dining in Toronto was prohibited.

below: Abyssinia restaurant. One of the many different ethnic restaurants along the Danforth. Although it is still referred to as Greektown, and the Greek influence is still strong, you can eat a wide range of foods from different cultures. As you move east along the Danforth, there is a strong African (especially Ethiopian) presence.

below: Did you know that gourmet cinnamon rolls was a thing? Did I run across the street to buy one? (Almost!!).

below: The northwest corner of Danforth and Donlands. You can choose between halal chicken and pizza, or dim sum.

Other little graffiti stickers, posters, and paste-ups:

below: Another flying bicycle

below: Mad Dog Wrecking Crew

below: A very sad man

below: Checkerboard sneaker and a big tooth-ed skull by mr. Toon.

below: The paper is torn but it is: “She clasped my face in her bones and kissed silence into my mouth” a quote by Amiri Bakara (I saw one exactly the same in Kensington last summer).

below: With a car parked in its mouth

below: Does the blue haired woman know whats lurking behind her?

Happy November – let’s keep walking and see what we can see along the way…. and in case you need help…!

building a church

Posted: October 27, 2020 in construction
Tags: brick, church, constrution, Eastern Ave., film set, temporary, workmen

Except it’s not a real church.
It’s part of a film/movie set on a studio lot. The unusual part is that it is right on Eastern Avenue in full view of passers-by. I’m not sure what production it’s for but maybe keep your eyes open in the coming months!

go east … East York

Posted: March 9, 2020 in history, locations, stores
Tags: apartment buildings, Bethany Baptist, bungalow, church, construction, convenience stores, development, Don Mills United, Donlands, gas station, Holy Cross, intersections, Logan convenience, memorial, O'Connor, Pape, people, plaque, restaurants, soldier, stores

Another blog post constructed from the wanderings around a neighbourhood.

below: A bronze plaque erected by the East York Historical Society is mounted on the stone fence of the Taylor Cemetery which is adjacent to Don Mills United Church. The plaque mentions the Methodist Church – the Methodists became part of the United Church in 1925.

bronze plaque on a stone wall, Taylor cemetery, erected by the East York historical society gives rough outline of the history of the Taylor family here

The Taylor Cemetery – John Taylor (1773-1868), his wife Margaret Hawthorne and seven children emigrated from Uttoxeter Staffordshire in 1821. In 1839, three sons, John, Thomas, and George, purchased this land from Samuel Sinclair (1767-1852) except for a portion Sinclair gave to the Primitive Methodist Connexion in 1851. The Taylors gave the Connexion a brick church in 1859. The family operated three paper mills and a brick mill in the Don Valley, where they had considerable landholdings and were responsible for much of the development of East York in the nineteenth century.

below: The present church building dates from 1950 when a smaller building was demolished. This church was registered in 1819 and has been on this site since 1839 (as mentioned above, originally Methodist).

below: Close by is Holy Cross Roman Catholic Church. Established in 1928, it was the first Catholic parish in the Township of East York. This church, built in 1948, is the second one on the site.

below: Bethany Baptist Church has been on the corner of Pape and Cosburn since 1920. Obviously this building is not that old! This is the addition, built in 1958, to the older church that you can just see on the right side of the picture.

below: A metal sculpture of a soldier mounted on the wall of The Royal Canadian Legion, hall #10, a memorial to the Soliders of Suicide – those soldiers who have taken their own lives, usually as the result of PTSD.

below: The southeast corner of Pape and O’Connor still sits empty. There used to be a gas station here and that probably meant contaminated soil that had to be dealt with. The development proposal sign dates from 2014 and was for a 2 storey commercial building. I am not sure why the delay or what the status of the proposal is.

below: Donlands Convenience with its rounded corner is similar to a few others in the city.

below: Do not block the entrance. …. or are the apples for the teachers?

below: A sample of some of the restaurants in the area. There are also quite a few Greek restaurants as the Danforth (and the original Greektown) is just to the south.

below: Golden Pizza Restaurant in an old brick building with a square facade at the roofline.

below: Another square roofline, Logan Convenience

Like most parts of the city, the houses are of various architectural styles.

Whether I am correct or not, I don’t know but I have always associated East York with small post-war bungalows.

A few are being “renovated”

below: What was surprising to me was how many multi-family buildings there are in the area – Both lowrise…

and apartment buildings

below: I am beginning to think that there should be at least one old car picture in every blog post! I certainly encounter enough of them! Today’s car – a yellow Oldsmobile (from the 1970’s?). Sounds like a challenge doesn’t it?!

a dome above all else

Posted: July 25, 2019 in locations
Tags: architecture, cathedral, church, coptic, cross, doors, Markham, mosaic, mural, St. Marks, Steeles, tiles, Warden, windows, wood

I was driving south on Warden the other day when I spotted a large church dome.

This is St. Marks Coptic Orthodox Cathedral near Warden and Steeles. The Coptic, or Egyptian, Church is believed to have been founded by St Mark at around AD 42 in Alexandria Egypt. It split from the rest of the Christendom in 451. In the 600s, Egypt was ruled by Islamic conquerors but it wasn’t until the 12th century that Coptics became a religious minority.

Construction of the church began around 2008/9 and was completed by 2015. It was officially opened by Pope Tawadros II who is the 118th pope in the Coptic church. The Roman Catholic Church and the Coptic Church are the only two religions in the world led by a “pope”.

below: Seven large carved wood doors. The colour of the exterior is reminiscent of desert sand.

A large mosaic mural across the top of the church is almost complete. It has been grouted and now is being cleaned.

below: Come out of Egypt my son, Matthew 2:15

below: The interior of the church is massive; under the dome, the nave is just over 29m high. There is seating for 1800 people.

As I was walking around the church, I spotted another cross just to the north – the Toronto Christian Community Church – with a different style of architecture. The name of the church was also written in Chinese but the church functions in Cantonese, Mandarin, and English. It was built in 2001.

a Yorkville meander with Captain Canuck, Batman and a mountie or two

Posted: May 16, 2018 in galleries, locations
Tags: Adrian Dingle, Alter Ego, Amyn Nasser, batman, bear, Brendan Meadows, Captain Canuck, Christopher Woodcock, church, city, City Obscure, clock, firehall, flag, Heliconian Hall, hoardings, ice fishing, Ipseity, Liss Gallery, Lomas Gallery, mannequins, mountie, music scene, Nelvana of the North, Nelvana of the Northern Lights, new york, park, Patrick Amiot, photographer, photography, photos, plaque, posters, sculpture, spring, Toronto Reference Library, tower, tpl, trees, urban

It’s still May and the CONTACT Photography Festival is still on so I am still trying to see as much as possible. Yesterday afternoon I went wandering in Yorkville where there is lots to see and do besides a couple of CONTACT exhibits.

below: Captain Canuck. I started with the TD Gallery at the Toronto Reference Library. It wasn’t that long ago that I was there (April I think) but the exhibit has changed. It is now ‘Alter Ego: Comics and Canadian Identity’. Isn’t Captain Canuck the most famous Canadian superhero? He first appeared in 1975.

below: Not so well known – The cover of the book ‘Nelvana of the Northern Lights’ by Adrian Dingle (1911-1974). Nelvana was Canada’s first female superhero; she first appeared in 1941, a few months before (American) Wonder Woman. Nelvana’s superpowers included turning invisible and traveling at the speed of light along a ray of the Northern Lights. According to Wikipedia, she “visited lost kingdoms under the ice, journeyed to other dimensions, and fought against the Axis Powers during World War II, eventually taking on the secret identity of secret agent Alana North. Her last adventure was published in 1947.

below: This structure was built in 1876 as a Carpenter Gothic Revival Style church – the Olivet Congregational Church. It has been the home of the Heliconian Club since 1923. This women only club was formed in 1909 and is still active today supporting women in the arts. There is a photo exhibit on there at the moment but viewing is by appointment only (it is a club not a gallery after all).

below: For CONTACT, the Lomas Gallery on Yorkville Ave is featuring a few large photos of cityscapes that are full of tall buildings. The one behind the red couch is ‘NoMad New York’ by Christopher Woodcock.

below: On the wall beside is ‘[a]DCLXI’ by Amyn Nasser.

below: It’s not a sculpture or a statue, but this red faced mannequin caught my eye. Maybe next time he’ll remember his sunscreen.

below: The clock tower of the Yorkville firehall. One side seems to missing its clock face.

below: Brendan Meadows’ black and white portraits hang on the walls of the Liss Gallery in an exhibit titled ‘Ipseity’. These were printed as silver gelatin selenium-toned lith prints by Bob Carnie from negatives made from digital images. The images were also manipulated with the Sabatier effect (solarization); this results in an image that is wholly or partially reversed in tone. Dark areas appear light or light areas appear dark.

below: Posters on hoardings add a little life at street level to the construction sites in the area. This set features businesses and sites in the area including the ROM.

below: Some colourful art deco style posters.

below: Prepared for anything! With a yellow duckie, handcuffs and binoculars, Batman and his Robin hand puppet prepare to take on the forces of evil! These are sculptures by Patrick Amiot.

below: Part of the Miraim Schiell gallery is devoted to Amiot’s work.

below: This large RCMP mountie and his dog stand behind the gallery.

below: Enjoying the wonderful spring afternoon on Cumberland.

below: Oh.. that second mountie that I alluded to in the title of this post – he was on the wall at the Alter Ego exhibit. This one. Just don’t call him Dudley Do-Right.

below: This is either ironic or sad. The first few lines of text say “In the the 1960s and 1970s, Yorkville village was the heart of Canada’s bohemian, counterculture community”. As I took this picture a new Bentley with dealer plates drove past. I looked around and the ‘counterculture’ of 40 to 50 years ago has been replaced by designer boutiques, high end stores, fine art galleries, and restaurants with linen napkins. Not a lot of music happening here. Full transcription is below.

“In the the 1960s and 1970s, Yorkville village was the heart of Canada’s bohemian, counterculture community. More than 40 clubs and coffee houses nightly featured folksingers-songwriters, including Ian & Sylvia, Gordon Lightfoot, Joni Mitchell, and Neil Young, who performed some of their first compositions in these smoky venues.
Yorkville’s first coffee house, Club 71, was opened by Werner Graeber in 1959. By 1964, Yorkville had become a nurturing environment not only for folk music, but also for pop, blues, and later, psychedelic rock. Hippies and teenagers flocked to these unlicensed venues, which offered an alternative to Yonge Street bars.
Yorkville was also home to three sound-recording studios, taping major acts such as The Guess Who, Lighthouse, and Ann Murray. With its vital role in fostering a wealth of talent, the Yorkville scene inspired a generation of songwriters and led to the rise of a new Canadian sound.”

St. Simons windows

Posted: May 8, 2018 in history, locations
Tags: carnations, cathedral, church, Dorcas, enamel, Gerald Tooke, history, Joseph McCausland, lead, McCausland, religion, Robert McCausland, Robert Wilkes, Sarah Hall, St. Cecilia, St. Matthew, St. Simon, stained glass, Stephen Taylor

Stained glass windows and churches go hand in hand. The church of St. Simon and St. Peter on Bloor Street East is no exception. The church was built as St. Simon the Apostle, on the northern fringe of the city in 1887-1888. The congregation grew rapidly and the church was expanded in 1892. Its earliest stained glass window dates from 1899 and the most modern window was installed in 1997 – 100 years of history. Some of the windows in this church, and the stories they tell, are shown below.

below: Saint Simon and Saint Matthew, 1927, Robert McCausland Ltd., Dedicated to the memory of Augustus Perrine Burritt (1868-1925). Traditionally, saints are portrayed with their ‘attributes’. Here, Simon holds a saw and Matthew holds a purse, or bag of money. Matthew was a tax collector before he became an apostle. No one really knows much about Simon and there are many conflicting stories about how, when, and where he died. One story is that he died by being sawn in two in Persia. Whatever the history, now if you see a painting or a statue of saint and he’s holding a long saw, then you’ll know that it’s Simon.

Augustus P. Burritt’s wife, Jean Bell Smith, outlived him by many years. She lived until 1969. They are buried together in Mt. Pleasant cemetery. She is Jean B. Smith Durland on the tombstone so she must have married a second time. I may be flying away on a tangent, but there is CWSGA (Canadian Women’s Senior Golf Association) trophy called the Jean Burritt Durland trophy.

McCausland of Toronto is the oldest surviving stained glass studio in North America. In fact, five generations of McCauslands have overseen the work of the firm from 1856 to the present.

“Joseph McCausland, glass stainer, house, sign, and ornamental painter, established his business in 1852, and added the stained-glass works in 1857, being the first of its kind in the city. He is now employing over fifty hands. Mr. McCausland was born in County Armagh, Ireland, in 1829 and came to Toronto in 1836.” from
History of Toronto and County of York, Ontario vol 1, 1885. (source) The stained-glass works mentioned here was the Canada Stained Glass Works in Toronto. Although the bulk of McCausland’s work was for churches in the Toronto area, they made windows for churches elsewhere, for a lot of government buildings (University College, City Hall, B.C. parliament in Victoria), and for commercial buildings such as the Bank of Montreal at Yonge & Front. In 1881, Joseph’s son Robert took over the business and it has remained in the family ever since.

below: The Dorcas window – Dorcas distributes bread to the poor, by Robert McCausland Ltd. in 1921, dedicated to the memory of Martha Bolton Wilkes (d. 1919). Dorcas (or Tabitha in Hebrew or Aramaic) was a seamstress who clothed the poor as well as fed them. After she died, a miraculous prayer by Peter the Apostle brought her back from the dead. She has become a symbol of charity.

Martha Wilkes was the wife of Robert Wilkes (1832-1880), a politician and businessman. Robert drowned at Sturgeon Point with two of his children in August 1880, Florence Alexandria (age 15) and Bertie Cooke Wilkes (age 12). The family is buried together in Mt Pleasant cemetery.

An account of the death of Robert was given in the Canadian Methodist Magazine vol 15, January to June, 1882. “The sad disaster lacked no element of the tragical and pathetic. In the month of August, 1880, Mr. Wilkes and his family were spending a few summer holidays at Sturgeon Point, a beautiful health-resort on Sturgeon Lake. On the 16th of the month, his only son and second daughter, aged, respectively thirteen and fifteen, were bathing in the lake, while their father rowed a small boat near at hand. The lad, attempting to reach his father’s boat, sank beneath the water. Mr. Wilkes plunged in to rescue him, and found himself beyond his depth. His daughter Florence, rushing to their assistance, got also beyond her depth, and thus all three perished in full view of the shore. Mrs. Wilkes who was an eye-witness of the dreadful tragedy, rushed into the water and was with difficulty prevented from losing her life in a futile attempt to save those so dear to her. Prompt efforts were made to rescue the bodies, but, alas! the spark of life had fled. Although that of Florence was still warm, yet every attempt at its resuscitation was in vain.”

below: There are a few other McCausland windows in St. Simons church. This is a detail from one of them, the Te Deum window, named for the prayer that contains the words “To thee all angels cry aloud”.

below: Saint Cecilia, by Sarah Hall, 1997. Saint Cecilia is the patroness of musicians and she is in the center, flanked by two trumpet bearing angels. It’s difficult to see in this photo, but under the music notes, at the very bottom of the window, are the words “From har-mo-ny from heav-nly har-mo-ny This u-ni-ver-sal frame be-gan”. Each syllable matches a note. They are also the first two lines in a poem written by John Dryden in 1687 called “A Song for St. Cecilia’s Day”.

below: These windows by Gerald E. Tooke (b. 1930), four panels, each an illustration of a miracle performed by Jesus. On the very left is the marriage at Cana where water was turned into wine. Next is the feeding of the multitudes with bread and fish. Second to the right is the healing of the blind man and last is the Resurrection. These date from 1965 and are dedicated to the memory of Anna Alfreda Waller (d. 1964) and her husband (d. 1949). [There’s a turn – usually it’s the wife whose name gets lost!].

below: Memorial to the Women of St. Simons 1883-1983, by Stephen Taylor. Maybe you see her as a Mother Earth figure as the root of all that grows or maybe you see her as a woman in bondage. She almost looks like she’s bound to a cross. The carnations above her are symbolic – according to a Christian legend, carnations grew from Mary’s tears as she watched Jesus carry the cross and, hence, they became associated with motherly love.

For a more complete story about stained glass and the windows of St. Simons, there is a pdf here

Chasing the light along Queen Street

Posted: September 10, 2017 in old buildings, reflections, shadows
Tags: architecture, bride, bridge, cars, cathedral, church, city, construction cranes, evening, lamp posts, lights, Moss Park, people, photographers, railings, St. Michaels Cathedral, St. Mikes, street, street lights, traffic, urban, utility poles, wedding, wires

Shorter day light hours + autumn weather (no snow yet!) = an evening of playing with light and shadow. I came out of the subway at Queen station and decide to “chase the light”. It was a perfect evening for a walk and I wanted to make it last as long as possible. For the most part I stayed on Queen Street although I will admit to straying onto Shuter for a block or two. It’s not the prettiest part of the city but every place has potential, from a photographic perspective anyhow.

below: The new (replacement) pedestrian walkway over Queen Street that will link the Eaton Centre with The Bay.

below: City reflections in both glass and polished stone.

below: The curve of street car wires at Queen and Church. A wall of peeling paint, as well as a ghost sign, provides the backdrop

below: The east wall of St. Michaels Cathedral (RC) with reflected light, as seen across a construction site.

below: The same church from a slightly different angle.

below: Angels

below: Pigeons, old Bell phones and the Moss Park Discount Store. Not so much light here but I liked the wall.

below: A long way from home.

below: A large double billboard is black beside the old building. The building is at the corner of Ontario Street and Brigden Place. It was built in 1911 as a 4 1/2 storey warehouse for the Newell Company and their Dominion Envelope Company. It was one of three buildings that they owned in the area. After WW2 the building was purchased by J.D. Carrier Shoe Company (the ghost sign!). Today it has been renovated as lofts and studios.

below: A small section of the back of the Moss Park Armoury, a Canadian Forces building constructed in the 1960’s.

below: A quick break from chasing light…. you never know what you’re going to encounter downtown, and of course you have to stop and take advantage of the opportunities when they arise, so here we have a slight diversion! I’m going to assume that the background of their pictures is much better than the background of this picture!

below: As evening falls, the lights come on in the bus shelters.
You can thank (or curse) Astral Media for that.

below: King Street and Queen Street merge just before they pass over the Don River and the Don Valley Parkway. The green railing in the photo below is on the bridge over the DVP, the buildings and cranes are on the other side of the river.

below: Upstairs, downstairs. Looking west along King Street from the Don River.

Once the light fades beyond a certain point, contrast is limited and dullness creeps into the resulting photos. It’s too late for well lit photos and too early for pictures of city lights. But it’s a great time to stop and find some dinner!

diversity on Rhodes

Posted: July 26, 2017 in doors, locations, windows and walls
Tags: #Thursdaydoors, bike, buddhist, chua hue lam, church, doors, Fatih mosque, fence, gospel, houses, Lighthouse Gospel Church, mosque, painting, redevelopment, Rhodes Ave., temple, wheel

Let’s take a ride up the south end of Rhodes Ave. Why Rhodes? In a two block stretch (from Queen to Gerrard) there are mostly residences but there are some interesting other things sprinkled amongst the houses. The photo above is the side entrance to Velotique, a bike store, on the corner of Rhodes and Queen St. East.

below: Just north of Queen Street is the Toronto Gospel Lighthouse Church which has been on this site for about 50 years.

below: I am not sure if this is still a working church. Their facebook page hasn’t been updated in over a year. Also, the yellow paper on the wall is an application for consent to divide the lot into 6 smaller lots and build houses on them. The six blue notices are applications for minor variances from the zoning bylaws, one for each dwelling. By the looks of it, the plan is to build 6 three storey semi-divided houses here. Each house required 29 minor variances – the house is a little higher, the driveway a little narrower, the front yard a little smaller, etc than the present bylaws. The case was heard at the end of January but I don’t know what the verdict was.

Farther up Rhodes Avenue is an old building that was once the home of the local chapter of the Orange Order, a Protestant fraternal organization. It was put up for sale in 1969 and subsequently purchased by the Islamic Foundation of Toronto and turned into a mosque.

below: The Fatih Mosque (when I first saw it I thought it said Faith Mosque!) with it’s two small minarets topped with gold cresents that adorn the front entrance.

below: Right beside the mosque is house with no working front door. It also has a sign in the window – a building permit of course. There is will soon be a three storey building with three apartments if the sign is correct. Here the development process is farther along than at the church down the road as this site already has a protective fence around the tree that’s growing city property.

A church, a mosque… and a Buddhist church. I thought Buddhists had temples but this one is a church. Is there a difference? Or is it just a translation thing? Ahhhhh, online they are a temple. This is the home of the Blooming Forest Bhikkhuni Buddhist Association. The “about us” page on their website is a pdf written in Vietnamese so I can’t tell you much about them!

below: At the corner of Rhodes and Gerrard is the Flying Pony Coffee Shop with its bright and colourful doors both in the front…..

below: … and at the back.

The houses on the street are a mix of large and small, old and newly renovated. Here is a selection of them, and of their doors….

below: … and a picket fence too.

below: And at the last house, I leave you “Happy Holidays” greetings from Santa and myself. Santa’s busy already, driving the train around toy town in preparation for another Christmas!

Are you a fan of photos of doors? Check out the blog Norm 2.0 for links to many more!

as I walk Toronto

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