Posts Tagged ‘CNE’

An afternoon at the Ex

Posted: August 29, 2022 in events, people
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The Ex is back (whether or not you think Covid is over!)

looking through a window, a pile of corndogs for sale at the ex

young girl trying to hold onto bar and hang there as long as possible, while a young man with a stuffed banana tries to encourage her

people throwing wiffle balls, ball toss game, cne midway

mother and young son at ring toss game, while cne employee sweeps up rings from the ground

two kids eating pizza

young kids at the cne midway watching people on rides, looking up

young men dressed in black lined up along a counter, ball toss game at cne

two people waiting at a veggie corndog vendor, the vendor next to them is advertising pickle lemonade

two kids and two women at a ring toss game, small red rings over the neck of coke bottles

man in dark sunglasses and turquoise shirt, standing in front of wall of giant stuffies, pointing at someone

young girl with fedora, helping to clip large blue stuffie into a stroller

a young muslim boy watches people on a midway ride, cne

an older woman sitting at a crown and anchor betting game at the ex

mother, father, and son plying ring toss game at cne midway

a young woman in black top and blue jeans gets ready to hang from a bar as long as possible in order to try to win a prize

people watching a man hang from a bar

people watching a man hang from a bar

cne midway, a blue wall with a big ad for slushy bear, pastel colour flags on the roof

two men with daughters kneeling on stools, playing water shooter game at cne

buying fries

a young man has his arms around the waist of a woman as they watch at the cne

a young woman waits her turn for a cne midway ride

a man in a booth with the words fear this in yellow on the window, sitting and looking out at the cne midway

people at the ex, midway

people waiting their turn to get on a ride at the cne

people at the cne midway, lining up by ring of fire ride

back of a woman in a white baseball cap and very long turquoise dreadlocks, braids

people on the midway, a man shields his eyes from the afternoon sun

young people at the cne midway

More 2022 CNE photos on a previous post (around and around we go).

around and around we go….

Posted: August 29, 2022 in events, people
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…. and up and down, and back and forth….

people with concerned looks on face as they free fall in a ride at the CNE

Riding fun at the CNE midway!

a man in a red t shirt sits in a booth as he controls a ride at the Canadian National Exhibition, a ring with riders whizzing past

a young girl and her mother spinning in a red round pod at ride at cne

mother and daughter screaming and laughing on roller coaster ride

a young couple are harnassed into a ride at the cne while they wait for it to start

many people sitting on Egyptian boat, pharoah, ride at the Canadian National Exhibition, as it swings to one side and they are near vertical in the air

young asian couple enjoying a roller coaster ride, laughing, leaning into each other as they go around a corner

two young men watch a ride

an older couple having a good time on the alpine crossing ride as it spins around, the ex,

two men working at the cne in red shirts, helping to make sure that young riders are strapped in safely to their seats

a man watches a spinning ride at the ex, as people are standing as they spin

screaming and hair flying as ride goes around picture of a woman with a snowboard, cne midway

three young people in prone position in a ride at the cne

three young men on a flying ride over the midway at the c n e

nearing vertical at a ride at the cne

young people enjoying a ride in green pods at the cne

people at the ex, on midway rides

two men holding hands as they get ready for a free fall ride at the ex

young women laughing as they go around in circles on a ride at the cne midway

a young man in white framed sunglasses, midway ride at cne

hanging up in the air, midway ride at cne

Labour Day Parade 2018

Posted: September 3, 2018 in events, people
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below: IATSE Local 58 led the parade this year. They have been locked out of the CNE who brought in workers from Quebec and Alberta to help set up the Ex this year. Usually the parade ends at the CNE grounds at the Dufferin Gate and participants get free admission to the Ex. This year, the parade ended at Lamport Stadium instead.

labour Day parade on Queen St West, IATSE local 58, banner, with the words Behind the scenes since 1898, some people walking including a young woman carrying a bag of buttons that she's handing out.

below: Mayoral candidate, Jennifer Keesmaat, walked in the parade with the IATSE locals.  At Bathurst St., the groups at the front slowed down to let the others catch up.  At that point, Keesmaat was interviewed by CP24.

labour Day parade on Queen St West, mayoral candidate Jennifer Keesmaat being interviewed by a woman reporter from CP24 news, in the midst of the parade

labour Day parade on Queen St West, a woman with a sign that says Ford needs a sex education, walking in front of large oversized effigy of Doug Ford

labour Day parade on Queen St West, ACTRA member male, carrying sign that says Artists are Voters,

labour Day parade on Queen St West, ACTRA member, female, with sign that says Come on Women, please start supporting other women

labour Day parade on Queen St West, small dog on a leach with an actra T-shirt on

labour Day parade on Queen St West, man in tartan kilt playing drums, union members carrying flags including Canadian flag

labour Day parade on Queen St West,

labour Day parade on Queen St West, a young woman holds an orange NDP sign for the local Parkdale MPP Bhutial Krapoche, as members of the Sprinkler Fitters of Ontario Union come around the corner from Queen West to Dufferin

labour Day parade on Queen St West, a man walks with large white wings, about 8 feet across (2.5 metres), he's wearing a black T-shirt with white words that say No Justice No Peace

amalgamated transit workers union march in labour Day parade on Queen St West,

labour Day parade on Queen St West, Canadian Media guild members walk with their banner, wearing red t-shirts

members of United Steelworkers walk in Labour Day parade including a woman in red cowboy hat and red frilly skirt

labour Day parade on Queen St West, young people in pink t-shirts carry blue flags for a union,

labour Day parade on Queen St West, two women carry brown cardboard signs, one says How do I snitch on my politician? and the other talks about policies affecting education ofchildren

labour Day parade on Queen St West, Toronto Civic Employees Union

a young person walks in the labour Day parade on Queen St West, carrying a sign that says society prefers somnambulism to awareness, know your rights

millwrights local 2309 walk with their banner in a labour day parade

millwrights union members carrying flags

OPSEU banners and people in Labour Day parade, inclusing two with large oversized, tall, effigies of Doug Ford and John Tory

labour Day parade on Queen St West,

Power Workers union protest signs, held by one man

labour Day parade on Queen St West, woman in pink t-shirt riding a bike in front of walkers in the parade

labour Day parade on Queen St West, an older black man carries a sign that says Hands Off our paid sick days

labour Day parade on Queen St West, a black man waves a union flag, wearing a black t shirt with the words No Justice No Peace. Some other people are riding on a flat bed truck behind him, with posters that say Pay Equality for all

a man roller blades past the parade, water bottle in one hand, grocery bags in the other, he is topless, labour Day parade on Queen St West,

Let’s go to the Ex!

Posted: September 1, 2017 in events, people
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Late August in Toronto means that the Canadian National Exhibition (CNE)  is in town.  Today, since Labour Day weekend is upon us and summer is drawing to a close, I thought that I’d post this year’s crop of photos from the Ex.   Food, games, rides, and people watching fun!

evening photo, darkness, bright lights of the signs for curly fries, spiral spuds and fresh cut fries, food for sale at the ex

below: Elsa parades through the CNE grounds

a float in a parade shaped like Elsa from the movie Frozen, passes through the exhibition grounds.

below: Family games

a young boy throws a ball ina Skee Ball game while his sister and parents watch

young man concentrating as he shoots water into a target at a game at the CNE

woman running a game at the CNE, she is surrounded by prizes such as stuffed minions and other animals

woman running a game at the CNE, she is surrounded by prizes such as stuffed minions and other animals

below: An arm down, and just three feet, on number 21

from below, two people riding on the Skyride, an arm hangs over the side, and there appear to be only three feet

below: The excitement (and terror?) of CNE rides.

two young women on a ride at the ex

two young women on a ride at the ex

below: On the Skyride with the CN Tower in the distance

on the Skyride at the Ex, overlooking the CNE below, people walking around, booths selling food such as mini donuts and spiral spuds

below: Riding high above the minions.

two people ride on the Skyride above the midway at the ex, a large minion, stuffed toy prize, hangs below them

Whac-a-mole game prizes on the CNE midway, people

the eyes of a large blue stuffed bear peaking from behind a woman's arm

people walking past games atthe CNE, stuffies hanging from the roofs of game stalls

muslim woman in burka stands by a small tree with a stroller laiden down with parcels and bags, other people at the Ex are in the background

below: Elvis Stoyko carried the Canadian flag at the closing of the ice skating & aerial acrobatics show at the Ricoh Centre.

Elvis Stoyko carries a Canadian flag at the end of the ice skating show at the Ex, some of the crowds in the seats can be seen in front of him

below: Choose a ducky to see what prize you’ve won!

reaching for a yellow rubber ducky with black glasses and bright red lips, ducks are floating in water, a game of luck on the midway at the CNE

below: Beer bottle targets and the mess that results.

rows of empty beer bottles as targets at a midway game of throwing balls at bottles, broken glass below, stuffed animal prizes hanging above

a man with a pool cue playing a game at the CNE midway, with a woman with an armful of large stuffed prizes behind him

below: Rainbow coloured versions of the poop emoji were very popular this year.

a young girl in a hat that is a rainbow coloured poop emoji

below: Some people have more luck than others!

a woman carrying two stuffies and a skateboard, one is a large blue dinosaur and the other is a large pink creature

below: Gathering the spun cotton candy

a man collected cotton candy that is spinning in vats in front of him

two young men sit on stools beside a midway game at the ex while they eat

people around a food vendor at the CNE, fries,

below: Only a few can sleep through the crowds and noise of the Ex!

a baby is asleep in a stroller while the adult bets at a game of chance at the Ex. The baby has a large stuffed brown bear

The Ex!

Posted: August 30, 2016 in events
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Hey you!
Been to the Ex yet?

a man dressed in costume, white face, bobby hat, white gloves and a red and white striped shirt

An end of summer tradition since 1879… although a lot has changed since then!

below: The midway, 1937 (photo source: history section, CNE website)

an old black and white photo of the midway at the CNE taken in 1937, lots of people in period clothes, an olf tilt-a-whirl ride also in the picture.

below:  Part of the midway this year.  Rides, games and food! … oh, and people!

looking down the CNE midway towards the CN tower in the late afternoon as the sun gets low, riders overhead on the Skyline ride, lots of people walking, lots of signs for games and food.

midway game, shoot out, early evening, lights on, people walking in front, ferris wheel in the distance.

Games of skill

many people playing a midway game at the Ex involving rolling a bowling ball up a short alley. Prizes hand all around them.

And games of chance (gambling, if you will)

two young men in blue shirts working at one of the midway gambling games, with another man standing behind the counter

a young boy pokes his around his mother to watch her as she plays a gambling game on the midway at the Ex

Rides that turn you upside down,

young women upside down on the Fire Ball midway ride, their long hair hanging down.

make you scream,

two people upside down on a ride at the CNE,

swing you around,

a young couple kissing on a swing that is up high

drop you,

people wait in line for a ride that takes up up in the air and then drops you. A group has just begun their trip upwards.

jostle you around,

a mother and daughter enjoying a ride, like a roller coaster, as it comes around a corner.

and let you laugh with friends. 

two girls coming down a large, multi lane, slide, holding hands and laughing

below: And, hey look, the pink and blue ride in the background, that’s a tilt-a-whirl ride.  It’s a bit different from the 1937 version pictured above but the concept is still the same.

a couple ride on a midway ride at the Canadian Exhibition, behind them is the blue and pink tilt-a-whirl ride

Food… deep fried almost anything you want!

people standing in front of food vendors that ate brightly lit up, selling deep fried food such as deep fried oreos, deep fried pickles, as well as chicken and corn dogs.

The Ex…  The CNE…  call it what you will.
Have fun!

lots of people in swings suspended by chains, about to twirl around at the CNE

late evening on the midway at the Canadian National Exhibition, water game at the ex, piled high with stuffed prizes, and some people playing the game and some people watching the game

Two young Asian men on a ride, they are lying on their stomachs and appear to be flying, in circles, with the ex midway behind them

a young woman is screaming as a ride takes her around in circles, she is slightly blurry because of the speed of the ride

a young black man wearing a turd hat and talking into a microphone as he tries to get people interested in playing the game he's working at. A wall of stuffed prizes is behind him including yellow pokemons

a group of young people around a counter playing a game of chance outdoors, at a fair, the cne

a very large inflatable yellow ducky with bright red beak and black sunglasses, standing beside a pick-a-duck game with a wall of stuffed yellow ducks behind it

blog_catching_skyline_riders_cne

Edouard’s Toronto

Posted: May 15, 2015 in locations, public art
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Edouard
a CONTACT photography festival exhibit,
VIA Rail Concourse (i.e. where the trains depart from)

Edouard LeBouthillier documented his life in Toronto in the 1970’s and early 1980’s with Polaroid pictures.  On the back of the photos he noted dates and places.  He also took pictures of Toronto buildings and landmarks that were newly constructed or in the process of being torn down (e.g. the old Eatons store at Yonge & Dundas).

There are two exhibits of his work being shown at CONTACT this year.  The first, shown below, is on the east side of the VIA Rail Concourse of Union Station where a number of large prints are on display.  If you have trouble finding them, look for VIA platforms 12 and 13.

A second Edouard exhibit is at Art Metropole (1490 Dundas West) and it consists of some of the original polaroids that show his domestic life.

below:  At new City Hall.
In front of the tulip garden on the left and lying by the fountain on the right.

large photographic prints on display at Union Station

large photographic prints on display at Union Station

below: Edouard was at the CNE on the 17th of August 1977.

large photographic prints on display at Union Station

below: On the left is Ed’s Wacky Wirld store, 1977

large photographic prints on display at Union Station

Toronto, block by block

Posted: August 28, 2014 in general Toronto, landmarks
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A different perspective on the city –

Legoland (Vaughan Mills) model of some of the buildings in Toronto

A lego model of some of the buildings in downtown Toronto

downtown Toronto, CN Tower, bank buildings, the CNE

A lego model of some of the buildings in downtown Toronto

City Hall and Nathan Phillips Square.  Streetcar tracks but not much traffic on the streets!

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into the night at the CNE

Posted: August 21, 2014 in events, people
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another August, another trip to the Ex!

 

Evening shot as the sky is getting darker. Tiny Tom donut stand all lit up, with a line up of people waiting to buy donuts.

Tiny Tom Donuts, an iconic part of the CNE for as long as I can remember.

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Two acrobatic women hanging from a large triple hook shaped bar suspended from the ceiling. Bathed in blue light.

One of this year’s shows is ‘Mirage’, an acrobatic show at the Ricoh Coliseum.

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Two people on a rope in yellow and purple lights. Part of the audience can be seen in the photo.

another part of the ‘Mirage’ show

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A boy wearing a fedora is standing beside one of the midway games. He is holding a coke bottle with the name Jeff on it. Behind him is a large picture of 3 stars.

A star on the midway. The coke bottle says Jeff.

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Two young men are hammering away at Whac-a-mole while a woman who is running the game is talking to the people who are watching

playing Whac-a-Mole!

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A number of people are competing to win a stuffed monkey. They are shooting water into a target.

shooting for monkeys, Curious George as the prize

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A groups of young people are playing a midway game where you toss balls. What they are throwing them at is not in the photo!

Having fun tossing baseballs!

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CNE midway game with the prize being a stuffed minion from the movie 'Despicable Me'. A woman is paying to play.

getting ready to play for minions

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A young man is sitting by a giant roulette wheel, a midway game at the Ex

waiting for the wheel to stop

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Lights on one of the midway rides, Starship.

Starship lights and motion on the midway

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A display of candy apples for sale. Some are coated with smarties candies, some with multi coloured sprinkles and some with crushed nuts.

yum, candy apples… caramel, smarties, sprinkles and crushed nuts!

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Sand sculpture of a woman sitting on the ground, looking wistfully through a round window. In the background are some woman standing behind a wood barricade who are looking at the sand sculpture

women watching, sand sculpture

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Details of a sand sculpture (hands) with another sculpture behind (of a woman)

women from another angle

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A father and his daughters are on a midway ride, spinning in red "seats" as they go around in circles.

spinning quickly on the midway – or at least a bit too quickly for the camera!

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The Ex

Posted: August 31, 2013 in events
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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!

A view from the Sky Ride. Downtown Toronto with the CN tower is in the background. Midway rides and games can be seen.

Riding the Sky Ride over the CNE midway

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A fast food stand at the Ex, selling cheeseburgers, sausages, deep fried Mars bars, and other unhealthy food!

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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birds eye view of the midway. multicoloured roofs over midway game stalls, lots of people walking around

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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A wall of stuffed toys - Bart Simpsons and South Park characters

Stuffed toys – the most popular midway game prize.

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two of the midway rides - the swings and a ferris wheel

Spinners

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many people in a line up waiting to get on the Zipper ride

line-ups are an inevitable part of a summer evening at the CNE

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Some people in a line up waiting to get on a ride, the Twister ride is in the background

waiting for the Twister

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two kids on a large bumble bee, one of the rides in Kid Land at the CNE

Happily riding the bumble bees in Kid Land.

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blurred lights in red, white and blue, as one of the rides spins around

the CNE website:   http://theex.com/

more photos: http://www.asIwalkToronto.com/cne.html

other people’s photos:

Tradition!
Souvenir From Toronto

Twilight photo - Sky Ride above, midway games all lit up, people in the foreground

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