Another year of jack o’lanterns and giant spiders
and other creative spooky and creepy decorations. Clowns and pumpkin heads.
And even bunnies can be fearsome. Bunny with baseball bat.
It’s a time for dressing up in costumes and having fun…. for kids
…. and for adults (night time photos taken on Church street)
below: What’s scarier than Donald Trump? Three Trumps! Thrice the thrills.
Not everyone was scary – look at these cute and cuddly animals!
Smurfs!
Even Marilyn stopped for a picture.
Did you do something lazy like sleep in and then stay in your jammies all day?
Did you stay home and stay warm?
I know a few people that did just the opposite! More than 60 people took the plunge and got wet, frigid cold wet that is. The 12th annual Polar Bear dip at Sunnyside Park was well attended this year and these are some of the brave and crazy people who were there (and the less brave and crazy who came to watch, support, and take pictures of the swimmers).
below: The event is a fundraiser for Habitat for Humanity and over $64,000 was raised this year. Habitat for Humanity had a team who participated, they could be spotted wearing orange T-shirts and orange hard hats.
#dothedip | #topolarbear
You’ve probably never heard the word asafo before. You probably have no idea what it means.
Until last week I didn’t know the word existed either.
I went to the Royal Ontario Museum to see the Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibit. There were 100 excellent pictures of insects, animals, marine life, the sort of thing you’d expect. There was no photography allowed in that exhibit so I have no photos of the images on display. You’ll have to take my word for it that I was there.
I can appreciate the skill and patience that it takes to capture rabbits in the snow or a school of fish in a certain light underwater but those kind of pictures don’t excite me. That’s not to diminish the work of the photographers, it was all very high caliber both technically and visually. What I think I’m trying to say is that I left the exhibit wanting more, something more from my visit to the ROM.
Luckily I didn’t have to look far. In the next room was Art, Honour, and Ridicule: Asafo Flags from Southern Ghana.
Colour, lots of colour. And a subject that I knew nothing about, asafo flags. I wasn’t even sure what part of Africa Ghana is in (It’s on the south coast of Western Africa between Togo and the Ivory Coast as it turns out.).
The flags are hand made with an assortment of different motifs. The British Jack in the upper left corner is a very common feature. That’s a clue. Yes, Ghana was a British colony. Reading the history of Ghana is like reading the colonial history of large parts of Africa. The Portuguese built a fortress at Elmina in 1482. Interest in the region was piqued by the presence of gold, hence the name Gold Coast. By the early 17th century the first African state, Akwamu, controlled an extensive part of the coast. They were displaced by the Ashanti who were very involved in the slave trade, especially in trading slaves for weapons. When European countries outlawed trading in slaves in the early 1800’s, Ashanti power suffers. Some tussles ensue, a few battles, some back and forth, and by 1902 what was Ashanti becomes is a British colony. It remained a colony until 1957.
I’m not going to pretend to know or understand African history. I’m only trying to give some context to the flags. First, jump back to my mention of Elmina and the Portuguese. When the Portuguese arrived in this area in the 15th century, it was the Fante (or Fanti) people that they encountered. Both the Fante and the Ashanti belong to the Akan people. The Fante prevented them from venturing inland and leased properties for Portuguese trading missions. But when the Portuguese objected to Fante rules and regulations the Fante expelled them. Soon after, the Dutch arrived. The Fante served as middlemen in the commerce between the interior and Dutch traders on the coast.
Around 1724 the Dutch either established or made important a number of militia groups of local Fante. These are the Asafo companies. Historically, Asafo companies were in charge of the safety and protection of the local community. At the height of the slave trade they protected individuals and communities. They exerted power, exercise political influence and maintain codes of conduct within Fante communities. Each company has a flag and that flag has many roles. They represent proverbs and depict narratives of pride and wisdom. They accompany oral history and provide a means to preserve customs and traditions.
below:
below:
Patricia Harris Gallery of Textiles and Costumes,
ROM, 4th floor,
until March 2017.
You better watch out, you better not cry
Better not pout, I’m telling you why
Santa Claus is comin’ to town
… and he arrived on Saturday amidst the gusty winds and light snow. Winter arrived on the same day!
Before the parade there was the Holly Jolly Fun Race, a 5 km race along the Santa Claus parade route.
#TOsanta | #TOsantaparade
Or rather, pre-Pride parade. The parade route is usually very crowded and this year I decided not walk it. Instead, I mingled with the parade participants who gathered on Bloor Street in preparation for the event. What you’ll find in this blog posts are a lot of pictures of people, people laughing and smiling and enjoying the day. I hope I have captured some of the energy and spirit of the occasion.
below: A temporary rainbow LOVE sign
below: The orange guy from the fruit group!
below: One of the floats parked on Rosedale Valley Road. Toronto in balloons, ready and waiting for the parade to start. The calm before the storm.
below: When I first approached this group, the man in the middle had a rainbow flag in front of him. As I took the picture he flung the flag to his back and hammed it up for the camera. Thanks!
below: These boots are made for walking, but that bike sure looks great!
below: Apparently, wearing large amounts of feathers on your back is quite warm. Not so good on a hot day!
below: The solution – water of course. Super soakers and the spraying of water is a big part of the pride parade.
below: The three coloured Transgender Pride flag – the stereotype colours of light blue for baby boys and light pink for baby girls with a white stripe in the middle for those who identify as neither.
below: #ShareLove wash the hashtag used by Telus and the people on their float. I love the glitter and the purple hearts!
below: Puppets from Kids Help Phone Line make an appearance at the parade with a little help from some friends. The one T-shirt reads “Tell us about your #firstpride”
below: Well, what can I say? It’s Pride.
below: Nonchalantly blowing bubbles. Someone looks unimpressed.
below: I managed to find the saddest person on Bloor Street.
below: Thanks to these two women who showed off their T-shirts for the camera. #ProudBecause was Fido’s campaign for Pride. Each person on the team had a T-shirt like this, and each person had filled in the white rectangles with their personal messages.
below: Spectators waiting. One is keeping cool.
below: The Liberals had a large presence, most of them in red T-shirts. They congregated on Asquith Green early on and there were many in the staging area on Bloor Street. As the world knows, Justin Trudeau walked in the parade with Toronto Mayor John Tory and Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne. As an aside, I may be the only person who didn’t get a photo of Trudeau!
When the parade started, I left Bloor Street, heading south on Ted Rogers Way then back towards the Hayden Street entrance to Bloor subway station. Somewhere along that route (and I can’t remember exactly where) I saw a small group of PC/Tories with their signs walking towards the parade.
below: Tomodachi is Japanese for ‘friends’.
below: The Federation of Canadian Naturists were also walking in the parade.
‘In-Between Worlds’ is a series of photographs by Canadian photographer Meryl McMaster. This series centres around the role of McMaster’s dual heritage in her search for self; The images represent her being part of, and also being between, two different cultures as she is part Cree and part ‘European’.
Three of the images are on display at Ontario Square by Queens Quay West and Lower Simcoe St.
below: Horse Dance. The bright red and blue of the shaggy hobby horses against a winter landscape makes for an eye catching picture. On closer look, you realize that there is a person’s head inside one of those horses’s head. Heads that have no eyes to see or mouths to speak.
below: Wingeds Calling. Around the corner there is another picture of a person in costume, playing the role of a real, yet not real, animal. A large black bird-like figure walks on the frozen ground, perhaps too big and awkward to fly.
below: Wind Play Variation. The third picture baffles me a bit. Although this is another picture of a person assuming a role, this time the creature is totally of the artist’s imagination. A blue hairy thing that is slightly blurry as it walks amongst the pine trees. Is it coming or going?
Zombie Funeral and Wake
Today there was a zombie funeral and wake, a celebration of the undead afterlife. The funeral was held at the Royal Cinema on College St. West. This ceremony was followed by a procession of the walking dead towards the CNE.
Canada Day 2015
There were celebrations at a number of locations around the city
including Queens Park and Yonge-Dundas Square.
The red outline of a maple leaf was then used to make a “living flag” of people wearing red T-shirts and white T-shirts. The crowd waited patiently behind the barricades while the organizers got their act together. Not everyone stayed on the sidelines!
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The first part of the “living flag” takes their place in the stem of the maple leaf.
Listening to New Choir perform at Yonge Dundas Square
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One of the better seats in the house! Watching the acrobatics at Queens Park.
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It’s thirsty work being a beaver!
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As I stood as part of the white of the Canadian flag, along came John Tory, also on the white team. Just out of the picture (and also in white) was Miss Teenage Toronto. (What? We have a what? I had no idea there was a Miss Teen Toronto). Next time I’ll try harder to get a picture of her but this time I was preoccupied with being part of a flag.
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Here’s to the next 148 years!
Toronto Pride Parade,
Bloor St. and Yonge St., June 2015
fun & games,
smiles & laughter,
community involvement
pride parade pics in no particular order
Toronto mayor John Tory walks in the parade armed with a super soaker.
Actress Cyndi Lauper rides on the ‘Kinky Boots’ float.
Spiderman makes an appearance too.
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Elizabeth May, leader of the federal Green Party.
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Anonymous characters because #HIVanonymous
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Fruit having a wonderful time in support of Communityone Foundation
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“The Heat”, Peel Regional Police
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You don’t need clothes to take a selfie!
….. they keep coming back!
Zombie Walk 2014, Nathan Phillips Square
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as I walk Toronto 