Posts Tagged ‘downtown’

another downtown loop

Posted: May 12, 2025 in construction, locations, people, public art, transportation
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Good morning!  The weather forecast said that there was a chance of drizzly rain and they were right but it wasn’t that much and it didn’t last for long.  Not the best day for sunny blue sky photos of the city, but since when has that held us back?

below: You probably don’t recognize where this photo was taken (unless you are familiar with the Victoria Hotel).  This is Yonge Street, just south of King subway station, and it is also where I started walking the other day….

below: Contrasts of old and new at the corner of Yonge and Wellingon.  Architectural trends as well as the material used are a product of their time.

Yonge at Wellington, east side.

below: The old stone entrance with a large circular window over the door and an arch that matches those over the other windows.  There are also little details in the stonework that you just don’t see in modern buildings.

entrance, doorway, to old stone building on Yonge St., arch with round window under arch and over door

below: The more recent development to all glass buildings with oversized (i.e. extra tall) ground floor levels.

entrance to new highrise building on wellington with very high ground floor level

below: But such extensive use of glass is not entirely new. Downtown skyscrapers have been built using steel frames and glass since the 1960s. I think that the TD bank tower was one of the first, if not the first, in 1967. But that’s not this building… this is part of the large RBC complex on Bay Street between Wellington and Front. The bright pink plants along the sidewalk are wonderful!

dark steel and glass building at Bay and Wellington, planters along the sidewalk with bright pink plants in them

below: The south part of the RBC building is very photogenic! Its gold coloured glass as well as its angles and nooks make for some interesting pictures.  The older stone Union Station is hiding in the bottom left corner.

Bay Street, looking south across from gold glass building, royal bank building, Union station in the backround

below: A recent addition to the streetscape in front of Union Station are these bland blocks of concrete. Such imagination! So much thought went into their design! Really? That’s what someone thought would be a great addition to Front Street?

Front Street, between Union Station and the Royal York Hotel, new concrete barriers, boring off-white blocks ,

below: There were some complaints about the older ones… the Jersey barriers that were meant to be temporary but then never went away…. in fact, many of them are still here….

people with suitcases walking towards entrance of Union station, along Front Street

There are 2 art installations in the West Wing at Union Station.  The first is a group exhibit, “A Transit Through Time” featuring six Black artists – Destinie Adélakun, Pixel Heller, Segun Caezar, Heritier Bilaka, Rico Poku and Camille Kiffin.   Each artist is responsible for one panel…

below: The picture in the foreground, the woman with a red head scarf and blue blouse, is the work of Segun Caezar.

pillars in large open hallway at union station, each with a large artwork displayed on them. Transit through time installation

below: “Gelede Queens” by  Destinie Adelakun – people in ornate costumes pose in front of a large fireplace and mirror.  According to UNESCO, “Gelede  is performed by the Yoruba-Nago community that is spread over Benin, Nigeria and Togo. For more than a century, this ceremony has been performed to pay tribute to the primordial mother Iyà Nlà and to the role women play in the process of social organization and development of Yoruba society. “

large vertical picture of people in ornate costumes posing in front of a fireplace and large mirror

below: “Self Knowledge” by Heritier Bilaka

a large picture on display, self knowledge by Heritier Bilaka, a black woman with orange head scarf, and blue dress, sits beside a wood mask

below: This large butterfly, by Jordan Sook, is part of another installation called, “Nothing More, Nothing Less”.   Apparently there are more butterflies around Union Station.  Have you seen any?

a large image of a butterfly, by Jordan Sook,on display at Union Station

below: Ontario Square between Queen’s Quay and the waterfront where a large image from Alex McLeod’s “Liquid, Gold” can still be seen.  I wrote a blog past about this picture and others from this series a year ago, “Liquid, Gold and other matters“

a person walks across Ontario Square near the waterfront, condos in the background, square structure is a parking garage entrance, and there is a large photo on display on the side of it

below: This “Carnavale Amulet” basket is made of glass and was created by Laura Donefer.  It is on display at Harbourfront along with several other of her pieces.

carnavale amulet basket, on display behind glass, by Laura Donefer

christmas theme red glass basket by laura Donefer, on display in a gallery

below: A few boats are docked in the harbour.  The bridge over the harbour is no longer just blocked, but is now severed.

Toronto highroses, condos near the water, marina and yacht club in the foreground with a couple of boats, pedestrian bridge over the water has been cut, impassable

below: Protecting the young trees

CN tower in the background, newly planted trees in green grass covered mounds in the foreground

below: Dead and not alive; dead and dead. Patio season on the waterfront hasn’t begun yet.

a wooden patio structure on the waterfront, with wood roof, hanging from planters are dead plants as well as fake pink flowers

below: On the south wall of the Power Plant Contemporary Art Gallery a very large photograph by June Clark still hangs.  This is left over from last year’s CONTACT Photography Festiva.

large black and white photo by June Clark, exhibited outside, Untitled by from "The Whispering City" series from 1994.

below: Getting ready to clean up the city?!

inside, a cleaning cart with mops and brooms, stands beside a large black and white photo of the skyline of Toronto

man sitting at large table with Tims coffee, large TV in the background

two women sharing photos that they have on their phone, sitting at TIms

below: Still quiet now, but getting ready for summer…. water taxis to take people to Centre Island.

along the waterfront, yellow water taxi for Centre Island, red building for tourist store, downtown skyscrapers

below:  Patriotic red and white, but a very sad Canadian flag.

white lamps overhead on a red building, bedraggled Canadian flag on one of the lamps, a sting of smaller Canadian flags beside

a red and white TTC streetcar on Queens Quay, traveling east past small red building that sells tourist stuff

a woman pushing a stroller stops to wait for two TTC streetcars as they pass byher in opposite directions, queen's quay

below: Love Park on the southeast corner of York and Harbour is now complete.  This public space was created when the exit ramp from the Gardiner to York Street was removed.   It is difficult to see from ground level photos, but the pond is heart shaped.

two men walking their dogs on a path into love park, large glass building behind, red low wall around the pond in the middle of the park

below: A beaver has made its home in the pond.

sculpture of a beaver on a small rock in the middle of a man made pond in love park, downtown

below: There is also an owl that has a great birds eye view of the park.  Someone else has a great view too!

small sculpture of a realistic looking grey owl sits perched on a roof overlooking love park. a window washer works on the building behind the owl

a large tree, no leaves yet, grows in front of a large glass building, lots of reflections of other buildings as well as blue sky

below: Looking north on York from Harbour Street towards the Gardiner Expressway and beyond.  Love Park was behind me to the right when I took this photo.

Looking north on York from Harbour Street, green Gardiner Expressway crosses York

 The old multi level parking garage at Lower Simcoe and the Lakeshore is on its way down.  Demolition is well underway.

below:  Dwarfed by the new condos around it, the stairwell and elevator shaft from the garage stands on its own.  Whose picture is at the top? Someone blowing a giant bubble – must be quite the wad of gum!

demolition of a parking garage

below: The other stairwell.

remains of an elevator shaft

crane with claw at end is demolishing a multi level parking structure. mass of tangled steel parts in the foreground

below: “Don’t trespassing”!

red and white danger sign with due to written in as don't trespassing

below: The demolition as view from the other side of Lakeshore Blvd.

looking under gardiner to site of demolition of multi level car park

below: A lot of concrete! Under the ramp to the Gardiner

concrete supports, called bents, under the gardiner expressway

on the right, the on ramp to the gardiner expressway from york street, and on the left, a new glass and steel condo building, small tree with spring blossoms beside the path

below: The northeast corner of York and Lakeshore

looking past tall stilt like supports for a roof, looking east across york street, just north of lakeshore to a new glass and steel condo building

reflections in the glass of a highrise building

below:

looking north on York Street from Lakeshore towards Bremner.

below: York Street at Lakeshore Blvd where the old green Gardiner Expressway travels directly above the Lakeshore

people waiting to cross Lakeshore Blvd., at traffic lights at York St., Gardiner Expressway passes over Lakeshore

below: Just after taking the above photo, there was much noise from the honking of horns, as this black car decided to take a short cut to the ramp by going north in the southbound lane on York Street.

black car going the wrong way on York

 

sidewalk scene on Lower York St., man sitting on concrete bench, a line of small leafless trees, people walking on sidewalk outside greenish glass building with Longos, Sports Chek, and other stores inside

And last, a shout out to the Toronto Maple Leafs as I walk through the Scotiabank Centre back to the subway.   As I write this, the Leafs tied at two games apiece with the Florida Panthers in the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs.  Go Leafs Go!

below: Carlton in his regular blue and white attire as well as in his St. Pats costume.  Love the curly wig and the clover leaf shaped glasses!  You can catch Carlton in the store at Scotiabank arena (along with a lot of other Toronto team paraphernalia!).

Looking in the door of the MLSE store at Scotiabank arena, and its Toronto Maple Leafs display, Carlton Bear in blue and white as well as in St. Pats white and green sweater, with green curly hair wig and green heart shaped glasses

sign at Union Station, with arrow pointing down towards stairs down to Yonge Line on TTC subway,

above the railway tracks, at CIBC Square

Posted: November 18, 2024 in construction, locations, public art
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There are so many new buildings in Toronto!  One of them is the new CIBC building at 81 Bay Street which is immediately south of the railway tracks and across the street from Union Station.  It is also adjacent to the new GO Bus station.

below: If you take the elevator to the 4th floor of the new CIBC building,  you can access the new park.   This is the view that greets you. The park extends over the railway tracks – a great use of space!

elevated park over railway tracks that is part of cibc square development,

below:Looking east from the park (on a foggy morning, and with a spot of dirt on the glass fence).   The trees on the right mark the spot where a strip of land separates the railway tracks from the Gardiner Expressway/Lakeshore combination.  Between Yonge and Parliament there are no buildings adjacent to the tracks on the south side.    That tall splotchy looking building is the Sugar Wharf Condos which, as the name suggests, are close to the Redpath Sugar property.

eastward view from cibc park, over railway tracks, tall buildings on either side of the tracks,

below: Looking north across the roof over the railway tracks.  The gold building is another bank building, RBC (Royal Bank of Canada).  On the right, the building that looks like there are diamond shapes in the glass, is a second CIBC tower but on the north side of the railway tracks.

below: Construction continues on the north side.  It too will have a park that extends over the tracks.  The two parks should merge into one once construction is completed.

construction site, park above the railway tracks at part 2 of cibc square, on the north side of the tracks, gold coloured r b c building also in the photo

man working at construction site, park above the railway tracks at part 2 of cibc square, on the north side of the tracks, gold coloured r b c building also in the photo as is Royal York Hotel

CIBC square, park

CIBC square, park, in November

below: Westward

looking west from cibc square, red leaved plants in foreground, CN Tower in background

below: In the center of the park is a large shiny metal leafless tree.   This is “New Amalgam” by Roxy Paine (2022).   It is 72 feet high.

public art, tall tree made of metal, cibc square

public art, tall tree made of metal, cibc square, cn tower in the background

below: Looking over the covered tracks at Union Station and all the ventilation system components on the roof.

looking west from CIBC square, long railway tracks, past covered tracks at Union Station with ventilation systems on the roof, CN Tower,

looking west from CIBC square, long railway tracks, past covered tracks at Union Station, CN Tower, with construction on south side of railway tracks

below: A closer look at the nearby construction at track level (and lower).

union station infrastructure construction

There are also stairs on the exterior of the CIBC building that lead to the elevated park.

looking into a few levels of cibc building, through large windows, from exterior stairs

Bay street side of CIBC office building, west side, lower three levels with tall white pillars

below: Looking south on Bay Street where Scotiabank arena takes up most of the street scene.  That’s the Gardiner Expressway as it crosses Bay.

looking south on Bay street rom CIBC building, Scotiabank arena takes up most of the street scene,

below: Through the window to the interior of CIBC  where Steve Driscoll’s artwork shines brightly.

interior of cibc building on bay street as seen through large window from exterior stairs, glass artwork, little round tables with a couple of people seated at them

below: “A light stolen from the sun” is a collection of 12 digital prints on laminated glass.   they can also be viewed from the 4th floor but access is controlled.   Also, camera use will get you a nice chat with a security guy.  The usual, phones are allowed but even little cameras are a no no.

Steve Driscoll artwork, red and blue, trees, tall, vertical works on glass

below: An outpouring of red poppies is the stunning centerpiece in this Remembrance Day tribute (created by Fresh Floral Creations).

an arrangement of red poppies for Remembrance day in the lobby of an office building,

two women on exterior stairs by CIBC sqaure, downtown toronto

With thanks to Nancy and Merle who went exploring with me that day.

the waterfalls of Cottage Lane

Posted: September 2, 2024 in alleys, old buildings, public art
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In downtown Toronto there is a large waterfall mural painted on a brick wall  – because of the bricks, the painting looks a bit more like water pouring over a dam.  Still nice; still nature.

mural by b c johnson, a waterfall

Another waterfall – a longer drop of water, this time on a door.  All the murals here were painted by B. C. Johnson.  There are five or six of them on different buildings, some waterfalls, and some landscapes.

in cottage lane, a mural of a waterfall, with greenery beside it, electrical boxes on the green, with wires, and graffiti on the boxes ,

below: Here a  heron stands on a fallen tree beside the water.  A birch trees is also on the shore.  A waterfall is on the other side of the lake.

mural in cottage lane by b c johnson, a heron stands on a fallen log on a rock on shoreline, birch tree nearby, water, and a waterfall in the background

below: This building is overgrown with ivy which adds a nice touch to the scene. The door becomes a very thick tree trunk perched on a rock above the water.

on a wall by a black door, overgrown with ivy, door looks like tree trunk, also mural in cottage lane by b c johnson, a heron stands on a fallen log on a rock on shoreline, birch tree nearby, water, and a waterfall in the background

below: Surprisingly, there is no puddle at the bottom of the steps (insert big smiling emoji here).

porch at back of building, in alley, on building with lots of ivy growing on it, mural of a waterfall

porch at back of building, in alley, on building with lots of ivy growing on it, with another building across the alley with murals of waterfalls and landscapes

below: A real tree once grew here.  I don’t think that it was a beaver that cut it down.

old hollow tree trunk in lane, in front of a landscape mural and wall overgrown with ivy

boarded up window or door, exterior view, from cottage lane, now covered with part of a mural of a landscape by b c johnson

below: Where do you find Cottage Lane?  South of Bloor, west of Yonge, then follow the signs… and the road less traveled.

St. Marys street, restaurants and signs, canadian flag, street sign of cottage lane

I was not sure why it was named Cottage Lane since, to me, there isn’t much that is cottage-y here.  The answer – there are 10 rowhouses on St. Nicholas Street that were built in 1883 and although the architectural style is ‘bay and gable’, they are referred to as the cottages of St. Nicholas Street.  As you may have guesses, St. Nicholas Street backs onto this lane.

below: Looking north towards Bloor.   Buildings that face Yonge Street are on the right and those on St. Nicholas Street are on the left.

cottage lane, looking north towards bloor and new condos, back of buildings,

back of buildings in cottage lane, balconies, green trash bins, tall condos in the background,

cottage lane

purple bike with white seat cover, parked in an alley beside a small sumac tree and an old window with metal bars on it

back of buildings in cottage lane, balconies, exterior stairs, pink wall, green trash bins, car parked, brick buildings,

back of store, commercial building, alley view, door, heating and air conditioning vents, graffiti on wall, blue trash bins

graffiti on a red brick wall, a bright white ghost with red eyes and smiling mouth, yellow pipes and white plastic exhaust pipes from building

exterior brick wall, painted bright red, with many black wires in a bundle crossing it,, white graffiti happy face, other blue graffiti text lil

graffiti on red brick wall, respect dollar sign, free dollars, 2014

square street sign covered with graffiti ticker, all o them are black with gold lettering

Back in 2021, I posted some pictures from Sandown Lane (Cliffside, near Midland and Kingston Road) where there are many more paintings by B. C. Johnson.

Well, Well, Well

Posted: November 27, 2023 in construction, locations
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Toronto’s newest downtown development is turning out to be a lovely surprise.  It can be described as a three level mall with four condo towers attached but that’s not giving it enough credit.   Fully pedestrianized inside – and that’s a very large city block (roughly between Wellington and Front, west from Spadina to Draper which is part way to Bathurst)  There are also an interesting variety of architectural features.   It is certainly a welcome departure from the usual “let’s see how tall we can make it” towers that are taking over the city.

interior view of the middle of the well, three storeys of brick mall with curved glass ceiling above

interior of the well

Looking straight up

Lower Level

covered walkways overhead, lower level of the well, small artifical christmas trees, workmen working, glass ceiling,

The “official opening” of the building was 17th November.  These photos were taken just before then when everything was being cleaned up and readied.

tall, vertical, but curved white roof supports at the well development in downtown toronto

brick and glass architectural details, interior, the well,

gold or brass coloured escalators from street level to lower level of the well, at spadina side entrance

stairs and escalator from lower level of the well to street level

By one of the Wellington Street exits, there is this sculpture.  This is “Emergence” by Dustin Yellin.  This picture is underwhelming I’m afraid, the piece is much much better in real life.   The general shape is human-like but it is made from many smaller scenes and details.  For instance, the head is actually a sphere that is being rolled up a mountain by two small figures.

sculpture, standing upright human shape

Reflections on the Spadina side

reflections in window of store at the well, downtown, with ttc streetcar, billboard with waving hand, mannequin in store, pedestrian walking past

a woman walks her dog through the well, towards exit on spadina, past large windows

workman finishing floor details in wellington market, inside the well, getting ready to open new store

Front Street

Osgoode trees

Posted: December 1, 2022 in construction, nature, old buildings, transportation
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Welcome to Osgoode subway station.

young woman in short coat, boots, and a reddish handbag stands on the osgoode subway station platform

It’s not the busiest station on the University Line but changes are in the works.  It is going to become one of the transfer stations with the new Ontario Line.  This line will cross downtown underground with stations at: Corktown, Moss Park, Queen, Osgoode, Queen/Spadina, and King/Bathurst.

Osgoode subway platform

When the University Line was built in 1966, Osgoode station was yellow with greenish accents.

section of wall at osgoode subway station, original yellow tiles have been revealed when part of new white cladding was removed

Like other University Line station, it is nondescript and built with the minimum of fuss.

escalator from platform level at osgoode ttc subway station, yellow and green tiles on the walls

One could say the bare minimum

tunnel to an exit at Osgoode station, green tiles on walls, grey institutional flooring, overhead lights, exit sign at the end of the tunnel

One of the only extras that have been added to the station recently is direct access to the  Four Seasons Centre on the southeast corner.

stairs connecting osgoode subway station with Four Seasons centre

The other three corners of the University and Queen West intersection have stairwells on the sidewalks that connect to Osgoode station.   But…. I didn’t really mean to dwell on the station itself….

below: Canada Trust building on University Avenue
Canada Trust building on the west side of University Ave., just north of Queen, people crossing University Ave at the intersection, rainy day

I came here to document the intersection as it is now, pre-Ontario Line construction (and years of disruption!)

below: Looking north up University Avenue from Queen, east side of University (including the present subway entrance on the sidewalk – close to where the pedestrians are in the photo).

looking north up University Avenue, east side, from Queen, Osgoode law school with green grass and trees in front, surrounded by black wrought iron fence

Behind the black wrought iron fence is the former Osgoode Law School (for which the subway is named).  There is public access to the grounds and it is an oasis of green and shade in the summer time.  Green ribbons have been tied around the large trees.

trees in a park, late autumn, early winter, green ribbons are tied around the large trees

… and at least one tree has been tagged as an historic tree.

a large tree trunk with a gold ribbon and green tag on it. Tag says historic tree

Metrolinx wants to build another subway entrance here.  Apparently a third-party independent review of alternative station designs is in the process but hasn’t been completed yet.  Metrolinx decided that in the meantime they’d cut down the trees on the 5th of December (this coming week) anyhow.    If you want to see one of the ideas for the plan, there are artist’s renderings on their website:   The Ontario Line – Neighbourhood Updates – Downtown – Osgoode Station.  As usual, what is pictured now is never guaranteed to be the end product!

The Law Society of Ontario is the custodian of this greenspace and they have formally objected to Metrolinx trying to short-circuit the process.

green space in front of Osgoode Hall, trees, grass, tall buildings in the background (looking south)

Yet another location to keep an eye on!

in transit

Posted: August 1, 2022 in old buildings, people, transportation
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Yesterday, Sunday of the long August weekend, I was sitting on a streetcar after walking around downtown.  I was in no rush; I was enjoying the scenery and the people watching.  The streetcar detoured off route so I didn’t end up where I expected to.  But no problem, I had my camera with me.

very front of a TTC bus at a bus stop with a streetcar turning in front of it, also reflections of turning streetcar. Some people standing on the sidewalk

These photos are glimpses of life in the city as seen through a streetcar window as it passes by.  Most of them were taken through glass…  and often the streetcar was moving…  so please don’t expect technically perfect shots!

hot summer day, people waiting for an arriving TTC streetcar on College Street, woman in a wide brim blue hat and flowery skirt, man in blue Hawaiian shirt with orange and yellow flowers

below: Northeast corner of Spadina and College streets.

northeast corner of Spadina and College streets, people crossing Spadina, low rise old brick building

below: “The Best in Town”for banana boats! cones!  sundaes! shakes!

an ice cream truck on College Street,

a person in orange t shirt and white shorts running to cross intersection of Bay and College

below: Dundas at Bay. Ryerson School of Management, Best Buy, and Canadian Tire.

intersection of Bay and Dundas, westbound traffic and bikes, some pedestrians ready to cross Bay as well.

below: Reflections on Dundas

reflections of a TTC streetcar in the window of a building on Dundas

below: Surfacing from Dundas subway station

people exiting Dundas subway station on the northwest corner of Dundas and Yonge, a couple trying to figure where they are

below: The newest mural near Dundas and Victoria.

large black and white mural on Dundas Street, white car parked in front of it. Mural features portraits of people

below: University buildings at Dundas and Church – and the rebranding of Ryerson as TMU (Toronto Metropolitan University).

corner of Dundas and Church streets, looking northwest, Ryerson University buildings, a man on a bike waiting for a green light

below: Ran out of gas, northeast corner of Dundas and Church

northeast corner of Dundas and College. Old gas station that has pumps and most of buildings removed, overhang structure still in place, taller buildings behind

below: Dundas and Mutual.  An old building put to a modern use.

corner of Dundas and Mutual, two men on bikes, older house on corner with yellowish brick and mansord roof, now a cannabis shop

below: The sign says it all. Every time I pass Filmores I am surprised to still see it standing. I thought that it was supposed to be torn down months (years?) ago.  I was also surprised to see Filmores on sites like Expedia, Hotel.com and Booking.com.  You can’t actually book one of their “straight forward rooms” on these sites, you have to call or email the hotel directly.  If you want to know more than that, you’ll have to do your own research!

front of Filmores Hotel on Dundas Ave., with sign over front entrance that says the rumours of our closing are greatly exaggerated

below: You might be able to stay at Filmores, but you can’t eat at The Love Cafe anymore.

old sign for the love cafe, bent and slightly broken above heart shaped sign, on exterior of the restaurant

below: Christmas wreaths on the doors of Dunhill Electric Co.

Dunhill electric, a very narrow storefront on Dundas

below: Dundas and Ontario Streets, Royal Oak Inn

Dundas and Ontario streets, Royal Oak Inn, Hydra Tattoo

below: Dundas and Parliament, north side

Dundas at Parliament

people sitting on a TTC bus

a young woman in black hajib and white bag walks past closed doors of a bus

Happy trails!

intersections – Yonge & Bloor

Posted: July 16, 2022 in intersections
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below: Looking west on Bloor towards Yonge. The pink flags fly in front of Holt Renfrew.  One Bloor East with it’s curvy vertical lines and 76 storeys dominates the sky.  The blue structure is the top of ‘The One’ at 1 Bloor West – It may be short now but it won’t be for long.   There will be 82 storeys once it’s completed (maybe in 2023?)

looking west on Bloor towards Yonge, front of Holt Renfrew Store, new tall building at 1 Bloor East

an older man with thinning grey hair walks on sidewalk, Bloor Street, towards Yonge, and scaffolding over sidewalk because of construction

A few minutes at Yonge and Bloor in mid-July

a young woman with long hair holds a cup of coffee as she walks on sidewalk under protective covering beside construction at Yonge and Bloor

below: Hoardings on the south side of Bloor Street

hoardings and scaffolding, and some people walking by, on south side of Bloor close to Yonge

below: Construction.  Blank whiteness on The One as it slowly rises.

Construction of The One at Yonge & Bloor, one Bloor West

below: Hanging Ukrainian flags on the southwest corner of Yonge and Bloor.

southwest corner of Yonge & Bloor, woman hanging Ukrainian flags on scaffolding holding up sidewalk protection around construction site, an older man is crossing street in electric wheelchair with the help of a woman in blue

below: South side of the intersection.  At least the facade of the older buildings on Yonge Street are being preserved.

south side of intersection of Yonge & Bloor, people waiting for traffic lights, some cars, older buildings being saved during redevlopment of the area

below: Looking south on Yonge from Bloor.

looking south on Yonge from Bloor, construction on west side, new building on east

Ukrainian flags for sale, other signs re war in Ukraine, on corner of Yonge & Bloor

below: Looking east on Bloor from just west of Yonge Street.  Rising 88 feet above the sidewalk is the metallic ‘Safe Hands’ sculpture by Ron Arad.

looking west on Bloor at Yonge

below: Anti-Putin protest, northeast corner

Canada Post box on sidewalk, a community bulletin board full of posters and papers, a protest sign in blue and yellow that says kill Putin, he murders kids.

below: Waiting for a green light, northwest corner (more construction!)

4 people waiting for traffic light to turn green, on sidewalk by construction hoardings at northwest corner of Yonge & Bloor

Bloor street street sign in front of building under construction,

walking to the Bentway

Posted: August 9, 2021 in events, landmarks, locations, public art
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from King Street West

2 black and white stickers on a red newspaper box

below: Palace Arms hotel on King Street West at Strachan

pinkish Palace Arms Hotel boarding house at King and Bathurst, with new TTC streetcar beside it

below: Southeast corner of Strachan and Wellington

southeast corner of Bathurst and Wellington, pale pink three storey building on the corner, newer glass and steel condos behind

below: She’s looking in the window

little blond doll with orange dress on top of a small stone birdbath shape outside a building, she looks to be looking in the window

below: Harry Rogers worked for the city of Toronto in various capacities between 1921 and 1971.   He was Commissioner of City Properties in the 1960s.  Has this sign been here since then?

old bent no parking sign on side of building, .H.H. Rogers, commissioner of parking

below: Part of Garrison Crossing pedestrian bridge

looking southeast over railway tracks, Garrison Crossing pedestrian bridge, and downtown highrises in the background

behind metal fencing on Garrison Crossing bridge, tents for homeless

CN Tower and downtown Toronto buildings from Garrison Crossing bridge (looking east)

GO train on tracks, repair and maintenance trucks parked beside the tracks, CN Tower and downtown Toronto in the background

below: Yellow wild flowers growing in the field between the two sections of Garrison Crossing bridge. Looking east to downtown Toronto.

field of yellow wildflowers at garrison common, with view of CN Tower and Toronto skyline in the background

below: There are more than wild flowers between the bridges!

glass and steel condo development at garrison common

below: Sun bathing at Garrison Common, just outside Fort York

Garrison Common by Fort York, woman sun bather in bikini, art exhibit on fence surrounding the fort

below: On the fence between Fort York and the Bentway there is a series of images that I happened upon the day I walked this route. This is GradEX 106, the work of graduating students in OCADU’s Graphic Design and Illustration program.  My apologies to the few students whose work I inadvertently missed.

below: Michael Hu, Shahrzad Soroosh, Lydia Lam, and Dan Waites

part of exhibit of OCADU graduating students work from Illustration program, 4 students, Michael Hu, Shahrzad Soroosh, Lydia Lam, and Dan Waites,

below: Aidan Wilkins, Merryn Connelly-Miller, Vincy Lam, and Rebecca Michie

OCADU Gradex work by students graduating in Illustration, work of 4 students on display, Aidan Wilkins, Merryn Connelly-Miller, Vincy Lim, and Rebecca Michie

below: Leann Mei Foon, Tina Shan, Ivan Nikitin, and Emmily Fay Fin

OCADU graduating student work by 4 students,Leann Mei Foon, Tina Shan, Ivan Nikitin, and Emmily Fay Fin

below: Valerie Poon, Radha Joshi Raulgaonkar, Alan Zhang, and Sid Sharp

graduating students art exhibit, OCADU, graphic design and illustration, work by 4 students, Valerie Poon, Radha Joshi Raulgaonkar, Alan Zhang, and Sid Sharp

below: Joy Kim, Victoria Tao, Mia Debbas, and Emily Dakin

OCADU graduating student work by 4 students, Joy Kim, Victoria Tao, Mia Debbas, and Emily Dakin,

below: Lucy Hong, Thamara Perera, Tianshu Kuai, Jenny Lynne Castillo, Reyhaneh Mohammadi, and Caroline Icardo

a section of fence around Fort York with artwork on it, exhibit of OCADU gradex for graduating illustration students, work by six students, Lucy Hong, Thamara Perera, Tianshu Kuai, Jenny Lynne Castillo, Reyhaneh Mohammadi, and Caroline Icardo

below: Fence on west side of Fort York

a section of fence around Fort York with artwork on it, exhibit of OCADU gradex for graduating illustration students

below: More of the OCADU exhibit on the fence between Fort York and the Bentway

OCADU art display on fence between Fort York and the Bentway

below: Caitlin Todd, Alizah Hashemy, Lina Wu, and Lisanne Van Der Oort,

graduating students art exhibit, OCADU, graphic design and illustration, work by 4 students, Caitlin Todd, Alizah Hashemy, Lina Wu, and Lisanne Van Der Oort

below: Jon Owen, Joanne Lee, Kyle Miron, Vuoni, Selina Serok Park, Sarah McIntosh,

last six panels in graduating students art exhibit, OCADU, graphic design and illustration, work by Jon Owen, Joanne Lee, Kyle Miron, Vuoni, Selina Serok Park, Sarah McIntosh

below: Liam Marks, Daniel Mendez, Daniel Melnyk, Haojun Gong, Jingyi Dong, and Mika Parial

six panels in graduating students art exhibit, OCADU, graphic design and illustration, art by Liam Marks, Daniel Mendez, Daniel Melnyk, Haojun Gong, Jingyi Dong, and Mika Parial

Also at the Bentway is an art installation called ‘Playing in Public‘.  This is part of ArtworxTO, Toronto’s year of public art 2021-2022.   Three of the installations are shown below – they will remain at the Bentway until 26th September 2021.

below: ‘Nil:Nil’ by Studio F Minus

part of Playing in Public, an art installtion at the Bentway, two screens looking like smartphones play videos of kids kicking soccer ball. a real ball passes through a see through plastic tunnel between the screens

below: ‘Double Dribble’ by Esmaa Mohamoud

many different sizes of basketball hoops with chains mounted at different heights along the Bentway, part of art installation Playing in Public

below: ‘Big Red’ by Assemble

part of Playing in Public, an art installtion at the Bentway, small red slides with steps, in front of the old rusted metal walls near the entrance to Fort York

when the cat’s away

Posted: April 20, 2020 in construction, graffiti and street art
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orange and black traffic cones and a lane closed, orange sign with black arrow telling traffic to move to the right

There’s a video on the internet of a kangaroo hopping down the street in deserted downtown Adelaide Australia and there are photos of other animals that have taken to roaming urban streets now that many people are staying at home.   I thought of these things as I drove downtown today.  Not because I saw animals.  Not because the streets were quiet and empty.  No, instead I wanted to compare these animal sightings to the proliferation of orange and black traffic cones as well as dump trucks and other machinery.  It seems like the city has taken this time to block more lanes for construction than usual – I may be imagining things but I doubt it.

below: Driving east on Adelaide

looking east on Adelaide

below: Demolition on Jarvis

partial demolition of an old house on Jarvis street, facade is left standing, no glass in the windows, can see other high rise downtown buildings through the window holes

below: Maud Street

workman with stop sign directing traffic in front of a construction site

below: Lombard Street

street, downtown Toronto, with traffic cones

below: I think that they are looking at me but how can I be sure?

paper paste up graffiti of faces and eyes by Jeremy Lynch on metal boxes on the sidewalk, with construction workmen in the background

My destination this morning was Graffiti Alley.  There were no tourists there today but there were trucks blocking the alley.  More construction nonsense.

a large semi truck is parked in Graffiti Alley and is taking up the whole width of the lane

below: In fact there were two trucks

a large white truck is parked in the narrow Graffiti Alley totally blocking it

construction site on Richmond street backing onto Graffiti Alley with lots of walls covered with street art and murals

below: A new Nick Sweetman mural – a purple rhinoceros

Nick Sweetman mural of a rhinoceros

below: This mural is not new but it is the first time that I have seen it with no cars parked beside it.

large mural by globe, smoky, and done of a bird house on purple background with green tag text

below: Graffiti Alley now tests positive for the novel coronavirus, the green variety.

part of a mural in Graffiti Alley, a silver tag with a green corona virus with open mouth, white teeth and yellow eyes

chainlink fence in front of a backyard with a bit of green grass, white building with a bright blue door

a person waiting beside a bus shelter on Queen West, seen from the back including reflections in the glass of the shelter

below: KFC sits empty.   That’s not a coronavirus victim – it was empty before we all started staying home.

empty KFC Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurant on Queen Street west

below: A message from 525 and 523, Stay Safe!  (actually it’s from T-bonez).

wall and doors to numbers 533 and 535 covered with street art including an urabn ninja squadron character with a face mask on with the words stay safe

Stay safe and
stay healthy!

across two bridges

Posted: February 25, 2020 in construction, history, intersections, landmarks, locations, transportation
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This is another “walk about” post; in fact, it is the product of two nearly identical walks a few months apart.

below: Standing at the corner of King and Spadina while TTC workmen clear the streetcar tracks of excess dirt and sand.

two young women standing on the corner of King & Spadina

below: Looking east along King Street.  The LCBO on the corner is now closed.

looking eastward along King St from Spadina, high rises, billboard, traffic, city,

below: Spadina, south of King.

construction on Spadina south of King, beside the red and white Petro Canada gas station

below: Looking through a parking lot on Wellington.

backs of buildings as seen through a parking lot on Wellington street

below: Looking south on Draper Street

looking south on Draper street to condos south of the tracks

below: The CN Tower from Draper Street

the CN tower as seen through a vacant lot on Draper street

below: Construction continues on the old Globe and Mail site south of Wellington and north of Front.

construction on the site of the old Globe and Mail building between Wellington and Front

below: A pink pig still celebrating Valentines Day.

a pink plastic pig on a porch, wearing heart shaped sunglasses and a necklace of heart shapes

below: Looking east along the tracks from Portland Street.  In November when I walked here, there were many movie trucks parked along Front Street.

looking east along the north side of the railway tracks from Portland Street towards downtown, cranes and construction site, high rises

below: The new condos on the north side of Front Street that face the railway tracks.

a line of glass and concrete condos on Front street that face the railway tracks, cars and trucks at construction site beside the tracks, below street level

pasteup graffiti on a yellow post, faces with eyes collage, by jeremy lynch

below: Crossing the Puente de Luz, Toronto’s yellow pedestrian bridge over the railway tracks.

three people crossing the puente de luz, the yellow pedestrian bridge that crosses the railway tracks

three people crossing the puente de luz, the yellow pedestrian bridge that crosses the railway tracks

looking eastward to the puente de luz bridge and the city skyline beyond, railway tracks, cranes, new buildings,

below: On the south side of the railway – the green building is the Library District condo.

fish eye lens view of side of green library condo building and the other across the street, Queens Wharf Rd

below: Bathurst Street at Fort York Blvd., with the overhang from the library which is on that corner.

overhang from the library roof, Bathurst street, south of tracks, condos, street,

below: Bathurst streetcar southbound.

TTC streetcar passes over Bathurst street bridge over the railway tracks, new condos in the background, crane

below: The grassy green mound that separates Fort York from the city…. with the city creeping up behind it.

edge of the grounds of fort york, green grass on hill, with new high risse condos in the distance

below: Orange bars across the eyes, graffiti

graffiti, three black and white photos of faces with orange streak painted through their eyes, pasteups on concrete

below: The Bentway, under the Gardiner Expressway (a previous post on the Bentway)

the bentway, the new development and park under the gardiner expressway, words on one of the concrete posts that says Welcome to the Bentway a shared space kind of place

Garrison Crossing is actually two stainless steel bridges, both over railway tracks.   Both have spans of close to 50m.  In the middle is a peninsula of land that is in the process of being developed into condos and a park.  Almost 20 years ago there was a proposal to build a bridge here – to be opened in 2012 for the anniversary of the War of 1812.  Mayor Rob Ford was opposed to it (too much money) and the plans were shelved.  A change of mayor (and some help from developers) and a change of plan again.  Construction began in 2016.  It provides a much needed link between the two sides of the railway lands.

below: Southern span – walking north from Fort York

fisheye view of first garrison crossing bridge with new condos in the middle

below: City view from the new park in the middle, train tracks (difficult to see in this picture) on two sides of the triangle.

view from Garrison Crossing, in the middle, CN Tower and Toronto downtown skyline

below: Yellow construction fences still line the edge of the path through the middle section between the bridges.

yellow construction fences line the pathway through the middle of Garrison Crossing as it is not quite finished construction

below: People crossing the northern portion of Garrison Crossing (looking south).

people walking across the Garrison Crossing bridge with high rise condos behind them

below: Looking northwest from the second span of Garrison Crossing towards Strachan Avenue and beyond.

railway tracks north of Garrison crossing looking towards Strachan Ave

below: Garrison Crossing ends at Wellington Street close to Stanley Park

park, green space, baseball diamond with lights, and a row of bright coloured houses behind

a garage door completely covered in paint, street art in red, black and yellow

street art on a garage door including a large pair of white hands

street art on two metal boxes on the sidewalk, one is a zipper opening to reveal a brick wall

below: Found – one city snowplow parking lot, between the railway tracks and Wellington Street (at the end of Walnut Ave).

parking lot for red snowplows, city property, also a dome shaped storage for sand, condos in the background

below: Immediately to the east of the snowplows is the old brick building. It has its own access road from Wellington including a bridge with three arches.   The road is overgrown and blocked by a fence.  There is no sign by the road.

cars in a parking lot with an old boarded up brick building, 2 storeys. The building has a road and 3 arched bridge leading to the upper storey

below: It took some time on google but I finally found the answer to the building above.  Here it is in 1925, the year that it was built – the Wellington Destructor.  It was used until the 1970s when burning garbage was banned; it has been a heritage building since 2005.  I found the photo online on a CBC News webpage where there a great description of the building and its history,  along with some pictures of the interior.

old black and white photo of garbage incinerator built in 1925, Toronto, large brick building

below: And that brings us back to the Bathurst Street bridge over the railway tracks on the south side of Front Street.  Did you know that it’s officially called the Sir Isaac Brock Bridge?  It spent most of its life as the Bathurst Street Bridge until 2007 when it was renamed.

traffic at the intersection of Bathurst and Front. Brown metal bridge for Bathurst over the tracks, CN Tower and new condos in the background

below: It is a steel truss bridge that was built in 1903 (one of the oldest bridges in the city).  It’s first life was a railway bridge over the Humber Bridge but in 1916 it was disassembled, moved to Bathurst, and reassembled.

brown metal bridge, Bathurst street over the railway tracks,

below: Bathurst bridge, 1919, from the west (Lake Ontario is on the right hand side).

vintage black and white photo of railway tracks and bridge over Bathurst street, 1919, from Toronto City Archives

The view from the Municipal Abbatoir Building, looking southeast. The building with the water tower on top is the Matthews Blackwell meat packing company. On the left, you can see part of the cylindrical tower belonging to Consumers Gas Company

 

below: Someone has given this rusty guy some eyes!  He too is watching out for interesting stories.  He’s also thankful that you made it this far!  At least he can’t roll his eyes!

two large black and white googly eyes have been glued onto a rusty piece of metal on a fence

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