Another COVID cancellation is the Christmas Market at the Distillery District. This year’s offering is “Winter village”, a down scaled version of past years’ festivities.
The lights are up, the tree is gorgeous, and the atmosphere is almost Christmas-y.
I’m going to say that I actually prefer this year’s less crowded version.
I’d heard that there were some Christmas lights brightening up the sky at Kew Beach. What I didn’t know then was that this is now an annual tradition; it was started by DeClute Real Estate in 2007. Since there was still some daylight left, I started my walk at Woodbine Beach, a bit west of Kew.
below: Small waves crash over the rocks at the shore.
below: Leuty Lifeguard Station closed up for the winter.
below: Ready to run
below: Once I got to the Kew Beach boardwalk I discovered that there are other reminders that it is now December. And what could be more appropriate than some Christmas decorations to add some cheer ? Pine and poinsettias on a bench.
below: Bright red ribbons tied around a small tree.
below: Shiny Christmas ornaments hanging from branches and a wreath on a tree trunk.
below: More signs that Christmas is soon – Some of the trees along the bike path and boardwalk at Kew Beach have been decorated with Christmas lights. As the daylight begins to fade, the Christmas lights become more noticeable.
below: Looking back towards the city as the sun goes down.
below: The mood and atmosphere of the beach changes as it gets dark outside. The light shining on the Muskoka chairs highlights the pink and green colours and almost makes the chairs look translucent.
The lights remain until well into the New Year. More information can be found on the Light Up the Beach website.
One part of the city that has changed immensely over the past few years is the area near Spadina and Front streets. I was in the area last night and had a few moments to spare so I thought that I would take a look at what’s there now.
below: Waiting for the 510 streetcar
below: Looking south on Spadina approaching Front Street.
below: Many cranes working at the site of the old Globe & Mail buildings on the north side of Front Street, just west of Spadina.
below: Intersection of Spadina & Front, looking southwest
below: Looking west from Spadina as it crosses the railway tracks.
below: City Place, south of the tracks. Red sculpture is ‘Flower Power’ by Mark di Savero.
below: On the south side of the railway tracks, east side of Spadina, part of Northern Linear Park.
below: There is still a parking lot on the northeast corner of this intersection. This image is the view across the parking lot to City Place.
below: Reflections in the clear and green glass of a new building on Front Street, just east of Spadina
below: Waiting for the light to change
below: And once we started walking across the intersection, I loved how her skirt moved as she walked.
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!
I missed Nuit Blanch this year. While I was away, I heard lots of good things about the installations at Nathan Phillips Square, including the fact that they will remain until the 10th of October.
Silly me went during the day. It didn’t look too impressive then!
There were lots of tourists taking pictures.
and schoolkids hanging out by the 3D Toronto sign.
Oh right, it’s a night time, after dark sort of thing. Come back after 7 p.m.
So last night I went back at 7 p.m. …. but last night was also the first game of the Blue Jays playoff series against Texas and it was playing on a large screen in the square. I watched the end of the game. There wasn’t a very large turnout, but the atmosphere was great. Everybody was in a good mood as the Blue Jays won 10 – 1.
Shortly after the end of the game, the large 14 metre globe that represents the sun lit up. “Death of the Sun” by Director X (Julien Lutz) began.
The sun starts as a swirling orange and yellow globe.
It then turns orange before the colours die out and fade to nothing.
At one point the sun lets off steam, gas, fog (whatever you want to call it) before it goes silent.
The end of the sun signals the start of “Pneuma”. Images by Floria Sigismondi were projected onto a wall of water under the arches in the square in what appears to be a short film full of symbols.
‘Oblivion’ is the name given to the collection of installations at City Hall. Both of the artists come from the world of video. Sigismondi has previously made videos for the like of Rihanna, David Bowie and Marilyn Manson while Director X has worked with Rihanna and Drake.
It was an interesting installation…. well done technically and fascinating to watch.
We tried to push the sun back into the sky, but we failed.
#nbTO2016 | #DirectorX | #pneuma | #floriasigismondi
Hey you!
Been to the Ex yet?
An end of summer tradition since 1879… although a lot has changed since then!
below: The midway, 1937 (photo source: history section, CNE website)
below: Part of the midway this year. Rides, games and food! … oh, and people!
Games of skill
And games of chance (gambling, if you will)
Rides that turn you upside down,
make you scream,
swing you around,
drop you,
jostle you around,
and let you laugh with friends.
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.
Food… deep fried almost anything you want!
The Ex… The CNE… call it what you will.
Have fun!
Nuit Rose,
a festival of queer art and performance
On Saturday night events were held at a number of venues that were concentrated in two locations, along Queen St. West and in the Church-Wellesley village area. I hung out around two parks in the village, Norman Jewison Park which runs east of Yonge and Barbara Hall Park on Church street. In hindsight, I wish I had had more time, or had been more organized, to get to more of the events.
Red Pepper Spectacle Arts led a Light Parade that started at Norman Jewison park. A small contingent, most wearing or carrying a light-emitting object, walked through the park, along and then back down Church Street. From the – sparklers, glow sticks
to the more elaborate
below: and an eagle on stilts
below: Note to self: for night time parades take more photos at the start of the parade because once people start moving it’s more difficult to get them in focus!
below: Where else would you be able to sit on a unicorn and get your picture taken?
below: And after a unicorn pose, have your photo taken standing with a well-lit couple.
below: 360 degrees by Iain Downie, 360 stars, 60 in each of the six Pride colours in the garden.
below: Dance performance, ‘By Chance’ by Janessa Pudwell and Tanya Svazas Cronin.
We pass by hundreds of people on a daily basis who we may never see again. Sometimes we share a glance that lasts a bit longer. This piece is about the relationships that could be created if we acted on those glances. These are the fleeting chances, exchanged through our eyes that will never be fully realized. Instead these people may only appear once in our lives as an extra sipping coffee in the background, as a blur of traffic passing on the highway, as a lighted window at dusk.”
#nuitrose | #nuitroseTO | #nuitrosetoronto
The annual Streetfest on the Beach,
on Queen St. East between Woodbine and Beech,
23rd, 24th, and 25th July
looking east, Friday evening
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Isaiah Gibbons, drummer, Saishubi
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the Arsenals
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Mae, singer in Grace, Toronto’s all female funk & soul band
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Paul James band
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saxophone, Blue Room
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Brian Neller, lead singer, Blue Room
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Dr. Draw
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Conor Gains Band
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another August, another trip to the Ex!
Tiny Tom Donuts, an iconic part of the CNE for as long as I can remember.
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One of this year’s shows is ‘Mirage’, an acrobatic show at the Ricoh Coliseum.
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another part of the ‘Mirage’ show
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A star on the midway. The coke bottle says Jeff.
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playing Whac-a-Mole!
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shooting for monkeys, Curious George as the prize
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Having fun tossing baseballs!
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getting ready to play for minions
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waiting for the wheel to stop
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Starship lights and motion on the midway
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yum, candy apples… caramel, smarties, sprinkles and crushed nuts!
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women watching, sand sculpture
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women from another angle
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spinning quickly on the midway – or at least a bit too quickly for the camera!
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