leaves | as I walk Toronto

Posts Tagged ‘leaves’

Colonel Danforth colours

Posted: October 24, 2022 in locations, nature
Tags: autumn, bench, colours, creek, dog strangling vine, gold, graffiti, grass, Highland Creek, leaves, maple, October, park, pine, pine cones, Scarborough, sumac, sunlight, swallowwort, tree trunks, trees

Colonel Danforth Park is located where Kingston Road and Old Kingston Road pass over the Highland Creek in Scarborough.

This past weekend we had some amazing warm and sunny days – great days to spend some time meandering through a park, especially this year when the autumn colours seem so much brighter and plentiful than in past years. Is it just my imagination or have the colours have also lingered longer?

The north part of the park merges with the grounds of U of T Scarborough campus.

below: Seed pods of ‘dog-strangling vine’ (or swallowwort) starting to burst. This plant is an invasive species. It is quite pretty at this time of year as the seeds are released and the leaves of the plant turn a silvery colour. Unfortunately, it is a fast growing vine that quickly climbs other plants such as this young sumac tree. It will kill that plant.

below: A wasp nest high up in a tree

below: Ooops! “Off roading” taken a bit too far.

below: Under Kingston Road

***

historical society plaque for Highland Creek Mills

“Highland Creek Mills
The early settlers of Scarborough used the waters of Highland Creek to provide power for their many saw and grist mills in this valley. The first mill in the township was built here in 1804 by William Cornell who hauled his mill stone from Kingston on his sled. In 1847 William Hellewell built the first of his four mills on this site. Downstream there were saw mills operated by Jordan Post, Stephen Closson, and others. …”

There have been discussions recently about the lack of washroom facilities in Toronto parks especially once the city deems summer to be over. There were no facilities that I saw on my walk but I was thankful for the porta-potty that was provided. Not the best but I have seen worse!

history in pieces of stone

Posted: October 1, 2020 in history, locations, nature, old buildings
Tags: autumn, berries, cliff, colours, columns, crab apple, crabapple, Dr. Healey Willan, flowers, garden, Guild Inn, history, Jacobine Jones, Lake Ontario, leaves, marble, monuments, mountain ash, Musidora, park, peacock, people, plants, sculpture, Sir Ernest MacMillan, statue, stone, Thomas Bowie

Another path through the woods. This time there was a hint of yellow in the leaves because it was late September and even in 2020, some things are the same as ever.

The path led me uphill to the newly renovated Guild Inn. It’s been five years since I have wandered around their gardens and surrounding park. In that time, the building has been renovated and expanded. I didn’t take very many pictures the other day because I knew that I had a lot from my previous visit. I was going to link to the blog post from that time but I discovered that I never actually got around to posting anything! So, I have found the old photos and have included some of them here.

below: For instance, this is the front of the inn in July 2015 with its windows covered.

below: And the back, five years ago.

below: Five years later – the back of the Guild Inn with the path leading to the gardens.

below: A statue of Saint Francis Assisi with a wolf, carved by Thomas Bowie (b.1905)

below: A stone wall with statues and carvings provides a backdrop for a garden full of black-eyed susans. Because of the efforts of a few people to salvage some of Toronto’s architectural and creative history, the gardens of the Guild Inn have become the final resting place of a number of pieces of older buildings that have been demolished to make way for modern skyscrapers.

below: Stone wall with features from the Bank of Nova Scotia building (1903)

below: The bird nest is long gone. … but it would have been a nice quiet spot to raise a family.

below: From the Royal Conservatory of Music. There are two bas-relief bronzes of men associated with the Royal Conservatory. On the right is Sir Ernest MacMillan (1893-1973), an organist, composer, and conductor who was knighted in 1935 by King George V. On the left is Dr. Healey Willan (1880-1968) another organist and composer who was associated with the Toronto Conservatory for 30 years (1920-1950).

below: Looking through one stone arch to another, the square arch from the Imperial Bank of Canada Building (1928) and underneath sits Musidora. Many artists have lent their interpretations of this woman (in sculpture and paint), the subject of a poem titled “Summer” by Scottish poet James Thomson written in 1727. The beautiful Musidora strips naked to cool down by bathing in the stream, not knowing that she is being watched by Damon. Damon is torn between watching and turning away but chooses the latter.

In 1887, a Bank of Montreal building was built at the northwest corner of King and Bay; a site now occupied by First Canadian Place. The building featured a series of sculptures representing the Canadian provinces that were created by a number of artists. When the building was demolished in 1968, these panels were brought to the Guild Inn. Not all of them are on view today possibly because some were not in good shape (held together with metal straps). Maybe they are being fixed up?

below: This is the Alberta panel in 2015; the artist was Jacobine Jones (1897-1976)

below: It has since been cleaned up.

below: One of two stone angel panels from the North American Life Assurance Company Building (1932).

below: The brick and stone entranceway from the Granite Club (1926)

below: This cabin was named for William Osterhout, a United Empire Loyalist who in 1805 was given the first Crown land grant from King George III as reward for his service with the Butler’s Rangers. Although Osterhoust briefly owned the property, he never settled in Scarborough Township. The structure was more likely built around 1850 to 1860…. that may be a contentious “fact” as some believe that it is at least 50 years older than that.

The gardens have several different types of trees all in their autumn plummage.

below: Orange berries on a mountain ash tree…

below: … and many little crabapples on a crabapple tree.

below: At the south, the property ends at the Scarborough bluffs and there are many warning signs along the paths that run near the edge.

below: Looking out over Lake Ontario

And then, when driving north on Morningside on my home, I encountered this…. The peacocks have arrived.

For more of the history of the Guild Inn, see their website.

Gwendolen Park and ravine

Posted: September 8, 2020 in locations, nature
Tags: branches, cliff, Don Valley golf course, golf, golf course, green, Gwendolen, Gwendolen Park, leaves, North York, park, path, ravine, roots, summer, trees

The other day I was near Yonge and Sheppard when I found myself with some extra time so I decided to drive around the nearby neighbourhood where I once lived. A little trip down memory lane along with something new.

below: On Florence Ave looking northeast across Yonge Street.

I discovered that the little house where my family lived when I was grades 4 and 5 is still there and is one of only a few that haven’t been replaced or enlarged (no photos!). Continuing on my tour, I passed the local school, Cameron Avenue P.S., before I thought that I would take a look at Gwendolen Park. I have vague memories of it but it was just far enough away from home that we didn’t go there often.

Southeast from Gwendolen Park there is a path through the ravine that is well worn. It passes among some of the tallest trees I have seen in the city – maples, oaks, and others. It is darker than most ravine walks. It is also quieter. I didn’t encounter any one else while I was in the woods.

below: A tiny little bird house with a brown plastic beetle.

below: At the bottom of the hill is Don Valley Golf Course. The bridge in this photo is the 401 jst west of Yonge Street. I was trying to figure out the best route to the bridge but I happened by this spot at the same time as the course marshal. He kicked me out.

Getting to the bridge was not an important goal but when someone tells me I can`t do something I feel that I have to try to find a way to do it. Google maps shows this space as green but there is no differentiation between golf course and park. I tried bushwhacking my way around the edge but I couldn`t find an easy enough way to make it worth my time. So I retraced my steps…. but not before finding a souvenir of the day.

Don Valley Golf Course from up the hill near Gwendolen Park. September has only started and already there are some colours appearing on the trees.

below: Cliff by the park

below: Part of the path passes behind the tennis courts.

below: Luckily there is a hole in the fence otherwise it`s a steep drop to the left!

below: The path continues to the northwest but a few drops of rain persuaded me to return to the park where my car was waiting. Earl Bales Park is the next green space along the path although I am not sure if there is access. Another day’s adventure.

below: This cat loves Mondays.

below: Perhaps I’ll follow the sign to the North Pole for my next walk? Oh oh – I think that it says 4800 (kms? miles?) so maybe not…..

nearing the end of autumn

Posted: November 1, 2019 in general Toronto, nature
Tags: altered sign, autumn, bike, Chinatown, construction, election signs, garden, graffiti, hoardings, Kennedys, leaves, oak, reflections, rugs, skeleton, speakers, St James park, St. James cathedral, stores, tea bags, trees, U of T, uber5000, University of Toronto

Yikes! Preparations are already underway in the Distillery District for their annual Christmas market.

At least their sign that counts down the number of days until Christmas is not hung yet. I am not ready to think about Christmas yet!

I was hoping for some sun as I walked the other day but October seems to have ended with clouds and rain. November is here and it is notorious for being grey and depressing. The clouds on these hoardings seemed appropriate. They are around a construction site on Lower Sherbourne street, at the southeast corner of Lower Sherbourne and Front.

below: This is the hole behind the hoardings.

That intersection, (LS & F), has construction sites at both the southeast and northwest corners. At a third corner, the northeast, there is a development notice sign.

Yet another developer wants to build yet another 37 storey building here. At least one person has voiced their displeasure.

And other signs of discontent nearby….

below: Looking west on King Street East at Jarvis.

below: St. James Park gets new walkways

below: In the Sculpture Garden across the street from St. James Cathedral is a collection of wood poles with small speakers attached to the top of them. This is an art installation by Lou Sheppard called Dawn Chorus/Evensong 2019. It is part of the Toronto Biennial of Art that is on now (until late in December). It “interrupts the denaturalized landscape with music created through the transposition of spectrograms of birdsong…”

below: ‘Haunted City’. One of a few Halloween decorations along Queen West.

below: While walking up Spadina this bike caught my attention because

below: … it’s decorated with many, many used tea bags. On closer inspection, there seem to be quite a few different brands. My guess is that this is one of a kind…. or at least I hope so!

below: I’m not sure just what these added words mean. Is now real? Can we be sure?

below: A few remaining campaign signs from the federal election back in October. The Liberals won every Toronto seat.

below: Discarded and left in a pile in an alley, JFK and Bobby Kennedy rugs. Not one but four? or five?

below: Uber5000 birdies riding in tandem, along with an old banana seat bike affixed to the wall.

below: A grumpy sign? Or just a sign with fangs?

below: Van Gogh can still be found on Huron Street

below: This is part of the CAMH (Centre for Addiction and Mental Health) building at College & Huron Streets. There might be a certain charm in the concrete buildings of this era… when it comes time to renovate them or tear them down, will there be an effort made to save them?

below: Nearby, this “artwork” on the exterior of 215 Huron Street, is from the same time period.

below: Reflections in a window on the University of Toronto campus.

below: U of T playing fields on Hoskin Ave with the black/darker brick Trinity College behind.

A few more “campus in autumn” photos

below: There were still lots of leaves on the trees at Queens Park too.

below: Some of the oak trees had multicoloured leaves.

below: End. Yes, this is the end.

Three Sisters, Tikay and Aner

Posted: June 19, 2019 in graffiti and street art
Tags: agricultural, agriculture, aner, Aner Urra, bean, colours, corn, Dundas West, First Nations, flowers, indigenous, leaves, mural, paint, Paula Tikay, Rodrigo Ardiles, squash, symbols, three sisters, tikay, tikay & aner, vegetables, vine, women

Three Sisters – both literal and allegorical. Three women, each with a vegetable, and these three vegetables, corn, squash, and beans, are the three sisters of indigenous agriculture. These were the main crops of most North American native groups and they were usually planted together; together they thrived for thousands of years.

This is one of two murals by Paula Tikay and Aner Urra (aka tikay & aner) in the Dundas West area. They are two indigenous Mapuche artists from Chile who were invited to come to Toronto to paint the murals.

The project was organized by Rodrigo Ardiles (of the Dundas West Museum). This neighbourhood was chosen because of its ties to the many immigrants from Chile who have found a home here as early as the 1970s. Children from the nearby Alexander Muir / Gladstone Avenue Junior and Senior Public School and The Grove Community School had some input on the mural. Also involved was StartARToronto.

reborn

Posted: April 10, 2019 in nature
Tags: berries, buds, cardinal, leaves, natire, pussy willow, seed pods, sparrow, squirrel, trees, twigs, wildlife, willow

As winter passes into spring
A walk around Edwards Gardens in early spring

below: A red cardinal in a tree

below: Red berries that have wintered on their thorny branches.

below: The remains of coneflowers on their sturdy stems.

below: Pussy willows just emerging

below: On a small twig, both an old leaf and new buds.

below: A squirrel enjoying the seeds that someone has left for it. w

below: Dead and dried, seed pods that opened long ago.

below: New fuzzy magnolia buds

below: A sparrow with its back to the camera

below: These strange looking growths are the beginnings of skunk cabbage plants.

below: The pale yellow of the willow trees as their leaves begin to bud.

ode to a November day

Posted: November 22, 2018 in alleys, doors, nature, old buildings
Tags: alley, berries, brick, bridges, Don Valley parkway, fence, fire hydrant, lane, leaves, paint, Riverdale Park, snow, stairs, traffic, trees, unicorns, wall

Fall, Leaves, Fall
“Fall, leaves, fall; die, flowers, away;
Lengthen night and shorten day;
Every leaf speaks bliss to me
Fluttering from the autumn tree.
I shall smile when wreaths of snow
Blossom where the rose should grow;
I shall sing when night’s decay
Ushers in a drearier day.”
by Emily Bronte

As the leaves fall, bare branches are left behind and on a sunny day they make for wonderful shapes and shadows. Riverdale Park, Broadview side.

below: The more common angle for photos taken at Riverdale Park, the angle with the Toronto skyline in the background. I wasn’t as interested in the skyline yesterday, it was the trees and shadows that I was focusing on.

below: There is a pedestrian bridge over the Don Valley Parkway that connects the two sides of Riverdale Park. This is view looking south.

below: Two cars and three bridges. This is from the same bridge as above, but this time looking northwest over the Don River towards the Bloor Viaduct. The CPR bridge is in the middle (with the graffiti) and the pedestrian bridge for the lower Don Trail is the orange-brown one.

below: While crossing Riverdale Park, I spotted this sign. It’s behind a chainlink fence and partially hidden by shrubs and small trees. From where I was standing I could hardly see any water that one might use for a rink. There is a pond back there – it’s the pond at the bottom of the hill on the Riverdale Farm property.

below: The irregular curves of the trees contrasted with the lines and diamonds formed by the staircase that leads down into Riverdale Park (or up from the park!)

below: More trees – this time in the Necropolis cemetery.

below: A tree of a different kind.

a small amount of snow and ice on the ground, some leaves that have fallen off trees and are on the ground.

Nothing Gold Can Stay
Nature’s first green is gold,
Her hardest hue to hold.
Her early leaf’s a flower;
But only so an hour.
Then leaf subsides to leaf.
So Eden sank to grief,
So dawn goes down to day.
Nothing gold can stay.
by Robert Frost
***

below: The Virginia Creeper leaves have turned and fallen and left the berries behind to dry and wither. This plant is found all over the city, especially in the lanes and alleys.

below: Brilliant colour of the berries on the Bittersweet Vine. This plant produces a yellow berry that bursts open to reveal a red interior.

below: Another sign that it’s November, the snack bar by Riverdale Farm is closed for the winter.

below: An open gate, leading past the burning bushes to the front door.

below: A Lab patiently waits by the door.

below: Another front yard and another dog… This vintage fire hydrant, decorated as a dalmatian in a fireman’s helmet. There is newer yellow fire hydrant closer to the sidewalk in the same yard so I suspect that this one is not functional.

below: More silliness – a brick wall with a tiny window in what used to be a larger arched window. Now it’s only big enough for a toilet paper roll.

below: I’ll end this post with a couple of unicorns even though they have nothing to do with fall. But who doesn’t like unicorns? Especially when there’s a bit of awesomeness too.

transitions, seasonal and otherwise

Posted: November 22, 2018 in construction, nature, old buildings, public art, reflections
Tags: autumn, Berczy park, brick, city, Derek Besant, downtown, flatiron, Gooderham building, hand sculpture, King St. East, leaves, Luis Jacob, old buildings, Pigro, pink, plant, scaffolding, sculpture, St. James cathedral, Tom Jones restaurant, Tony Romano

From autumn to winter, from old to new.

below: It’s a sculpture! It’s a piece of playground equipment! Two very large bronze hands and a red rope lattice between the hands has been installed in Berczy Park. It was designed by Toronto artist Luis Jacob. In the background is the “dog fountain”.

below: Berczy Park from the other side. The water in the fountain has been turned off for the winter. It’s a bit too cold to hang out in the park these days but the dogs are still patiently and quietly waiting beside the fountain.

below: The lower part of “Flatiron Mural” by Derek Besant, 1980 on the west wall of the Gooderham building, overlooking Berczy Park .

below: On the other side of the Gooderham building, near Church Street, the old-style lamps have been decorated for the Christmas season.

below: More signs that maybe Christmas is coming… eventually. Christmas decorations are now available at most grocery stores.

It’s weird to be getting into the Christmas spirit already… in mid-November when there are still a few leaves on the trees…

below: And lots of leaves on the ground.

below: St. James Cathedral from the park (sculpture garden) across the street. Autumn, and the views are no longer blocked by greenery.

below: In that sculpture garden there’s a new installation.

below: “Pigro” by Tony Romano. Pigro is Italian for “lazy”, as in lazily reclining in the park. By the looks of it, there are lights on the sculpture so it might be interesting to check this out after dark (i.e. after 4 p.m.!)

below: Around the corner, on King Street, the omnipresent construction/renovation.

below: The Tom Jones restaurant still stands alone although construction has been creeping closer and closer.

below: The pale purple wall with the mural and Henry Fielding quote are also still in place although the paint is peeling badly in some spots. (this is the east side of the Tom Jones restaurant building).

below: The backs of the buildings on King Street that are being redeveloped.

below: Transitions, old, new, and in between.

below: And the last look at the construction, sort of… you can just see bits of the reddish scaffolding across King Street

it started as a walk in the park

Posted: October 27, 2018 in history, landmarks, nature
Tags: autumn, Church of the Messiah Rectory, CP, damp, door, fence, flowers, graffiti, history, leaves, park, path, signs, SUmmerhill, Summerhill LCBO, trees, wet, words, Yonge St.

below: After the rain the leaves lie stuck to the path and tangled up in the grass.

below: Or stuck in the fence

below: You can’t escape the cranes…..

below: … or the hoardings.

below: Magnus and Angel are missing…. Is this a coincidence?

below: Pink flowers and a purple door.

below: Built in 1892, this building was once the Church of the Messiah Rectory. The church is the next building to the right (with the slightly yellow stones)

below: Faded flower of a different kind

below: Building behind the Rosedale Diner, as seen from Crown Lane

below: Locked door

below: Graffiti on private property.

below: The limestone Summerhill LCBO store which was originally the North Toronto Canadian Pacific train station. The clock tower is 43m high.

below: From a different angle, the station when it was first built in 1916. The tracks are still there but only freight trains pass by these days. It only lasted as a passenger station until September 1930. Back in the day if you wanted to take a train to Lindsay or Bobcaygeon, this is where you’d go although you could also get a train to Ottawa (via Peterborough & Smith’s Falls) or Montreal.

below: No stop ahead

below: “Help negro and white people mass (?) produce painted stones and hide them” plus a lot of other lines and shapes that might be letters or words.

below: I also came across this box yesterday – Sam the Chinese Food Man and other signs.

below: I have vague memories of such a Sam’s restaurant so I went online to find out more about it. What I found is this image in a “Lost Toronto” blogpost. It is Yonge Street just south of Gerrard (the Rio Theatre was 373 Yonge Street). Did you know that Toronto once had a wax museum?

old colour photo of part of yonge street

Photo source: ‘Lost Toronto’ blog, post titled ‘When Yonge St Was Fun‘

… and it ended with a trip down memory lane.

sculptures in the garden

Posted: September 13, 2018 in galleries, locations, nature, public art
Tags: African, black, Boet Nyariri, David White, Edmore Sango, Edwards Gardens, fish, flowers, Joe Mutasa, John Gutsa, leaves, Lucknos Chingwaro, monarch butterfly, opal stone, sculpture, springstone, Stuart Chapenga, trees, woman, Zimbabwe, ZimSculpt

Edwards Gardens

ZimSculpt is the name of the exhibit now on at Edwards Gardens. Placed around the gardens are a large number of stone sculptures by Zimbabwean artists. There are also small pieces on display inside a tent-like structure near the parking lot. All items are for sale along with some baskets and jewellery. Here are some of the sculptures:

below: Giving Advice by Boet Nyariri, carved in springstone