Posts Tagged ‘rock’

swirling around the Science Centre

Posted: April 30, 2023 in construction, landmarks, locations, transportation
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Ontario Science centre from the south

Rumours swirling that is…. because the Ontario Science Centre has been in the news lately.  Doug Ford (and the Provincial PC’s) have said that they are going to move it from its Don Mills and Eglinton location to Ontario Place down by the Exhibition Grounds.  What then becomes of the Science Centre LRT station?  It hasn’t even opened yet and its already obsolete?  And needs a new name?  …..that’s assuming that the Eglinton Crosstown LRT ever gets done.  But hush, no one is talking about that, that’s a secret……

below: Behind fences, the new Science Centre LRT station and transit hub remains unfinished.  It is a very quiet construction site.  Not a soul to be seen.

metal construction fence in front of the science centre lrt station that is being built at Don Mills and Eglinton,

One of the arguments for moving the Science Centre is to open up the land for housing.  Let’s ring some bells and say ‘housing’.   Who can oppose housing, right?

below: This is southeast corner of Don Mills and Eglinton where a development notice stands.  Apparently two towers are planned for this location – 26 and 48 storeys high. (The Science Centre is on the west side of Don Mills Road).

In fact, on the east side of Don Mills Road, south of Eglinton (i.e. across the street from the Science Centre), there are two other properties with development notice signs.

brick townhouse row with a blue and white development notice in front, Don Mills Road, St. Dennis Drive

Four new towers, as infill, have been proposed for these sites.

brick highrise apartment building on Don Mills Road with development notice sign in front of it

AND

What is now the upper parking lot for the Science Centre is already on the books as new housing.  This is at the southwest corner of Don Mills and Eglinton.   The sign may have been flattened but that doesn’t make the plan disappear!

blue and white development notice sign lying on the ground in the shade under some trees, trash around it

below: Blocked sidewalk on the south side of Eglinton, upper parking lot is on the left side in the picture

orange signs on sidewalk saying sidewalk closed ahead

below: View looking south from the upper parking lot towards the Science Centre

view from upper parking lot of science centre which is empty, past line of tall evergreens, to lower parking lot and buildings

green exit sign with an arrow pointing to the right on which someone has written there's no, sign now says there's no exit

AND (Yes, there’s more)

There is a 60 acre development on the northwest corner of Don Mills and Eglinton (the old IBM/Celestica site) that is in the midst of being transformed into the Crosstown neighbourhood.

new construction at Aspenridge crosstown development

below:  This is a picture that I found (and have blatantly swiped from) on an Urban Toronto web page – It shows the development and infill at Flemingdon Park  among the existing structures. The planned buildings are slightly transparent – perhaps 14 of them?? (and that doesn’t include all of Crosstown)  The Science Centre is bottom centre.

image taken from urban toronto site showing development at Don Mills an Eglinton

So which developer whispered sweet nothings in Doug Ford’s ear?

Who thought that moving the Science Centre was a good idea?

Who owns the land now? Did you know that 81 acres of the land that the Science Centre is on is owned by the TRCA?  That’s the Toronto Regional Conservation Authority.  The rest of the land (a tiny sliver along Eglinton & Don Mills) is owned by the city of Toronto.  TRCA  and the City of Toronto jointly leased the property to the Ontario Science Centre for a 99-year term, expiring on June 30, 2064.

The TRCA owns the land because of the terrain – steep slopes, ravines, and waterways – i.e. not land suitable for housing.  Doug Ford’s announcement came as a surprise to the TRCA – but does that surprise anyone?

below: Another image that I found online that describes the area better than any words that I could write.  This is a map of the area showing who owns what.  Source: TRCA website

map of Don Mills and Eglinton showing ownership of the land by TRCA and city of toronto

BUT

What else is happening here?

The new subway/LRT line, the Ontario Line, Doug Ford’s favorite line, is also being built here.  It is the transit line that runs south from the Science Centre to close to the lakeshore before turning west through downtown (Queen Street closed for 4 years for construction!!) and ending at Ontario Place.

Work has already started in the ravine south of the Science Centre where there will be stops for both Flemingdon Park and Thorncliffe Park.  The whole north section of the Ontario Line will be elevated.  Between the Science Centre and Flemingdon stations it will run above the street and sidewalk (Don Mills Rd).  At some point between Flemingdon and Thorncliffe Park there will have to be a bridge over the West Don River.

pink sign on construction fence in park that is for Ontario line, transit construction

signs around a construction site, ravine erosion mitigation work, as well as drilling for new subway line

below: Where the Science Centre meets the West Don Trail

two men walk across the grass where the West Don Trail meets the Science Centre south entrance, spring, green grass, some buds on trees

Some other photos from the area

science centre exterior

view from entrance of science centre, curved outdoor stairs, apartment building in background

below: The Science Centre has interesting trash bins on its grounds.  Maybe they could teach the city a thing or two?

trash bin, metal, with colourful picture on the side

Ontario Science Centre banner on a pole on Don Mills Road with traffic and larger buildings in the background

below: West side of Don Mills Road

west side of Don Mills Road at Eglinton, new glass covered building on north side is partially completed, new science centre station entrance behind metal fence on south side

below: The southwest entrance to the Science Centre station from another angle

new entrance to Science Centre LRT station at Eglinton and Don Mills

below: Looking west on Eglinton towards Don Mills

looking east on Eglinton Ave towards Don Mills Road and new science centre station on the south side

below: Walking home after school

a small group of boys walking along the grass beside Eglinton Ave on the east side of Don Mills

It was four years ago that demolition of the old IBM buildings began.  On the surface it doesn’t look like much is happening.

fence, dirt, and weeds in front of crosstown redevelopment

construction site, steel girders slightly rusted upright into the ground, some water puddles, sand and dirt, start of a new street

construction site

Crosstown neighbourhood construction site

people waiting for traffic light to turn green at corner of Don Mills and Eglinton, two young women and an Asian woman with a black and white umbrella

Out of Service.  Nothing happening here.

sign that says out of service

Sorry, but I have a few more questions and comments about this thing I encountered at Don Mills & Eglinton ….

What is this?  A phallic rock in a concrete circle …. or Doug Ford giving the city the finger?  To those who design and build public art (if that’s what it is)…. that concrete circle is just a large garbage can.  It will collect trash.  It will fill with rain water.  It will be an unsightly mess.  It’s too low for a bench and it blocks the sidewalk.  There’s no sign and no explanation.  I can’t find anything about it online either.

a rock pillar stands upright, in the center of a concrete circle

rainy day walk by the waterfront

Posted: June 30, 2019 in nature, reflections, waterfront
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This has been a wet spring along the waterfront.  Lake Ontario has been at its highest level in years.   Earlier, I had posted some photos that I took of Woodbine, Kew and Balmy beaches and the high water levels there (blog post, “water logged”).  The other day I visited the beaches and walkways at the other end of the city’s waterfront, from H2O beach to Ontario Place.

below: Flooding at H2O Beach

Toronto waterfront showing flooding at H 2 O park with its Muskoka chairs and yellow umbrellas, lifesaving ring and ladder are no longer at the shore but quite a ways out in the lake

Toronto waterfront showing flooding at H 2 O park with its Muskoka chairs and yellow umbrellas, dark skies in the distance as a storm approaches

Toronto waterfront showing flooding at H 2 O park with its Muskoka chairs and yellow umbrellas

below: All that water makes for some colourful reflections!

Toronto waterfront showing flooding at H 2 O park with its Muskoka chairs and yellow umbrellas, many colourful reflections in the flood waters

below: Looking west towards the old Canada Malting Company silos as the dark clouds signal an approaching storm.

Canada Malting Company old concrete silos on Toronto Waterfront, la large boat docked near the foreground, dark skies over Lake Ontario as a storm approaches

below: The Empire Sandy docked along with the tugboat, M.S. Kane

the Empire Sandy, a three mast sailing ship, docked along side a small tugboat, the M. S. Kane. on a grey wet day

below: Toronto’s fire rescue boat, the William Lyon Mackenzie, docked beside Fire Station 334.   It was built in 1964 and is named for Toronto’s first mayor.

The WIlliam Lyon McKenzie, a bright red fire boat is docked at Toronto waterfront, city skyline behind the boat with tall condos, also dark storm clouds

below: Queens Quay at Spadina, looking west

looking west on Queens Quay at Spadina, streetcar tracks, street, trafiic, pedestrian on sidewalk, TTC street car approaching, Starbucks on the corner, low rise buildings in the background

below: A streetcar starts to head north on Spadina

a new TTC streetcar starts to head north on Spadina, just south of the Gardiner and large condos

below: Playing basketball in the rain.

four boys playing basketball on a green and brown court, in the rain,

below: An old blue canoe at Little Norway park.  A training camp for the Norway’s Air Force was located here (SW corner of  Queens Quay and Bathurst) during WW2.  The large rock that you can see in the photo is a 3000 pound boulder brought from Norway in 1976 to be part of a permanent monument to the people who trained and served here.   In 1986 the space became Little Norway Park.

an old blue canoe is used as a planter in a park

below: Looking back towards downtown and the CN Tower from the western end of Queens Quay West.

looking east along Queens Quay West from the very western end of the ctreet towards the CN Tower and downtown. Lowrise residential units on either side of the street, bike lane, small trees, wet, raining

reflections of sailboats and their masts in Lake Ontario, boats are parked at a yacht club

a lone red Muskoka chair sits on an angle in a small grassy patch between a fence and a path, looks out over a yacht club

below: Lots of big puddles at Coronation Park

flooded pathway, large puddles, along shoreline at Coronation Park, boats in the background

flooded driveway and entrance to underground parking,

below: Yellow flowerpot islands

two large light green flower pots sit on concrete pedestals, in the water, orange cones in the water, shoreline is flooded, some sailboats docked in the background

below: Someone has tied a string of small Canadian flags to the railing at Coronation Park.  Happy Canada Day weekend!

sailboats moored out in Lake Ontario, in the foreground is a metal railing with a string of Canadian flags tied to it

four white sailboats moored in the water, Lake Ontario, with their main sails wrapped up and put away, calm water but grey skies

a large bird sits on a yellow sign out in the waters of Lake Ontario, an orange (or red) light sits on a concrete pedestal beside it

below: Toronto skyline from Trillium Park, from the green trees of Coronation Park on the left and past the CN Tower to Billy Bishop airport on the far left.

In the background is the Toronto skyline from Trillium Park, from the green trees of Coronation Park on the left and past the CN Tower and tall city center buildings, to the National Yacht Club and then Billy Bishop airport on the far left. In the foreground is an orange lifesaving ring and the rocks of the shoreline of the park

below: Large granite rock in Trillium Park

large chunk of granite in a park, black patches with streaks of pink and grey

below: Ontario Place, where TSN was playing to no one.

a large screen plays a TSN show, outdoors, Ontario Place, white chairs but no one is there

below: Flooding by the marina at Ontario Place.  In the foreground is what appears to be an electrical box.

flooding at Ontario Place

flooding at Ontario Place, empty building surrounded by water, boats, cinesphere dome

flooding at Ontario place, orange sandbags and a fence that is partially submerged in the water

scaffolding holds lights for a show at Ontario Place, in the distance is the CN Tower.

below: The Canada geese have these Muskoka chairs to themselves.

By Lake Ontario, a group of white Muskoka chairs in long grass with a lot of Canada Geese standing around them, metal barricades behind chairs and trees behind that

below: From the northwest corner of Ontario Place, looking west over Lake Ontario towards Etobicoke and Mississauga

shoreline of Ontario Place, looking west over Lake Ontario to Etobicoke and Mississauga

on the northwest corner of Ontario Place, gate across path because of flooding, a swan in the water, the wind turbine on the CNE grounds in the distance

elevated buildings of Ontario Place over the water

below: There was also flooding on Lakeshore Blvd.

traffic on Lakeshore Blvd plows through the water and creates great splashes of water, road is partially flooded

a white truck with three men in the cab on Lakeshore Blvd plows through the water and creates great splashes of water, road is partially flooded

below: Puddles in an almost empty parking lot, CNE grounds.

CNE parking lot, empty except for one white car, large puddles with reflections, and the city in the background, CN TOwer, tall buildings,

abstract in blues, made by close up of reflections and ripples in the water

lovebot invasion

Posted: December 4, 2014 in graffiti and street art
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Lovebot, the robot, can be spotted all over the city!

These are just a few of the places that I have seen him.

A very large lovebot on a brick wall. He looks like he is walking away from a restaurant patio with its black round tables and bright orange chairs.

Walking away from the table, on Queen St. West.

 

Lovebot on a red brick wall with his arms out stretched as he releases a box into the air. The box is being lifted upwards by balloons.

Releasing love with balloons, between Brigden Place and Queen St. East.

 

lovebot playing card on a wall. In front of it are some orange and black traffic cones along with an orange construction sign on its side.

Seemingly stuck behind construction on Church St.

 

Lovebot now looks like he's been made into the king of hearts on a playingcard. On a brick wall.

A more evolved king of hearts lovebot. This one is near Bathurst subway station.  There is an identical card on Mill St., just west of Trinity.

 

small concrete lovebot standing in a small patch of garden behind a low black wood fence.

3D lovebot behind a fence on Church St.  Seen just before Hallowe’en, hence the chains and “spider webs”.

 

Lovebot in the shape of an old gameboy, up on a brick wall, with tags below him.

Gameboy lovebot.

 

Wheatpaste lovebot up high on a concrete wall. There are some black and white tags below him.

On a wall seen from Queen St. East, south side, between Ontario and Sherbourne streets.

 

A lovebot on a red brick wall. A small white oval shaped figure is with him.

Near Harbord and Bathurst.  This lovebot looks like he’s ready to take on a construction crew.

.

A small concrete lovebot stands in the doorway of a childrens book store called Mabels Fables.

A lovebot lives outside of Mabels Fables on Mt. Pleasant.

for more information – Lovebot website