Posts Tagged ‘TTC’

long awaited ride to Kennedy

Posted: April 22, 2026 in construction, public art, transportation
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As everyone knows, the Eglinton LRT took FOREVER to plan, build, and test. Way back in June 2021, I posted about going to Kennedy and Eglinton to see the first LRT trains being tested (On a mission to Kennedy station). Little did we know then that it would be almost five years later before the trains came into service.

little brown dog sitting in an Eglinton LRT seat

below: Some of the stations have artwork (six of them I think). This is the glass and mirror installation at Eglinton, “Light from Within” by Louise Witthöft & Rodney Latourelle  (Witthöft Latourelle)

man going down escalator at Eglinton station, wall in front of him has artwork made of pieces of glass and mirror that look llke something has smashed through the center of a mirror or window.

below: There is also some colour at Don Valley station (formerly known as the Science Centre).   “Total Luna Eclipse” by Sarah Morris is a series of circles and overlapping circles in bright colours.

Don Valley LRT station looking down to track level from above

below: This is the interior of the concourse level on one of the subway stations along the Eglinton line. I am not sure which one it is because they all look the same. White everywhere, with an elevator in the middle.

interior of Eglinton LRT subway station, upper level, with elevator inthe middle, white floor, white walls, and white ceiling

below: Waiting on the platform at Don Valley, the last underground station before the tracks surface on their way eastward towards Kennedy.

a man stands on the platform at Don Valley station waiting for an Eglinton LRT train

people sitting on an Eglinton LRT train, one is on her phone,

looking out the window of a streetcar on Eglinton at Bermondsey, Esso gas station and circle K store, gas at over 1.60 per litre

factory in the distance, vacant ground in foreground

black metal bench beside sidewalk on Eglinton Ave., with Hakimi Labovic station behind

below: My apologies Scarborough, but you are rather dull to look at from this angle….

below: But most of us don’t ride transit for the scenery

teenage girls playing games with phone onthe streetcar

a woman wearing a toque, sitting on streetcar with a large walmart bag beside her

Eglinton LRT train at station

Nothing really exciting but there is definitely a sense of relief that it’s finally open.  It took too long and cost too much but it’s running….

Eglinton LRT train about to enter a station, above ground, in Scarbrough

Eastbound Eglinton LRT train station in Scarborough, portion of line where tracks are above ground, Scarborough, rainy day, waiting for he streetcar

In a lot of ways, the tracks running down the middle of Eglinton Avenue create a wall, especially for pedestrians.  For better or worse though, this section of Eglinton has never been pedestrian friendly.  It has been designed for cars.  And that’s probably not going to change in the near future.

sin saying stay off tracks in english and in french, with a train passing behind the sign

Eglinton LRT train in a station, above ground, Scarborough

traffic lights, mirrors, traffic, along eglinton avenue in scarborough

But the coming of the LRT will affect development along Eglinton (or rather, has already started to affect development).

digger and construction equipment outside a 4 storey brick apartment building, rainy day, trees in front of building

below: 1900 Eglinton East – From shopping center with lots of parking, to four mixed use buildings up to 48 storeys high.  Will the slow down in the condo market affect this?   If you are interested in this, it is application number 19208733ESC21OZ and the link takes you to the relevant City of Toronto webpage (Good luck!).

blue and white city of toronto redevelopment notice on eglinton avenue in scarborough

below: At 1911 and 1921, out with the old and in with 8 buildings, 4 towers, a park, and 2 new streets.  This is almost  right across the street from the picture above  (between Pharmacy and Warden).  The application wasn’t completed until Nov 2025 so not much is going to happen here for a long time yet.

redevelpoment notice at 1911 elginton east

Redevelopment in Toronto is slow.  This plaza (strip mall) at Kennedy and Eglinton was already boarded up in 2021.  It looks a little scruffier and a little rougher now but otherwise, not much has changed in five years.

boarded up and tagged over, old lowrise strip mall at Kennedy and Eglinton Adult store, Eglinton Medical supply, and Hair Garden, cracked pavement in front,

Construction along Eglinton East continues as Metrolinx builds the Scarborough Subway extension.  This section of subway is an extension of the Bloor-Danforth line and will run from Kennedy station, east along Eglinton past Brimley before turning north.  It ends at Sheppard and McCowan.  Back in 2023 I visited that intersection and I posted some photos – Intersections – McCowan and Sheppard

below: Eglinton at Midland, looking northeast (on a rainy day).

looking northeast along eglinton ave at midland avenue, rainy day, apartment building on corner, bus, traffic

constant companions

Posted: April 21, 2026 in people
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Maybe it’s like shooting fish in a barrel – taking pictures of people on their phones as they are out and about in the city….  sometimes by themselves and sometimes with friends and family.  But always with a phone in their hand.   Ubiquitous.  Addictive.  Constant.  So for the past few months I have been taking a look at our relationship with those phones (and our surroundings) while we are out in public.  It’s still a work in progress and yes, some photos are not as interesting as the others.   This is a few of what I have so far…..

man wearing blue jays, baseball team, theme jacket, while looking at his phone, sitting in TTC subway car

man on phone, sitting on bench at art gallery of ontario, while others around him are looking at pictures on the walls

woman on phone, standing, leaning against display of fruits and vegetables for sale, St. Lawrence market, big bucket full of sunflowers by her feet

woman sitting in aroma coffee shop

man wearing red shirt and black pants, talking on phone, walking past a very orange building with two tall vertical windows

three people sitting around a small table in a coffee shop, on their phones

teenage girls playing games with phone on the streetcar

 

man at table with phone, inside at Starbucks, beside large window, another man with a leaf blower is working outside

men riding on TTC bus, on phones

workmen at construction site, one is on his phone

below: A book!

women riding on subway, one is reading a book and the other is on her phone

 

below: “Live and let live”

snow day scenery!

Posted: January 31, 2026 in alleys, nature, people
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Subtitle: Take the Long Way Home

three cars in a driveway beside a house, all cars are covered with snow

The snow started falling on Sunday morning and it just kept on coming.   In the end, there was a record amount of snow that fell in most parts of the city with a reported 46 cm at Pearson Airport and 56cm downtown.   Luckily Monday was clearer and the city had a chance to begin to shovel out.

Not surprisingly, there were TTC problems especially on the subway.

below: Waiting for a shuttle bus because there was no subway between Eglinton and Bloor.  Too any people and not enough buses!

winter day, people on sidewalk waiting for TTC shuttle bus on Yonge Street, cold, snowing, hats and scarves

So – Change of plan, back into Eglinton station to wait for a bus – let’s try heading west instead of south!

a man waits for a bus at Eglinton TTC subway station, outdoor bus bays,

vacant lot downtown, covered with snow, surrounded by fence with no trespassing sign, taller building in the background

lowrise stores on Eglinton, at corner, there is a mural on the side of the building, trees on a rock

Eglinton West station is now called Cedarvale.  There is a new subway entrance – actually it’s probably at least a couple of years old now but it’s never been used.  It was built for the new Eglinton Crosstown LRT that MIGHT open in February.  Rumour says opening 8th February, counter-rumour says that’s not true….

new Cedarvale subway entrance, glass, in winter

The old round concrete station is still in operation.

old original round low concrete building that is Cedarvale subway entrance

Interior shot – boring brown tiles on the wall, very 1970s concrete ceiling, and no people headed down to subway level…..

interior of Cedarvale subway station, concrete, stairs to lower level, glass walls on upper level, patterened concrete ceiling

… because there is also no subway here either!   This is the view northward up the Allen Road.  There are not a lot of cars on the road.  The center section, i.e. the train tracks, are still covered with snow.

looking north up Allen Road from Eglinton, winter, snow covered, very littl traffic, highrise buildings on the west side the the Allen

… So back on the bus to go south again!   At least I didn’t have a deadline to meet or an appointment to get too.  I was just looking for interesting snow pics.   Schools were closed and many people were working from home so there weren’t a lot of other people traveling with me.   Still, I am sure that there were many people who had a frustrating time getting around the city on Monday.

back of man sitting on a TTC bus, black hat and purple jacket.

What follows are some of the pictures that I took as I explored a few parts of the city.

below: Reggae Lane (near Eglinton West and Oakwood)

Reggae Lane from Oakwood side in winter, covered with snow

below: Looking east on St. Clair West at Oakwood.

St Clair west, looking east from Oakwood, winter, snowy

below: Not the best day for the Take-out Window!

snow bank in front of Tim Hortons take out window, also a Canada Post mailbox in the snow

below: Buried?!

a black glove is on top of an orange cone in a snow bank, looks like an arm reaching up out of the snow

below: Shoveling out – a scene repeated over and over again across the city.

a man shovels a snowy alley, between two stores

below: Buried trash

sidewalk plastic garbage bin in a snow bank

below: No school!  East Lynn Park was busy though…

people with sleds and inner tubes and other sliding devices on snow covered hill at East Lynn Park, adults and kids

below: And after sledding, what better than a visit to the local coffee shop….

a group of kids with inner tubes and sleds, walk on sidewalk

below: Others were out looking for employment opportunities….

girls in winter outerwear, and carrying shovels, walking on snow covered widewalk

man shoveling snow as people walk past, Danforth

people walking on sidewalk, snow banks beside them

kids on a sled being pulled along sidewalk

below: Plowed bike lanes!

below: But this bike isn’t going anywhere!

bike buried in snow

below: More Love (and orange snowflakes) at 981

house, in winter, large numbers on front door, 981, also a sign that says more love,

car parked on snow covered street, evergreens, as well as large bare trees, some houses,

city side street after snow storm, plowed sidewalk, cars covered with snow, snow banks

snowy toronto street, after the snow storm, winter,

below: Tana Printing and Toronto Coin Laundry, Oakwood Ave

brick store fronts, Tana Printing, and Toronto Coin Laundry, on Oakwood Ave

below: Peter’s Variety and the Primrose Bagel Company (with smoked fish and soups too!).

Peter's Variety store on Oakwood, beside a bagel store, winter, lots of snow

church, on snowy street, with cars parked but under snow cover, a woman walks past

Done Xing Market with a large painting on the side of the building which is an ad for Alberta Veterinary Services, painting of a large ginger cat, winter day, snow banks,

below: When you spend time on buses and in bus shelters you encounter some strange things, like this paper “What is the Mark of the Beast? Central bank digital currency payment through face or hand system to be implemented by Antichrist during Tribulation period.”  Do you feel more informed now?  A little wiser even?

small poster pasted to side of bus shelter with lots of words, titled What is the mark of the beast

below: Thank you to all the TTC bus drivers that kept the city moving that day!  By afternoon those buses were looking a little dirty to say the least….

people entering the back door of a very dirty mud and slush covered bus

interior of bus, winter day, wet floor with reflected light

dense and denser

Posted: August 11, 2025 in construction, intersections, old buildings, public art, transportation
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…. another visit to Yonge and Eglinton

people crossing Eglinton Ave towards entrance to building on southwest corner of Yonge & Eglinton where there are images of people painted on the window

Of course, this is also the location of the Eglinton station on the mysterious Eglinton LRT.  The underground walkways between it and the Yonge – University subway line are complete, as is the entrance on the south side of Eglinton.   The latter is a large building and it will definitely help with the flow of traffic… but it sits idle.

northern new entrance to Eglinton station on LRT line, behind fence, no public access

new entrance to Eglinton station on LRT line, behind fence, no public access, on west side, with old Canada Square development behind

below: All of the old Eglinton station bus bays are long gone.

new Eglinton station Metrolinx entrance for LRT and subway, still closed to the public, with older Canada Square buildings around it

below: Canada Square, home to Canadian Tire head office for more than 50 years, was built in the 1960s and 70s.  It consists of two towers connected by a lower section – it is this middle connecting piece that has the vertical concrete slabs on the exterior. These verticals are on both the Yonge Street side (below) and this motif is repeated on the back of the building (see photo above, behind the new station entrance).   Earlier this year, Canadian Tire announced that they had renewed their lease for another 20 years and that the building was going to be redeveloped/upgraded/modernized in the near future.

a man walks down Yonge St., past vertical concrete slabs on canada square building, light and shadows

below: Northwest corner of Yonge and Eglinton

reflections in the glass on the northwest corner of yonge and Eglinton with Cineplex theatre, Winners store, Pickle barrel restaurant, and Rexall drug store, 2200 Yonge Street

people walking on the west side of Yonge, north of Eglinton

below: The Duke of York pub at Yonge and Roehampton

corner of Roehampton and Yonge, Duke of Kent pub on the corner, along with Chloes Nails, the Stag Shop

below: The old Postal Station K has been incorporated into a new condo development. The older building dates from 1936; it was built on the site of Montgomery’s Tavern (made famous in 1837 when it was the epicenter of William Lyon MacKenzie’s rebellion). It was a big square building but with Art Deco elements around the entrance. Because it was built in 1936, it actually featured (and still does) the Royal Insignia of King Edward VIII whose reign was very short-lived because he abdicated the throne only 11 months after being crowned.

old post office on Yonge street, is now the bottom part of a new condo development

below: North of Montgomery/Broadway more development.  More cranes.

looking north on Yonge street towards Montgomery, old brick and stone building on the corner, many cranes in the background

below:  About 15 years ago, North Toronto Collegiate  (NTCI) was rebuilt on Broadway.  The new school was incorporated into a condo development.  At the north entrance to the school is an artwork by Catherine Widgery’s called “Mindshadows”. It is a 20 foot high stainless steel cube on legs that is covered with numbers, letters, and words. Serene, provoke, laugh, loud, big, spirit, and up are some of the words.

entrance to North Toronto collegiate institute, with public art in front.

below:  View from Broadway of the North Toronto football field and track and some of the condos that surround it.

football field and track, par tof North Toronto Collegiate, surrounded by tall condos and apartment buildings

view west from football field and track, partof North Toronto Collegiate, many tall condos

below: Looking north from Roehampton

looking south from Broadway, football field and track, part of North Toronto Collegiate

below: At the south entrance to NTCI (on Roehampton) is another public art installation.  “What’s your name?” by Ilan Sandler (2011) contains the first names of all the NTCI students since the school opened in 1912.  Each name only appears once – but there are still 2053 different names such as Sven, Connie, Marlee, Janis, Lola, Ephraim, Bryan, and Snezana.

Part of What's your name, an art installation by Ilan Sandler, a list of over 2000 names, in concrete,

The neighbourhood that is north of Eglinton and east of Yonge has been the home of many apartment buildings for at least a few decades.  A growing number of them have been replaced by taller glass and steel condo developments, especially since the city has targeted the area for “… tall buildings and an intense concentration of office, retail, institutional and residential uses…” (quote comes from Yonge Eglinton Secondary Plan, 2018)

exterior staircase beside a building, narrow space between two older brick apartment buildings

older lowrise apartment building

below: Old style (1920s?) 4 storey walk-up apartments.  There was a time when this type of architecture was common and these apartment buildings are (were) scattered around the city.  There aren’t as many as there used to be although some, like this one, has been renovated and kept in good shape…. a testament to their good design.

4 storey brick apartment building

below: Concrete building from the 1970s at 2323 Yonge …

reflections in the windows of a 1970s concrete building, vertical windows with deeply recessed windows

below:  …   but it too has a blue and white development notice on the side of this building.  Fifty eight stories with 40 car parking spots but room for 350 bikes.

blue and white city of toronto development notice sign on yonge street

below: St. Monicas church, an A-frame structure built in 1959, is set well back from the street with a parking lot in front.

st monicas church, A frame building from 1959, and parish hall, with large parking lot in front

below: One of the many stained glass windows inside St. Monica’s church.  This image shows a window that features gold crossed keys which are a symbol associated with St. Peter.  These are the keys to the Gates of Heaven.  The church website describes this window as representing the (Catholic) Sacrament of Reconciliation (the pardoning of confessed sins).

stained glass window in St. Monicas church

 

below: Redesigned.   From the KPMB website, this is rendering of the proposed new St. Monica’s church.  It has been brought forward closer to the street which also allows for a new condo tower behind.  That’s the plan.

rendering of new redeveloped St. Monicas church on Broadway Ave., as proposed by KPMB, image taken from their website

below: Beside the church is St. Monica’s school.  The original brick building was built in 1916.  A few additions have been added over the years.

st Monicas school, brick building built 1917, with yellow brick addition from the 1960s

reflections of new glass and steel condos in the back window of a small white van or truck

red and black machine parked by hole at construction site

sidewalk closed in front of Akoya, new condo on Broadway, as they finish work on the front entrance and landscaping of the building

narrow walkway with wooden rail, above a large hole in the ground at a construction site

density of residences, highrise condos and apartments around Yonge and Eglinton, glass and steel towers, new developments

density of residences, highrise condos and apartments around Yonge and Eglinton, glass and steel towers, new developments

density of residences, highrise condos and apartments around Yonge and Eglinton, glass and steel towers, new developments

crane used in construction of new tall glass and steel condos, in front of other new high rise buildings near Yonge and Eglinton

below: Changes are also happening to the west of Yonge Street. For instance, this building on Eglinton between Duplex and Henning is coming down.

development notice signs beside a demolition site, partially demolished building, on henning ave,

multi level building in the process of being demolished, exterior walls all gone.

below: Old, new, and in between

Henning Ave., older single family homes with construction of new condos started beside them, crane,

below: Remnants of what used to be.

2 old sets of stairs, side by side, once lead to houses, houses now demolished, stairs now behind construction fence, diggers and other equipment in the background

demolition, debris hanging from ceiling

demolition site

yellow digger, at construction site where a building is being demolished, revealing older interior walls painted in bright colours

below: As I am sure you are aware, I have blogged about Eglinton Avenue before.  Back in 2015 (ten years ago!!) I posted this photo of Eglinton and Duplex.  Both glass buildings are now gone.  The Toronto Hydro Systems building (the short brick one) at the northwest corner of Duplex and Eglinton remains – it is the one with the coloured patches on the wall in the photo above.

looking east along Eglinton Avenue towards Yonge street with Duplex Ave in the foreground. The old Toronto Hydro-Electric building is in the picture, with a newer structure with a glass front beside it. New buildings between Duplex and Yonge on the north side of Eglinton are also in the picture.

below: Same corner, slightly different angle, taken this past week.

looking west along the north side of Eglinton, toronto hydro electric systems brick building on the corner, demolition of other buildings beside it

below: After the glass clad building on the northeast corner of Duplex and Eglinton came down, the backside of the Yonge Eglinton Center was exposed (on the right) as well as another tower (in an area that needs to be explored more!).

concrete tower

 

young woman with a pink ponytail, pink top, and pink backpack, walks a dog on a leash, crossing street on Yonge, dog is small and white with pink tail and pink ears.

sign that says slow, upside down and leaning against a fence, construction site in the background

below: With thanks to my mother who walked with me that day.

older woman standing in front a fence with two development notice signs

a woman holding a cup of coffee walks on sidewalk, along Eglinton, while a man sits of the steps of a building

defaced TTC bus stops sign on Eglinton, for routes 13, 32, and 61

What remains

Posted: July 12, 2025 in history, old buildings, transportation
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There is talk about what to do with the Scarborough Rapid Transit (SRT) line that runs from Kennedy station, north to Lawrence and Ellesmere, and then east to Scarborough Town Centre.   The SRT was built in 1985 and then closed in July 2023.  The concrete and glass infrastructure still remains.  The tracks are gone.   A few years ago, I went for a ride on the SRT (blog post is  Are you going to Scarborough? ) but I never checked out the stations themselves.  Since I am not sure how much longer they are going to exist, I thought I’d better take a look before it’s too late.

below:  Lawrence East station nestles under the bridge where Lawrence passes over railway tracks between Kennedy Road and Midland Avenue.

low flat concrete building, Lawrence East station on now defunct SRT line. It is under a bridge, under Lawrence Avenue.

looking in the windows of lawrence east rapid transit station, now empty, reflections of outside as well

below: Although the SRT tracks have been removed, other tracks remain.   These tracks continue on to Agincourt GO station and points farther north.

behind chainlink fence, train station, but with tracks removed.

below: Looking south

chainlink fence, with railway tracks behind, two sets of tracks, the ones in the foreground have been removed

below: Signs for 54A and 954 Lawrence buses

overhead signs for lawrence bus routes at old lawrence east station

below: If you wanted to cross the tracks, this was the fastest way…

stairs for underground passage to cross subway tracks at lawrence east station, round hole with stairs in the middle,

stairs down to underpass under railway tracks at lawrence east srt station, metal doors locked closed,

north side of lawrence east srt station

northwest corner of lawrence east srt station

below:  Permanently closed

poster on door of srt station, picture of old srt subway car, notice that the line is permanently closed.

below: Mike Myers Drive with Lawrence East station in the background.

below: A short distance north of the Lawrence East station is the old Ellesmere station.  It too is under a bridge (under Ellesmere of course!).  It is smaller than the Lawrence East station

south side of Ellesmere station, with tracks now removed, curved glass structure under a bridge,

below:  Ellesmere station also has the circular hole for the stairs leading to an underground passage.  The station looks like a big glass tube.

ellesmere station, east side, with blue railing around circular hole, long glass tube structure in the background that is the station, bridge overhead

 

looking in window of ellesmere srt station, reflections, sign saying southbound to kennedy

below: Someone is missing their lock.

three toronto bike lock rings, painted red, one with a rusty chain and combination lock still on it.

After Ellesmere station, the SRT turned east, diverging from the other set of tracks.  Midland station was just after the turn – on Midland between Ellesmere and Progress.  Sorry, no pictures (busier street, no parking).  Although the architecture is similar (a glass tube), Midland station is built on top of a bridge, above the road instead of below it.   From Midland the trains went directly east to Scarborough Town Centre.   For most of thee eastern section, the tracks run behind industrial or light industrial land.  I haven’t been able to find out if there is any access or if it is all fenced off.

below: East view of Scarborough Town Centre station with covered walkways from both the federal government building on the left, and the shopping center on the right.

a TTC bus passes by Scarborough Town Centre station with its now abandoned elevated tracks

below: No trains run here anymore, but the station is still used for buses with the elevated rails being used as a roof.

TTC buses loading and unloading at Scarborough Town Centre, seen from above, from the walkway between station and Scarborough Town Centre

people opening doors going into Scarborough Town Centre

below: Pillars supporting the elevated tracks still run through the parking lot of Scarborough Town Centre to McCowan.

pillar P53, and others behind it, SRT tracks at Scarborough Twn centre parking loto

below: McCowan station was the eastern end of the line.

McCowan SRT station, glass, reflections in the glass

below: McCowan station viewed from the east side. The tracks continued a short distance to the SRT yard where trains were housed and serviced.

east side of McCowan Scarborough Rapid Transit station, elevated line for transit

elevated tracks for old scarborough srt, in front of a tall condo building

below: At McCowan, Scarborough Transit Connect is partnered with Metrolinx to build the new Scarborough Extension subway from Kennedy station to a new terminus at Shepherd and McCowan. See a previous blog post, Intersections –  McCowan and Sheppard for some photos from

fence around construction site, Scarborough Transit connect, working on new Scarborough Town Centre station for Scarborough extension of line 1 of TTC subway

below: Traffic on McCowan is impacted by the subway extension construction

looking north on McCowan at Progress, by old McCowan srt station, concrete barrier narrowing the street, construction on the right

below: One more view of the construction at McCowan station

below: And last, I found evidence on a pole in the parking lot at Scarborough Town Centre that indicates that I have missed the Rapture; they left without me. I guess that I am stuck here!

graffiti sticker on a pole that says Rapture Jesus took us home

Royal York to Kipling

Posted: July 11, 2025 in construction, graffiti and street art, locations, transportation
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This walk started from Royal York subway station.  In general, I walked westward first along Bloor Street (to Islington) and then on Dundas West.   The stretch of Bloor West at Royal York is part of The Kingsway neighbourhood.

 

front of Kingsway cinema on Bloor Street West

blue sign that says welcome to the kingsway, on bloor street west near royal york

two blue chairs beside a metal table, in an open window of a restaurant beside the sidewalk

below: Squares of yarn, some crocheted and some knit, cover a red frame heart similar to others that ShowLoveTO have placed around the city.

crocheted squares or knit squares cover a heart shaped frame, yarn,

below: There are more yarn decorations around the metal frame protecting this tree on Bloor Street West.

yarn squares encircle a pole on bloor street west

below: Also, a little Zen Garden Planter to support the CNIB since June was Deafblind Awareness Month – the planter accessories were provided by The Gardener, a local flower store.

in a sidewalk planter on Bloor West, a little brown miniature pagoda and a sign that says Zen Garden Planter for CNIB donated by The Gardener

below: Bloor West – bike lanes, sidewalk patios, and construction.  Welcome to summer in the city!

construction signs on Bloor Street West, with bike lanes, and sidewalk patios

below: Bloor West glass towers

tall uilding in background seen between two tall closer glass office buildngs

below: One wall of Brentwood Library and the small garden on the north side of the building.

large windows at brentwood Library, some clear, some green, and some blue, trees and a bench in front, some reflections in the glass

below: Old gnarly tree with Kingsway Baptist church in the background

old tree with rough bark on trunk, and large twisty branches, house and church in the background,

below: Just west of Royal York, at Montgomery Road, the subway emerges from underground.

looking west from Montgomery Road towards high rises near Islington, TTC subway tracks in the image as well

small park on Montgomery Road, between two houses, with TTC subway tracks below

The Mimico Creek passes under Bloor between Royal York and Islington.  Tom Riley Park follows the creek on both sides north of Bloor  until it then passes under Islington close to the intersection of Islington & Dundas West.

workmen, up on a crane, city of toronto works department, trimming and pruning trees in a park

a mother and two kids watching a duck on the shores of mimico creek on a summer day, leaves, reflections in the calm water

below: Another angle of the subway at ground level.  Here is looking east as it runs through Tom Riley Park (and if you could see further, you could see where it goes back underground at Montgomery)

pine tree growing in front of opening for entrance to subway, train coming out of tunnel, TTC

below: Islington subway station and bus bays.  A very large parcel of land on the northwest corner of Islington and Bloor is taken up.  Opened May 1968.

buddhist monks and other pedestrians, walking on sidewalk on islington past islington subway station, curved roof of bus bays at station, ttc, highrises in the background

below: A messy corner, at Aberfoyle & Islington (just north of Bloor)

danger due to construction sign at the corner of Aberfoyle ad Islington

long set of stairs up hill to apartment building

below: Just north of Bloor, Islington passes under railway tracks.

looking north on islington, underpass under railway, traffic ign for exit to burnhamthorpe road and dundas street west

below: Islington Towers with a fountain in front. The parts of the fountain that are brown were once blue.  It was designed and constructed by Alfio Bartoletti in the 1960s.

islington towers, apartment building from the late 1960s, with a fountain in the front

below: Across the street from the Islington Towers, a highrise with a more modern design (for better or worse, your decision!).

entrance of new condo tower being built on islington

below: Corner of Cordova and Central Park Blvd with new condo development

corner of Cordova and Central Park Blvd, new ondo being built on the corner, construction fence, and signs, traffic light
woman with gray hair, wearing jeans, walking on sidewalk part vacant lot with fence,
blue and white development notice sign, fallen on ground, behind metal construction fence

In this part of Toronto, Dundas is north of Bloor.

intersection of Dundas West and Cordova and Burnhamthorpe Road, people waiting to cross intersection, with crossing guard

Now you are in Islington village, home to over 20 murals depicting scenes from the history of the neighbourhood.  I documented these back in 2014 in a blog post, Islington Heritage Murals.  The murals are still there and are in good shape.

one of the Islington heritage murals

one of the Islington heritage murals, winter scene, with firetruck, people skating, also painting of a refreshment stand with food and drink for sale

one of the Islington heritage murals

Are cars always getting in the way of public transit?

a white car is parked in front of one of the Islington heritage murals, boy hanging off side of a local train

woman standing in front of one of the Islington heritage murals, children fishing in a creek, with fish and other marine life in the water

below: Not a heritage mural, but painted by Moises Frank for a collaborative project between Arts Etobicoke and the City of Toronto, the Dundas West #NoVacancy project.

mural by moises frank, sleeping person, slightly abstract

below: On the same building as the above mural, is this painting.  Once it was the Chinese Food Gallery, now it is vacant and surrounded by a fence.  A development notice sign on the fence says that a permit for a five storey mixed use building has been applied for.

two storey building, with sign, chinese food gallery, now all boarded up, with mural on the front as well

weeds growing in front of door and building now boarded up, particle board, painted with abstract mural now faded and peeling.

As you walk west on Dundas, you approach the intersections of Dundas, Bloor, and Kipling.   There is a lot of construction,  happening here, mostly condos.

many construction cranes in the background, a fenced off park area in the foreground

below: A park, Dunkip Park, is also being created.  Dun as in Dundas plus kip as in Kipling.

 

new park being developed, dunkip park, at dundas and kipling

temporary closure sign, falling over, against wood snow fence, by park that is being developed

man crossing street, wide intersection, car approaching as man now has red light

below: A very big hole in the ground.

large hole for construction of condos on kipling

below: Kipling Street bridge over the railway tracks

kipling bridge over railway tracks, looking north

below: Looking east along the railway tracks from on top of the bridge at Kipling (back towards Islington).

looking east along tracks from on top of bridge at kipling

below: Kipling subway station is the west terminus of the TTC Line 2 and was opened in November 1980.  It connected Line 2 of the subway with GO service to the west.  Pictured here is part of the south side showing three of its twenty concrete arches. These are similar to the arches at Islington station, but not identical to them.

rounded roof of Kipling TTC subway station, semi circles, with three newer condo buildings behind

below: North side of Kipling station, back in 1980 when it first opened, north side bus bays

Toronto Public Library, TOronto Star archives, 1980 photo of Kipling subway station, black and white photo

below: Graffiti stickers in the parking lot.  A well-suited duck in a hurry by giacco.ca and a boxy snail by Sketch Nate (aka Nate Galbraith)

two graffiti stickers on a red box in a parking lot, on top is a duck wearing blue clothes and on bottom is a snail with a box on its back
below: Eastbound out of Kipling station. The older Line 2 subway trains still have a window that you can look out.

looking out the front window of a TTC subway train as it leaves Kipling station, traveling east

Ontario Line – north end of Pape

Posted: June 22, 2025 in construction, locations, stores, transportation
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On a hillside along the Don Valley Parkway (DVP), there is a large construction project underway.  This is where the new Ontario Line subway will go underground after crossing the DVP by bridge.

construction site at north end of Pape, on hill overlooking Don Valley Parkway, workman leaning on fence, new entrance to Ontario Line being built here

From this angle it’s difficult to see the work that has been done on the north side of the DVP but the ground has been cleared for construction of the support pillars for the large bridge that will take the LRT from Don Mills Road to this point at the top of Pape.

looking across the DVP from north of Pape

It has altered the quiet East York neighbourhood at the north end of Pape.

sidewalk closed, cross left, new stop sign, at Minton Ave., make way for Ontario Line construction

top of Pape Ave., now a construction site

houses, red brick, two storey, on one side of the street, hoardings for construction on the other side

Ontario Line construction has also affected Pape Avenue.  Here at Cosburn, a long stretch of what used to be stores and restaurants are now behind plywood hoardings.   The main entrance to the station will be on the northwest corner of Pape and Cosburn.  The final decision on the look of the station is not yet made (according to the Metrolinx website) but at least some of the renderings show that Infrastructure Ontario is involved and maybe the site will include other uses such as housing or offices.

an older woman pushes her shopping under a passageway alonside plywood construction hoardings. Tops of old buildings about to be demolished can be seen on top

Demolition has started but it looks like this project is going to take a while.   The subway is going to run just west of Pape, under these buildings.  Construction will kill (has killed?) street life but traffic shouldn’t be affected as much.  Someone somewhere made that decision.

demolition of an old building, behind green hoardings

woman with a cane and pulling a shopping cart, walks past a construction site with green hoardings

below:  Some of the buildings from the back side, behind the plywood

back of buildings, alley view, empty and waiting for demolition, ontario line work, on pape,

 

big crane, construction site, apartment buildings in the background

below: There is a large Coca-Cola advert on the side of the building that is about to be demolished.
coca cola ghost sign on the side of a building about to be demolished

utility pole wrapped with pape village sign in red, beside plywood hoardings, mcdonalds in the background

below: Bethany Baptist Church

bethany baptist church on pape ave

looking west on cosburn at pape, construction of new subway station

looking west on cosburn at pape, construction of new subway station, with two red benches in the foreground

three young men sitting outside a coffee shop on pape avenue

payday loans, signs all over building on pape
below: There are little semi circular “ears” at the top of this building.  I doubt that they had a function but along with the 3-D pattern across the top of the building, it adds a little bit of interest to the street scene.

row of brick stores on pape including 1000 variety

below: Cat and dog at Floyd … while the crossing guard takes a break.

intersection of Pape and Flloyd, with cutout images of cat and dog high up on the brick wall of the nearest building, crossing guard is sitting on the bench

mural on the side of El Greco restaurant, a woman drinking a large mug of coffee

street art mural of an ancient Asian warrior

ghost sign on brick wall, auto mechanic ad,

large red vinyl arm chair with old fashioned hair dryer

Back in November 2024, I posted some photos of the changes around Pape station (at Danforth).  I ended that post just north of Danforth with the comment, “There is another station under construction at Cosburn, a few more blocks north but that’s for another day.”  I guess that you could say that now is that day.

below: The top sticker is for the Lemon Bucket Orchestra and on the bottom it’s something about Kirby and Zaku and if you are into such things you might understand the reference.

graffiti stickers on a pole, including one for the Lemon Bucket Orchestra

graffiti stickers, catchoo and trp613

Dew Lang Lane and area

Posted: May 18, 2025 in alleys, graffiti and street art, locations
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Back in 2012, the city approved the naming of an alley… Dew Lang Lane.  You can find this lane just north of the Danforth near Donlands.  Prior to the legal change,  “Dew Lang” had been used as the unofficial name by local residents.  The name comes from parts of the two streets Dewhurst (Dew) and Langford (Lang) that the lane runs between.

a man walks through an alley, and parking lot

below: Omen514’s fist bump

mural of a fist bump on a garage, with a basketball hoop above it, alley,

below: “Turn the lights off and look to the sky”  by Jerry Rugg (aka Birdo) & Wales.

mural in alley,woman wearing sunglasses, text that says

alley scene, 2 murals, a wood fence, and the back of a brick house

below: Spud1 left his mark here along with the advice, “Live, Love, Paint”.

spud mural on a garage in an alley, with text, live, love, paint,

below: Signs of spring that can’t be held back

lilac bush over the top of a wood fence in a lane, full of pink blossoms, peak bloom

ivy covered pole and wires, no parking sign partially covered with vines too

truck parked in a lane, unloading from the back, lane has very tall tree, some fences and garages too,

below: In a very tight spot but bursting out.

a mature tree with large tree trunk wedged between the sides of two garages

below:  One of the latest trends in urban living is the laneway house.   They are popping up all over the place and this area is no exception.

black box shaped house, new infill housing in an alley

below: Another trend, this one in home renovations, is building upwards.  Adding a third floor or a rooftop deck is now common (and is often more noticeable from the back).

newly renovated house as seen from the alley behind, big new windows, and a new upper level

below: The repurposing of church buildings is another trend (albeit a bit older than the above two).  In this case, Temple Baptist Church, opened 1925, is now residential.   A small plaque in one corner of the building serves as a reminder of its original function.  From the application for heritage status for the building:  “Temple Baptist Church is a fine example of a revival of the Georgian Classical Style adapted for Post-Reformation churches in 18th century England.”  Not many Toronto churches were built in this style.

Temple Baptist Church, now condos

below: The central window with its leaded coloured glass and Credit Valley stone trim around the windows.

central window, with leaded coloured glass, of the old Temple Baptist Church, now condos, brick building from 1925.

old brick wall in alley, covered with graffiti in bright colours, yellow, blue and green

mural of a man bending down, lower part has been covered with a tag
two garage doors with urban art, on right is a strange looking woman with her tongue partially stuck out
mural in an alley, girl with pearl necklace and white wings

below: A beckoning summer scene, Muskoka chairs on the dock.  Have a seat and watch the sunlight play on the water.

mural of two muskoka chairs on a dock by the lake

below: Old black line drawings on old white garage.

black line drawings on old white garage
close up of black line drawing graffiti on white garage, with green vine growing over it

looking through chainlink fence to vacant lot with remains of construction site on it

looking through chainlink fence to construction site with wheelbarrow as well as black and orange cones, orange plastic rolled up

below: The new west entrance to Donlands subway station opens onto Dewhurst.

entrance to Donlands subway station, low brown building with glass front and sides

below: Inside

interior of new west entrance to Donlands subway station, white walls, wood accents, a window

interior of new west entrance to Donlands station, from landing in stairwell between street level and subway level, two women walking

sticker graffiti on a pole, a faded blue robot and a pink pigeon head

below: A second pigeon…. this one wear a cheerful bright red cap as he struts around

sticker graffiti on rusted metal, a pigeon wearing a bright red cap, standing,

stylized orange flower petals on a red wall, mural, around a window,

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,

Colours at Davisville Station

Posted: May 4, 2025 in events, locations
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For the month of May, “Time Capsule”, a series of abstract images by French artist Laure Tiberghien is hanging on the walls of Davisville subway station.

on the walls of Davisville subway station, 4 large photographs have been mounted in the display cases usually used for ads. Photos by Laure Tiberghein

Tiberghien doesn’t use a camera to produce the images.  Instead, she creates them by exposing light sensitive paper to different natural and artificial lights.  Further processing is then required.

Two images by Laure Tiberghein, behind glass, by exit from Davisville station platform

Dark colours behind glass make a mirror and these images are no exception.

reflections in a red photograph hanging in Davisville subway station

The images have been inserted into the newer display cases that the TTC now use for advertisements.  On the left of each case is TTC information.

Davisville station, two art images in display cases usually used for ads

reflective picture in reds and blues on wall of davisville subway station, images by Laure Tiberghien

looking across the TTC subway tracks to the platform on the other side, on the northbound side of Davisville station, two images by Laure TIberghien, part of Contact Photography festival

exit sign hanging over platform at davisville subway station

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