Posts Tagged ‘walking’

Hanging out at Yonge and Dundas

Posted: May 21, 2024 in people
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This is just a post about people doing their own thing, going about their day.  Nothing spectacular or wild & crazy, just a few ordinary moments in an ordinary day.

people walking at yonge and dundas

Most people are absorbed in their own small circle, or  busy on their phones, and don’t pay much attention to what’s going on around them.

A group of people wakling, one smoking, one on phone, two with orange drinks in their hands.

two people sitting on a low wall at Yonge Dundas square, looking at the same phone, TTC streetcar behind them with people inside

But sometimes the camera gets noticed.

woman carrying a package, looks at camera, in the background other people are crossing Dundas

And sometimes (well, often actually), I am not the only one.  So does he have a photo (or 2?) of me and if so, what did he do with them?  Delete? LOL

man with a camera taking photos, holding camera closer to waist level

man wrapped in orange blanket talking to a man wearing dark sunglasses

group of people sitting on a bench at Yonge Dundas square, others standing or walking nearby

three men together on sidewalk outside Eaton Centre on Yonge Street, looking at something, one with a phone in his hand

man, with back to camera, sits on bench in a bus shelter, with a bundle by his feet that is wrapped up in a blanket

People sitting in red and blue muskoka chairs under big red umbrellas at Yonge Dundas square

two men walking across Yonge Dundas square

I would love to have overheard that conversation!

Nearby, Harry Styles may be about to get demolished but he doesn’t seem too concerned.

large image of singer Harry Styles on bright red background, covers most of side of building on Dundas, now behind hoardings and construction fences

I hope that everyone had a good long May weekend!  The weather was great this year, for a very pleasant change.  On to summer…..  !!

continuing from Dundas West

Posted: April 19, 2024 in alleys, construction, graffiti and street art, locations, people, reflections
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Ready to roll again?!

people walking on sidewalk, past a sign for a sushi restaurant that says lets roll

 The last blog post ended at Dundas West Station where the Giraffe Building sits on the northwest corner of Bloor and Dundas  …. so let’s picked it up from there…..

large billboard on top of two storey building with upper level painted like a giraffe in brown and yellow, bottom level covered with ads and graffiti

If you go north on Dundas from here you’ll find yourself in the Junction.

below:  A quick peak north on Dundas West at Edna (first block north of Bloor).

southwest corner of Edna and Dundas West, standing in front of Mcdonalds at the subway station, a bus, some people walking, a man leaning against a telephone pole.

But not today.  Today we’re heading south on Dundas until it meets up with Roncesvalles.  Then we’ll walk generally north and east until we cross Dundas at Sorauren.  A brief stroll north on Sterling will bring us back to Bloor.   That’s the plan!

man holds a coffee cup as he walks past adverts on side of giraffe building

two people standing beside defaced mural in support of front line workers, dundas west and bloor

below: Crossing Bloor at Dundas

a couple walking together, crossing Bloor, with dollarama store and brick highrise apartment building behind them

man holds a piece of plaid fabric in his outstretched arms as he walks past advertisements on exterior of giraffe building

wood cutouts of people doing things, man holding a ball above his head, painted, mounted on exterior of red brick building, a school,

large painting of a glass half full of milk, on exterior of red building, word full written on the milk, beside Bloor Street fitness, with a large white boxing glove outside

below: Waiting by Jimmys Coffee

looking across Dundas West towards Jimmys Coffee, people waiting to cross with traffic light

below: Walking their bikes

a young man walks his bike on sidewalk past a store, reflections in the window
walking on Roncesvalles, a woman in a maroon skirt, a couple walking together

below: Jac’s Milk on Roncesvalles still has a mural depicting the 504 King streetcar.  The boys at the table were selling eye protectors for watching the solar eclipse (that dates this walk!)

Jac's Milk convenience store on a corner on Roncesvalles, TTC streetcar in mural on the side of the building, a person on a bike in the foreground

a woman walks her dog on the sidewalk, Roncesvalles

below: White Corner Variety

a person on a bike riding north on Roncesvalles, past Whites Corner Variety

below: Outclass reflections

a woman sits on a bench in front of a store window

below: Jogging on Roncesvalles

two women jogging on Roncesvalles at Howard Park

two young asian men working at a fruit and vegetable market, goods on sidewalk, some people passing by, a pile of orange in the foreground

below: Totally gutted

view from alley behind, most of interior of house has been gutted for a renovation

below: Also under renovations is the Hindu Prarthana Samaj Temple, the oldest Hindu temple in Toronto.  Prior to being demolished, this was an old church building dating from 1886.  First it was Ruth Street Presbyterian Mission and then later it became Fern Avenue Church of Christ until the Prarthana Samaj congregation bought the building in 1979.  Soon it will look more like a Hindu temple!

hindu temple being renovated behind hoardings

backyard views, from laneway behind

garages in alley, dark green garage door, bright blue wall,

below: Flowers on the side of a garage in an alley

pinkish peach colour lily painted on a wall in an alley, also a purple rose in the painting

 

graffiti on a brick wall in an alley, blue eyes with text eyez

sticker of a heavily armed police man with a large gun on a pole in an alley

sign upside down, yellow sign says slow, alley,

below: New infill in an alley

new infill house in an alley

below: With another one under construction nearby.   Construction of these laneway homes was allowed beginning in the summer of 2018.  Since then, their popularity has blossomed.

infill housing being built in an alley, plywood

below: Wilson’s Variety & Grocery on a corner in a residential area.

small convenience store on a corner in a residential area, Wilson's Variety and Grocery says green and yellow sign across the top of the window, black bars on the window, Canada Post mailbox in front of the store,

small narrow house, two storey, large tree in front, gingerbread trim under eaves, very small front yard,

house on Sorauren, white fence in front, red trim on porch and awning over window

backyards, alley view, one with lots of stuff in the yard

below: No payment entertainment and BE BETTER where Sorauren meets Dundas West.

where Sorauren meets Dunda West, a big billbord, an old yellow building, and another building with the words be better written in big white capital letters

below: Same corner, southwest side.  Pink door beside Timmy’s Variety.

southwest corner of Sorauren and Dundas West, building with large white sign and pink features

below: The West Toronto Railpath runs up the east side of the railway tracks.

West Toronto Railpath north from Dundas West,

concrete supports under bridge, Bloor Street over railway tracks, covered with graffiti,

below: You can tell by the sweet chocolatey smell in the air that Nestle is still making chocolate bars and other candy here.

Nestle factory, with large faded ad for Aero chocolate bars

walkway bridge over Sterling Ave at Nestle plant

sign on grey corrugated metal wall that says Nestle, coffee crisp

below: You are greater than everything

orange diamond shape construction sign that has been painted over in yellow and blue, stencil of an open hand holding a flame, text that says you are greater than everything

below: Halfway up Sterling Ave, around the Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA), there has been a flurry of development activity.

back corner of MOCA, Museum of Contemporary Art, with new construction of a new building beside it, crane on top of new building, sign on the back of MOCA that says over asking under taking

Sterling Ave., new building under construction on right, MOCA on left, museum of contemporary art

below: Development on the north side of MOCA.

looking across a flattened vacant lot. dirt, to a line of new townhouses, as well as older single family homes with large trees in the backyard

looking down the side of a house, to see new townhouses in the background

old used concrete barriers lined up beside each other, being stored in a vacant lot, behind a fence

below: A pair of anser eyes

man in red wool hat taking a picture of anser eyes graffiti on grey wall

below: Land Back, Turtle Island style.

poster on a wood pole, turtle with red sash around middle, words that say land back

below: Catchoo paste-up, catching a hand grenade

small graffiti pasteups by catchoo, two green outstretched hands reaching for a hand grenade

below: One wet fish dripping on Feelings Boi.   The fish is probably the work of Rowan McCulloch.

feelings boi sticker, as well as a sticker with a black and white image of a fish

below: More houses….

older brick two storey single family home with single upper storey window, also a porch across the front of the house, with white metal railing on porch

two storey bay and gable house, painted blue with white trim

two storey bay and gable house, red brick,

chair on a porch with 3 pizza boxes on it, also a bike on the porch

below: A row of bay and gable houses.

row of two and three storey bay and gable houses, large tree in front

houses on Bloor West near Sterling

addition to front of house, extends to sidewalk, large window in front, with reflections, walls are painted in mural with purple sky, blue and red trees, and green grass

below: And that brings us back to Bloor …. Bloor Gift and Smoke Shop across the street from the north end of Sterling Ave

on Bloor West, at Sterling, old red brick building, with Bloor Gift and Smoke Shop

below: Looking west on Bloor from Perth.  The southwest corner remains vacant.  Old concrete steps go nowhere now, and haven’t for many years.  The old tires are a more recent addition to the landscape.  Unfortunately this one of the many sites in the city where development is in limbo.  As early as 2010 there was a 12 storey building proposed on this site (1439 Bloor West plus 80 Perth).  At the moment, there seems to plans in the works for a 14 storey building but the plans seem rather fluid (i.e. they keep changing).

intersection of Bloor and Perth, with vacant lot on southwest corner

below: Back in 2014 or 2015, the concrete walls of this underpass were painted with murals. Now almost all of it is tagged over or scrawled on. It’s a mess.

entrance to toronto railpath beside tracks on Bloor Street, concrete walls covered in graffiti

below: UP Express train stopped at Bloor West station on its way to Pearson Airport.  The UP Express was in the news this past week because Metrolinx decided to change the scheduling such that half the trains no longer stop at the Bloor and Dundas stations.   Cue the now-normal Doug Ford flip flop when there was a lot of very verbal backlash from the commuters that use these stations.  The regular schedule has resumed.

UP Express train in station, reflected in the windows of building on other side of tracks

From here it is a hop, step and a jump back to Dundas West station.

In case you are interested –  Ten years ago, the building that houses MOCA stood alone. Its life as part of Tower Automotive had ended and its new life as a gallery hadn’t yet begun.  Previous posts:

Tower Automotive 2013
Tower Automotive 2014
First visit to the new MOCA 2018

Canada Day on the waterfront

Posted: July 1, 2023 in locations, people, waterfront
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front of restaurant, patio, canadian flag, happy canada day sign, rainbow umbrella

a couple stand together at the edge of the waterfront, by Lake Ontario

looking west along waterfront towards boats docked and silos at the foot of Bathurst street

Empire Sandy tall ship with three masts is moored or docked in Toronto harbour

William Lyon Mackenzie fire rescue tug, red, boat, in Toronto harbour

people on the back of a large boat, looking at man working on smaller boat moored beside it

on the waterfront, people walking past small lake cruise boat

young girl walking a dog while looking at her phone, on the waterfront, walking past a boat

a woman in bright orange shorts jogs along the waterfront in front of a green park and wood bench

the words life is beautiful written in yellow on the concrete walkway on waterfront

two people putting a red kayak in the water while a third person is in a blue kayak already on the water

kayak on Lake Ontario

looking through a rack of upside down kayaks towards the rest of the waterfront

a woman site by herself on a bench

a mother and daughter sitting on a bench eating ice cream

a man in a pink shirt takes a selfie in front of the Empire sandy boat on the waterfront

rigging, ropes and chains from a boat in the foreground, kayaks on the water in the distance

people walking past

cyclists on the Martin goodman trail

a bored looking woman witting on a concrete barrier, holding her bike in front of her, by the waterfront

a man in a white hat holds his bike, while standing

gift shop selling canada day souveniers

queens quay at waterfront, red beaver tails store and gift shop, condos, people,

three people talking, standing in a park

two young men sitting by waterfront, each reaches his hand towards the other

man sitting in red muskoka chair under yellow umbrella, toronto waterfront, sand

kids playing in a splash pad at sugar beach

kids playing in a splash pad at sugar beach

woman in thong bikini laying prone, sun tanning, sugar beach

standing by Lake Ontario, a father holds a young child while another stands beside

woman on bicycle with a trailer full of furniture

two women, one on a bike by a blue truck, on in red head scarf and black and white polka dot skirt,

rainy day people

Posted: September 26, 2022 in locations, people
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Hanging out and Yonge and Dundas and trying to stay dry

two young women standing in the rain at the corner of Yonge and Dundas, a Hop on hop off tourist bus behind them, large red planters in the square, one woman with a blue umbrella, the other wearing a bright yellow rain jacket with hood up

a man on a blue motorbike, in the rain, silver coloured helmet, scowling at the weather, woman behind him has hair blowing in the wind

two men talking to each other as they stand beside an electric billboard advert with bright yellow background, other people waiting under scaffolding for the rain to stop

decorated bus shelter, large picture of a hand reaching out, a man in the bus shelter with a microphone, another man walking past with hood up because of the rain, third man with gold and white striped umbrella

people getting off a streetcar on Dundas, in the rain, hurrying to try to stay dry, a woman with an umbrella stands on the sidewalk

people crossing yonge street in the rain, two sharing an umbrella, one holding a white box and hiding under the fur lined hood of her green jacket

a woman in a red jacket with a white umbrella and black purse, walks towards TTC streetcar doors that haven't opened yet, a man holding up his pants is also waiting for streetcar

a young couple share an umbrella and walk hand in hand together as they cross Dundas Street in front of the red planters at Yonge Dundas square

a man in a blue hoodie grimaces as he walks in the rain, behind him, a woman with a red backpack gets onto a streetcar TTC

woman with red umbrella and long beige coat walks in front of a car, in the rain, at Yonge and Dundas,

a man in shorts and sandals with a blue umbrella stands beside a woman in black boots and long coat, under shelter while it rains, waiting for a green light to cross Dundas Street

three young woman standing together beside a lit electric advertisement

people crossing on the diagonal at Yonge and Dundas, kids with pink rain coats, woman with pink umbrella, family with large rainbow umbrella, man with a broken umbrella

man in grey hoodie walking with head down in the rain as he crosses a wet street

people with umbrellas walking in the rain at Yonge and Dundas

people crossing yonge street in the rain, one with brown and white animal print umbrella and wearing a covid mask

a young man holding a blue umbrella

two people in cheap flimsy red ponchos in the rain, walking on Yonge street, behind a man with an umbrella

emerging

Posted: July 8, 2021 in people
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We’re getting outside to enjoy the summer while still maintaining some distance as the COVID numbers drop…  a few of the restrictions have been lifted and life is little less constrained. Patios are filling up again and a larger selection of stores are open. The following photos were taken downtown on a sunny day a week or so ago…. as I re-learn how to take candid shots of people!

man lies on the grass, reading, his red bike leans against a tree beside him, activity on Queen Street in the background

a mother and daughter, both with long black hair, sit in front of the toronto 3 d sign, leaning in together, smiling, a pigeon stands by their feet

a young boy teases his sister as she is lying in the center of the O of the Toronto 3 d sign, mother is taking a picture of daughter. mother's back is to the camera

a young poses for a photo at Nathan Philips Square, people around the Toronto 3 d sign in the background

a black man in black baseball cap and T shirt and bright yellow shorts is taking photos with his camera. in background is a wedding shoot of Chinese bride in a long red dress

a man is drawing while sitting on the sidewalk, he has paintings and other artwork for sale, his reflection is in the window behind him. another man stops at the intersection to tie his shoe laces while waiting for the red light to turn green. Dundas Street

an older man in blue shorts and balding hair sits on a walker with a yellow grocery plastic bag on each handle. out of focus close up of man in red top in the immediate foreground

three people at Yonge and Dundas. One is a woman standing with her bike waiting for the red light, second is a woman in cropped white tank top taking a selfie, and third an older man with white hair, white beard and white mustache.

a black woman being video'd, a woman in a wheelchair with a sign leaning against her knees that says Jesus Christ is the only way to heaven John 14: 6 Sign at the back says Jesus did not come to condemn the world but to save it from eternal destruction.

traffic, cyclists, construction cones, patio, on Dundas looking towards Bay street

a couple, from the back, waiting to cross University ave., with a group of people waiting on the other side as well

a young man with a mask and a Nordstroms shopping bag stands in front of the H B C windows with 5 mannequins modelling clothing

4 people in line to get into store at Yonge and Dundas, all keeping the 6 fet or 2 metres apart for covid restrictions. woman in red tank top is pushing a baby stroller, a couple stands together, woman in blue dress and black mask and a man in black, with advertisement behind him showing image of a woman in a white dress

people waiting in line. first woman has mask, glasses and a red head scarf. she's with a man carrying a yellow plastic grocery bag, other women in the line behind them, at Yonge and Dundas

an older man in a brown shirt crosses Yonge street traffic while pulling a green basket on a dolly. people in masks walking on the sidewalk, a Beck taxi parked on Yonge, a bare chested man by the bus stop, other people

a man waits for his order from a food truck Steve's catering with images of cartoon fries and hamburger on the side of the truck, S. Kazanis truck, menu also on side of truck, today's special hot dog three dollars and sausage four dollars

two people passing each other on a sidewalk, a man in red raptors shorts on a scooter and a woman with a long yellow top pulling a shopping buggy

a mother in black and a daughter in an orange dress sit by the large red planters in Yonge Dundas square with a lot of pigeons on the ground in front of them

an Asian couple at the ice cream truck, men walking on the sidewalk, Yonge street at Dundas

a very shiny metallic green mercedes sports car with no front licence passes through an intersection as a couple walk past

over to the other side

Posted: March 4, 2021 in alleys, graffiti and street art
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Most people who visit Graffiti Alley don’t realize that there is another section of street art to the west.   Technically, Graffiti Alley is the lane behind the south side of Queen Street West between Spadina and Augusta.  The next section of the alley, from Augusta to Portland, is Rush Lane.   Unfortunately there is a large Loblaws/Winners that blocks the lane on the west side of Portland.

To access the next couple of blocks of laneway, you have to detour down to Richmond Street and turn right.  Public Lane is a few steps away from Richmond & Portland.

you look better in a moustache mural, with a man with a moustache, a movember mural

below: Public Lane turns to the left,  regardless of what the arrow says.

Public Lane, that curves to the left

below: Between here and Bathurst Street, a lot of street art has disappeared as redevelopment of Richmond has progressed.  The large black building on the right has its garage entrance from the lane so watch for cars when you’re back there.

back of top part of rowhouses, seen from a lane

below: A few circles of colour on a grey wall, a reminder that there was once street art here.

a grey wall with a window, some coloured circles painted on the window

below: Beyond Bathurst there is a long stretch of laneway. A lot of the paintings here are older and some may have already appeared in this blog.

a person walks away from the camera, down an alley, with garages on both sides, with graffiti and street art them

below: A 2020 mural by Elicser Elliot

metal stairs in front of a large mural by elicser elliott of a policeman controlling a crowd

below: Huey Newton by elicser

Huey Newton mural by elicser on the end of a wall, a mural beside it with a buxom woman in tight clothes

mans face painted by elicser in a doorway

mans face, with hands holding a mask over his mouth and nose, painted by elicser in a doorway

below: Feelings Boi and a pink daisy from Life©

stickers on a pole, a daisy in pin, a feelings boi, beside a wood fence and gate with stencil graffiti of a man's face in a white oval framed in black

below: Woodstock love

little yellow Woodstock with black sunglassses stands above a black stencil on white of a girls head, a love heart is there too

downtown alley with street art

cardboard boxes stored against a wall with a mural of a woman from the back view

part of a mural, a couple, she has wavy hair pinned to the top of her head,

below: By luvsomone

mural of two black men

below: Yosemite Sam is now boxed in.

mural of cartoon character Yosemite Sam, on a wall at the end of a driveway, with trash cans and other stuff in front of it

row of garages in an alley with graffiti and street art on them

below: A resting UBER 5000 yellow birdie.  Or is that a yoga mat?!

uber 5000 yellow birdie mural, lying on a black surface, feet in air, red background

below: This little unicorn has always been a favorite of mine.  Definitely an oldie now.

part of elicser mural of a man with a small beard in red hoodie, holding a small unicorn in his hand

below: Collaboration between luvsomone, vuducats/Christina Mazzulla

mural of a woman with large bead necklace and rose coloured sunglasses, beside of dog in shades of blue and purple,

window and window box in a building with street art on the walls, dead plants in the planter

a pickup truck drives down an alley

mural on a garage door, womans face in blue and purple

below: Mural by Rodwell Soller

mural by rodwell soller, a mans face with eyes closed, calligraphy

gate, and back of stores on Queen

below: Happy face skulls

garages in a lane with graffiti and street art on them

stickers on a pole with garages in the background, laneway,

in the alleys near Queen and Spadina

Posted: September 21, 2020 in graffiti and street art
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below: Older street art in an alley behind the north side of Queen Street West

mural in an alley on the north side of Queen West

a woman stands by a table on the side of a road, across the street is a wall with two pictures on it, a cigarette smoking moose and a square thing with three eyes and long dangling white arms

below: Although it was painted in 2015, Greg Mike‘s message of “Stay positive” still applies.

street art mural by Greg Mike of a turquoise square thing with a large square mouth and white teeth, three eyes across the top of its head, a pink droopy tongue with its own face and tongue, and long white arms and legs. In one hand it holds a sign that says Stay Positive

below: Elicser‘s mural of a woman with a bald eagle fling over the city.

large mural on a wall, woman with a bald eagle, some text graffiti on it too

below: Keep calm and meow on!

graffiti on torn paper on a wall, black marker drawing of a cat with words keep calm and meow on

below: The birch forest painting by Jim Bravo is still at Queen West and Denison.

mural of a birch forest with golden yellow leaves on the side of a building, around the windows that are reflecting sky and buildings from across the street

below: Also remaining, is the remnants of this stikman although he is now covered with a fresh coat of paint.

old stikman on a wood pole, only legs remaining, pole has been freshly covered with white and light blue spray paint

traffic cones down the middle of one of the small lanes running perpendicular to Graffiti Alley

red brick wall with white tag graffiti, similar graffiti on green garbage bib two guys sitting on the curb on the other side of the lane

white line drawing of a man with a bowtie, head only, over coloured spray paint street art

below: Truth phone in Graffiti Alley, by Mike Salisbury

phone booth with three ones, white, red, and yellow, with sign that says your truth

below: A ROC bird character in collaboration with kone

birdie ticker, orange shirt and black bowler hat, white glasses, with words on arm of t-shirt that says kone x roc

two young men walking their bikes down Graffiti Alley

below: A tribute to frontline workers in Rush Lane.  Treaty 13 between the British government and the Mississauga of New Credit is also known as the Toronto Purchase.

mural as salute to frontline workers, on upper level of a wall, mentions treaty 13, first nations symbolism,

a woman takes a picture of street art in Graffiti Alley, late afternoon with low sun and long shadows

below: Pink panther

street art painting of the pink panther

below: Stickers and slap on metal – zonr, feelings boi, and peru143

slaps and stickers on a pole with street art around it

below: Two more stickers.  Daughtcalm on the right and Obey, aka Shepard Fairy, on the left.

two slpas on a pole, on the right is a daught calm you tuber man with a you tube T-shirt, and a red inner tube around his hips. On the left are two soldiers with a red rose coming out of the end of the rifles

below: There is an “Obey Eye” mural on the side of a store on Queen West (near Portland) that was painted in 2014.  It is on the upper level and in a small side alley. The words in the mural say OBEY never trust your own eyes always believe what you are told.

large mural of an eye by Obey, high on a wall near Graffiti Alley, faces QUeen Street West

below: Part of the Black Lives Matter tribute murals that were painted back in June.  Zianna Oliphant was the girl from Charlotte North Carolina who spoke for black rights at a council meeting after a fatal shooting of a black man by Charlotte police.  Also, note the altered yellow sign that now says “Watch for Injustice”.

two women walk into an alley, past a mural featuring Zianna Oliphant, a black girl, garbage bins in front,

below: A green Lambourghini and it’s photoshoot.

a young man in red shoes poses beside a green Ferrari parked in Graffiti Alley, being photographed, other people walking by including woman in ripped jeans

people walking up Rush Lane

a mother takes a picture of two kids standing in front of a garage in Graffiti Alley

a mural of a purple rhinocerus by Nick Sweetman with a woman standing in front of it. She is taking a photo of a child in bright red shoes and red wool or ribbons braided into the hair

street art painting of a Japanese anime boy in orange suit with black belt, jumping up with spikey hair and a grimace on his face

painting of a man on a traffic box, black suit and tie, white shirt, but brown paper bag over his face, with heart painted on it

a sticker on a grey metal pole, yellow with an abstract design drawn in pinks, greens and blues with circles and vertical lines

on the old Leslie Street Spit

Posted: May 18, 2020 in nature, people, waterfront
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A long weekend in May (Two Four Weekend) + the first sunny warm day in a while + two months of “shelter in place” = people out enjoying Tommy Thompson Park’s trails and waterfront.

a couple sit on a rock by Lake Ontario

below: Flow Like a River

bikes parked against a fence with signs on it, with graffiti words that say flow like a river, in the background a mound of dirt with two young men standing on top of it.

below: Keep ur distance

a girl in a red bike helmet walks on top of a yellow concrete barrier

cyclists on a bike path, seen through tree trunks and long grass

below: Three people, three positions – up tall and straight, flailing legs middle, and collapsing feet at the end.    Also notable are the mounds of tangled rebar that dot the shoreline.

three young people trying to do headstones on the pebbles at the shore beside Lake Ontario, Tommy Thompson Park, with old rusty rebar in piles on the shore two, washed up old trees and roots,

father and child standing on rocks at the shore of Lake Ontario

below: She’s sitting on some very rounded rocks that have been shaped by the waves and water.  Are they chunks of man-made concrete and not the more solid  rocks formed by nature?

a woman looking at her phone, sitting on rocks by Lake Ontario, her bike is on the ground behind her

The park has come a long way since construction of the Leslie Street Spit started in 1959.  In the beginning, it was to be an area for “port related activities”.   In the early 1970s, it was decided that Toronto didn’t need an expanded port.  Since 1973, the focus has been on developing the area as a park but keeping as much “wilderness” as possible.  If you are interested in the history of Tommy Thompson Park, they have an excellent website with aerial pictures that show how the park has grown.

tall smokestack in the distance, a park in the foreground, with a bike path and cyclists running through the park, early spring

below: Nature slowly takes over, and the piles of rubble and construction waste that were used to help build the foundations of the park become grown over and buried.

grassy, rocky part of Tommy Thompson Park in spring with shrubs and trees just starting to bud

below: Late afternoon fishermen on their way in.

people walking on a trail in Tommy Thompson Park, early spring, trees just starting to form leaves

below: If you look closely, you might see that one of the bikes has a bell in the shape of a skull with red eyes.

4 bikes parked on the shore, among leafless shrubs, beside Lake Ontario

piles of rock, concrete bits, rebar, construction waste, forming parts of Tommy Thompson park

below: There were lots of noisy redwing blackbirds as well as many other kinds of birds – orioles, grosbeaks, goldfinches, robins, warblers, swallows, and sparrows.  During spring migration, up to 300 different species can be seen here.

a male redwing blackbird in a tree, making noise

long droopy buds on a tree, dark red on top and golden yellow on the lower parts, out of focus trees in the background

In the foregeound, trees and stumps in the water at the edge of the harbour, looking across the water to the Toronto skyline

two sailboats exit the marina harbour and pass by the Toronto skyline (seen from the east)

below: Construction on the east side of the park.  This is the Ashbridges Bay Treatment Plant Landform Project scheduled to be finished in 2025.  Three shore connected breakwaters and a headland/beach system are being constructed.

filling in part of Lake Ontario, walls of rocks with dirt between them

below the bluffs

Posted: March 22, 2020 in locations, nature
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Scarborough Bluffs Park on sunny but windy Sunday afternoon in March.

Scarborough bluffs, cliff by Lake Ontario

The red twig dogwood is looking redder and the trees are barely starting to bud.

a couple walking together on a path at park, with tall grasses and leafless bushes beside

signs in a park, Scarborough bluffs, that say danger unstable soils and naturalized area do not disturb

2 teenagers climbing a cliff face at Scarborough bluffs

a few people standing on a path in a park with cliffs behind them

Scarborough bluffs, cliff by Lake Ontario

The water and air are still cold enough that icicles form on the overhanging branches that get hit by waves.

a woman with black hair and weraing a blue winter coat is taking picture of icicles with her phone, waves crashing against the rocks along the shore below the tree with the icicles

icicles on a branch that overhangs Lake Ontario

a woman with black hair and wearing a blue winter coat is taking picture of icicles with her phone

men in the water with wet suits on as they try to surf in Lake Ontario

a woman in a white parka is watching men surf in rough waters and high waves of Lake Ontario

two women in winter clothes sitting on a blanket on rocks by the lake, one is pointing at something

shoreline of Lake Ontario, rocks and trees, early spring, no leaves,

February thaw

Posted: February 23, 2020 in locations, nature, people
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This weekend saw the temperatures rise high enough draw people outside.  A lot of the snow melted and there was hope in the air – hope that winter won’t last too much longer.  This being Canada, winter can last as long as it wants!…  And that’s often into April.  In the meantime, it was great to enjoy the weekend.

a family of three, mom, dad, and toddler, walking on snowy path at Wilket Creek, with toddler in middle

below: A quiet sunny spot to sit

a young woman in a red jacket sits on a bench at Wilket Creek Park and reads a book in the sunshine.

mostly frozen creek with snow on the banks and rocks in the shallow water

below: Taking selfies on the rocks at Edwards Gardens.

two women standing on the rocks in the creek at Wilket Creek park, taking selfies

below: Watching the ducks on the partially frozen Wilket Creek.

ducks on partially frozen river, small bridge in the distance, a mother and daughter waiting to feed the ducks

puddle on the path and reflections of part of the people close to it.

forest of trees in winter

young trees on riverbank, snow, and frozen water in the background

a couple sits on a bench, from behind, in winter clothes, snow on the ground in the park

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