This is yet another shot of yet another snowstorm which we have had this winter. This is a view out into the gardens at the Veteran's Centre at the Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre which I have shown in all seasons and tomorrow will show as it appears in nicer weather.
Pappas Grill is one of the most popular Greek restaurants in Greektown along Danforth Ave and in summer its large patio visible along the side is packed with people. Not an option at this time of year!
Taking part in Signs, Signs. Click HERE to see more signs from around the world.
In the picture I showed on Sunday of St Paul's Bloor St church you could see this large cross off to the right. The church is the regimental church of the Queen's Own Rifles of Canada regiment and this is their Cross of Sacrifice, a memorial to the fallen members of the regiment. In WWI alone 500 men from the church served and 76 were killed.
I spotted this lovely country scene when wandering along Bloor St E where it passes above Mt Pleasant Ave which runs in a ravine in this area. I couldn't see any signature from up high and to get down to the mural was a bit difficult with the snow so I will have to head back there in nicer weather.
Taking part in Monday Murals. Click HERE to see more murals from around the world.
This is part of St Paul's Bloor St which is the largest Anglican church in Toronto. This part was built in 1860 but as the congregation grew another larger section was built in 1913 and even another part in 1928. It is all surrounded now by condos and office towers.
This pic was taken at the Veterans Centre at the Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre where they have many bird feeders as well as this heated bird bath. This thirsty black squirrel was taking advantage of the snow fence to reach in for a nice drink which may actually have been a bit warm. There was a bit of snow coming down so there are a few streaks in the pic.
Taking part in Saturday's Critters. Click HERE to see more creatures from around the world.
This is the view looking north from the Viaduct in yesterday's post, so we are looking away from Lake Ontario. The Don Valley is one of the wonderful ravines that crisscross Toronto giving us acres of treed lands and parks to explore. The valley is about 400 metres (~1,300 ft) wide although the Don River which carved it out during the ice age is now only about 15 metres (50 ft) wide and in this location is far to the left. The highway here is the Don Valley Parkway which was finished in the 1960s and takes traffic into the downtown core from the east end of the city. When we get very heavy rains the Don River is prone to flooding and often floods right over the highway. The valley at one time had many mills and farms as well as a brickworks which produced most of the bricks used to construct the older parts of the city but is now all parkland or roadway. The Brickworks is now a restored site with markets and historical industrial displays.
If you look at the right side of this pic you can see the Bookmark that I showed you yesterday and its location right beside this bridge which is called the Prince Edward Viaduct and which connects Danforth Ave in the east to Bloor St on the other side of the Don Valley in the west. The Viaduct opened in 1918 and is 494 metres long (1,620 ft) and 40 metres (131 ft) above the valley. It is a double decker bridge with the subway running below the roadway and has 5 lanes of traffic and also has bicycle lanes as you can see. In 2003 the metal structure that you can see above the railings was installed in an effort to halt the many suicides that took place here. This structure is called the Luminous Veil and has hundreds of rods that form a screen and at night is lit by changing colours of LED lights. It has been a success in its role as a safety barrier. I'll show you the view from the bridge tomorrow.
While I was wandering along the Danforth a couple of weeks ago I happened upon another of the Bookmarks from the Project Bookmark Canada endeavor which places parts of texts at the exact physical location as they are set in the fictional world. Click HERE for more info. This one is from "In The Skin Of A Lion" by Michael Ondaatje, a Booker Prize-winning author, and the location is right beside the Prince Edward Viaduct which I will show you tomorrow. This one is Bookmark #1 and I think there are a few more in Toronto which I will have to look for.
Taking part in Signs, Signs. Click HERE to see more signs from around the world.
Toronto is a city known for all of its ravines and when the subway comes to one of the ravines the tunnels go above ground such as here where it crosses the Rosedale ravine. This is the stretch along Bloor St just before the Castle Frank station whose exit I showed you a week ago.
I love the graphic style of the mural on this utility box which I found just off Bloor St W. I did forget to look for the artist name on it so will have to go back one day!
Taking part in Monday Murals. Click HERE to see more murals from around the world.
This sculpture called "Community" is found on Bloor St E on the grounds of an office building. The artist for this one is American Kirk Newman who sadly passed away a couple of years ago. The piece was installed in 2001 and consists of 21 life-size bronze figures engaged in various activities but most look like they are speeding along on the way to work. Interestingly this was before everyone was enthralled with their phones and so only one figure is talking on a cellphone!
While I was watching the snow falling in yesterday's pic there were four male Cardinals flitting about in the trees and this one landed in the tree just beyond the light standard pole in yesterday's pic. The males seem to be intensely red right now so maybe they are gearing up for spring!
Taking part in Saturday's Critters. Click HERE to see more creatures from around the world.
One day last week when the temperature was just around freezing a sudden bout of snow flurries occurred and the snow stuck to all of the fine branches of the trees in the garden of the Veterans Centre at the Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre. The world became a wonderland for a short while until the wind cleared all of the snow off.
The Church of The Holy Name Catholic Church on the Danforth is without a doubt the most impressive sight along the street. It is located just west of Pape Ave but that tower is visible for blocks and really is a landmark. The church was built from 1913 to 1926 with an interruption in construction caused by WWI and it was designed to resemble the Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome.
Happy Valentine's Day to everyone!
A couple of weeks ago I ventured to the east side of Toronto from my usual west side and headed out along Danforth Ave (aka the Danforth). This area is known as Greektown and is full of Greek restaurants, bakeries and businesses and is the centre for our huge Greek population in the city. The Danforth becomes Bloor St after you head west and cross over the Don River & Don Valley. These two stores show what is a fairly common sight in older parts of the city where years ago stores were added onto the front of homes, probably in the front gardens. It was a bit above freezing so all of the fruits & veggies were out on display.
Taking part in Signs, Signs. Click HERE to see more signs from around the world.
This is one of the exits from the Castle Frank subway stop that was added in 2012 but which goes nicely with the style of the original station which opened in 1966. I love the modernist look of it.
At first glance this turtle painted on a garage door looks a bit fierce but the look on his face and the bit of fish skeleton from his mouth makes him look a bit happy with life. He has just eaten and all is good with the world. The artist for this one is Cruz whose work can be seen all over town.
Taking part in Monday Murals. Click HERE to see more murals from around the world.
When the deep freezing temperatures that we had just over a week ago started to disappear things started to melt and huge icicles appeared in some places. These ones were found at the Veterans Centre at the Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre and made quite a picture as one looked out from the poolhall there. Our world is very monotone at this time of year as you can see.
This little Red Squirrel was sitting in deep shade about a week ago and seemed to be undecided about where to go next. These squirrels are about half the size of our regular grey and black squirrels and are so cute!
Taking part in Saturday's Critters. Click HERE to see more creatures from around the world.
Yesterday I showed you the old house that was incorporated into the large complex surrounding it at U of Toronto. Well, there was another house beside it that did nor survive the new construction. There was a bit of controversy about tearing it down and as an attempt to calm things down the portico from that house was retained and installed in the atrium of the new building "as a reminder of the past nature of St George St", the street where this is all located. I'm not sure if anyone pays attention to the portico but it is quite lovely.
I showed you a pic of this building a couple of years ago (HERE) and finally remembered to get a closer shot when I was wandering around the U of Toronto campus downtown. This building was built in 1878 and has heritage protection partly because of the wonderful brickwork that you can see. When the university was building the large complex surrounding it they made the decision to include it as part of the structure. So it is now part of the Bahen Centre For Information Technology.
Project Bookmark Canada "brings together real & imagined landscapes by placing text from stories & poems in the exact physical locations where those literary scenes are set". There are a few of them located in Toronto and I spotted this one by the U of Toronto campus at St George & Bloor St where this poem by Ken Babstock is set. You can read more about the project HERE and will see that this is bookmark # 4.
Taking part in Signs, Signs. Click HERE to see more signs from around the world.
We got hit by a huge snowstorm last week and Frosty was in danger of being buried in a drift but he survived to tell the tale. It has been too miserable to be out and about much for pics so this is another one from the roof deck. The vents on the left are for the floor below.
I don't usually like this type of mural but the bright flowers sprinkled about this garage door really caught my eye. It must look wonderful with snow on the ground but it has been too cold to head off for a wander along this laneway. The artist for this one is Chris Perez.
Taking part in Monday Murals. Click HERE to see more murals from around the world.
Before Frosty arrived on the roof deck this winter the mystery man stood guard over a nice array of flowers and vegetables. This is an early evening pic from last summer when the deck was the place to be. I can hardly wait until winter is over!
This grey squirrel did some acrobatics to get up onto this feeder and then wrapped itself around and had a good meal.
Taking part in Saturday's Critters. Click HERE to see more creatures from around the world.
The February theme day for the City Daily Photo Blog community is "White". We haven't had much snow until a couple of weeks ago and it was the first day that poor Frosty really got covered in snow. When the sun came out he was in a sparkling white world but still had that guy lurking behind him.
Taking part in the White theme. Click HERE to see more examples of white from around the world.
