This lovely old home, built in 1854, is found in the east end of Toronto on Queen St East (I do sometimes venture to the east end of the city) and is now owned by the city and occupied by various non-profit organizations. The property was home to one family for more than 2 centuries, from 1792 until 1997. Originally it consisted of 600 acres running from Lake Ontario (at Ashbridges Bay) north to Danforth Avenue but the city grew around the farm and all but this last 2 acres was sold off by the 1920s. The estate was donated to the City of Toronto in 1972 with the last remaining family member living there until 1997! The grounds surrounding it are quite beautiful.
School ended here yesterday for the summer and this is a long weekend as we celebrate Canada Day on July 1 which falls on Sunday this year so some people have Friday off, some have Monday off, and others are taking them both. As I was walking by a local chocolate shop last night I saw their summer display all made from chocolate and thought it was perfect for this weekend when there will be lots of sitting around a fire, drinking ale, listening to music, and just relaxing!
I have to admit that this view down a laneway gives me a lift and gets me running along to see what can be down there. It's a scene from the industrial past for this area behind Queen St West which has seen much gentrification. The building on the left now houses a mainstream furnishings store after having been a very grotty live music venue for many years while the building on the right remains an artist studio building for the time being. Probably to become trendy lofts in the future!
This mid 1960s low-rise apartment is a good example of what a good sign and name can do for you. Without the prominent Casa Blanca sign I'm not sure if you would look twice at it although it has a rather cool 60s vibe to it. I have been in one of the back apartments which face out (really closely) onto a hillside densely covered in trees and you feel like you are in a deep forest rather than downtown Toronto!
Taking part in Signs,Signs. Click here for more signs.
Although you never see the Hare Krishna followers on the streets in their saffron robes anymore they have a very high profile presence on Avenue Rd in downtown Toronto. Their temple is located in a church that was designed by architects Gordon & Helliwell and constructed in 1899 as the Presbyterian Church of the Covenant. Several different congregations occupied the building through the years until it was sold to the Hare Krishna in the mid 1970s. The Norman Gothic building is designated and so must be maintained in its original exterior appearance but many changes have taken place inside including the addition of a restaurant that serves vegetarian meals 6 days/week. I had veggie Thanksgiving dinner there many years ago and it was quite good!
This is yet another of the murals from the Islington area of the city and this one was also done by John Kuna. The scene depicts the remains of a mill pond which became a favourite swimming hole for generations of the area's residents as it would have been in the 1920s.The swimwear featured comes from actual swimwear designs of the time - surprisingly risque don't you think?
Taking part in Monday Murals. For more murals click here.
This lovely arch is found on the grounds of St Michael's College School on Bathurst St. Founded in 1852, the school is run by the Basilian Fathers and is a private, all-boy, Catholic, day school with around 1,100 students. The school is famous for its sports programs and even has its own arena which has helped it to produce a huge number of NHL hockey players with many of them in the Hockey Hall of Fame. The arch has lettering running along the top saying "Student Entrance" but it is nice that they have left the ivy to grow where it likes!
