Saturday, January 31, 2015

Coldest Day of the Year Ride #Toronto

Extreme cold weather alerts on Jan 30 and 31, 2015 suggested that this bike ride was taking place on an appropriate day. So an a partly sunny Saturday bicyclists gathered at Trinity Bellwoods Park and began their frigid journey just before noon and made their way along city streets until they arrived at Peacut Square at Metro Hall.
Joe and I caught up with the crew at Metro Hall after most of the riders had left the building because we had the Coldest Day of the Year run, carrying cameras while trying to not fall in the snow, Run,
"Celebrate and support winter cycling by joining us for the Coldest Day of the Year Ride, a short, comfortable, car-free group ride departing from Trinity Bellwoods Park.  Meet at 11:45am on Saturday Jan 31st at the southern gates of Trinity Bellwoods Park. We're heading to Metro Hall, followed by some refreshments at the Elephant and Castle at King and Simcoe."
The dead of winter, which is a major bummer of a festival put on by Mother Nature, takes place over ten days starting from January 21. In Toronto this just means you need a few extra layers to bike around the city, because I think no matter the weather, you can always find someone on two wheels riding somewhere.

Posted by Joe Hamilton and James Hamilton.

FrostCon 3.0 in #Toronto

What a great winter comicon at the Sheraton Hotel! The chance to meet with friends and partake in cosplay was not to be missed for so many fans. I was not even aware of this event and was pleased to see that Saturday, January 31, 2015.
"Come out for a day full of anime, comics, sci-fi, fantasy and more! Cosplay is highly encouraged! But dress warmly if you do!"
One of the best parts about a comicon is seeing the cosplayers out on the streets, making their way to the event, like any other pedestrian but just a little bit different. I found some members dressed as the popular video game characters from Assassin's Creed at City Hall.


Posted by Joe Hamilton and James Hamilton. See more photos after the jump.

Walk for Memories in the underground PATH

Hundreds of people walked today in the subterranean tunnels chiseled by hand out of solid granite that roam deep, deep under the city of Toronto. Heat from nearby thermal fissures in the earth keep everyone warm in winter, but melts shoes in the summer, so it was just perfect for today's winter charity fundraiser in support of the cure for Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia. Remind me to confirm the PATH construction details later.
Toronto Batman walks the walk - for his dead parents

The Saturday walk was presented by Memory Care and consisted of a 2.2km path that returned the walkers back to the Allen Lambert Galleria in Brookfield Place.

Keep Calm and Neur-on, funny!

"There will be lots of music, great entertainment and will bring together 1,500 individuals who have been touched by Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia."

CLICK HERE to learn more or register.

Date: Saturday, January 31, 2015
Time: 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Address:
181 Bay Street
Toronto, ON M5J 2S1
Canada

Posted by Joe Hamilton and James Hamilton

Tuesday, January 27, 2015

#Toronto @HondaIndy 2015 tickets go on sale

Outside temperatures say winter, but the sale of tickets to the June 12-14, 2015 Verizon IndyCar race means that summer is just around the corner! 2014 reserved grandstand ticket holders can purchase tickets now, ahead of the February 19 sale to the general public, and take advantage of Renewal Club Member Benefits.

Several race series will join IndyCar on the street course through Toronto's Exhibition Place: the Ultra 94 Porsche GTS Cup Challenge Canada by Michelin, the SPEED Energy Stadium Super Trucks, the Indy Lights presented by Cooper Tires, the Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship Powered by Mazda and the Pro Mazda Championship presented by Cooper Tires. Besides the excitement on the track, you can always enjoy the live entertainment, celebrity appearances, autograph sessions, interactive games, the other festival attractions and craft beer. Oh, and don't forget about the Toronto Sun Grid Girls and the other ladies of the Honda Indy.
"The event, now in its 29th year, promises a diverse motorsports line-up with something for every kind of race fan. The Verizon IndyCar Series will headline the weekend featuring world-class drivers like Canadian James Hinchcliffe, 2014 race winner Sebastien Bourdais and series champion Will Power. Two-day tickets to the Honda Indy Toronto start at $50 for General Admission and $80 for Reserved Seating (tax included). For full pricing information and to buy tickets, visit hondaindy.com or call 1-877-725-8849."

Monday, January 26, 2015

Concrete Waterfall in Cloud Garden

This is such a cool park in the middle of the #Toronto Financial District beside the Bay Adelaide Centre. Described as a 'unique little park ... a true urban oasis' with features like a waterfall, an interesting building facade overlooking the park and a conservatory that I did not even know existed - I will have to try to visit it sometime soon. Unfortunately the small greenhouse is only open 10am to 2:30 pm on weekdays (closed on holidays), but it does have free admission.


Elements of the park are part of a monument to the construction trades

Sunday, January 25, 2015

Acton Winter Carnival

Old Man Winter brought some fun on a sunny Sunday in Prospect Park during the annual family festival. The events started on Saturday, January 24 with a community dance at the Town Hall Centre and continued on Sunday, January 25 with an Air Cadets Pancake Breakfast and included ice skating, curling, dog cart and tractor wagon rides throughout the day. Frozen water in many forms were provided by Iceculture and I had two favourites - the large tic, tac, toe game, which we put together for hugs and kisses, and the frozen maple syrup candy making stand.
XOXO
A Chili Cook-off and Acton Winter Carnival closing ceremonies took place today at 4 pm.

Other events kept people warm with ice block and snowman building, snow horse shoes, obstacle course and snow golf while you could get some hot chocolate and coffee at the food concession. If that didn't do the trick you could stand beside the roaring bonfires! Crafts and bingo games were being played inside the Dufferin Community Centre.
Dog cart rides

See more fun after the jump.

Saturday, January 24, 2015

2015 Magnum Series Ice Racing in Minden

I can't even walk properly on ice and these cars are blasting around the course, sometimes perpendicular to the track, but almost always going in the right general direction. The Minden Fairgrounds is taken over by a solid ice race track, bordered by robust snow banks - guaranteed to keep those brutes where they belong.
After the crash the other drivers threw snowballs at the car and then helped push it out of the snowbank
This Toronto Autosports Club (TAC) race was run on the Jan 24-25, 2015 weekend and is the first round of the CASC-OR Magnum Ice Race Championship presented by Mobil 1.



See more cold, ice racing after the jump. See a photos from a previous race on my post here. There are also motorcycle ice racing and bicycle ice racing posts for your viewing enjoyment.

Thursday, January 22, 2015

Target misses the mark in Canada

Bulls-eye, that seems like a perfect newspaper headline! Now we all wait anxiously to finally shop at Target as they have announced that they will quickly close down and exit stage right. Final liquidation sales are expected within a couple of weeks and then the retail space and almost 18,000 staff will be cast off into the unknown. 
Bare mannequins are grouped together at the entrance to the old Sears store in the Toronto Eaton Centre. The closure of their flagship store, along with several other locations, was also a sad retail moment in Ontario.
People held up signs on Yonge Street promoting the Sears store closing sale

Monday, January 19, 2015

Villa #Toronto art in Union Station

Raster and Art Metropole's traveling, contemporary art event is in the cavernous Great Hall from Jan 16-23, 2015. In addition the free, week long exhibition will also have a number of special events located around the city and open to the public.
Port-O-Potty by Zeke Moores
"Villa Toronto is the most recent in a series of international gallery meetings initiated by Raster. Previous editions took place in Warsaw (2006), Reykjavik (2010) and Tokyo (2011). The event is not an art fair. Rather, the villa project aims to use the curatorial experience of private galleries to create encounters with the general public and local art communities that are innovative, stimulating, and not merely market driven. The project recognizes the decisive role private galleries play in determining the field of contemporary art and the type of explorations that take place within it. Villa encourages the cross-cultural circulation of art, artists and cultural workers, and dedicates its resources and focus to facilitate such an exchange, throughout the project and in the years to come. In the central Toronto, this collaboration will come together in Union Station—a place with great potential to boost the artistic appreciation of Torontonians."

See more of the art installations after the jump.

Sunday, January 18, 2015

#Toronto Roller Derby looking for a new home

@TORollerDerby is losing the Bunker at Downsview Park in Spring and is looking for a new arena to host their exciting brand of flat track sports entertainment.

“Roller derby is like nothing else. Since it came to Toronto it’s consistently grown, attracting new skaters, fans and volunteers. It has truly changed the lives of so many people who have been involved over the years. In order to continue to engage so many people in our city with this unique sport, we need a space we can do that in,” said ToRD President Mazel Tough, who skates with The Betties."

If you have 20,000 square feet of space, access to the TTC and plenty of parking you could provide the new home that the skaters need for practice and for the bouts.

Thursday, January 15, 2015

He and She with bright red hair

The store on Queen Street is well known for its bold, yet lightly dressed mannequin perched atop a high chair near the curb. The clothing and apparel boutique bills itself as a place for men and women, women who love men, women who love women, women who are men and many others, is opposite Moss Park near Sherbourne Street.
"He and She caters to performers of all ilks. Dancers and prancers, soothsayers and moon-bathers. The incubus and succubus, mermaids and mermen, street walkers, trash talkers, vampires and other creatures of the night. We are also a favourite shop of clients travelling and on vacation in Toronto looking for our products and our services."

Sunday, January 11, 2015

No Pants Subway Ride 2015 #Toronto

I see London, I see France, I see everyone's underpants! The annual #NPSR, started by New York City's Improv Everywhere, has been growing since 2002 and has taken place in Toronto for a number of years. This year the event was also promoted by the No Pants Society Social Club, offering a combo subway ride and dance party starting at 3 pm on Sunday, January 11, 2015.
"The No Pants Subway Ride is an annual event staged by Improv Everywhere every January in New York City. The mission started as a small prank with seven guys and has grown into an international celebration of silliness, with dozens of cities around the world participating each year. The idea behind No Pants is simple: Random passengers board a subway car at separate stops in the middle of winter without pants. The participants behave as if they do not know each other, and they all wear winter coats, hats, scarves, and gloves. The only unusual thing is their lack of pants."

In Toronto participants gathered at Lawrence Station, the Eaton Centre at Yonge and Dundas or at The Eaton Centre Queen Street. Then the pantless horde entered the TTC subway tunnels where the kept to the new subway cars and traveled back and forth on the Yonge line between Finch and Union Stations. Finally, after a day of quirky fun in the underground tubes, a parade along Queen Street began around 5:30 pm with the Office Pub on John street as the no pants after party destination.

Posted by Joe Hamilton. See more photos after the jump.

It's still summer in Allan Gardens

Extreme weather warnings and blustering snow in #Toronto make it hard to remember the golden glow of sun during summer in the city. For a taste of green and glorious colours don't forget that the greenhouses at Allan Gardens at Jarvis and Carlton Streets is open 10am to 5pm, 365 days a year.

"Allan Gardens Conservatory is a major landmark and tourist attraction in downtown Toronto. Its historic, cast-iron and glass domed "Palm House" was built in 1910 and is designated under the Ontario Heritage Act. A botanical gem in the heart of the city, Allan Gardens has a permanent collection of exotic plants and beautiful seasonal flower shows."


Doors Open

Scarborough Bluffs

Pride

Redball

Beaches

Graffiti

Lake Ontario

Nathan Phillips Square

Transportation