Relocated Toronto Winter Stations art exhibition

Several of the installations included within the 2023 Winter Stations outdoor, public art exhibition have been relocated westerly from Woodbine Beach to near Humber River. The pieces will be on display from March 22 till May 26.

Four of the artworks have been included in the Lake Shore Boulevard park including my favourites, Conrad the raccoon and the (Home). Not shown here are Life Line and Ripple Hut.

the (Home)

Joy Oil Station in Toronto

The old gas station was relocated further along Lake Shore Boulevard and is still sitting along a park, fenced in and unused. The historical landmark looks great still, not like it is rotting in place, but when will something happen with the tiny building.

The historical plaque

Wikipedia suggests the restored gas station building will be turned into a restaurant and tourist information site when the nearby vendor contract expires, however we will have to wait for the intended use is announced by the City of Toronto.

Lumière: The Art of Light at Ontario Place

The Winter Light Exhibition at Ontario Place has morphed into Lumiere taking place on the east side of the island park will soon end, so check out the art installations before May 7, 2023. The annual exhibition is illuminated from dusk to 11pm, 7 days a week and started on March 10. You can get to the free event by taking the Trillium Park entrance to see Lumiere, which is French for light, and on Friday and Saturday nights you can gather around a bonfire while seeing the 16 winning installations of the 60 original proposals. My favourite was Disco Wall.

From the press release, "This free light exhibition invites visitors to explore the park and experience public art created by talented Ontario artists from all artistic streams. Utilizing innovation, creativity, light, and discovery, Lumière inspires Ontario-based artists and creators to "illuminate" the park under a curatorial theme of "renewal". Lumière is an outdoor event that spans the entire Trillium Park, and these magical and alluring exhibits are best experienced at night.

“We are excited to welcome visitors to Trillium Park to experience the beauty and vibrance of Lumière. As the park transitions from winter to spring, it’s the perfect location for this outdoor public art exhibition. We are also thrilled to provide a forum to showcase and celebrate the work of Ontario artists, providing them with an accessible and beautiful space to exhibit their art,” says Janet Gates, General Manager and CEO of Ontario Place."

Lumiere art projects

The Art of Light:Disco Wall by Nate Nettleton
Allochory by Collective Memory (Stoyan Barakov and Robert McKaye)
Correspondence (A Long Story VII) by Lauren Pirie  
[W]hole by Jordan Shaw
Aeolian Soundscape by John Nguyen, Nicholas Hoban, Brady Peters
Ghost Canoe by Jungle Ling
Umbra Transit by Melissa Joakim 
The Flora Arcana by Thadea Decora, Vincent Glasheen, Marc Reeve-Newson, Sofia Timkovski
bioluminescent Being by Sofia Escobar
Luxonus by Luxonus Collective (Alex Ricci & Adam Kaleta) 
The Light Within by Nathan Fischer and Diana Tran
Fiddlehex by Alex Leitch, Sagan Yee, Dave Cox, Lee Wilkins and Hillary Predko
Bloom Promenade by Bitbrainz (Christina Kayastha and Binam Kayastha)
The Fantastical Book Garden by Courtney Spence  
Golden Hour by Tonya Hart  
The Numerology of Mushrooms by Sabine Spare & Mikhail Moosa 

See more of the projects after the jump.

Spring Blossoms in Toronto 2023

Temperatures climbed fast in April in the GTA and the trees started to come alive in shades of green as buds started to grow. Already the early bloomers like the Magnolia tree have started popping while the cherry trees have started to join the celebration of spring. In 2022 the blossoms peaked in early May.

The High Park Sakura website says "I’m now predicting that the Sakura Cherry Blossom bloom will begin between April 20-28." This weekend coming (April 22-23) could be the peak blossom weekend in the park.

High Park April 19

In High Park you can find the majority of cherry trees around Hillside Gardens next to Grenadier Pond although there are other strands sprinkled in the park. In Toronto my favourite locations to see blossoms are at Queen's Park, the Toronto Islands, Trinity Bellwoods Park and in Exhibition Place. The City of Toronto lists the many locations where you can find blossoms on this website: https://www.toronto.ca/explore-enjoy/festivals-events/cherry-blossoms/.

The City makes High Park vehicle free during cherry blossom season for a safer experience, so take public transit, bike or walk into the park. Joining hundreds of visitors viewing the cherry blossoms can provide stress relief, enjoy the beauty of nature and meet fellow blossom lovers.

Blossoms around Liberty Grande in Exhibition Place April 19

On April 19 the High Park blossoms were just starting to pop out, otherwise the pink florets are just days away from peak bloom. The City thinks that peak bloom will begin on April 20 and will continue for the next 4 to 10 days across Toronto parks with the cherry trees. Already Trinity-Bellwoods Park is right now in peak bloom.

Trinity-Bellwood blossoms in peak bloom April 19

From the City's news release "Many of the Sakura trees in High Park are roughly 60 years old. In 1959, the Japanese ambassador to Canada presented Sakura trees to the people of Toronto on behalf of the people of Tokyo. The trees were planted in appreciation of Toronto accepting relocated Japanese Canadians following the Second World War. Many of these trees were planted on the hillside overlooking Grenadier Pond."

Deputy Mayor Jennifer McKelvie (Scarborough-Rouge Park), Chair of the Infrastructure and Environment Committee said “Cherry blossom season is back and I look forward to seeing residents and visitors enjoying the blossoms in High Park and in locations across Toronto. Thank you to City staff for the work they have done to prepare for blossom season and the work they will do throughout this spring and summer.”

Consul-General of Japan in Toronto, Mr. Sasayama Takuya said “This time of year, one that marks the 95th anniversary of Japan-Canada diplomatic relations, is ideal to honour and remember the ongoing friendship and relationship between Japan and Canada that is embodied by the Sakura trees.”

See more of High Park after the jump.