City by Broadview

There are many places to take in the beauty of Toronto's skyline but one of the best is the view from Broadview Avenue overlooking Riverdale Park and the Don Valley.

The skyline is more concentrated than the east to west view from the waterfront so you get to see that great big area of high rise buildings and Toronto's own CN Tower poking out of the group.

Fashion Cares Remains on Hold in 2010

I was sad to see that Fashion Cares continues to be put on hold and may not happen in 2010. We will have to wait until this fall to hear more about their plans and continue to support their other fundraising activities. Until then Fashion Cares/ACT has sent me the following information.

"Fashion Cares, last held November 1, 2008, was a resounding success - both critically and in its goal of raising much-needed funds for the programs and services of the AIDS Committee of Toronto (ACT). After the last Fashion Cares, ACT decided to place the event on hold and undertake a longer planning period, given the economic downturn. Early in 2010, ACT began its strategic planning process in order to identify agency-wide directions for the upcoming five years. The new strategic plan will be launched in fall 2010.

"Strategic planning is an opportunity for ACT to engage with its stakeholders and examine all of the work that we do - including our fundraising" says Hazelle Palmer, Executive Director of ACT. "The new Strategic Plan will have implications for the ways in which we deliver programs and services for those living with and at risk of HIV infection, and will also include new ideas and directions for fundraising."

With strategic planning underway, it makes sense to continue to hold off on decisions regarding the next Fashion Cares until the new Strategic Plan is unveiled. Meanwhile, ACT will be continuing to hold its other major fundraising events - the annual Scotiabank AIDS Walk for Life Toronto to be held Sunday September 19 2010, and SNAP!, a photographic art auction to held early spring 2011.

More information about the future of Fashion Cares will become available later in the year."

Queen Street West Streetcar

A TTC streetcar turns off of Queen Street West. I didn't know that the whole wheel assembly rotates to allow the streetcar to make the sharp turn onto the side street.

I am not sure if the water shown in the bottom of the picture has been added to reduce the noise of the streetcars turning at this intersection or if it is just rainwater. Apparently the TTC also uses sand to assist with acceleration and breaking - just like they do in San Francisco. I will have to keep an eye out on the tracks for sand.



Speaking of Queen Street West - the girls from MissBehav'n were dancing up a storm while Police were pulling over some cars for possible traffic violations. Bless their hearts for keeping the people getting tickets entertained.

Batman Returns

A busker dressed as Batman spreads his cape at Yonge and Dundas on Saturday May 1, 2010. This would have been a good day to be in costume as it was Free Comic Book Day!

Their website says "Free Comic Book Day is a single day - the first Saturday in May each year - when participating comic book shops across North America and around the world give away comic books absolutely FREE* to anyone who comes into their stores."

Cherry Blossoms in High Park

I expected pandemonium in High Park on a Saturday with cherry blossoms providing an irresistible lure to Toronto residents on a spring weekend. The rain had poured down and when it finished the crowds had not yet gathered in force in the park. As a bonus raindrops remained on the cherry blossoms which was nice for photographers.



High Park has so many attractions that it is no wonder that it is a favourite for so many people - from families to bikers and joggers. Grenadier Pond, nature trails, leash free dog zone, the zoo, hungry wildlife and even a restaurant with a large patio.

Cute Kitty

I saw the cutest kitten today on the streets of Toronto. It was white and black, fuzzy, had a collar and leash and it was happy to be carried.

Toronto Freedom Festival

I was astounded by the amount of people jammed onto the north grounds of Queens Park for the 4th annual 2010 Toronto Freedom Festival (TFF) and Marijuana March. The festival's stated goal is to promote the freedom to choose and to expose their ideas. I believe their real goal is to gather in gigantic numbers and smoke weed hoping their show of public resistance will change the laws making marijuana a legal product. They say that this peaceful celebration is the 3rd year without an arrest. The police did attend in small numbers, mostly guiding traffic and pedestrians, with a pair of mounted police just hanging just outside the park. See photos of the 2011 march and festival on my post here.



I think a good part of downtown Toronto ended up with a contact high from all the smoke coming from this event.



The crowd was generally young, laid back (almost lethargic for some reason) and enjoyed the entertainment, atmosphere and empowerment that the mass gathering inspired.






Queens Park seemed pretty deserted and I didn't see any politicians greeting existing or future voters.

Blossoms at Old City Hall

The four trees along the east side of Toronto's old City Hall are full of bright pink blossoms - it's like a mini High Park in the heart of the City.

I even had a chance to take a picture of a pretty girl in front of the blooms.

The Urban Jungle

Toronto has so many neighbourhoods and flavours that it is hard to believe that so much is contained within such a relatively small footprint. In the highly concentrated downtown urban core we see a few of our antique buildings standing proud beside tall, glass towers. Land is too valuable for many plants but some grass, trees and gardens do add some nice colour - like at the Toronto Dominion Tower, pictured above.

Old City Hall sits right beside the Eaton Centre and one of those glass towers. There was a lot of work going on in the front yard of the Hall over the last couple of weeks and the construction fences have just come down. I think they were putting in the power feeds to the new batman spotlight on top of the roof, ready for when the Commissioner needs to get in contact with the caped crusader. They also straightened the sign while they were at it.



There was also a few boats along Bay Street in case someone had a few thousand dollars burning a hole in their pockets. All you would have to do is point the trailer downhill and you could roll right down to Lake Ontario.



PS the fountain in Nathan Phillips Square is back in action for the season.

ROM Dinosaurs - feel like prey

Toronto's Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) has a few dinosaurs roaming the vast halls, eating people.

You can find plenty of dinos at the ROM: "Imagine life when dinos roamed the earth in the James and Louise Temerty Galleries of the Age of Dinosaurs and explore one of the world’s best dinosaur collections. Hundreds of specimens await visitors in the Michael Lee-Chin Crystal, ranging from insects and fossilized plants, to Canada’s largest dinosaur on permanent display, Gordo the Barosaurus, who clocks in at an impressive 27 metres (90 feet). Visitors may also recognize the Stegosaurus, Tyrannosaurus rex, Triceratops, Deinonychus, and the popular Hadrosaur specimens, Parasaurolophus and Maiasaura. Many of the species on display are real fossil skeletons!"

Do you see that little raptor above following his mommy, the large, sharp claw ready to shred their prey? These guys aren't at all like that big, purple dinosaur named Barney. I think some of those raptors did survive, now they wear suits and work in some of our office towers.

Streetcar Named Desire

You don't often see the TTC streetcar driver hanging out the window, chillaxin, waiting for the light to turn green, but spring makes people crazy.

Toronto Torture Garden

I find some street posters just grab my attention. Toronto Torture Garden? I have heard of the Toronto Music Garden but I have not come across the Toronto Torture Garden yet, I don't know why not. So I decide to do some educational surfing on the internets, yeah, educational.

Turns out that it is a fetish thing. They have a whole weekend planned in May, who knew? I would go but there is no photography allowed. Remember to whip it, whip it good.

Hamilton Fireworks

Just down the road from Toronto lies Hamilton, otherwise known as Steeltown, the Canadian Fireworks Association 2010 conference had a spectacular Friday night of Fireworks. The setting was Bayfront Park just beside Hamilton Harbour and the fireworks started at quarter to nine and went until 10:30pm. For upcoming fireworks in Hamilton check out the city's special events webpage. For Toronto fireworks see the information below.



We set up our cameras on the platform lookout and waited for the excitement to begin and we weren't disappointed. It was an East versus West battle and the night featured both consumer and professional fireworks.




In Toronto you can always catch fireworks during Victoria Day and Canada Day celebrations. On Victoria Day you can watch fireworks at Ashbridges Bay (The place to watch the fireworks, on a wide expanse of beach!
Monday, May 24, 2010 after 9:30 p.m. but come MUCH earlier!!) or Ontario Place on May 16, 2010.

On Canada Day 2010 the party will be at Mel Lastman Square and also back at Ashbridges Bay. Ontario Place will also play host to the Toronto Festival of Fire from July 1 to the 3rd.

At the end of the year you can also see fireworks at Nathans Phillips Square during the New Years Eve celebrations.

Bricks on Gould - Impact on Yonge Street

Wow, the falling bricks on Gould at Yonge Street continue to impact traffic on Yonge Street as the two northbound lanes are closed and all traffic is squeezed into the two southbound lanes. The pile of bricks remain piled on the ground, partially covered in a tarp. I think they will need a bigger trash bin.



The Ryerson University neighbourhood, which already has ongoing demolition as the old Sam the Record Man complex gets taken down, is joined by the building on the south side of Gould Street which rained bricks on Friday, April 16, 2010. This area is always full of students, residents and office workers so it is quite amazing that no one was seriously hurt in this accident.



It looks like the part of the building above the brick facade failure has been removed while the part with the failure and the fallen bricks in the street remain in place. I think the debris could have been left as part of an ongoing investigation into the incident.

Gift of Life - Living Green Ribbon Event

There was a lot of green today in Yonge-Dundas Square, just one day after reported gunfire during the 4-20 pro-weed gathering, for a Living Green Ribbon Event. The Trillium Gift of Life Network handed out boxes of green, plastic rain ponchos for people to wear as they gathered together in the shape of a giant ribbon. Mayor David Miller, pictured above, joined the large crowd along with a large heart to draw attention as part of National Organ and Tissue Donor Awareness Week.

The bright green ponchos covered many business suits as those bankers and business people lent their support.



Their website says "Trillium Gift of Life Network, The Kidney Foundation of Canada, and The Canadian Liver Foundation, working in partnership with local volunteers, are holding a Living Green Ribbon Event in Toronto's Yonge/Dundas Square on Wednesday, April 21st from 12:00 noon to 1:00 p.m.

Torontonians are invited to the square to demonstrate their support for the need for organ and tissue donors, learn more about the donation consent registration process, enjoy some entertainment and join the volunteers, wearing green ponchos or carrying YES placards, as we come together to form a Living Green Ribbon in the middle of Yonge/Dundas Square!"

Icelandair - the ironic advertisement

So I was on the subway today, enjoying the close proximity of other city dwellers on the TTC, when I noticed that one of the overhead ads was for Icelandair - the airway of Iceland. It features a guy mostly submerged in a large, outdoor hot spring, his face caked in healing mud while in the backgroud the hot spring shoots hot steam into the air. It's like having an ad in the subway saying that the TTC Chairman is a loyal, one woman man. Even better, underneath the Iceland poster is a TTC sign saying save transit.



Unfortunately that totally unpronounceable volcano in Iceland (Eyjafjallajökull - like what is that name?) seems to have erupted and over the last couple of days has shut down most flights in Europe due to the volcanic ash. And if the Big E starts to shut down they worry about it's big brother - the volcano Katla, which tends to blow shortly after Big E. Icelandair currently has a sign on their webpage - Notice: Flight disruptions due to volcanic activity in Iceland, it might get a lot worse if Katla blows.

Much Music Video Awards commercial shoot

The film crews set up in Yonge-Dundas Square filming a television commercial for the 2010 Much Music Video Awards.




They built a raised platform and the model climbed onto the stage and swung a pickaxe at the ground. A jet of debris explodes from the ground where she strikes .... and cut. Here is my small Youtube video of some of the action.



I hope I see Lady Gaga back at the awards, I just love the Gaga.

Unicycle in bike stand

Now that's not something that you see everyday - seen on Bay Street in Toronto. Is it a unicycle in a Toronto bike stand or did the thieves get most of the bike and leave one wheel and a seat?

Star Wars: Young Jedi Force

With a cold and wet weekend forecast I decided to visit the St Catherines Toys R Us where there was to be a gathering of Star Wars Characters on Saturday, April 18, 2010. At least 15 members (and an android) of the Young Jedi Force got into costume to help support their community and raise money for charity.



It is very impressive to see so many of the characters in one place. They certainly put a lot of work into the costumes.



There was even an Ewok at the event.




There are many Star Wars fan groups in Ontario.

501st Canadian Garrison
London Rogues
Rebel Legion: Canadian Base

For fans of science fiction, costumes and cosplay don't forget these upcoming Toronto events.

Polaris
July 16 - 18, 2010
Sheraton Parkway Toronto North Hotel
Toronto, Ontario
Look for the The Polaris Masquerade which "is an amateur costume competition for costumes relating to categories of Anime/Manga, Media (e.g. Star Trek, Star Wars, Babylon 5, computer games, etc.), Fantasy, Science Fiction, and any other related topics. The Masquerade will take place on Saturday evening after the Constellation Awards."

Toronto Comicon
Fan Appreciation Event 2010
June 5-6, 2010
Metro Toronto Convention Centre South Building Hall G
222 Bremner Blvd.

Fan Expo Canada
August 27-29, 2010
Metro Toronto Convention Centre North Building Hall
222 Bremner Blvd.