St. Jacobs Farmers Market tourist destination

A quick day trip on a beautiful Thursday or Saturday brings you to the famous St. Jacobs Farmers Market along with the Market Building, Market Tent and Peddlers Village in the heart of farm country. The tourist and shopping destination re-opened on June 4, 2020 and is now open Thursdays and Saturdays from 7am to 3pm all year long.

On a sunny Saturday the highways and parking lots fill up as people flock to the area, looking for fresh Ontario produce or maybe an antique, or just to explore the market. The fenced off farmers market takes up much of the parking lot but there are a few parking locations nearby that are easy walking to the site.

After the market many of the visitors head over to the small town of St. Jacobs, looking at the interesting stores, standing in line at the bakery or finishing off the day with a nice dinner at a local restaurant.

The famous broom store

There is a tree filled with strings of beads

Lil' tiff - a quiet Toronto film festival

I tried to find the giant tiff sign that they used to put out on King Street West when they closed the road for the annual film festival and it was no where that I looked. Also missing were the huge amount of fans going from place to place to catch the stars. Instead the latest tiff is a small affair missed by fans and star chasers most of all. Here's to hoping that 2021 is a brighter year!

From their website "TIFF 2020: September 10–19. Our reimagined physical and digital Festival will feature exciting new films, talks, and interactive experiences. The 45th edition of the Toronto International Film Festival, taking place September 10–19, is tailored to fit the moment, with physical screenings and drive-ins, digital screenings, virtual red carpets, press conferences, and industry talks. This year’s selection comprises a lineup of 50 new feature films, five programmes of short films, as well as interactive talks, film cast reunions, and Q&As with cast and filmmakers."

tiff Bell Lightbox on King Street

You can find the drive-in movie or open-air screens around Toronto, some are down at Ontario Place or at Polson Pier. Theatre screenings at the Bell Lightbox now require facemasks, the optional wearing has been removed due to the public outcry.

Toronto Fashion Show crosses Queen Street West

A long parade of models dressed in pastel fashions crossed a busy Toronto street while a police officer blocked traffic. The ladies moved in line from the Sheraton Centre Toronto Hotel towards Osgoode Hall, masked for Covid precautions, carrying their heels in their hands.

The street setting became a major photo opportunity

The fashion walk happened on Saturday, September 12, 2020 right beside Toronto City Hall

Out with the old Toronto Sign

The old Toronto Sign at City Hall has been removed and the installation of the new sign is underway. Removal of the old, temporary sign started on September 10th, 2020 and the area around the sign is barricaded off as workers start to get the area ready for the new letters.

The new sign is much like the old sign

Panorama of Nathan Phillips Square with the new sign

Here is the City's media release regarding the changes.

"Today, Mayor John Tory announced that the installation of the City of Toronto’s new, more durable Toronto Sign on Nathan Phillips Square has begun. An iconic Toronto attraction, the Toronto Sign has been a popular spot for selfies and group photos among residents and visitors alike.

The removal of the temporary sign, installation of the new sign and the wrap application will take approximately one week. The new Toronto Sign will be unveiled in the coming days.

The original sign was installed as a temporary structure in July 2015 for the Toronto Pan American and Parapan American Games. Although it was only built to last a few weeks, in response to the sign’s popularity, the City extended its presence on the square indefinitely and it has become a Toronto landmark.

After more than five years, the original sign is showing significant wear and tear and ongoing repairs and enhancements have been required to keep it working. Rather than paying for further, ongoing repairs and maintenance of the temporary structure, in September 2019 the City began the process of procuring a new more durable sign.

In December 2019, after an open and competitive process, the City awarded a contract for the design, construction, installation and ongoing maintenance for a new Toronto Sign to Unit 11, a Toronto-based custom design and fabrication supplier for the television, film, entertainment, and marketing industry.

The new and improved Toronto Sign will be easier to clean, waterproof, and will have augmented lighting capacity and other creative features to support public engagement and interaction.

The City will retain the sign’s maple leaf, which was installed in 2017 to celebrate Canada’s 150th birthday, and the medicine wheel, which was installed on June 21, 2018, in consultation with the Toronto Council Fire Native Cultural Centre to honour National Indigenous Peoples Day.

Since then, the Toronto Sign has become symbolic of Toronto. According to a Destination Toronto visitor survey, the Toronto sign was one of the top three most visited attractions in the city and it is consistently ranked as one of the most Instagram-worthy spots. The image of the sign is captured daily by local media and it has been a visual backdrop for international media coverage of major events from the 2015 Toronto Pan American and Parapan American Games and the 2017 Invictus Games to the 2019 Toronto Raptors’ NBA championship. The sign has also been illuminated and dimmed for hundreds of charities, community festivals, days of significance and times of mourning for the city and its residents.

As previously announced, the City is using reserve funds to pay for the new sign and existing operational budgets to cover the ongoing cost of maintenance and vinyl wraps. The cost of the design and construction of the new sign is $490,000 net applicable taxes. Removal of the old sign, installation of the new sign, wraps, a three-year maintenance contract, contingency and optional enhancements bring the total cost to $761,842 net applicable taxes. The City is open to philanthropic support to be able to enhance the features of the sign. Interested donors are requested to contact the Toronto Office of Partnerships at 416-392-6121, top@toronto.ca or donations.toronto.ca/.

Photographs of the Toronto Sign can be shared with the hashtag #xoTO and #TOsign. More information about the sign is available at toronto.ca/TorontoSign.

A newlywed couple poses for photos in the new Toronto sign

Quotes:

“As we embark upon the work to rebuild our city from the significant impacts of the covid-19 pandemic, it is fitting that installation of the new, more durable Toronto Sign is underway. I know when we get through this, Toronto will shine brighter, just like the sign itself. Like our iconic Toronto Sign, together, I am confident that we will rebuild a Toronto that is inclusive, dynamic and resilient.”
– Mayor John Tory

“I don’t think anyone can imagine Nathan Phillips Square without the now iconic Toronto Sign. It has brought our city together to celebrate our achievements, mark occasions and raise awareness, all while providing a spectacular selfie back drop.”
– Deputy Mayor Michael Thompson (Ward 21 Scarborough Centre), Chair of the Economic and Community Development Committee

Friendship Trail and the abandoned amusement parks

The Niagara Region has a 150km loop of multi-use trails that run along the Welland Canal, Lake Erie, Niagara River and Lake Ontario called the Greater Niagara Circle Route Trails. We have done the majority of the Welland Canal Trail (from Lock 3 to Port Dalhousie) and wanted to try the Friendship Trail which runs between Port Colborne and Fort Erie, a distance of 24km, on a wide, paved path that used to be an old rail line.

A ship transits into the Welland Canal and passes the Clarence Street bridge at the start of the Friendship Trail

A warning barrier has a graffiti painting of Marilyn Monroe

The trail doesn't stray too far from the shores of Lake Erie and the old rail bed provided for gentle slopes which makes the biking easy. The pathway signs indicate the intersecting roads along with points of interest and directions if you want to explore more of the area.

To start off we parked at the Welland Canal Lock Number 8 Park which has a public bathroom and free parking. There is also plenty of free parking near the start of the Friendship Trail as well as along the route (at Ridge Road, Crescent Road and Lakeshore Road). Then we biked along the end of the Welland Canal Trail until we joined up with the Friendship Trail running east along Durham Street. Then it was sweet cycling watching the many factories and houses transition into farmland and residential areas.

The Crystal Beach welcome sign

Looking towards old Crystal Beach pier

We took a 2.5km detour from the path to check out Crystal Beach which was once home to a significant amusement park from 1888 to 1989. All that seems to remain is the large pier which was used by ferries to bring the people to the park - none of the attractions or giant roller coaster that ran right beside the water still remain. It actually far outlasted the Fort Erie park and some of its attractions were brought to Crystal Beach. After checking out the current beach we made our way back to the trail and continued until we hit Fort Erie.

The Friendship trail moved onto a large sidewalk on Edgemere Road in Fort Erie and continues through a future development until you get to Lakeshore Road and the Niagara River Recreational Trail. We detoured off the path to walk along the beach of Lake Erie through the remains of the old Lake Erie Beach Park.

Information on the old Lake Erie Amusement Park

Some foundations for the plane ride

The Lake Erie amusement park operated from 1885 until just after the start of the Great Depression in 1930. Only concrete structures and steps remain, including bases for the plane ride, the old pier and a small wall that that winds around the edge of the water - it used to be one of the largest outdoor swimming pools in the world at one time. The city has put up posters with information and pictures showing the extent of the old fairgrounds.

We had a lunch along the edge of the Niagara River just downstream from the Peace Bridge 

Then it was back to the park at Welland Canal Lock 8 for the end of our 65km ride

Big Bend Lookout and the Big East River

The Big East River starts in Algonquin Park and heads to Lake Vernon near Huntsville, twisting and turning especially as it flows near and through Arrowhead Provincial Park. As the fast flowing water cuts through layers of sand it causes the formation of oxbow lakes and loops in the river and the lookout in the provincial park provides an outstanding view of one of the great loops in the river.

Arrowhead Provincial Park is 2.5 hours north of Toronto and is part of Ontario's primo cottage country called Muskoka. In addition to the camp sites and beaches, the park has two great points of interest - Big Bend Lookout and Stubbs Falls on the Little East River.

Panorama of Stubbs Falls on the Little East River

When rivers are allowed to determine their route (not constrained by man) they tend to follow the past of least resistance, from high elevations to low elevations. Sand does not stand up to the flow of water very well and erosion in sandy areas is quite extensive and the river meanders, causing some areas to be cut off from the river and be turned into oxbow lakes or even dry up, hiding the past river channel. Big Bend Lookout has large sand slopes along the outside of the curve, cut by the current, while sand is deposited on the inside of the curve as the water slows and the sediment falls out of the water. Erosion of the outer bend forces the park to move the lookout back from the edge each year. The view is similar to the famous Horseshoe Bend in the Grand Canyon.

Upstream launch point at Arrowhead Park Road adjacent to Highway 11

Cruising down the river

One of the reasons we came to Arrowhead was to kayak down the Big East River which flows fast enough that it is almost lazy river quality if you head downstream. We decided to drop the kayaks on Arrowhead Park Road adjacent to Highway 11. There is a small parking lot near Tulip Inn where you can park for free during the day. Then we parked our other vehicle at Hutchenson Beach at Lake Vernon which also had free parking. Light paddling and a stop for a barbecue lunch on one of the many sandbanks along the river had us completing the journey in about 5 hours and a distance of about 10 kilometres. It was a great journey and we hope to do it again next year. Highly recommended.

Stopping for a barbecue lunch on one of the many sand beaches along the Big East River

Spring runoff make for a powerful river. These steps got caught up on fallen trees

Update August 2021: We made it back to the Big East River, this time traveling down stream between Williamsport Road and Highway 11, passing through the famous Big Bend Lookout in Arrowhead Park. Last year we looked down upon the river and decided that we needed to put on our pirate hats and rest up on the sand bank below the lookout.

Pirates approaching the Big Bend

See more of the journey after the jump.