Ontario Place Winter Light Exhibition 2021?

Will the free Winter Light Exhibition take place on the West Island in the new year? Covid seems to have taken out a lot of events, especially as the second wave has started ramping up those with the coronavirus, but hopefully social distance events can still occur. One of the lighting exhibits remains suspended waiting for the next light show ('Thought' by Collective: oneandoneandone x Reila pictured at top).

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Oct 24

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@jmhcet

Hi there. There are currently no plans for Aurora to return this Winter. We are working on seeing what a Winter Light Exhibition could look like with Covid regulations and what impact that might have. Please keep an eye on our website and social channels for updates!

The pods at Ontario Place

The exhibition usually takes place from February to March, running daily from 4pm to 11pm. So far the listed events for Ontario Place only go into October of 2020 so we will have to wait for further word on the upcoming schedule.

In the meantime what is up with the remaining tower base from a water slide from a park that closed in 2011? This is the first time that I actually went up to the structure and it occupies an imposing space on the island, it cost $750,000 to build. You can't climb the structure as gates block progress up the tower. The slides were removed in 2016 and only the steel tower from the attraction. Ontario Place opened in 1971, closed in 2012 and only reopened for events in July of 2020. I think we will have to hear of the redevelopment plans to see what will happen with the remnants from the old theme park.

You can still use the long, enclosed walkway between the Cinesphere and the west entrance

See more of Ontario Place in Fall after the jump.

Fall at the Forks of the Credit

Caledon is the king of Fall in the GTA, where thousands make the trek through roads choked with traffic fighting to see fall colours before the leaves become crispy and brown. Some of the destinations that are most valued in the tree rich area include the Cheltenham Badlands, the Bruce Trail and the Forks of the Credit Provincial Park. The rail line at the north end of the park is shown in the picture at top.

The Elora Cataract Rail Trail enters the park in the north off of Mississauga Road near Cataract Road. When you get in the park, crossing two pedestrian bridges, you cannot bike further because the Dominion Trail is blocked and you would have to climb a long set of winding stairs up the steep hill. You can still walk the trails and enjoy the park without having to endure the crowded roads while looking for a parking space.

The bridge over the railway from the Elora Cataract Trail into the park

From the park's website, "Forks of the Credit Provincial Park has implemented measures to address overcrowding and promote physical distancing. Park operating hours are 8am-7pm Monday to Thursday - no further entry permitted after 5pm and 8am-8pm Friday to Sunday-no further entry will be permitted after 4pm (Friday to Sunday - Park gates may be closed at any time of day if park capacity is reached) Visitors should plan accordingly and make alternate arrangements in the event that the park gates are closed."

The Credit River passes under the pedestrian bridge

The Credit River downstream of the bridge. This section of the trail is closed

From the park's website, "The Forks of the Credit Provincial Park Mill site viewing platform is temporarily closed. Ontario Parks is currently reviewing options for the replacement of the platform.
To view the falls, travel along the Meadow Trail until it intersects with the Bruce Trail. Follow Bruce Trail west until it intersects the Dominion Trail. Go north until it ends at the closure. Be advised you will be required to return the same way."

The provincial park is tucked between Cataract and Brimstone, an astonishingly set of grim names for a pair of small settlements. Remember that parking is in short supply and towing is always a favoured action of the local constabulary and their restrictive bylaws. 

To bypass the problems with parking I have taken the Elora Cataract Trailway which runs 47 km between Elora and Cataract on the old Credit Valley Railway right of way which was acquired from the CPR in 1993. There are many spots for parking in between the terminal points and you can ride right into the Forks of the Credit Provincial Park from the trail. I had previously rode from Belwood Lake to the park and back with a distance of 58km but it didn't leave much time to explore the park before I was riding back in the dark, soaking wet due to the rain. This time I chose to park in Erin and make the approximately 10km one way journey to allow more time for adventure.

The park is full of trails that lead along the Credit and through the Forks of the Credit, some cutting up from the river to the top of the valley. The beauty of the river valley is incredible, fall colours as of October 10, 2020 are at 80% with a leaf fall of 20%. There is not too much time left to take in the splendor of Fall in this park.

You can check on twitter for the latest parking updates and it doesn't take long to fill the parking lot. "Forks of the Credit Provincial Park @ForksCreditPP October 10,2020 - 9:45am Forks of the Credit is at 100% capacity - no further entry will be permitted. travel safely!"

Blue Mountain and Agora: Path of Light

Our journey to Collingwood also included our traditional stop at the top of Blue Mountain. If we have time we tend to hike down or take the ski lift down to the village, enjoy a tasty meal at one of their restaurants and walk around exploring the village and its attractions. This time we were too late in the day to make it down and back again before the lift closed so we decided to wander the mountain's edge.

Map of Agora: Path of Light

The trails along the edge provide great views down to the town and the Georgian Bay along with some beautiful views of Fall colours as the foiliage gets ready for winter. A short walk later we were at the new Blue Mountain attraction Agora: Path of Light. 

From the Blue Mountain website, "Explore the Sights and Sounds of AGORA. AGORA is an unusual and magical space inspired by the cycles of life in nature. As participants walk this circular path, they will encounter a series of interactive lighting installations based on the five elements of air, space, earth, water and fire. This is a journey of learning where participants can communicate with nature, bringing AGORA to life with the language of light. Please note: mask-use is required on AGORA: Path of Light. This includes the Open-Air Gondola up and down, as well as on the Path itself. Thank you for your cooperation."  For the 2020 season adult tickets are $29 and the nightly shows run from 7:00 pm till 10 or 10:30 pm.

Agora is made up of five lighting installations which represent the five elements air, space, earth, water and fire:  The North Wind (air), The Dream (space), Sabia (earth), Aqua (water) and Hearth (fire). Now we walked it during the later afternoon so the light show is missing, but still it was a pleasant and interesting walk. Aqua is definitely one of the displays that you need to see in the dark, it pulses and flows like a waterfall.

The North Wind

The Dream with orbs and mirrors

Sabia

Aqua

And finally Hearth

Collingwood in the Fall

The drive to Collingwood from the GTA is a Fall wonderland, especially along Airport Road as it winds and rolls on the journey north. The Georgian Bay area is currently at about 70% colour change so it is prime viewing right now.

A ski lift waiting for winter

Wedding photos at the top of the mountain

A waterfall cascades down the mountain

You can visit the lakefront area of Collingwood which has a nice selection of beaches, parks and trails to explore. Our favourite park where we have launched kayaks and enjoyed the facilities is Sunset Point Park and Beach. You can find a big children's playground area with friendly squirrels, washrooms, plenty of paid parking, a big inukshuk and cool stairs down into the water.

Collingwood Terminals Limited grain elevators

Broken windows have added to the problems as it is reported that bird crap is up to two feet thick in the elevators

Millenium Park is along the western edge of the harbour, extending it's finger of land and site of the Collingwood Terminals grain elevators. The stark white structure is definitely one of the town's iconic landmarks which remains in limbo - to be restored or demolished, now that is the $10 million dollar question.

Map of Collingwood Trails

The Hen and Chickens Trail was submerged when we visited

Looking southwards from the edge of the bay you can see the vertical stripes of the many ski hills cut into the side of the escarpment. Blue Mountain Resort being one of the top tourist destinations in the area all year long. Their village is a tourist attraction with several restaurants, stores and other features like outdoor fire pits, the large pond that you can rent a paddle boat or a water trike and amusement rides. You can walk up an down the ski hill, bike the hills, ride the ski lift, or wait for winter and ski down the hills.

If you don't ski, Fall is the best time to visit the area for the scenery and we try to make it at least once a year. Blue Mountain also has the Agora Path of Light experience as well.

BigArtTO in Christie Pits

The big bowl in Toronto known as Christie Pits Park had a number of evening baseball games as well as one of the two current BigArtTO exhibitions. The art exhibition is put on by the City of Toronto as they try to bring back some public culture during these stressful times of Covid, just remember to social distance. These two specific works are being shown October 7-10, 2020 from 7:30pm - 10:30pm, while the program runs from September 16 to December 5. Online//Offline 1 is the one shown in this post and these art installations would be right at home during the annual Nuit Blanche.

Looking down into Christie Pits

AV crews setup the video projection onto the side of the pool building

In Ward 11 (University-Rosedale) is "Online//Offline 1" by Enna Kim showing at the side wall of the Alex Duff Memorial Pool in Christie Pits Park. At the same time in Ward 7 (Humber River - Black Creek) at the Driftwood Community Recreation Centre in North York is "Sunken" by Nikole Hidalgo.

From the City's website, "Experience art illuminated at BigArtTO, a city-wide public art celebration featuring free access to over 200 hours of temporary public artworks projected onto local buildings and landmarks. Created by Toronto artists, the projections will play Wednesday through Saturday in each of Toronto’s 25 wards allowing residents access to artwork without having to leave their neighbourhood."

Rainbow over Toronto

I was on a bike ride adventure in Toronto, so of course it had to rain. Just before the precipitation started the sun peaked in from the west and created a large rainbow over the city.

It got dark awful fast

Salmon run back in the Credit River

Salmon spawn from September to November as the water turns cold with the approaching winter and so we head to Norval and the Credit River. We don't have to walk far along the paths following the river before we see some large fish splashing against the current and the shallows. Soon we see dozens, then hundreds make their way back to where they hatched, fighting hard to make it upstream.  

From the CVC website, "The fall migration, or run, begins as water temperatures cool and water levels increase from post-summer rains. This is typically early September but some fish enter the Credit River as early as mid-August. Most Chinook salmon are 4 years old when they make their one and only spawning run. Spawning males develop a hooked jaw called a “kype” and can be quite aggressive. Fish will also lose their bright silver colour and become very dark, at times turning almost black. The fall migration usually peaks around early October and by the end of the month, most of the fish have spawned and died."

Honda Indy Toronto 2021 dates announced

IndyCar's schedule for 2021 includes the Green Savoree Racing Promotions' Honda Indy Toronto race announced for July 9-11. The temporary street course based in and around Exhibition Place remains in the mid-July time slot. Green Savoree has said that the health and safety of all associated with the events will remain the priority and follow the guidance of medical and government guidance regarding Covid precautions.

“Without great partners like Honda and Firestone as our title sponsors for these events, we wouldn’t be able to showcase world-class NTT INDYCAR SERIES races to our fans,” said Kevin Savoree, co-owner, president and COO of Green Savoree Racing Promotions. “The 2020 season obviously has been a challenge and unprecedented, but we are excited for a great event in three weeks when we return to the streets of St. Petersburg with INDYCAR and a limited number of spectators in attendance.

“We can’t thank our fans enough for their patience and understanding as we’ve navigated this fluid situation around the pandemic,” Savoree continued. “Our team has worked very, very hard to hold as many events as possible this year while keeping the health and safety for all involved as the top priority.”

Here was the announcement about cancelling the 2020 race, "Offical Statement - May 21, 2020: Following the City of Toronto’s decision to cancel major festivals and events by not issuing permits through August 31 due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, INDYCAR announced today that the Honda Indy Toronto has been removed from the Series’ 2020 schedule. The event was originally scheduled to take place July 10-12 at Exhibition Place. We are extremely disappointed, and will miss the incredible fans who have supported us, but the safety of fans, participants, volunteers, staff, partners, and media will always remain our top priority. Green Savoree Toronto remains open to exploring all possibilities moving forward as the global situation continues to evolve."

Here's to a better 2021 and that the events we all know and love can take place again and the coronavirus is defeated.