TO Cityscapes

Toronto Through My Lens

So Long, 88 Isabella Street

September 12, 2025 / / 2 Comments

If I had to assign Toronto apartment buildings a theme song, it would be Queen’s Another One Bites the Dust.

For decades I’ve passed by 88 Isabella Street, a 14-story rental building borne from 1960s architecture. It has always been tidy-looking, well kept and kind of dignified. Built in 1965, 88 Isabella – also known as The Villager – typified a mid-century residential apartment building in the Church-Wellesley neighbourhood. At one point, I remember there being a sign on the building saying Furnished Apartments For Rent. Now – sadly – it is falling victim to another condo mega-tower, this one a 62-story behemoth, consisting of 720 condo units.

The condo developer, Capital Developments, claims they will provide 82 rental units in the new building to replace existing units from the original building. Allegedly, the building proposal includes a Tenant Relocation and Assistance Plan that addresses the right for existing tenants to return to a replacement rental dwelling unit at similar rent and financial compensation to mitigate hardship. I’ll believe that when I see it.

Many former tenants forced from their homes, and people from the neighbouring housing co-op, are registering protest, opposition and argument, as well they should. Researching this post, I’ve been reading about the plights of some “renovicted” tenants of 88 Isabella Street, and my heart goes out to them.

The proposed future look of 88 Isabella Street

I was incredulous when I heard this beautiful older building had been emptied of tenants and demolition work begun. It saddens me greatly to see Isabella Street slowly going the way of nearby Charles Street. Until a few years ago, Charles Street was a quiet, leafy, dignified street with a few older brownstones and walk-up apartments. Now, a walk down Charles Street feels like you’re carving your way through the valley of the super-high rises – it is noisy, overcrowded, packed with people, clogged with cars and devoid of its former character. I fear Isabella Street is heading for the same fate.

This latest travesty also pains me because I used to live on Isabella Street during its heyday, and remember it as a wonderful, calm street on which to live. It’s sad to see Isabella Street now devolving, but I guess that’s urban progress for you (harummffff!!).

Meanwhile, across the street…

Directly across the street from 88 Isabella Street is 81-83 Isabella Street, two joined, beautiful walkup-style apartment buildings, known as The Merlan:

Unbelievably, these two charming buildings are also destined for demolition, being replaced by a 69-storey condo tower.

The Merlan is a three-storey, U-shaped Edwardian Revival apartment constructed in 1927, containing 48 rental units in one-bedroom configurations. Designed by architect Norman Alexander Armstrong, The Merlan stands as an example of Toronto’s second apartment building boom. The Edwardian Revival structure originally offered 49 units across its distinctive U-shaped layout, with twin entrances anchoring each wing. Recognized for its heritage value, the building was added to the City’s Heritage Register in December, 2024.

The heritage facade of The Merlan would be integrated into the new build, according to a planning report that went to the City in early June. The new design features a two-to-three-storey base reconstructing The Merlan’s heritage facades along Isabella Street. The new condo will be topped by a ten-storey podium and a stepped tower volume.

The project proposes 647 residential units, including 48 replacement rental suites replicating the one-bedroom format of the existing apartments.

But wait, it gets worse…

In November 2023 Capital Developments received approval for a 69-storey building at 90-94 Isabella Street. Additionally, 135 Isabella is slated for a 69-storey tower, which the developer KingSett Capital proposed in June 2023.

Isabella Street is going to be a very different street within the next few years…

The Toronto Peace Garden & The Toronto Spirit Garden

September 11, 2025 / / 1 Comment

Nestled in the west section of Nathan Phillips Square near City Hall are two significant Toronto memorials: The Toronto Peace Garden and The Toronto Spirit Garden.

The Toronto Peace Garden

At the height of the Cold War, when fears of nuclear war were breaking out between the former Soviet Union and the west, the City of Toronto declared itself a nuclear weapon-free zone. To that end, the City created a Peace Garden which was dedicated by Pope John Paul II in Nathan Phillips Square in 1984. The Peace Garden measured 1800 square-feet, costing $540,000 to build in 1984.

The original Peace Garden location (under fountain arches), 1984
Photo: City of Toronto Archives

From 2010 to 2016, the Peace Garden was closed during renovations of Nathan Phillips Square. On August 7th, 2010 the Peace Garden was decommissioned and moved from its previous location near the doors of Toronto City Hall to its current location, the west side of Nathan Phillips Square.

The current 6,500 square-foot garden consists of a pavilion, a fountain, and surrounding plantings. The site’s gazebo is a stone-clad cube with arched openings on all sides, capped with a pitched roof. One corner of the structure’s corner is deconstructed to signify conflict and the fragility of civilization.

The fountain’s pool encroaches into the gazebo’s removed corner, with an eternal flame placed in the water so that it appears to support the pavilion structure, symbolizing hope and regeneration.

The Toronto Spirit Garden

As you walk along the Peace Garden, it seamlessly morphs into the Toronto Spirit Garden. The Spirit Garden is a 20,650 square-foot Indigenous cultural space that provides teaching, learning, sharing and healing experiences for the
Indigenous community of Toronto, the City’s diverse citizens, newcomers and visitors.

The design of the Spirit Garden revolves around Turtle Island, and offers dedicated places for contemplation, celebration, and ceremonies – open, inclusive and welcoming to all.

The project responds in part to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada Call to Action 82, for government to commission and install a Residential Schools Monument in each capital city to honour residential school survivors, and all the children lost to their families and communities. 

Teaching Lodge

This unusual-looking building is the Teaching Lodge. The Teaching Lodge is a pre-formed laminated Ash wood structural frame enclosed with a white cedar tongue and groove exterior enclosure and sheathing. Operable skylights provide ventilation, and the space is secured with doors located at the east and west entrances to the lodge. The interior features built-in seating for approximately 60 people.

The Lodge reinforces the importance of family, represents life’s journey and serves as a spiritual home for all First Nations peoples.

Three Sisters

Artwork is etched onto Muntz metal panels depicting the symbiotic relationship that exists between corn, beans and squash, and the shared values associated with stewardship of the land and planning for the seventh generation. The story is a model for “how to be a woman in the world”. Women are teachers, life givers and support each other, they work with the ground (Earth).

Spirit Canoe

The Spirit Canoe is a 36-foot-long stainless-steel sculpture with laser-cut artwork and painted infill panels. The canoe is a tribute to the Métis Voyageur tradition, representing resilience, collaboration and the connection of the Métis people to land and waterways.

Turtle Sculpture

At the heart of the Spirit Garden stands a six-foot-tall limestone turtle sculpture, composed of 10 individual pieces and weighing approximately 10 tonnes. Positioned within a reflecting pool and aligned with Magnetic North, the turtle represents Turtle Island – Mother Earth – embodying First Nations creation stories.

The names of 18 residential schools that once operated in Ontario are displayed in stainless steel lettering on the pool’s north wall:

Inuksuk

The Inuksuk is a traditional stone landmark, standing five-feet-tall and stacked in the Spirit Garden on a raised plinth. It serves as a cultural marker and symbol of guidance for Inuit peoples, representing safety and reassurance on the land.

Text References
City of Toronto
Toronto Council Fire Native Cultural Centre

The Reborn Palm House at Allan Gardens

September 7, 2025 / / 3 Comments

The iconic Palm House at the Allan Gardens Conservatory has reopened after a lengthy closure. The Palm House was having some vital restoration work done to preserve the structure’s architectural heritage. Updates on the Palm House included window glazing, glass cladding replacement and modernization of the ventilation and air quality systems.

Some retro-inspired shots of the Palm House and area

Construction began in October 2022 on the historic conservatory building, one of Toronto’s oldest attractions. The Palm House, designed by City of Toronto architect Robert McCallum, opened in 1910 and is the third horticultural pavilion on site. The iconic dome is 12 metres high and has 16 sides. It’s large enough to showcase some of the building’s tallest plants.

The renovation project was a collaborative undertaking between the City’s Parks, Forestry & Recreation department and Zeidler Architecture along with AREA heritage architects. The conservatory’s greenhouses remained open during renovation, with the Palm House’s plant collection temporarily moved offsite.

Inside the Rejuvenated Palm House

The recent renovations ensure that the distinct architectural language of the site is preserved for generations to come.

Jarvis, The Robot Barista

September 3, 2025 / / 1 Comment

On the second floor of the Muji store in the Atrium on Bay (20 Dundas Street West), there Is a curious-looking bit of automation sitting on their coffee bar. Introducing Jarvis, the robot barista.

Installed in spring of 2024, the automated coffee maker whips up your beverage order using two robotic arms; steaming milk, pulling espresso shots and even creating espresso art, just like a human barista.

The entire process is automated. I had read about this robot barista and wanted to give the thing a try. To kick things off, I stepped up to the Artly ordering system on the counter and placed my order on the screen for an Iced Chocolate Milk (alternatively, Artly has a smartphone app where your order can be placed):

The screen then stated how long the process was going to take, and prompted me to stand by. Suddenly Jarvis came to life and started concocting my order for an Iced Chocolate Milk. Here’s how it all went down:

After delivering the drink to my highlighted delivery point on the counter, Jarvis stopped and said he couldn’t continue as he required human intervention to top up his supply of cream and milk… OK, so the whole thing is almost automated. Human intervention arrived in the form of the fellow below, which kept Jarvis happy for the rest of the beverage orders.

The whole process is quite fascinating, even amusing. As he works, Jarvis is very exacting and slow-moving so I don’t think humanoid baristas will have to worry too much about job security. As I watched Jarvis’s robotic, precise, methodical drink-making process, I was thinking it would be absolutely hilarious if the thing suddenly went totally berserk, flinging latte and chocolate all over the place with wild abandon. So much for automation.

The coffee company behind these robotic baristas is Artly Coffee. They are a coffee brand known for integrating advanced technology with the coffee-making process. They utilize AI-powered robotic baristas to prepare and serve coffee, aiming to offer a consistent and high-quality coffee experience. Artly Coffee claims they are part of a growing trend of using automation and technology in the food and beverage industry to enhance service quality and customer experience.

There is also a robot barista in the Vancouver Muji store on Robson Street. By all accounts Jarvis is a big hit on the west coast as well.

We’ll see how long Jarvis rides the current wave of automated coffee machines. I’ve noticed a couple of the automated robots from RC Coffee are now gone from downtown Toronto, so we’ll just have to wait and see if Artly endures.

Sally, The White Elephant

August 31, 2025 / / 3 Comments

On the front lawn of a house located at 77 Yarmouth Road in the Christie Street-Dupont Street area, there sits a life-sized white elephant sculpture. Why, you might ask?

The sculpture was created in 1999 by Matt Donovan as part of his student thesis project at Ontario College of Art and Design. The sculpture has a fibreglass and chicken wire body, coated with spray foam over a plywood skeleton. The pachyderm, named Sally (for reasons unknown), stands nine and a half feet tall. Apparently the sculpture originally included a bronze red herring and a flock of life-size concrete black sheep.

In 2003, Sally was given to James Lawson, a friend of Matt Donovan. Thereafter, Sally was placed in front of Lawson’s home, where she has been standing for the past two decades:

Graffiti Alley West

August 28, 2025 / / 3 Comments

Many people are familiar with Graffiti Alley in the Queen Street West area, near Spadina Avenue. In recent years a second Graffiti Alley has sprung up, this one a little further west from the original. Graffiti Alley West is one block south of Queen Street West like the original, but instead runs between Niagara Street and Tecumseth Street, further west in the city.

I had heard about Graffiti Alley West, and decided I’d like to check it out. It turned out to be a little more rough and ready than Graffiti Alley, less polished and very “downtown back alley”, on the verge of being sketchy. There was some great art there, nevertheless:

Click here to see the entire photo gallery for this location

AND…

Click here to view my photo gallery of the original Graffiti Alley

Toronto Chinatown Festival 2025

August 24, 2025 / / 2 Comments

It just wouldn’t be summer in Toronto without the street festivals. Pretty much any weekend from June to September there is a festival happening in the city, sometimes two or three events on the same weekend.

The Toronto Chinatown Festival is an annual tradition recently celebrated on Spadina Avenue between Sullivan Street and St. Andrew Street. This year, the Toronto Chinatown Festival  celebrated its 25th anniversary, with an abundance of multi-cultural street food, cultural performances and the occasional dragon dance.

I’ve always loved the Chinatown Festival – it’s such a joyous celebration of sound, food, music, colour and cultural diversity in our city:

I didn’t catch her name, but this singer had an amazingly delicate, yet powerful, voice:

This mannequin in the red jumpsuit was kind of freaky…
The CN Tower looms over the Chinatown dragons. These Spadina Avenue dragons form a gateway to Toronto’s Chinatown neighbourhood. They were designed to form the Mandarin character for “gate”.
Waiting for the call, literally: This lady was waiting backstage for her queue to go on. What else to do but check one’s Instagram feed, I guess?
Click here if you’d like to view all my shots of the Toronto Chinatown Festival

Conrad The Raccoon

July 30, 2025 / / 0 Comments

At 819 Yonge Street, just south of the Church and Yonge Street intersection, you will find a Heritage Toronto plaque for Conrad The Raccoon.

Who is Conrad The Raccoon you may ask? Well, ten years ago, this dead raccoon on a downtown Toronto street sparked an impromptu sidewalk shrine. Passersby laid flowers, candles and cigarettes around the critter.

Conrad went viral in 2015 after his remains laid on the sidewalk at the corner of Yonge and Church streets for nearly 14 hours following a social media post reporting the dead animal to the city:

Now, 10 years later, Heritage Toronto has erected a memorial plaque at the site in honour of Conrad. Apparently a little statue with life-size raccoon prints will be added to the plaque site at a later date:

Condolences For Conrad

Heritage Toronto actually has a Condolences for Conrad page! Check it out here or scan the QR code below:

The CityPulse Newsclip

I mean, really, Toronto and raccoons just somehow go together…

The Garden of Lost Boys

July 28, 2025 / / 2 Comments

For a couple of years now I’ve passed by this beautiful site but never stopped to look closer – my loss, until now. I first discovered The Garden of Lost Boys last winter but wanted to wait until it was in summer’s full bloom.

Set in a once-ragged, unappealing little chunk of land at the intersection of Church Street and Alexander Street, the patch of land has become beautifully transformed by local artist and resident Luke Plourde.

After doing a bit of research I found the following article in The Bridge Community News, written by Ayah Victoria McKhail, September 6, 2024. I’m posting it here in its entirety as it’s a beautifully written article that expresses the spirit of the Garden. Luke conveys many of the same sentiments as me regarding how it felt in our community during the harrowing early years of AIDS.

The Garden of Lost Boys

Nestled in the heart of the vil­lage at Church and Alexander Streets, a blooming garden beckons passersby. It’s a poign­ant memorial commemorating those who lost their lives during the AIDS epidemic of the 1980s and ’90s.

Luke Plourde, an artist who lives nearby, started it. “This garden brings an awareness and a reminder of what happened here, especially in our neigh­bourhood; the epicentre of the epidemic in the city, and lifts it into beauty. Each plant repre­sents a life taken: friends, part­ners, and brothers. It’s a place of reflection and remembrance.”

Plourde was inspired to create the memorial in the spring of 2020. “The Covid-19 pandemic was just under way, and I want­ed to do something positive in a very negative time.”

He set his sights on a barren weed lot at 445 Church St, ad­jacent to the Maple Leaf Con­venience Mart, where Salon One is atop. Plourde approached the property owner about transforming the space and he agreed, if Plourde would cover the costs. (The land is on the lease of Salon One).

“I worked for three weeks in a heat wave just to pull out all the weeds and old grass to make a new canvas upon which to paint the garden.”

This spring, the Church-Welles­ley Village Business Improve­ment Area began financially supporting the garden. Adam Wynne, then the interim direc­tor (soon to be named events di­rector or coordinator), played a pivotal role.

BIA funding is facilitating re­pairs and expansion of the gar­den-related infrastructure (night lighting, etc.), and some garden maintenance (mostly corralling trumpet vines). Wynne also ar­ranged for the property owner to formally support the garden.

The garden awakens in ear­ly spring with bulbs and early blooming plants, and lasts into November. Plourde continues to cover the cost of the plants and add statuary such as a large angel statue that’s now a focal point. He tends to the garden nearly every day: weeding, wa­tering, planting and pruning. A living organism, it’s constantly evolving.

“To me, a garden is a work of art that’s always in progress. Each year, I add things, such as perennials and statuary. It’s a typical English cottage garden in that different perennials are blooming all the time. Like peo­ple’s lives; the young taking the place of the old.”

Plourde named the garden af­ter J.M. Barrie’s 1904 play, Pe­ter Pan, in which lost boys are characters. “It was always said that gay men had a Peter Pan syndrome and refused to grow up. So many of these boys never got the chance; they were taken so young.

“The plague came just as our community was full of joy and hope, as we were gaining in human rights. The epidemic washed all of that away.”

In the 1980s, one of Plourde’s friends was the first victim of AIDS in Toronto, followed by many more until practically everyone he knew had passed away or was dying. “It was such a horrendous time with young men dying daily. Those of us who lived through those terrify­ing times were scarred by them forever. We lived in fear that we would be next.”

A survivor, Plourde has been dedicating his life to sharing the story. “There are generations now who have no connection to that time, suffered no loss and were mere children at the time. Many have no emotional con­nection to it.”

The garden is changing that. “At Pride, I allowed young people to wander inside; some openly wept … One day, I’ll be gone and I hope someone will take my place.”

Sydney MacLellan, a CWV­BIA board member, and the president and co-owner of the Whiskful Thinking bakery, seeks to raise awareness about the garden, particularly among newcomers to the neighbour­hood. The BIA is acquiring a plaque for the garden, he says.

“The garden represents Luke’s sincere advocacy for the remembrance of those who lost their lives to AIDS. The garden can be seen as the community coming together to find sincere solace and celebration of life.”

Julissa Penate, a community worker at the 519 Community Centre who lives in the neigh­bourhood, thinks a plaque is a good idea. “The garden is meaningful and inspiring. It’s so colourful and pretty.”

Last September, Plourde re­ceived a Community Builder Award from Ward 13 (Toronto Centre) City Councillor Chris Moise. The following month, the Toronto Garden Society awarded him first prize from 400 entries, for his transfor­mation of a derelict space into something beautiful. Plourde was given a certificate and tro­phy.

Water’s Edge Promenade

July 22, 2025 / / 1 Comment

The Water’s Edge Promenade stretches from Sugar Beach near the foot of Jarvis Street, past Sherbourne Common, ending at the foot of Parliament Street – for now. There are future plans to keep extending Water’s Edge Promenade further along the eastern waterfront.

On the way to Water’s Edge Promenade: Passing the Redpath Sugar Factory at 95 Queen’s Quay East
Sugar Beach, at the western end of the Water’s Edge Promenade

The Water’s Edge Promenade was a Waterfront Toronto initiative, envisioned by West 8 (an award-winning international office for urban design and landscape architecture) and DTAH (a landscape architecture and urban design company) as the “Green Foot” of the city at the edge of Lake Ontario.

Silva cells provide adequate soil volume for healthy tree growth of the double row of fall colouring maple cultivars, and rainwater is captured to water the trees as a passive irrigation system. The trees were selected a year ahead of planting, and were hand-picked individually at various local nurseries, as a cautionary measure due to the high profile nature of the project, and the significant quantity of trees required for the area (including for the adjacent Sugar Beach).

The granite cobblestone “maple leaf” promenade was constructed with skilled Irish stonemasons who were brought over to teach local contractors this special technique. The project is also part of the East Bayfront District’s comprehensive stormwater management plan, which includes a future wood boardwalk over a forebay system to treat stormwater runoff as part of the ‘treatment train’ approach employed.1

Condos… lots of ’em

Almost as noticeable as Lake Ontario are the condo developments on, and near, the Water’s Edge Promenade:

Looking north from Water’s Edge Promenade: a sea of construction cranes

I must say that the most striking building I observed on this walk was the Aqualuna Condos, located at 155 Merchants’ Wharf. This building was absolutely stunning and I was fascinated by its colour, form and architecture. Its opulent design was created by Danish architects 3XN, and apparently the building features first class amenities. I shudder to think what a unit here would cost.

The Water’s Edge Promenade is considered one of Canada’s Best Landscape Architecture Projects. It’s so nice to see our long-neglected waterfront coming to life and becoming a welcoming destination within the city.

1 Sprucelab

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