As many know, Jimmy’s Coffee is a Toronto coffee shop. There are currently 9 locations in the city, most situated in hip and young neighbourhoods. While neither young nor hip, I’ve been to a few of the locations and found they have a unique interior decor and feel. The Jimmy’s at 84 Gerrard Street West, though, has the other locations beat – it has Jimmy Mount Rushmore!
In the fashion of the real Mount Rushmore, here we have Jimi Hendrix, Jimmy Page, Jimmy Buffett and Jim Morrison:
The mural was commissioned by Jimmy’s Coffee and completed in the summer of 2014. It measures 26 by 12 feet (approximately 312 sq. ft.). The brilliant artist who created this mural is Christiano De Araujo. Christiano is a self-taught artist born in Anápolis, Goiás, Brazil, but now living in Toronto. He is the founder of Toronto Artists Studio, a studio of visual artists, painters, digital artists and sculptors who design and produce murals and visual communication projects for audiences on a small and grand scale.
U.V. Ceti is an abstract sculpture by Andrew Posa, a Hungarian-Canadian sculptor. The piece was established at 30 Wellington Street East in 1992.
This large bronze sculpture sits on a base in the centre of a fountain. The sculpture looks like an asymmetrical V, with its arms spreading out to the sides and upward. Resting at the joint, in the centre of the V, is a large round ball. The V form looks like it is a cross-section of something larger. The front and back surfaces are smooth and slightly concave while the top and bottom of the V are rough with the look of earth. The sphere in the centre of the V looks as if it is a planet or asteroid that has crashed and formed a crater in the V.
U. V. Ceti by Andrew Posa Dedicated to Edward Isaac Richmond Architect 1908 – 1982 A kind man who shared his love of beauty
dedication plaque, attached to the base
Just in case you were wondering what a U. V. Ceti is:
Our galaxy is filled with billions of red dwarf stars, all of which are too dim to see with the naked eye. Lying at the faint, red end of the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram, their small masses — a few tenths that of the Sun — make them much cooler and dimmer than our own Sun. In fact, few of these stars have been detected beyond a dozen or so parsecs of our solar system. However, some of these stars belong to the spectacular class of variables known as the flare stars or the UV Ceti variables. At irregular and unpredictable intervals, they can dramatically increase in brightness over a broad wavelength range from X-rays to radio waves for anywhere from a few minutes to a few hours. The fact that such small, unassuming stars can suddenly undergo incredibly energetic events make the flare stars one of the more intriguing targets for variable star observers.1
For today’s post, let’s take a little trip to the east end of the city.
The R.C. Harris Water Treatment Plant is an absolute masterpiece of Art Deco, located on the shore of Lake Ontario at 2701 Queen Street East in Toronto. The plant was designed in 1929 and built from 1932 to 1937. It opened in 1941 and was later expanded from 1955 to 1958. The plant is named after Roland Caldwell Harris, who was the Commissioner of Works from 1912 until his death in 1945.
The R.C. Harris Filtration Plant 2701 Queen Street East, Toronto
The structure looks like a museum, but is actually a water treatment plant. Surprisingly, the inside of the building is similarly elegant, with cavernous halls and marble passages, all full of filtration equipment. This opulence has earned the building the nickname “Palace of Purification.”
There are three buildings comprising the plant: the Filter Building, the Service Building and the Pumping Station. Together they represent the largest example of Art Deco in the entire city. The use of marble, bronze and carved limestone is prevalent throughout and typical of the Art Deco architectural style.
Signal Pylon in Rotunda, Filter Building The signal pylon indicates time and filter backwash conditions
Signal Pylon in Rotunda, Filter Building The signal pylon indicates time and filter backwash conditionsFilter Operating Galleries, Filter Building Each gallery is over 110m long and provides access to 20 filtersControls in Filter Operating Galleries, Filter BuildingFountain Outside Filter BuildingFilter Building
The Service Building
The Pumping Station
Pumping StationHigh-Lift Room, Pumping StationHigh-Lift Room, Pumping Station This signal panel indicates which pumps are operatingPumping Station & Filter Building
The water treatment plant is the largest one in Toronto. It produces 30% of Toronto’s drinking water and can potentially produce 950 million litres daily.
The R. C. Harris Water Treatment Plant has been used in dozens of films and television series as a prison, clinic or headquarters.
Lake Ontario Beside The PlantThe R.C. Harris Water Treatment Plant 2701 Queen Street East, Toronto
These unusual looking creatures outside Metro Hall on Wellington Street West were created by Toronto artist Cynthia Short. Completed in 1992, Remembered Sustenance contains 19 bronze sculptures in total.
The inspiration for Remembered Sustenance is drawn from the location of the sculpture’s site. Adjacent to the outdoor Metro Hall daycare playground, the work has been created to convey the sense of playfulness and whimsy associated with children’s stories and games. This group of bronze, non-specific cartoonish animals appear to be migrating across the lawn, towards, then away from a curtain drawn by two birds (at left in shot below). Below the curtain, a plate set in the ground holds a negative impression of the shape of a small ballerina that might be found in a child’s music box (this might have been visible in the shots if there hadn’t been so much junk on the ground that day!).
The various elements found in the artwork represent the remembered experiences of childhood that the artist suggests can sustain us throughout our lives. Open and abundant with possibility of meaning, it is the artist’s stated intention that the work should most of all be enjoyed by children.
Cynthia Short is an artist working in Toronto. For the past several years she has been working on small sculptures using materials such as wax, soil, and paper mache. She remarks: I try to make things that have a quality of something remembered or recognized. I hope that my images grow from a place that we all have inside.
Located at 524 Front Street West over the busiest railway corridor in Canada, the Puente de Luz is a sculptural pedestrian bridge and the largest public art installation in Canada. The name Puente de Luz, or Bridge of Light, was chosen to signify the link between North and South and the connection between the two countries that came together to build it – Canada and Chile.
The Puente de Luz was designed by Chilean sculptor Francisco Gazitua with structural engineer Peter Sheffield. Located in the Concord CityPlace neighbourhood, the bridge carries pedestrians and cyclists from the western portion of CityPlace to Front Street West just between Spadina and Bathurst.
The $8 Million bridge was completed in 2011. It was built as required by the City of Toronto for developer Concord Adex to create inter-connectivity with surrounding neighbourhoods.
Entrance on Front Street WestBridge exit on to Iceboat Terrace
It was a crisp fall day when I started my Avenue Road photowalk at Bloor Street West. I made my way up Avenue Road, reached Dupont Street, then returned south until I hit University Avenue and Dundas Street West. Here’s a little of what I encountered along the way.
The Prince Arthur Condo 38 Avenue RoadThe Prince Arthur Condo, 38 Avenue Road I’ve always loved this entryway – so elegant, dramaticNew Condo Construction: 183 Avenue Road Construction on the northeast corner of Avenue Road and Pears Avenue in Yorkville. This is a proposed 10-storey mixed-use condominium building designed by BBB Architects for K P Isberg.Hazelton Lanes Residences 55A Avenue RoadGalerie de Bellefeuille 87 Avenue RoadFuture Site of “The Webley” 121 Avenue RoadBike Memorial For Adam Excell On the corner of Avenue Road and Davenport Road. Adam Excell was riding his bike on Avenue Road, near Davenport Road on June 13, 2015, when he was struck and killed by a car that did not remain at the scene.David Drebin Mural On the northwest corner of Avenue Road and Davenport Road. David Drebin is a Toronto-born professional photographer.David Drebin Mural & “Super Convenience” Northwest corner of Davenport Road and Avenue RoadThe Hare Krishna Temple The Hare Krishna Temple is located at 243 Avenue Road. The building is the former home of Avenue Road Church. It was built in 1899 and was originally the Presbyterian Church of the Covenant. The building was designed by Toronto architects Gordon & Helliwell.The Church of the Messiah 240 Avenue Road. This Anglican church was founded on March 24, 1891 by members of the Church of the Redeemer further south on Avenue Road. The building, and the rectory next door, were designed by Gordon & Helliwell, the same architects who designed what is now the Hare Krishna Temple across the street.Fall Leaves Somewhere on Avenue RoadMural Outside Havana Coffee Bar 233 Davenport Road, southwest corner of Davenport Road and Avenue RoadFlower Markets Avenue Road, south of DavenportGiant Ring Outside Louro & Sons Jewellers, 104 Avenue Road“Mixer” These cast bronze figures are entitled “Mixer” by sculptor An Te Liu, a Taiwanese-Canadian artist living and working in Toronto. “Mixer” envisions its installation as a stage inhabited by a pair of cast bronze figures engaged in dialogue with passersby, hotel visitors, and each other. Bold and distinctive in silhouette and richly finished in a lustrous deep gold patina, the sculptural ensemble forms a vivid and iconic tableau establishing the Park Hyatt as a singular destination. As a public artwork, “Mixer” is monumental in scale – visible from afar and instantly recognizable. Open and intimate, the work invites visitors to experience the artwork fully and in the round. People become a critical part of the scenography, which unfolds within the architectural proscenium and extends out into the city.
“Mixer” finds shape and expression in the rich history of Park Hyatt Toronto, merging classical figurative allusions with industrial, artisanal, and organic forms culled from glassware, vessels, and couture. The forms also stem from a reinterpretation of the artistic legacy of Henry Moore, a seminal figure in the history of the modern era in Toronto. “Mixer” captures the allure of social encounters and celebrates imbibing in all the senses. They form a continuity between the illustrious past of Park Hyatt Toronto and its present renaissance as an exemplar of elegance and luxury. An Te Liu’s inspiration for this work comes more specifically from an archival photograph of the Park Hyatt Rooftop Lounge, commonly known as “The Rooftop bar at Park Plaza,” years ago. An Te Liu would visit during his years as a student at the University of Toronto – understanding its’ social significance as a landmark in the city. Park Hyatt Toronto invites visitors to experience the artwork in the round, as this ensemble of works seems like an encounter or conversation. The hotel program inspired this meaningful concept as a place of social convergence, where friends and strangers crossLillian Massey Building Building used by University of Toronto, 125 Queen’s Park“Freedom Fighters” Queen’s Park“Freedom Fighters” Queen’s ParkFall Leaves Queen’s ParkAl Purdy Statue, Queens’ Park Al Purdy was a 20th-century Canadian free verse poet. Purdy’s writing career spanned 56 years. His works include 39 books of poetry; a novel; two volumes of memoirs and four books of correspondence, in addition to his posthumous works. He has been called the nation’s “unofficial poet laureate” and “a national poet in a way that you only find occasionally in the life of a culture.”Iranian Demonstration There was an Iranian demonstration happening that day at Queen’s Park, and this guy was ripping up and down Queen’s Park and University Avenue with his balloons and flagU of T’s Schwartz Reisman Innovation Centre 112 College Street, at University Avenue“Happy Lunar New Year” Canada Post box at University Avenue and Dundas Street WestThe United Building 481 University Avenue. On the corner of University Avenue and Edward Street. Converting into luxury condos.The United Building 481 University Avenue. On the corner of University Avenue and Edward Street. Converting into luxury condos.
This is the first instalment of a series of posts I call From The Vaults. These are shots of Toronto’s architecture I’ve taken many years ago on film, prior to making the move to digital photography. I’ve been scanning my old film prints to digital lately, so eventually there will be a few more instalments of From the Vaults to post and enjoy.
Today’s Post
For my first From The Vaults post I’m covering the demolition of the CBC Radio/TV Studios and broadcast tower at 345 Jarvis Street. Occurring in 2002, the demolition made way for the construction of the dual-tower Radio City condo project and Canada’s National Ballet School.
After the Jarvis Street transmitter was made redundant by the CN Tower, the CBC continued to use these Jarvis Street studio facilities until moving to the Canadian Broadcasting Centre at 250 Front Street West in 1992.
The adjacent studio complex facing Jarvis Street (now the Ballet School’s Margaret McCain Academic Building) was used for CBC Toronto’s radio and television operations. Prior to CBC doing extensive renovation when they first acquired the property, this building was the original Havergal Ladies’ College, built in 1898. Later, the building became known as the CBC Radio building.
February 2002 Our city view prior to the Radio City towers going up. Note the brown studio building (far right) slowly being demolished floor by floor.
February 2002 Demolition continues on the main studio building, just behind the tower’s left side
May 2002 A few months later the studios are almost a hollow shell
May 2002 The studio building continues to shrink…
July 2002 … and shrink some more
August 2002 The site is almost totally demolished. Just one building remains, lower left of frame, and the broadcast tower still stands… for the moment.
Demolition Starts on the Broadcast Tower
The old CBC broadcast tower was a mass of approximately 1,000 iron girders held together with 10,000 bolts. The tower rose from a base of 63 square feet located between the old Havergal Ladies College – which CBC bought for about $120,000 in 1944-45 – and historic Northfield House built in 1856 on Jarvis Street north of Carlton. The tower was painted red and white as a warning for low-flying aircraft.
The 540-foot freestanding lattice-style tower was built in 1952 to provide radio transmission facilities to the city of Toronto. It was the second tallest freestanding structure in Canada for several years and the second tallest freestanding lattice tower ever built in Canada after the Cambridge Bay LORAN Tower. In addition it was the tallest structure in Toronto for 15 years until the completion of the TD Tower in 1967.
Transmitting from the tower were CBC stations CBL-FM, CBLT and CBLFT, as well as CJRT and CICA-TV. In 1976 almost all broadcast signals in Toronto moved to the CN Tower, making the Jarvis Street broadcast tower redundant.
Early August 2002 Demolition starts on the broadcast tower. As I was watching this years ago I remember wondering if the guy swinging around on that precarious basket/platform was receiving danger pay.
Early August 2002 Demolition continues on the broadcast tower
Early August 2002 The very top section and antenna were dismantled and lifted down by crane
Early August 2002 Removal of the top section continues. It’s hard to see in the shot, but there are two workers clinging to the very top of the tower (right side) as the top segments are lifted away by the crane.
Bring on the Destruction!
Time For the Tower To Go: August 24, 2002
I took these shots as the tower started to fall after the explosives detonated at the base. Luckily I had a power winder going full blast on my film camera at the time, so it just kept snapping away automatically as the structure fell.
Going… The tower starts to lean after the first explosives go off at the base
Going… The descent continues
Going… Almost down
GONE! She’s dead, Jim. Nothing left but a cloud of dust and some mangled pieces of iron.
I have several photos of the Radio City condos and National Ballet School being built on this location – stay tuned for future posts of those.
If you’d like to learn a little more about the CBC demolition and subsequent building of Radio City and Canada’s National Ballet School on this site, check out these links:
This piece, entitled The Ascent, is located outside Starbucks at 1121 Bay Street, corner of Bay and Charles Streets. Designed by Toronto husband and wife team Paul Kipps and Colette Whitens, it features nine female silhouettes climbing upward.
A bit of trivia: this Starbucks location is the former site of the famed, but long-gone, restaurant La Scala.
This sculpture is located in front of the Penrose condos at 750 Bay Street. As part of this condo’s development in 1999, this waterfall-inspired artwork by Catherine Widgery was installed. Liquid Echo was commissioned by H and R Developments as part of the program of integration of art and architecture for the City of Toronto.
The entire plaza in which the sculpture sits is over 100 feet long by about 33 feet wide and was designed as part of the work. The vent shafts to underground parking across the front of the site, that would have been massive concrete planters in the original plans, were razed and replaced with circular openings that house the supporting structure for the twenty-four spiral cut columns that turn to create the impression of a water fall.
All the language of the elements in this work is a translation of the experience of nature. My goal is to find a language and materials appropriate for the urban environment. Large boulders were cut and reassembled along the grid of the pavers to be seating in the warm weather. Inlaid into the pavers are sections of circles made from stainless steel to suggest the way light bounces off of water that has been disturbed. Small groves of honey locusts (on platforms to minimize the massive planters necessary for this site) frame the space and the stairs provide additional seating.
This is such a lovely part of the city. I love how they fixed up that square and the fountain…