Month: November 2024

Chester Hill Lookout

November 25, 2024 / Marvin Job / 2 Comments

blogTO calls the Chester Hill Lookout “Toronto’s secret observation deck” and, after visiting the location, I would have to agree with them.

Sitting at the end of a quiet residential road off Broadview Avenue, the Lookout is a semi-circular concrete observation deck jutting out at the end of a cul-de-sac on Chester Hill Road:

The Lookout offers a view that spans west across the city, with the Don Valley and the whizzing of cars on the highway below, Evergreen Brick Works sit beyond the trees to the right and the towering financial buildings to the left.

Finding the Lookout

From the Danforth, walking a few minutes north on Broadview Avenue will bring you to Chester Hill Road:

Chester Hill Road is a very quiet, upscale neighbourhood with some beautiful homes:

At the end of the block you will encounter a cul-de-sac:

The Lookout is just behind the trees/roadblock. These trees are an experiment to see if they will reduce speeding issues on the street.

Painted on the pavement of the roundabout is an astrology wheel. This chalk-work is by local artist Victor Fraser, a sidewalk artist and poet based in Toronto. He has been painting paved surfaces for the past 20 years, and has painted in six different countries. The wheel was repainted in October 2022.

Stepping to the edge of the roundabout yields an incredible urban view:

The Chester Hill Lookout was built in the late 1950’s for the construction of the Don Valley Parkway. Chester Hill Road was shortened to create the Lookout and the hillside down to the DVP. The land over the edge of the Lookout down to the DVP is owned by the Toronto Regional Conservation Authority, but leased by the City of Toronto.

Residents of Chester Hill Road report a downside to the location, though. There have been many negative issues occurring lately including speeding, drug use and dealing, impaired driving, garbage, vandalism, late night noise/partying and parking violations.

On a happier note, while the Lookout is beautiful at any time of the day, sunset and nighttime offer the most spectacular experiences. As the sun sets, the sky takes on hues of orange and purple with the city’s lights twinkling below. At night, the Luminous Veil of the Prince Edward Viaduct adds a purple touch to the view. I’m planning a revisit to the site next spring to capture some of this.

Al Green Sculpture Park

November 20, 2024 / Marvin Job / 4 Comments

The Al Green Sculpture Park runs between Davisville Avenue and Balliol Street in mid-town.

Abraham (Al) Green (1925-2016) was an entrepreneur, sculptor, philanthropist and Order of Canada recipient. He believed that anyone with the desire to sculpt, regardless of prior experience, should have a welcoming, inclusive, accessible environment in which to learn and develop their skills. Al Green was also a project developer in Toronto and responsible for the construction of apartment buildings in the Davisville area.

This is the entrance to the Sculpture Park off Balliol Street. Contrary to the sign, it is actually named “The Al Green Sculpture Park”, not “Garden”:

**“Homage to a Higher Power”**
By Abraham (Al) Green

**“Touching Heaven”**
By Abraham (Al) Green

**“Leaning Torso”**
By Abraham (Al) Green

**“People Helping People”**
By Abraham (Al) Green

**“The Guitarist”**
By Abraham (Al) Green

**“Square Spiral”**
By Abraham (Al) Green

Post-Halloween Walk Through Cabbagetown

November 17, 2024 / Marvin Job / 1 Comment

A few days after Halloween I took a walk through Cabbagetown on a beautiful, crisp fall day. The houses and streets were a weird and eclectic mix of post-Halloween gore, front yard kitsch, Autumn colours and falling leaves:

Wellesley Avenue

Wellesley Park

Kitty trapped on rooftop

On the northeast corner of Parliament and Carlton Streets

Mural on southeast corner of Parliament and Carlton Streets

A Little Spin Around Downtown

November 15, 2024 / Marvin Job / 1 Comment

I took a little walk around the York Street-Bremner Blvd. area one sunny Sunday last month, randomly shooting the city as it went about its business. I had to curtail my walk, though, as there were masses of people heading to the Rogers Centre for a Blue Jays game and things were getting more than a little crowded. Regardless, I grabbed a few random shots before leaving the area.

This guy was having a great time with his karaoke machine, serenading pedestrians from atop the underground parking stairway at the intersection of York Street and University Avenue. I guess I’d call this “elevated busking”:

This retired old Dodge police car went thundering past me on Front Street West:

Reflections while walking along Bremner Blvd.:

Looking up, Maple Leaf Square, behind the Scotiabank Arena:

For some time I’d known this sculpture was just behind the Scotiabank Arena, but not being a hockey fan, I couldn’t have cared less. I did find out, though, that the piece is entitled Legends Row, created by Erik Blome from 2013 to 2017:

At 110% the size of their likeness, the “Legends Row” sculpture is truly larger than life. The sculpture depicts 14 of Toronto’s greatest hockey legends outside the current home of the Toronto Maple Leafs, the Scotiabank Arena (formerly the Air Canada Centre). Commissioned by the Toronto Maple Leafs Hockey Club. There are fourteen figures in total including: Wendel Clark, Turk Broda, Charlie Conacher, Syl Apps, Darryl Sittler, Johnny Bower, Mats Sundin, Borje Salming, Teeder Kennedy, Dave Keon, Tim Horton, Frank Mahovlich, Red Kelly, and George Armstrong. With the addition of these last four in 2017, Legends Row was declared full for the foreseeable future.

Remembrance Day, 2024

November 11, 2024 / Marvin Job / 5 Comments

Although an event like Remembrance Day is not really a cityscape per se, I feel it is extremely important to acknowledge the day.

Earlier today I attended the Remembrance Day ceremonies at Old City Hall. The sombre event was exceedingly well attended and the rain actually held off until later in the afternoon.

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old;
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.

They were young, as we are young,
They served, giving freely of themselves.
To them, we pledge, amid the winds of time,
To carry their torch and never forget.
We will remember them.