OK, I cheated a little on this post. I just wasn’t up to shooting the Good Friday Procession in today’s rain, so I’ve brought forward my shots of the event from a few year’s ago.
For those unfamiliar, the Good Friday Procession is a long standing tradition taking place every Good Friday in Toronto. The mile-long procession is a three-hour event reenacting the fourteen stations of the cross, symbolizing what Christians believe to be the path Jesus took before he was crucified.
The Procession got its start in 1962. These days, thousands turn out for the Good Friday procession as it winds its way through the streets of Toronto’s Little Italy. The sombre event is organized and performed primarily by the parish of St. Francis of Assisi Church at the corner of Mansfield Avenue and Grace Street.
The Good Friday Procession Route
Getting ready for the procession outside the St. Francis of Assisi Church
Last weekend, while in the Bay-Bloor area, I suddenly had an idea to check on the state of the Cumberland Terrace mall. I knew it had fallen from grace lately, but I just wanted to see how far down it had gone – way down, as I found out.
For those not familiar, Cumberland Terrance is a two-story mall running from Bay Street to Yonge Street – a considerable distance. The lower level host(ed) a huge food court, and the street level contains shops and services (or what’s left of them…).
It was mid-day Saturday – peak time for people to be out and about, I should think. As I walked through the lower level food court area, it gave off a creepy vibe: there was no one around, other than a homeless person or two, and everything was shuttered. What little sound there was bounced off the barren walls and floors. I went up to the street level portion of the mall to see if it was in a similar state; it had fared a little better as it didn’t look quite as deserted as the lower level.
The Nicest Way From Yonge to Bay...
“The nicest way from Yonge to Bay” was Cumberland Terrace’s slogan when it opened on October 14, 1974:
Described in an ad as “three glass-enclosed levels of intriguing shops and restaurants,” it utilized fashionable hues of red and orange brick and flooring to enhance its landscaped interior. Initial tenants included a mix of chains (Black’s, Classic Book Shops, Dack’s Shoes, LCBO), and independent retailers with odd names like “Mr. Eat ’Em”.
Highlights of the opening on day one included a steam calliope playing at the northwest corner of Yonge and Bloor, and a display of classic cars sponsored by a cigarette maker. Within a month, DeBoer’s opened a two-floor furniture store. The mall’s location above a busy subway junction and across the street from a new parking lot seemed to bode well for its future.
Decline
The mall slowly decayed over the following decades, as its higher-end retailers moved elsewhere and its upper levels emptied. As the owners failed to upgrade the premises, Cumberland Terrace became an unofficial monument to 1970s shopping design. Despite providing a home for independent businesses, it was increasingly viewed as a blight on the increasingly aspirational neighbourhood streetscape. **
In Toronto, Cumberland Terrance is one of the last barely-altered examples of 1970s retail architecture. It never did bounce back after COVID wrecked havoc on the world; it’s a pity the mall has come to such a sad state.
Currently…
Like many, I remember how this mall was the place to shop and eat back in the day. Fast forwarding to today, here’s how the lower level looks:
The Future of Cumberland Terrace?
Apparently there have been many different development proposals over the years. The latest one can be found here.
Development proposal by KingSett Capital
We will just have to wait and see what becomes of the space.
The McMurtry Gardens of Justice on University Avenue is a series of sculptures and fountains sitting among Osgoode Hall, the Law Society of Ontario, and the Superior Court of Justice. Each item in the gallery is designed to represent one of the fundamental legal rights that belong to all Canadians.
The McMurtry Gardens of Justice were created to recognize the Honourable R. Roy McMurtry, who served Ontario for decades as a public servant, elected official, and diplomat. McMurtry was a Member of Provincial Parliament from 1975 to 1985, spending part of that time as the Attorney General of Ontario. He was appointed to the Superior Court of Ontario in 1991 as the Associate Chief Justice, and by 1996 he became the Chief Justice of Ontario at the head of the Court of Appeal. He remained there until he retired in 2007, which was the same year the Gardens opened.
The Pillars of Justice
This statue is a prominent landmark in downtown Toronto, standing in front of the courthouse containing the Superior Court of Justice. When it was unveiled in 2007, The Pillars of Justice was the first and only statue in the McMurtry Gardens of Justice.
The Pillars of Justice was sculpted by Edwina Sandys in 2007. She was first inspired to be an artist when she saw her grandfather, Sir Winston Churchill, painting. Over the last 35 years, the United Nations has commissioned five of her sculptures for their centres in Geneva, Vienna, Rio de Janeiro, Dublin, and New York. Her work is famous for responding to political and social issues, and this piece is no different.
Note the missing twelfth juror (centre)Note the missing twelfth juror
This sculpture depicts a jury of eleven people standing under a roof that represents a courthouse. Juries are usually made up of twelve people, depending on the type of case. Looking at The Pillars of Justice, you will notice an empty space where the twelfth juror would be. This empty space invites the viewer to imagine they are the twelfth juror.
The McMurtry Fountains
The McMurtry Fountains were designed by landscape architect Michael Hough and installed in 1964. They were restored in 2010. The fountains act as symbols of balance and justice, themes that run throughout the Gardens. They form a significant cultural presence in the City of Toronto and continue to symbolize the importance that Canadians place on the values of our justice system and human rights:
Freedom of Expression
Freedom of Expression is a bronze and stainless steel sculpture created by Marlene Hilton Moore in 2012. Hilton Moore is a renowned artist based in Hillsdale, Ontario. She has created public art and hosted art exhibitions in Ontario, Quebec, and New Brunswick. She is also responsible for the Freedom of Religion statue that faces this one. These two pieces, along with Equal Before the Law, were added to the Gardens in 2012.
The statue depicts a female figure delivering a speech with her arms open wide, holding a book in one hand. The figure stands on a black-brown base of granite, determined to communicate her message. Both of Hilton Moore’s pieces use bronze, which is usually associated with classical sculpture, and stainless steel, which we see in contemporary art and architecture.
Freedom of Religion
Freedom of Religion was created by Marlene Hilton Moore in 2012, who also made the Freedom of Expression statue across from it. Both figures are made of bronze. Like Freedom of Expression, this piece stands on a base of black-brown granite.
This sculpture depicts a male figure proudly holding up a globe. The globe is covered with eleven symbols associated with the world’s religions and faith groups. The individual symbols are beautiful images in their own right, and together they represent and individual’s freedom to practice whatever religion they choose:
Frederick G. Gans, Q.C. Memorial
This piece, created by local Canadian artist Maryon Kantaroff in 1980, is a memorial to lawyer Frederick G. Gans. Gans was killed in 1978 by a former client’s husband in the hallway of the courthouse that used be at 145 Queen Street West (now the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts). Although installed in 1980 and not formally a part of the Gardens, the sculpture is consistent with the Gardens’ themes in style and values:
Equal Before The Law
By Eldon Garnet, 2011. The lion and the lamb are represented as classic figures in Western thought. The lamb often signifies purity, meekness, and vulnerability, while the lion is the ‘king of beasts,’ powerful and imposing. The lamb and lion’s physical differences are amplified by their symbolic meanings.
Both of these animals are life-sized and constructed out of bronze. This sculpture connects to the other pieces of art in the Gardens by combining bronze and stainless steel, which is used in the scale:
The tower is twisted to a 60-degree angle, which runs parallel to the top of the scales. The ends of the platform are cut at 30-degree angles in relation to the support tower. Everything is calculated to be in perfect proportion, always balanced but turned or angled. The final effect is a scale that gets its balance from a good deal of complexity and careful planning.
The text on the scale is taken directly from section 15(1) of the Charter. It reads: “Every individual is equal before and under the law and has the right to the equal protection and equal benefit of the law without discrimination.” The Charter continues, “and, in particular, without discrimination based on race, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion, sex, age, or mental and physical disability.”
Scales of Justice Bike Rack
In April 2019, the Toronto Lawyers Assocation (TLA) dedicated a new Scales of Justice bike rack at the Court House, 361 University Avenue. The bike rack/sculpture is composed of a series of scales of justice, engraved with legal principles, as suggested by the clerks of the Court of Appeal. The work was produced with the assistance of at-risk youth:
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:
Prince Edward ViaductThe Evergreen Brickworks
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.
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“Embrace” By Abraham (Al) Green
“The Guitarist” By Abraham (Al) Green
“The Source” By Sorel Etrog“Landing Sculpture” By Carl Lander
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 Avenue
Wellesley Avenue
Wellesley Park
Wellesley Park
Kitty trapped on rooftop
On the northeast corner of Parliament and Carlton Streets
Mural on southeast corner of Parliament and Carlton Streets
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.
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.
7th Regimental Band, Royal Canadian Artillery Band, under the direction of Lieutenant Carina LamAretha Phillip, Chief of Protocol, City of TorontoA flypast by The Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF). The flypasts were conducted during several Remembrance Day commemorations across Canada.Remarks from the City of Toronto, presented by Mayor Olivia ChowMayor Olivia Chow places a wreathBenediction, given by Rev. John Joseph Mastandrea, Chaplain, Toronto Police ServicesAretha Phillip, Chief of Protocol, City of TorontoMarching off at the end of the service
Laying poppies on the Cenotaph, end of services
Flowers and poppies on the Cenotaph, end of service
So many people have expressed an interest in the so-called Cube House at 1 Sumach Street. I just saw this article in blogTO and wanted to repost it here for those interested in a recent update regarding the house’s future.
The author of this article is Jack Landau, writing for blogTO.
Toronto’s iconic Cube House to be Demolished but Not Completely Lost
The fate of Toronto’s iconic Cube House seems sealed, but a new company that has taken the helm of the forthcoming redevelopment is considering paying homage to the soon-to-be-demolished structure in a fun and creative way.
The eccentric structure at 1 Sumach Street was built in 1996 with an unconventional design by architect Ben Kutner and his partner Jeff Brown, inspired by Dutch architect Piet Blom’s similar works in Rotterdam and Helmond.
While beloved by many architecture enthusiasts, the building was first threatened when a proposal for the site planned for the current structure to be torn down and replaced with a new (and unique in its own right) 35-storey tower.
Block Developments acquired the site from previous developer Markee in 2023, and the company shared more details about the future of the Cube House in a press release on Thursday.
Block states that it has “been working closely with engineers and inspectors to explore ways to safely preserve the Cube House,” amid campaigns to save the heritage-listed landmark, but failed to find a solution that retained the beloved building.
However, the Cube House is set to live on in an unexpected way, as Block announced that it had partnered up with local artist Benjamin Von Wong to reimagine the structure following its impending demolition.
“After exploring multiple paths for the Cube House’s future, it became clear that it could not be safely preserved. Instead, we have chosen to continue its legacy through this collaboration with Benjamin,” says Joseph Reichmann, Chief Development Officer of Block Developments, adding, “We look forward to seeing where his creative process takes us.”
Von Wong is best known for his works that transform recycled and reclaimed materials into sculptural art, including his well-received “E-Waste Generator,” currently running as part of Arcadia Earth’s Toronto Exhibit.
Von Wong’s work on the upcoming 1 Sumach project will see materials from the Cube House repurposed into a sculptural artwork intended to extend the structure’s legacy well past its demise.
“I’ve always tried to create art that triggers a sense of shock, awe and wonder,” says Von Wong.
“The Cube house does all three, and I’m excited to have the opportunity to repurpose and reimagine what a future metamorphosis could look like in this creative partnership with Block Development that respects both the community and its legacy.”
“The cube house was originally envisioned as an urban community – but as that chapter closes and a new one opens up, I’m excited to see how we can honour that legacy as we design an installation that explores new ways we relate to ourselves, each other and the world around us.”
Joseph Reichmann stated that the team is “excited to partner with Benjamin to reimagine the Cube House in a way that honours its architectural significance while embracing the future of the site.”
The new project planned to replace the Cube House is expected to bring a mix of market-rate rentals, condos, and affordable housing to the site.
According to Block, “Plans for the overall development site are still under development,” and the developer is working with the City “to present a vision that will bring much-needed housing and community amenities to the neighbourhood. The developer is also exploring the possibility of including a grocery store, as well as various housing options.”
This is such a lovely part of the city. I love how they fixed up that square and the fountain…