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.
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:
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:
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?
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…
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.
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.
OK, I realize Toronto Pride is not really a TO Cityscape, per se, but it’s a major event that shakes up the city once a year, so I think it’s worthy of coverage.
Love it or hate it, Pride was back for another year, despite a $900,000.00 shortfall of cash – a result of some of the major investors backing out due to the current idiocy happening down south. ANYWAY…. it was still a great party this past weekend.
Yours truly was too vain/stupid/stubborn to wear a hat for the events (it’ll mess my ‘do!) so, of course, I ended up with an intense facial/forehead sunburn. As a result, my wandering was somewhat curtailed over the weekend and I didn’t quite capture the allotment of shots I normally get on a Pride weekend.
At any rate, here’s a few photos to give you an idea of the weekend’s events:
Local Businesses
Area businesses and offices showed their support, as always:
Manulife building on Bloor Street EastManulife building on Bloor Street EastRexall at Church & Wellesley StreetsRexall at Church & Wellesley StreetsRBC at Church & Wellesley StreetsTim Hortons on Bloor Street East
The windows at Dudley’s Hardware (511 Church St.) are always an excellent barometer of what’s happening in the village. This weekend was no exception:
Festival Grounds
Wandering around the general area of Church Street on Pride Weekend, you’re bound to see anything:
Church & Bloor StreetsAt Church and Gloucester StreetsPositive messagesOn Church StreetFlags at The 519FabulousStilt walker on Church St.Lots of DJsGiant Priscilla-like shoe from BataSo like a catI love theseMark Henderson never misses a Pride event. The booklets he’s holding – and the blue banner behind him – proclaim him “King of Pride”.Nice wings…
Drag Ball 2025, Nathan Phillips Square
And, of course, we can’t forget the Drag Queens and Kings. The Drag Ball ran from 2:00PM to 11:00PM on Saturday, June 28th, one act immediately following another with no break between. The energy at this event was simply electric, and the weather actually behaved itself and delivered a perfect day:
I leave you with this performance by Lena Di Matrix, shot just before I left City Hall. It exhausts me just watching this. Drag artists, I salute you!:
As most know, the Toronto Islands are comprised of three small land masses – Hanlan’s Point, Centre Island and Ward’s Island – joined in an arc.
Ward’s Island is on the east side of the Islands. Unlike Hanlan’s Point and Centre Island, which are full of picnic areas and BBQ sites, Ward’s is mostly residential, having a quiet, calm aura to it.
The city, from Wards Island
Exploring The Cottages
On Ward’s Island there are 262 homes and roughly 650 people living on the Island. The community has no stores, cars or public transportation, so life is very different for Islanders:
Think you want to live on Ward’s Island?
Well think again… it’s an awful long wait. There is Legislation in place for Island residents which safeguards their homes: The Toronto Islands Residential Community Stewardship Act. Under the Act, the deed to a house may be transferred only to the current owner’s child or spouse. If the house must be sold for personal reasons, and if a child or spouse will not be the new owner, the process is handled by the Toronto Islands Residential Community Trust Corporation. The house and the land lease are sold for the owner’s benefit, but the buyer must be an individual on a 500-person waiting list which was established through a lottery. A firm price is set by the Trust; no bids or negotiation are allowed. This process was intended to eliminate the risk of the homes being sold on the open market, driving up the prices, and preventing a windfall for the owner.
Down to the Beach
The Ward’s Island beach is located at the start of the boardwalk, next to a small playground and washrooms behind the soccer field. It’s the least busy of the three main beaches of the Island.
An old-fashioned boardwalk runs the length of the southern shore, starting at Ward’s Island Beach and passing the back gate of Riviera cafe with its lovely patio.
Sandy path to the beachLonely canoe
“The Anatomy of Fear” by Bruce Smith
On the north part of the island there is an interesting art instalment by artist Bruce Smith, who lives on Ward’s Island. The instalment is described by the artist:
Fear can give rise to frantic despair and also can lead to progression. This duality is represented in “The Anatomy of Fear” as the right and left wings. The terrifying right wing consists of the body of the dragon, filled with “Big Bucks” ($): a bat wing coloured red to indicate hysteria and disruption. A contemporary analogy of this wing is the denial of global warming and refusal to engage in carbon emission reduction programs. The benign left wing is filled with common sense “c”, coloured environmentally-friendly green with shape derived from a dove.
Back to the Mainland…
Waiting for the return ferryBeach beside the ferry docksTime to go back to the mainland
Watching a suggested video on YouTube a few days ago reminded me of a fascinating urban relic in Toronto: the Hearn Generating Station:
Photo: City of Toronto
The Hearn Generating Station (named after Richard Lankaster Hearn) is a vast decommissioned electrical generating station down in the docklands. The plant was originally fired by coal, but later converted to burn natural gas. Everything about the plant is on a massive scale and, according to sources, encompasses 650 thousand cubic metres of space. The plant opened in 1951 and closed in 1983.
The R. L. Hearn Generating Station was the site of Canada’s first 100 MW steam turbo-generator set. The station sits in what was once Ashbridge’s Bay, a shallow marsh that was filled in with rubble from downtown construction sites from 1911 to 1950s.
Located in the Toronto Docklands, the Hearn’s surrounding area has not been gentrified whatsoever. You would not know you are still within the boundaries of the City of Toronto; the location feels remote and desolate:
Industrial mess at its finestLooking back at the city
The Hearn Generating Station is located at 440 Unwin Avenue. Once reachable only by car or on foot, a TTC bus now has a route down Cherry Street which will take you to Unwin Avenue after passing over two of the dockland shipping channels. There are no sidewalks down Unwin Avenue, and it’s a long and dusty trek past industrial warehouses and landfill mess to get out to the Hearn.
Not the most uplifting neighbourhood…
Is this where old City Sightseeing buses go to die?Industrial mess at its finest
Approaching the Hearn
At any rate, my goal is now in sight:
The architecture and former use of the structure of the Hearn reminds of the Battersea Power Station in London, UK. The Battersea, though, has been restored and transformed into a very hip and modern venue with a mixture of over 150 shops, bars, restaurants, leisure and entertainment venues. The Battersea has thrived but the Hearn currently remains decayed and abandoned.
BlogTO recently called the Hearn Generating Station the most dangerous site in the City of Toronto… with good reason. The site is a favourite with urban explorers and photographers, and there has been more than one death of these intrepid people on the site:
Disclaimer: these are not my images
I was able to get these shots by sticking my camera lens through the fence (security is quite serious here, and the rolled barbed wire at the top proves a point). I was being closely watched by the Security there, but had no nefarious or illegal intent other than grabbing a few shots for the blog:
Denied!Taken through the steel webbing of the gates
Here is the excellent YouTube video which triggered my interest in the Hearn Generating Station:
A Rebirth… Sort of
On June 5, 2014, the building was partially cleaned up and used for the Toronto Luminato Festival Big Bang Bash, their 2nd annual fundraising gala. It also featured the Yves Saint Laurent Opening Night Party later that evening. In 2015 the building was used for UNSOUND hosted by Luminato Festival. In 2016 Luminato Festival used the building for its festival.
There is Hope for its Future, Though…
There are future plans, though, for this behemoth and the portlands area in general. According to the development site:
A massive redevelopment proposal is planned for the historic Richard L. Hearn Generating Station in Toronto’s Port Lands. Dubbed The Hearn District, the redevelopment would incorporate the shuttered power station into a multi-use district to be built over 30 acres by the Cortel Group. With the conceptual design for the masterplan by PARTISANS, SvN, and public realm design by CCxA, the proposal envisions thousands of residential units and extensive cultural and commercial spaces.
Click here to read the full details of this redevelopment proposal.
Let’s hope this comes to pass. It would be wonderful to see this amazing building and the desolate area of Toronto come alive.
Yes, it needed To go. I lived nearby and would pass this hospital many times over the years. Looking forward…