Toronto Through My Lens

Category: Neighbourhood photowalks (Page 1 of 5)

Water’s Edge Promenade

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

Ward’s Island

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 beach
Lonely 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 ferry
Beach beside the ferry docks
Time to go back to the mainland

Hearn Generating Station

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 finest
Looking 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:

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.

Richmond Street East

The sun was actually shining for more than three minutes last weekend, so I set out for another photowalk in the city. It had been a few years since I’d walked along Richmond Street East, so I thought I’d give that street a try with my trusty camera in tow.

Richmond Street East runs from Yonge Street to just east of Parliament Street, where it crosses the Don River and becomes known as Eastern Avenue. As you walk along Richmond Street East, you can tell its had a long history of hard labour and warehouses. In the 20th century, the area saw the rise of large-scale warehouses, factories, and office buildings, many of which replaced earlier low-rise structures.

These days Richmond Street East is definitely – and literally – on the rise: there are condo projects everywhere you look. The street is a vibrant part of Toronto’s downtown core, with a mix of commercial, residential, and entertainment spaces.

Walking from the start of the street at Yonge, and finishing at Parliament, here’s a bit of what I encountered:

The Confederation Life Building, a seven-floor Romanesque Revival office building, is a historic structure in Toronto. Completed in 1892, it was designated a historic property by the City of Toronto under the Ontario Heritage Act on November 26, 1975.
Condos everywhere! Looking upwards from the corner of Richmond Street East and Yonge Street.
This is currently a fully tenanted office building owned by the City of Toronto. In future it may be required for the Toronto Parking Authority.
Toronto EMS Station #40, located at 58 Richmond Street East
This is a housing co-op located at 60 Richmond Street East. It was designed by Teeple Architects and completed in March 2010. This 11-story, 85-unit mixed use building is among the first new housing co-ops to be built in Toronto in recent years. It won the Ontario Association of Architects Design Excellence Award (2010) and the Canadian Architect Award of Excellence (2007).
The Canadian Venture Building, 82 Richmond Street East. This company provides outfitted office spaces for daily, weekly, monthly or long-term occupancy.
Lots of colour on the Tangerine bikes, 99 Richmond Street East
354 Richmond Street East is the former home of the Downtown Ford Service Centre. It looks like it’s now slated for condo conversion.
384 Richmond Street East. The City of Toronto has passed a by-law designating this building as being of cultural heritage value or interest. This is the site of a future, massive condo development. The upcoming project will retain facades from the buildings at 263-265 Queen Street East, 90 Ontario Street, 410 Richmond Street, and 384 Richmond Street. All of these buildings are listed on the City of Toronto’s Heritage Registry.
The Turco-Persian Rug Co. at 354 Richmond Street East looks quite out of place amongst all the upcoming condos in the area.
The end of Richmond Street East. Beyond this Parliament Street intersection, the one-way Richmond Street East passes over the Don River and becomes Eastern Avenue.

Chester Hill Lookout

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:

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.

Post-Halloween Walk Through Cabbagetown

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:

A Little Spin Around Downtown

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.

In & Around The Esplanade

The last time I walked down The Esplanade, I was struck by how many new condos have sprung up in that neighbourhood. I thought it may be interesting to put together a little photo journal of the structures I encountered that day.

More condos going up
Novotel, on The Esplanade
Novotel, on The Esplanade
Novotel, on The Esplanade
In behind Meridian Hall (aka The Okeefe Centre/Hummingbird Centre/Sony Centre… take your pick)
“Eagle V. 1” by Dean Drever, 2018. 1 The Esplanade, southeast corner of The Esplanade and Yonge Street. I had not noticed this remarkable sculpture until I turned around and looked behind me.
Reflections from Front Street East
Reflections in Commerce Court
King Street West and Yonge Street

A Yorkville-Annex Walk

The Annex is one of Toronto’s oldest neighbourhoods. It has an old world feel to it and is somewhat diverse, including U of T, trendy eateries, art galleries and one-of-a-kind shops. On its side-streets are gorgeous residential homes — many built around 1880.

For this walk I started at Bay Street, crossed Scollard Street, went down Hazelton Avenue, then on to Yorkville Avenue. From there I completed the rectangular route of Avenue Road, Prince Arthur Avenue, Huron Street, Lowther Avenue, returning to Avenue Road.

Scollard Street

Let’s start out with some beautiful spring tulips on Scollard Street:

Table of Love

At 120 Scollard Street there is this absolutely delightful sculpture called Table of Love by the artists Gillie & Marc.

The text accompanying the work reads:

Even though it was their first date he asked her to marry him. And she said YES. They say when you know, you know, and Dogman and Rabbitwoman both did after just one date. They met, they had dinner, he asked, she said yes. And within a week of first meeting each other they were in Nepal getting married in the foothills of Mount Everest. They still love going on dates together, sharing food, laughter and conversation. And after all this time – to adventure, to chance, to each other – they always say yes.

Hazelton Avenue

Outside Gallery Gevik at 12 Hazelton Avenue I encountered The Chorus, a 1966 sculpture by the Canadian artist Sylvia Lefkovitz:

I’ve always thought this sculpture dark, depressing, foreboding; it fills me with a sense of dread, à la the Dementors in the Harry Potter movies…

Time to move on to something a little cheerier…

Prince Arthur Avenue

Prince Arthur Avenue was named for the Duke of Connaught (1850-1942) who became Governor-General of Canada from 1911 to 1916. He first visited Canada in 1869 and this street name appeared on the Toronto registered plan in 1870.

I’ve been wanting to revisit Prince Arthur Avenue for a while. I’ve always admired the historic homes and buildings on this relatively upscale street:

15 Prince Arthur Avenue
“This dwelling dates to the 1870s. Its side entrance is innovative for the time, but the general tone is conservative as symmetry prevails under a conventional gable roof. Of special interest are the pairs of semicircular arched windows across the façade”.

If you’d like to read my post dedicated to Uno Prii’s architectural creations in the Annex, click here.

Painted utility box outside 20 Prince Arthur Avenue
The Duke of York – 39 Prince Arthur Avenue
The Duke of York Pub is a Toronto landmark restaurant with a long history. It opened in 1976 and has been in successful operation since.
36A Prince Arthur Avenue
Outside the restaurant Trattoria Fieramosca
“Rosamund” by Frances Gage (1968) – 50 Prince Arthur Avenue
“Able to work in a variety of media (wood, plastic, terracotta, plaster and cast stone) and execute a number of techniques (carving, modeling, commercial bas-relief, garden sculpture and portraiture), Frances Gage is one of Canada’s most prolific sculptors. After studying at Oshawa Collegiate and Technical Institute (1943), the Ontario College of Art in Toronto (1951), and the Art Students’ League in New York (1953-55), she received a scholarship from the Royal Society of Canada to study at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris, where she remained for two years.

Frances Gage’s numerous commissions include a twice-life-sized sculpture and four walnut relief panels for Fanshaw College in London, Ontario (1962), a portrait relief of Dr. Bertram Collip for the University of Western Ontario (1963), crests for the Metro bridges in Toronto, a fountain for the rose garden of Mrs. F.S. Albright of London, Ontario, “Woman,” a marble sculpture for the Women’s College Hospital in Toronto, and many others. A member of the Council of the Royal Canadian Academy, and teacher at the Artists’ Workshop in Toronto, her other accomplishments include the Rothman purchase award (1965) and the development, with the help of her engineer father, of a new durable material called epoxy-resin. Her work has been shown in several group exhibitions, perhaps most notably at the International Congress of Medallic Arts in Florence, Italy (1984), but also in Colorado City, Colorado (1987), Helsinki, Finland (1990), and London, England (1992).”

Lowther Avenue

Construction of permanent dwellings began on Lowther Avenue around 1875, and shifted to the semi-detached houses that are so characteristic of the 1880s.

82 Lowther Avenue
“Architect Frederick H. Herbert designed this 1896 house, which is part of an attractive group of houses lining Lowther Avenue. This home’s hallmark is a circular tower with terra cotta stylings accompanying the dormer. The requisite arches and recessed entryway mark a Romanesque inspiration”.
80 Lowther Avenue
This home is a City of Toronto Heritage Property, built in 1900 by architect F.H. Herbert.
78 Lowther Avenue
This heritage Eaton Coach House was originally built in 1899. It was converted into luxury three-unit condos in 1985. Suite sizes range from 1800 square feet to 3500 square feet. One of the units is currently on the market for a mere $4.295 million. Alternately, one can rent the townhomes – in 2017 they were renting for $14,000.00 per month. The listing agent says Ryan Reynolds once lived here for a little while.
39 Lowther Avenue
Carriageway Houses: 25-29 Lowther Avenue
“The Georgian style had come and gone and not quite come back again when this singular duo was constructed in 1875. Although not much older than their neighbours, the twin units recall an earlier urban type far removed from high-Victorian eclecticism. Restrained in detail and guided by symmetry, the houses follow the standard Georgian rules. Curiously, however, the central focus is a shared carriageway (which led to the backyard stables), topped by a gingerbreaded gable. The latter contains an oriel window, the only eccentricity in an otherwise tempered composition. Number 25 (the left side) gets the oriel”.
31 Lowther Avenue
This cute little house is a Heritage Property, built in 1877.
6-8 Lowther Avenue
This double house is a Heritage Property, built in 1892. It exhibits the Bay-n-Gable architecture theme of that era, embracing a Romanesque arch.

Avenue Road

Returning to my starting place of Avenue Road, I noticed this intriguing sculpture entitled Figure Catching a Fly by David Altmejd (2019).

Made of bronze, the sculpture sits in front of the Yorkville Private Estates at 200 Cumberland Street; the front of the sculpture faces Avenue Road.

“Altmejd’s bronze statue, standing more than eight feet in height, fancifully updates the traditional bronze figurative monument. Clad in billowing, flowing robes, the sculpture’s striding female figure arrives like a deity, simultaneously gesturing downward to earth and skyward triumphantly. With arresting appeal, Almejd’s animated bronze figure conjures the history of the Yorkville neighbourhood that in the 1960s became Toronto’s epicenter of fashion, fine art, and nightlife, signalling the city’s sophistication and cultural aspirations.” – storeys.com

That’s it for today! Thanks for joining me on this mini-tour of Toronto’s Yorkville-Annex neighbourhood.

References:
Old Toronto Houses by Tom Cruickshank
storeys.com
waymarking.com

Budapest Park

In my previous post on Beaty Boulevard Parkette I mentioned nearby Budapest Park, located at 1575 Lakeshore Boulevard West. Beaty Boulevard Parkette is located at the busy junction of Queen Street West, King Street West and Roncesvalles Avenue. From the Parkette, you can cross the Pedestrian Bridge spanning the Gardiner Expressway and Lakeshore Boulevard West, and wind up in Budapest Park.

Budapest Park was created in remembrance of the fallen freedom fighters of Hungary who fought against the rule of the then-Soviet Union. The Park is located on the shore of Lake Ontario, to the east of Sunnyside and the Gus Ryder Pool. Facilities at Budapest Park include beach access, bike trails, drinking fountains, field houses, outdoor fitness equipment, a playground and splash pad, a parking lot and washroom facilities.

It was early spring when I visited, so the greenery was just in the very early stages of popping out.

Crossing the Gardiner Expressway

Looking west from the Pedestrian Bridge spanning the Gardiner Expressway and Lakeshore Boulevard West

Reaching the Lakeside

The Pedestrian Bridge on the south side of The Gardiner Expressway and Lakeshore Boulevard West
The Palais Royale
After crossing the Pedestrian Bridge one of the first buildings encountered is The Palais Royale at 1601 Lakeshore Blvd. West. The Palais Royale is a dance hall from a bygone era. Originally built as a boat works, it became notable as a night club in the now-defunct Sunnyside Amusement Park, hosting many prominent Big Band jazz bands. Since the Park’s demolition, the building has ceased to be a nightclub, and is now used for special occasions, weddings, meetings and concerts.

Springtime in Budapest Park

Entering Budapest Park
Monument in Budapest Park: “The Crossing of Lake Ontario by Marilyn Bell”
On the evening of September 9, 1954, 16-year-old marathon swimmer Marilyn Bell became the first person to swim across Lake Ontario. Racing unofficially against the heavily favoured American swimmer Florence Chadwick, Bell endured eels, high winds, and frigid waters for almost 21 hours to complete her world-record-breaking 51.5-kilometre swim here. Her courageous achievement won unprecedented attention both at home and abroad for the sport of marathon swimming in Canada. This particular spot in Budapest Park is significant as this is the place where Marilyn Bell climbed ashore to complete her gruelling swim.

Freedom For Hungary Monument

The Freedom for Hungary monument in Budapest Park was designed by Victor Tolgesy and erected in 1966. The monument commemorates the 10th anniversary of the Hungarian Revolution and Freedom Fight of 1956.

This totem poles are the gifts of Andrew and Eva Heinemann in memory of the fallen freedom fighters of the 1956 Hungarian uprising against the Soviet rule in Hungary. Erected by the Canadian Rakoczi Foundation on October 23, 2008.

Budapest Park’s Lakeside Boardwalk

Seeking some lakeside vibes, someone slung a hammock between the trees
Looking west

Returning to the north side of The Gardiner

Artwork on the Pedestrian Bridge over The Gardiner Expressway and Lakeshore Boulevard West, leading back to Beaty Boulevard Parkette
Crossing above The Gardiner Expressway, returning to Beaty Boulevard Parkette
Returning to the busy junction of King Street West, Queen Street West, Roncesvalles Avenue and Beaty Boulevard Parkette
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