Pride Weekend in Toronto is soon upon us. In preparation, this month an explosion of rainbows and inclusion messages from local business and merchants have been appearing in the downtown core. Here’s some of what I’ve come across in the last few weeks:
Eaton Centre
Rogers Headquarters, 333 Bloor Street East
Manulife Head Office, 250 Bloor Street East
OrangeTheory Fitness, 160 Bloor Street East
160 Bloor Street East
175 Bloor Street East
Circle K, 121 Bloor Street East
The Chartered Professional Accountants of Ontario (CPA)
RBC, 2 Bloor Street East
Holt Renfrew, 50 Bloor Street West
TD Canada Trust
Bay & Bloor StreetsBay & Bloor StreetsChurch & Wellesley Streets
A Pride Chicken at Nandos, 832 Bay Street
Ontario Nurses’ Association, 85 Grenville Street
Pride Bicycle Lock, Church Street
LCBO
Underneath Hudson Bay Centre, 2 Bloor Street EastUnderneath Hudson Bay Centre, 2 Bloor Street EastYonge & Wellesley Streets
Rexall, Church & Wellesley Streets
Scotiabank, Yonge & Wellesley Streets
Shopper’s Drug Mart, Yonge & Charles Streets
Jack Astor’s, Yonge & Bloor Streets
Toronto Public Library, Yorkville Branch
The Wine Rack, Church & Wellesley Streets
Dudley’s Hardware, Church Street
And, of course, the epicentre of it all: the corner of Church & Wellesley Streets
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”.
20 Prince Arthur Avenue Across the street is one of Uno Prii’s architectural masterpieces. Uno Prii claimed 20 Prince Arthur Avenue, built in 1965, was his favourite building, and it’s easy to understand why: the tower captures space age excitement with a rocket-like profile that flares outward at the base, then soars 22 storeys to scalloped peaks.
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).”
Thomas W. Horn House – Corner of Prince Arthur Avenue & St. George Street The actual address here is 180 St. George Street. “President of a specialty glass company, Thomas Horn pulled out all the stops in creating his dream home in 1898. Employing the skills of Frederick H. Herbert, an architect with several Annex houses to his credit, he chose the Richardsonian Romanesque style. With a conical tower marking the corner site, the house also sports that other hallmark of the genre: the broad arcaded arch, here used to enhance the recessed front door and second storey loggia. The house stands out as one of the few of its type entirely faced in stone”.
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.
Painted utility boxes, southwest corner of Lowther Avenue and Huron Street
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.
“The Vessel” by Ilan Sandler (2011) – Taddle Creek Park Commissioned by the City of Toronto. “This sculpture of a water-carrying vessel is made from 4 kilometers of stainless-steel rod. The rod measures the approximate length of Taddle Creek, which ran from Taddle Creek Park through downtown Toronto to Lake Ontario. The piece reconstitutes a memory of the buried creek by referencing its length and by bending the steel rod into water-carrying arteries. The sculpture’s surface is porous, allowing one to see light slicing through the stainless-steel rods that create its volume. Water flows from the top of the rim of the vessel over its surface and then cascades onto the ground, creating sound that drowns out the noise of traffic. The piece is like an over-flowing pitcher, evoking the creek’s long history as a source of sustenance.
Water from “The Vessel” is stored in an underground cistern and used to irrigate the park. Vessels have accompanied all peoples for millennia, and are often seen as a surrogate for the body; the desire of all civilizations to anthropomorphize these water-carrying vessels is evidence of their importance to our survival as a species. The ability to harness the flow of water both for physical and imaginative nourishment has been an inseparable part of the evolution of all societies. The Anishinaabe Nation or Ojibway-speaking people of the region would have drawn water for sustenance from many sources, including Taddle Creek. They also drew inspiration from water in the development of their creation myths, one of which says, “the rivers that run underground are the veins of Mother Earth and water is her blood, purifying her and bringing her food. Mother Earth implies reproduction, fertility and life.” Although “The Vessel” represents a container, it also acts as a fountain, relating the creek’s historical significance as a life-sustaining water source to the future pleasure of the community.” – Ilan Sandler 2011
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.
Traditionally, one winter event I always look forward to in Toronto is the Bloor-Yorkville Icefest. It makes for a great photo opp and a chance to admire some truly amazing ice sculptures created by very talented artists.
The event is usually held about this time every year, so about two weeks ago I started prowling the Internet for event details. After practically reaching the end of the Internet and not finding any listings for Icefest (except for stale information from last year’s event), I learned that the Bloor-Yorkville Icefest has been permanently cancelled after many successful years of its run… say WHAT!?
To that end, I finally found the following media release on the Bloor-Yorkville BIA website:
A Message from Bloor-Yorkville Icefest
Bloor-Yorkville Icefest is an annual event, produced by the Bloor-Yorkville BIA, for the past 17 years, bringing the community together to celebrate winter and to support important charitable causes.
Unfortunately, we have made the difficult decision to cancel Icefest for the foreseeable future. This decision was made in response to logistical challenges and limitations, which have impacted our ability to organize and execute the event successfully. We are immensely grateful to all our suppliers who have been incredible partners in developing Bloor-Yorkville Icefest through the years, and we also would like to thank the community, our businesses and our annual sponsors for their continued support.
Well… crap! Another Toronto tradition bites the dust…
The Bloor-Yorkville Icefest Gallery
So, in light of Icefest’s demise I present to you a collection of images from its past few years – an Icefest Retrospective, if you will. Just click on the first image to launch the slideshow; hovering your mouse over the image will pause the slideshow.
I’ve always enjoyed the annual Bloor-Yorkville Icefest, and it was great to see it return this past weekend after being waylaid for a couple of years by COVID-19. Despite that, though, I was so incredibly disappointed in this year’s offering – the energy and effort just weren’t there. I think ice sculpture placement had a lot to do with it – unlike previous years the event this year was decentralized, the activities and events scattered throughout Yorkville and Bloor Street West. Usually, Icefest lines Cumberland Street from Bay Street to Avenue Road; considerable energy and vibe is generated as a result.
Here’s how this year’s sculptures and activities were presented:
Ice sculpture and event map
Ice Sculptures on Bloor Street West
There were 6 or 7 works installed along Bloor Street West:
“Second Harvest: Coast to Coast”“The Chess Knight”“Sparkling Crystal”“Climbing At Clouds”“Young Cerberus”“Friends of the Forest World”
Later That Night…
As I’ve done during previous Icefests, I returned later at night with expectations of catching some of the sculptures softly bathed in coloured spotlights. No luck on that score this year; all that was offered were these four figures on Bloor Street West at Bay Street, starkly lit by what appeared to be LED or florescent tubes:
“The Melancholic Mermaid”“Etheric Pegasus”“Whimsical Castle”“The Princess Dress”
Meanwhile, Over at the Village of Yorkville Park…
Leaving Bloor Street behind me, I ventured over to the Village of Yorkville Park on Cumberland Street, which traditionally serves as the epicentre of the event. With camera and enthusiasm at the ready, I was let down: there were no ice sculptures at the site, only people wandering aimlessly about looking for said sculptures.
“Ice Wall Projections” According to the organizers, this ice wall was to serve as a projection screen for colourful lights. All I saw was a blank wall with a swarm of Instagrammers vying for space to take their selfies.
Organizers promoted the ice wall by saying:
Enjoy the sights and fantasies and immerse yourselves in a whimsical experience, as ice comes to life through a magically carved Ice Wall. As the sun goes down, take a glance at hidden dreams as Icefest offers you tailor-made projections on ice artwork, located in the Village of Yorkville Park.
Huh? Was this the same event?
I wandered the Park to see what else might be happening:
LED lights (not ice)Balzac’s was there, serving ice coffee from their ice counterI thought the Balzac ice tables were kind of interesting
All in all though, it was good to see people out and about again. Here’s hoping next year’s festival will be a little more inspiring.
At the address of 99 Yorkville Avenue there is a courtyard currently hosting some very impressive murals (with no tagging or graffiti!). Annually, the Yorkville Village hosts an event called, surprisingly enough, Yorkville Murals. This annual festival celebrates public art and offers a unique opportunity to see new murals, meet and discover the mural artists, and enjoy food and drinks in a fun atmosphere at the heart of the city. The 2022 event has passed, but some of the impressive murals remain.
Created by Montreal-based artist Ola VoloThis mural was created by French artist Mathieu Bories. In courtyard of 99 Yorkville Avenue.On the side of Taglialatella Galleries building in courtyard of 99 Yorkville AvenueIn courtyard of 99 Yorkville AvenueIn courtyard of 99 Yorkville AvenueBy artist whatisadam. In courtyard of 99 Yorkville Avenue.
This is such a lovely part of the city. I love how they fixed up that square and the fountain…