I wasn’t quite sure what to expect from Little Canada, but it turned out to be engrossing and a lot of fun. Two hours exploring passed in a flash. My friend and I did a double-take at the Art Gallery of Ontario (above). Is there an external staircase on the front as displayed (or just …
Something very exciting is happening in Toronto right now: the $1.25-billion Port Lands flood protection project, which will open up a massive amount of undeveloped formerly industrial land in the heart of the city. Started in 2017, the project will have a huge impact on the waterfront area, actually rerouting the mouth of the Don …
One of the best things I read in 2023 was a chapter of The Eagle and the Raven by James A. Michener (1990). A copy of Chapter One, “An Old Apple Tree,” was very kindly sent to me by Dr. Donald B. Smith, Professor Emeritus of History at the University of Calgary. It has been …
In the spring of 2021, I set out to walk as many of Toronto’s ravines and nature trails as possible (COVID-19 restrictions and weekend subway closures allowing), tracking my progress on a map in purple marker. After varying degrees of lockdowns over the preceding winter, and since travel far afield was not happening, I was …
Much to my surprise, today I learned about urban coyotes. Trying to get some exercise on a sunny Sunday afternoon in February during the pandemic, I’d gone on a long walk towards the Yonge St. & York Mills Ave. area in North York. I decided to venture down a ravine-backed dead-end street I’d never tried …
Thursday marked one month since the North York van attack on April 23, 2018. As someone who works and lives in the area (and grew up here), it was heartening to see the community come together after this abhorrent and shocking event.
Why are agricultural fairs worth attending? Here are several reasons that come to mind, after a visit to the 95th annual Royal Agricultural Winter Fair (“The Royal”) in Toronto. 1) They’re grounding reality-checks for big-city dwellers (like myself), that life exists beyond the concrete, glass, and steel metropolis. Last weekend, Katherine Dunnell of the Royal Ontario Museum’s …
Where in Toronto can you study jewellery design? Have a custom piece made (like a wedding band) or a broken one repaired? See a world class collection of gems and minerals? Buy and sell (or just ogle) fine jewellery? Last weekend, I learned these things and more. It was a pleasure to join the Royal …
