Photos and BS

The Image Centre 

Number 84 of the 111 Places in Toronto That You Must Not Miss is the Ryerson Image Centre, and as I work my way through the book this was one attraction I wanted to do. It is only about 10 minutes away from the condo, and I have always been interested in Photography. It did take me four and a half months to actually get there though. 

The Image Centre is an art gallery displaying photographs. It is home to the “Black Star Collection” of photojournalism photography which consists of almost 300,000 photographs used in magazines such as Time and LIFE, but it also features photographs from students and other photographers. 

Apparently, like Mr Alexander Wood, who you read about in a previous post, Mr. Ryerson has also been disgraced due to involvement in the Residential Schools, so Ryerson University has been renamed “Toronto Metropolitan University”, and the

Ryerson Image Centre is now called just “The Image Centre”. 

I finally decided to go visit and looked the location up on Google Maps, only to discover that it was now closed as they were organizing and setting up their 2024 Winter season, so I set the opening evening into my calendar and on a cold January night we went to their Grand Opening for appetizers and drinks as well as finally getting to see some of their photographs. 

The grand opening was actually a pretty swanky event, with a cash bar and servers circulating with delicious appetizers all evening. The clientele was a mix of local dignitaries, ordinary folk like us and lots of arty people out to see and be seen. 

We made the mistake of buying a couple of glasses of wine (To support the Image Centre of course), but discovered that drinks were not allowed in the various galleries displaying the photographs. This meant we had to set our wine on tables outside the galleries but being very protective of my drink, I did not want to leave it unattended, so we went into the galleries one at a time while the other waited with our drinks. Fortunately this provided an opportunity, for one of my favourite activities, people watching. 

It was very interesting to stand and watch and listen to the people attending the event, and both of us found the amount of BS that was being thrown around completely entertaining. The local dignitaries were all “Glad-handing” in their suits

and moving through the crowd finding other “important” people to chat up. The “arty crowd” in their unique and inspired attire were making sure that everyone knew that they were part of “The Scene” . . . . “Oh, yea, I was there in 2006 when that photo was taken!”, “I worked with them back in 2004”, etc, etc etc
. . . .

I really enjoyed the Grand Opening, and found some of the photo exhibitions really interesting, but I think I will go back and visit when it is just the photos without the BS.

High Rise Scavenger Hunt

Our view from the condo at night

Our condo here in Toronto is on the 9th floor, so we have a nice view out over the city, and Regis likes the fact that she can check the colour of the CN tower every night. There are a few trees to be seen, but the view is mostly of other high rises around our building. I know that some of our country cousins and friends might think that other high rise buildings are no real view at all, but I quite enjoy this view. When our son bought this condo one of the features of the building was that although it is not down on the waterfront, there was a distant view of lake Ontario between two buildings. That slight water view has since disappeared with a new building which has completely blocked the lake from our view, but I have enjoyed watching the new building grow higher and higher; I think they added five floors while we were enjoying Christmas in Nova Scotia. 

No Lake in Sight

It is interesting to look out at the buildings around us and speculate on what is going on in them. There is one apartment/condo that has two bright lights that come on every day at 6:00 AM sharp and go out at 11:00 PM. They must be on a timer, as they never vary, so we have taken to calling it the “Grow Opp”. Then there is the apartment where the lights never go out; the lights are on 24 hours a day and I have never noticed anyone moving around even though the blinds are never down. One apartment the we can see from our bedroom had a multicoloured light that cycled through the colours constantly all night long; who could live in this multicoloured world all the time? 

The "grow opp" 

On the 9th floor, we can see all these buildings around us but not the streets that are situated on, so the other day we set out on a scavenger hunt to actually find the building we were watching all the time. There is a building right next to us that is part of the same complex we live in and a tall modern tower that we walk by when ever we go out, but there were also four building a few blocks away that we wanted to go find. 

So on a cold Toronto day when we did not have any big city attractions to go find,

The CN Tower

a nice walk around the neighbourhood to locate the buildings we look out on every day was a pleasant activity. 

A Guest in my own House

Back In NS for Christmas

When we undertook this adventure in Toronto we rented our house in Dartmouth to our daughter Alisha & her husband Derek. She was moving back to Nova Scotia and needed a place to live while she settled back into an East Coast lifestyle and we needed someone to look after our house while we tried out big-city-condo-life in Toronto, so this was a win/win arrangement for all of us. We spent the month of August sharing the house as we packed up to move and she unpacked so, as we emptied drawers, she filled them with her “stuff”. As we progressed through this we made it very clear to her that we wanted her to treat the house as her’s and she was welcome to make changes as she saw fit to make the house their own. As we settled into the rented condo in Toronto, we were comfortable that our house in Dartmouth was in good hands, although I did compose a handy document with suggestions of how to deal with procedures I had developed over the 30 plus years we lived in the house. 

Now, over the years since the children moved out and left us in a house too big for just Regis and I, we decided that Christmas would be alternated between “home” for Christmas in Dartmouth and Christmas with the children in their cities. This worked well and we spent many pleasant holidays in the children’s apartments and houses in Montreal, Ottawa, and Toronto. This year however was scheduled for a Dartmouth Christmas, so Ryan & Ben and Regis & I were flying “home” to spend Christmas with Alisha and Derek in our old house in Dartmouth. When planning this trip, we made it very clear to Alisha that we did not expect her to give us back our bedroom and our nice adjustable king sized bed, we expected to be “guests” and would live in the guest suite downstairs. 

The sleeping arrangements were just fine, but it really was a bit odd to be a guest

Apparently it is now "Bob's Chair

in your own house. Alisha and Derek really have made themselves at home in the house and we had to adapt to their lifestyle. Bob the cat had claimed my favourite chair by the wood stove, and Mochi the dog has taken over the loveseat we left behind. We were there for three weeks and I still looked for the corkscrew in the drawer in the kitchen island every time a new bottle had to be opened. I know I left my big stock pot there, but I never found it; it must be down in the storage room somewhere among the boxes of our stuff and boxes of their stuff so soup stock had to be made in Alisha’s pot. They did not adjust to all of my suggested procedures, and Derek has his own way of lighting and feeding the wood stove that works just fine,  and they haven’t had enough snow to realize that my suggestion of always scraping the driveway clean prevents it getting icy really does work . . . .

Working together 

So, although it was odd being a guest in my own house, it all worked out fine and we spent an enjoyable three week Holiday visit back in Nova Scotia with Alisha and Derek, and Ryan and Ben joined us for a few days over Christmas. 

Where is Alexander Wood?

Today we set out to find a statue of Alexander Wood which was supposed to be only two blocks away. It was one of the “111 places in Toronto not to be missed” from the book we have been using as one of he resources as we have been using to explore Toronto. The condo is on Mutual St. and both Alexander St. And Wood St. run off Mutual, so his name is certainly in the neighbourhood. I have walked down both Church St. and Alexander St. Many times, so I was surprised that I somehow missed this statue. 

According to the book, Alexander Wood was a Scottish merchant and magistrate and possibly a homosexual, so streets named after him and a statue of him in the Church Wellesley gay neighbourhood in Toronto made perfect sense. 

111 Places and Google Maps both placed the statue on the corner of Church and Alexander streets, beside the BMO building, but when we walked down to the corner there was no sign of a statue. Although Google Maps said the statue was there, Google itself provided the answer. In April 2022, the state was removed and destroyed because some community members said that Wood was involved in promoting residential schools and accused him of being a raciest. 

Well, that answers that question . . . .

However once we got home I decided to research Alexander Wood and I found out that not only was Wood a bit controversial so was the removal of his memorial. 

Living in the 1800s, Alexander Wood was not openly gay, but he was a lifelong “bachelor” and his involvement as a Militia leader and a magistrate he apparently “examined” the genitals of soldiers accused of raping a girl when she claimed to have scratched her assailant. This led to him being called “The Inspector of private accounts” and a “Molly”, a derogatory term for homosexuals. When he refused to identify the victim to “protect her privacy” he was suspected of manufacturing the event so he could molest the soldiers. He was however also a successful and respected business person and was very involved with the community, serving on many organizations and charities. 

His involvement with First Nation schools is historical fact, but it was actually a positive involvement, with a first nation chief coming to Toronto and asking him to work to promote a school for their children which he did work to create. His involvement with the school was only in its creation and when it was not very successful it was indeed turned into a “residential” school but only years after Wood’s death. He was involved with local organizations that promoted residential schools, but his involvement was minor and as a community leader he was expected to be involved in a lot of organizations, and there is no evidence he actually promoted or encouraged the schools; his involvement in most of the organizations was as treasurer since he was a successful businessman. 

From news stories from the time when the statue was removed it sounds like a small group of influential people felt it was best to remove the statue while a lot of local people did not agree at all. As usual, there are often more than one side to a story.

100 days

Enjoying Condo Life

Today is our 100th day living in a 850 Square Foot Condo in Downtown Toronto. This whole adventure has been about experimenting with downsizing and seeing if we could deal with going from our two story (And finished basement) house to a small condo or apartment. We really no longer need a big house, and as I get older I have been finding that bad knees and hips make stairs a painful nuisance, so a single floor living space would be nice. As well, I was finding that the house maintenance and routine yard work that I used to enjoy was losing some of it’s appeal. 

So, what have we learned after 100 days here in Toronto?

First and foremost, we have adapted admirably to the small condo and are perfectly happy with only 850 square feet of living space. There are compromises we have had to make, but they are all good ones and we have had no problems with adapting. 

We went from having a TV in almost every room to only having one, so when I want to watch NASCAR, F1 or NFL, Regis has to either watch with me or go into another room and watch on another device. The result is that she has learned to enjoy some of the amazing passes and runs in football and she has discovered bluetooth headphones to read and drown out my sports. Of course this also works the other way around, and Regis’ favourite Hallmark Christmas special have allowed me to nap or read as I tune them completely out. 

I have discovered that with a condo sized washer and dryer you have to do laundry more often, but with a simple drying rack, the small loads dry overnight or by the end of the day and put enough moisture into the air to overcome the dryness of ninth floor and central heat.

Toronto Wildlife

We went from a large efficient kitchen that we designed around a beautiful Italian gas stove to a small galley kitchen. Our kitchen used to enable the whole family get involved in cooking events, but even two people find it difficult to work in the condo’s smaller space, but we have adapted to alternating the meal preparation and this works fine. We would, of course, like a larger kitchen, but we have found ways to make this work. 

Cleaning and general housework is probably the biggest plus; only one bathroom to clean and you can plug the vacuum into one plug and reach every corner of the condo. The entire space can be clean and shiny in around an hour. 

Groceries and food is an area where we really have had to adjust our habits. Those annoying Loblaws/Superstore “Two for  . . .” deals just do not work as we do not have space to store extra bottles of ketchup or orange juice. We have learned to buy smaller portions so our small “condo sized” freezer doesn’t fill up way too fast. Here in Toronto this works fine for us as the grocery store is only two blocks away and daily walks to the store are easy. 

Out for a walk in Toronto

We like having a gym in the building and have gotten into a routine for exercise and not having a car gives us further exercise as we walk or use Public Transit. Our small second bedroom has been used by a number of guests quite comfortably, so 100 days in, and our condo experiment continues to go very well. 

Public Transport

Just the Subway

TTC Map - a bit confusing

Without a “Daily Driver” car here in Toronto, we have had to rely on the public transit system to get around, and we have found that Toronto’s TTC (Toronto Transit Commission) is a very efficient way to get where we want to go. The TTC consists of a Subway system with a line that runs North/south and North/west (Line 1), another two that run east/west, (line 2 & 4), Streetcars that serve most of the major streets, and busses that serve most other areas. In addition, The Subway line 1 goes to the Union Train station which connects to the GO trains that serve outlying areas and the UP Express that gets you quickly to the Pearson Airport. 

You can purchase a handy Presto card that gives you access to all of these services. You simple tap your card when you enter the subway stations, or when you get on the streetcars or buses. They are all connected and there is an automatic two hour transfer, so you can take subway, streetcar or bus and so long as you are within the two hour limit you are not charged. Using the GO train or UP Express, you tap your card before getting on the train and then when you get off and your fare reflects how far you go. 

The Subway

The Subway is the most efficient way around the city itself as it runs underground and so avoids all the traffic, and Toronto is reputed to have two rush hours running from 6 AM to Noon and another running from Noon to 6 PM. That is a slight exaggeration, but in general there is always traffic in the downtown core. The street cars and the busses of course run on the streets so are in traffic, but someone else is doing the driving and so long as you avoid the real busy times seats are available and comfortable. The GO trains are a comfortable ride and runs alongside one of the citie’s major highways, the Gardiner Expressway, so you get to silently zip quickly past the frustrated drivers on the highway stuck in traffic. 

TTC Streetcar

The first few times visiting Toronto, we got used to using the subway but were slightly confused with the streetcar and bus routes so avoided them. This time, here for a year, we have become comfortable with using the entire system. Using a combination of subway, streetcar, bus or GO train we have been able to get anywhere we want to go within the city. 

We discovered a suggested four block neighbourhood with some interesting things to see, so we decided to use the system to go visit the area. A short walk brought us to the Collage subway stop on line one and we too the train south on the Yonge line to Union Station and then north on the University line to St. Andrews where we got off and walked down to the Ossington Neighbourhood where we spent $90 in a Cocktail store without buying any actual alcohol, bought Regis a necklace that was worn by the “Mother of the Bride” in a movie made in California, and had lunch at a Coffee & Wine cafe. We then walked back to Collage St. Where we caught a Streetcar to take us back to Church St and a short walk back home. Now all these place names and street names probably mean little to most of you, but it’s just me bragging about how well I have gotten to know Toronto downtown. 

The GO Trains

Although the TTC does work very well, the ride home did show one serious problem. Lots of people just do not pay. We sat across from one of the streetcar’s middle doors where people entering the car are supposed to tap their Presto cards to pay for their ride. There are lots of signs warning of “Fare Enforcement” and advising users that “All passengers must tap upon entering”, but we were surprised at how many people just got on without paying. Riding for six stops, we saw at least 20 people who ignored the payment procedure and that was just one door. Teams of teenagers, gangs of grandmas and entire families took advantage of the fact that no one actually enforces the “Fare Enforcement” rules. You can’t easily get onto the subway without tapping your card, but it seems that many Torontonians have figured out how to ride for free on the streetcars and buses. This is a shame, because Toronto’s public transit system works well and people using it really should be happy to support it by paying the quite reasonable fares. 

Italian Leather - SCAM!

Nice weather was back in Toronto for a few days, so I headed out to find a Staples to purchase an art pad for a project I had an idea for. There was a Staples up Yonge Street in Ryan & Ben’s old Midtown neighbourhood, and  I wanted to go and see the changes in the area since we last were there.

Back to Midtown for a visit

When Ryan and Ben lived in the area they had a nice apartment right on Yonge St, and it was close to everything but there was a massive construction project across the street that made it noisy and dusty. I had to wash their balcony of dust every time I went out to watch traffic. Today it was a big improvement; the condo complex across the street is finished and the neighbourhood has none of the ubiquitous Toronto building cranes working in the immediate area; a definite improvement!

I found the Staples, bought my art supplies and headed home. 

Across from Ryan’s old apartment building I stopped for a traffic light to wait for the walk signal. A car pulled up to the red light, and the window rolled down. “Pearson Airport?”

This guy was nowhere near Pearson Airport and a strong foreign accent identified him as not local. Now since I have been in Toronto for three months, I have become pretty comfortable with finding my way around and thought I’d help this guy out. I leaned into his window and said I could give him directions, but it was not easy to get there from downtown Toronto. He backed his car up and unlocked the door, offering me a seat. He explained that he was visiting from Italy attending a fashion show in Toronto and had gotten lost on his way to the airport, handing me a business card explaining that he was from Milano, Italy. 

Not being familiar with the Sat-Nav in his rental car I got out my phone and checked the route, explaining that his easiest route was right out Yonge St to the 401, head west and then to look for the clear signs to the airport. He seemed to understand and thanked me profusely, saying if I even come to Milano Italy to contact him and he would show me around his city. He then asked my what size I took, and when I told him he reached into the back seat and pulled out a plastic bag with a leather jacket in it. He handed it to me saying I could have it as thanks for helping him. He explained that it was a sample from the show and he did not have room to bring it back on the plane anyway. He said it was valued at $1500 in stores.  He then pulled another out and asked if I had family here who might want one as well. 

Now this was sounding a bit “too good to be true” so my suspicion was seriously aroused. Then another coat was shown, this one was a winter version with lining and a hood, supposed to worth $3000.00 retail.

Then the pitch began, I could have all three coats for half the price of one of them. Now I was wearing my nice new winter jacket I got at MEC for $48.00, and I explained I was not interested; I never paid $700 for any jacket. He explained what a great deal it was, and asked how much I was willing to give him. I do not carry much cash on me at any time; paying for everything with a credit card and I showed him that all I had was $50 cash. 

“No problem.” He said, “We could go to a bank machine.”

Nice Italian Leather Coat

I realized that this was not a legit deal, and I told him I was not interested, but he continued, trying to convince me it was a good deal. By now I was just getting annoyed and had enough of the fellow, so I said I was leaving. 

Obviously annoyed he said “Ok!”, took the $50 and handed me the winter coat. 

I took the coat and got out of his car. 

Now earlier I had explained to him that to get to the airport he had to turn right and go up Yonge St, but he turned left, back downtown. I guess he wasn’t really headed to the airport. 

Back home I tried on the cat and it really is a very nice one and fit well, so a pretty good deal for $50. Searching the Internet I discovered that this is a popular scam in many cities all over the world, but most of the people commented that they were charged $150 or more, so I did not do too bad and the exact same coat is available online for $250 o
n discount sites, and one was advertised for $6000, but that was somehow connected to Ferrari Automobiles, so probably not an accurate price. I’m not sure if they are stolen or just knock-offs, but I now have a nice new Italian leather winter coat.