Why I Love Toronto

2012 In Review – A Breath of Fresh Air

So yesterday I gave you the sad news of a few historic and iconic places in Toronto that would be shutting down or have been shut down this year. Now the futures of many of these buildings are of course condominiums. However, sometimes condominium developers can do good things. Key word in that sentence was sometimes. I call this post a Breath of Fresh Air because many of the following things on this list have been given a new life and a second chance. Some are old abandoned buildings who will get a new purpose, others include modern expansions and three of them prove that if a community stands together good things can happen.

197 Yonge Street – The Old Bank of Commerce (now known as CIBC) across from the Toronto Eaton Centre, has sat abandoned for many years. Now the heritage property has been restored by MOD Developments and will be incorporated into a new condominium complex.

Churches – Many of Toronto’s Churches are being converted into condominiums. This is great considering there is so much hard work that goes into building a house of worship.

The Big Bop/ CB2 – It was in January that CB2 finally opened revealing a fully restored façade of the former Occident Hall which was painted purple by the Big Bop.

Maple Leaf Gardens – I skated at Ryerson’s new NHL sized rink at Maple Leaf Gardens and just stepping onto that ice was spectacular. Even though it wasn’t the same ice where the Leafs won their Stanley Cups, I was still skating in the building they did.

Toronto Reference Library – Got a facelift that finally opened this year along with a Balzac’s Coffee.

Don Jail – The scary prisons new fully restored façade was revealed a few weeks ago and even though it looks all happy and bright the building still has a dark past.

Jamie Bell Adventure Playground – After being burned to the ground the community and Mike Holmes came together to rebuild the playground so that children could continue to play in the park.

High Park Zoo and Riverdale Farm – These loveable summer day trips for kids were almost shut down by the city, but after a the communities in both Cabbagetown and High Park rallied together, put signs on their lawns and raised money the Zoo and Farm will live to see another year.

HK Hotel – A New Hotel on the CNE grounds will include an excavation of the buried Stanley Barracks which will incorporated into the Hotel’s walkway.

Images

    

Why I Love Toronto

2012 in Review - Goodbyes

Toronto it has been quite an exciting year in the city! There have been some depressing, happy, bizarre and exciting stories that have crossed our paths. It was also the year I ended my 365 day challenge, however after receiving messages from a handful of my loyal followers I knew it would be the wrong decision to abandon my blog.

Well you have all motivated me and in 2013 a lot of new and exciting things will be happening with Why I Love Toronto. The launch of the Why I Love Toronto Instagram was just the start of it, so I encourage you to keep following me and see the evolution of Why I Love Toronto and Toronto in general.

Over the next few days I will be dedicating each post to a specific news theme that affects a large number of my Why I Love Toronto posts. Today`s 2012 in Review is entitled Goodbye. 2012 was the year of bad news for some of my favorite things and places in the city. The list I provide you below will soon make my Why I Loved Toronto list. Below I have hyperlinked all of the topics to their original post.

Here are the things we had to say and will need to eventually say goodbye to.

Mr. Christie Bakery – The sweet smelling factory on Park Lawn and Lakeshore will close next year due to residential expansion in the area.

The Model Railroad Club – The establishment for train enthusiasts, in Liberty Village, will need to relocate due to an impending condominium development on the property. Sadly some models will be lost.

Princess of Wale Theatre - David Mirvish and Frank Gehry propose three tallcondominiumssculptures on the Princess of Wales Theatre block. If the proposal is approved say goodbye to the modern Mirvish Theatre.

Masonic Temple – Bell Media has relocated MTV Canada to 299 Queen Street West leaving the Masonic Temple empty. Will the failed condominium developments of the 1990`s become a reality this time or will the temple become a concert hall.

Abandoned George Street Row Houses – Although they are heritage buildings, these historic row houses have been left to decay over the years and have become a popular spot for drug transactions and for addicts as well as the homeless to squat in. With a fire once again ravaging the historical buildings the question is what will the city do with these designated heritage properties as the community gets more and more frustrated.

Sam The Record Man Sign – After losing Sam Sniderman behind Sam the Record Man this year, news also broke that Ryerson will back out of its promise to resurrect the iconic Sam the Record Man sign on Yonge Street.

Devil`s Martini – The sinfully fun nightclub closed its doors this year and has reopened as UNIUN.

The World`s Biggest Bookstore – It was announced earlier this year that the loveable bookstore will close December 31st 2013. Let the countdown begin.

Toronto Women`s Bookstore – After facing a number of financial issues and surviving a bombing in  protest of the abortion clinic in the same building the iconic Harbord Street bookstore said goodbye.

Louis Vuitton – The Maison has moved down the street in the Yorkville area, but the question that remains is what is the history of the building the former LV resided in and what will become of it?

Pho Hung (The Annex) – The famous Pho restaurant lasted longer than any of the other tenants in its building complex before it finally had to leave to make room for a planned condominium development.

Woo – The restaurant and occasional night club in the Yonge-Dundas AMC Complex said goodbye earlier this year. No more great views or Asian styled buffets in the core.

The Silver Snail – The comic book façade of its Queen Street location no longer fit in with the neighbourhood and the comic book store decided to relocate to a part of the ever shrinking HMV mega store on Yonge Street.

Love Locks (Kind of) – The Love Locks on the Humber Bay Arch Bridge were cut earlier this year with the exception of a few. However, I bike on the bridge almost every day to get to work and I can still feel the love as new locks populate the bridge.

Ontario Place – The Province shut down the theme park rather unexpectedly this year. Although some parts of the complex remain open the loveable Log Ride (The Wilderness Adventure Ride) is no more.

The Pinball Café – After failing to obtain a license and failing to meet other legalities the Parkdale establishment has closed.

Images

Why I Will Love The CNE Grounds

HK Hotel Tower

Now before you all judge me you have to read this post. Over the last week I discussed some of my favorite historical buildings on the CNE grounds and I basically told you I loved the CNE and hoped that it would never become a piece of property that would be overdeveloped by condominiums. Now as some of you may know a 26-storey hotel is about to be built next to the old Automotive Building and will be completed by 2015. This will no doubt change the landscape of the CNE, but it will also honour this cities military past.

Earlier this month archeologists continued an excavation project of a parking lot located in front of the Direct Energy Centre. Underneath that parking lot is a stone wall foundation one metre thick that belonged to one of the six building that formed the Stanley Barracks.  We all know from a few days ago that the Stanley Barracks was built to be the new garrison in Toronto. The barracks eventually became an training area for the RCMP, used in both World Wars and finally was used as housing before being torn down and paved over. The only building from the Stanley Barracks complex that remains is the Officer’s Quarters.

The area will continue to be excavated and eventually covered by a piece of glass that will be placed on top of the foundation wall to create a walkway to the hotel entrance. Therefore, when you are walking towards the hotel you will be able to peer down into a part of Canadian history. There will also be a display of military artifacts as well as a pond which will represent where Lake Ontario was during the time the Barracks was a garrison.

I would call this one of many wins personally. The first win is that Toronto’s past will be unearthed. We will get to see a part of Toronto’s history that shaped this nation. Also the new hotel, which will be completed in 2015, could put the redevelopment of Ontario Place into full force, because let’s be honest that area is really unused during the year and what tourist would want to stay in an area of Toronto that is not touristy.

So they paved paradise to put up a parking lot and now they are un-paving that parking lot and revealing a piece of history.  

That is Why I Will Love the CNE Grounds. 

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/industry-news/property-report/rendering-of-boutique-hotel-at-cne-grounds/article5696641/?from=5664040

Why I Love Toronto

You’ve Changed

When you first read this statement sitting on the side of a building around Dovercourt and Queen, you automatically think that it is an inspirational message for the patients at CAMH, since it over looks their property.  If you guessed that then you are partially right for this mural contains an even deeper message to the artist [Torontonian Jesse Harris] and an even deeper meaning for me. 

The mural is no doubt meant to be an inspirational message, but Harris also notes that it is a commentary on the ever-changing neighborhood. Now what I love is the positioning of this commentary for it is on the side of old building that has clearly sat on that property for a very long time as well as sits above the walls surrounding CAMH that were built by the patients of the Provincial Lunatic Asylum. However, I think the message can extend far beyond the neighbourhood it is in and apply to Toronto as a whole.

Toronto is changing. Census data shows changes in the languages that are spoken in Toronto and the composition of the family. The skyline is changing and buildings that once held the title of being the tallest in Canada, if not North America, such as Commerce Court, the Fairmont Royal York and One King West, are now being dwarfed by condominiums that could potentially reach 70 stories in the next few years. Condominiums are another thing. No longer is Toronto populated with horizontal residences, but now everyone is living vertical.  Buildings are being lost because we ignore their historical and cultural significance and mainstream/ commercialized/ American retailers are popping up taking over small local businesses.

I was going to launch this post sometime next week, but then I heard of three major Toronto landmarks that would be closing within the next year. Along with the Toronto Women’s Bookstore that will be closing at the end of the month, we also have to say goodbye to the Mr. Christie Factory, the Masonic Temple and the Model Railroad Club of Toronto. This week I am dedicating posts to all three landmarks and will have exclusive coverage of the Women’s Bookstore at the end of the month.

We have changed as a city. Many argue for the better and others argue for the worst.  I think it could go either way for me. I think change is necessary for us to evolve as the population grows. If we don’t accommodate for these changes then we will be in trouble. Yet the people who are making these changes happen are not taking any consideration for the past - our history. We all need to evolve, but we need to keep our past. If European countries can do it, then why can’t we?

I have read too deeply into this mural, but that’s the person I am. However, I think this mural will really allow Torontonians (those who have been born and raised) to really thing and grasp the amount of change that has occurred.  

That is Why I Love Toronto

http://coopercolegallery.com/news/tag/youve-changed-mural/

Why I Love Toronto

The Urban Umbrella

For years Torontonians have suffered from a number of new condominium developments and with those condo developments comes the sketchy, dark and narrow scaffolding that is erected to protect us from falling debris. Even though these wooden eyesores are only temporary, they are still unattractive and depressing. 

Well earlier this fall the ugly construction scaffolding got a major face-lift. Surrounding the old Sam The Record Man property/ the site of Ryerson’s new Student Centre is an Urban Umbrella.  This umbrella is new to Toronto, but was first introduced in New York City. The Toronto version by Young Choi (designer), Andres Cortes (architect) and Sarrah Khan was built as a way to beautify the construction site, which is close to Toronto’s busiest intersection.  The scaffolding is composed of these beautiful arches and is made from recycled steel, which allows the umbrella to provide a wider walking area. It also has a transparent rooftop that allows natural light to shine in. At night the umbrella is lit using LED lights making it look luxurious and exclusive as opposed to the old scaffolding which made you feel like you were in a mine about to dig for minerals. Even the name Urban Umbrella makes it sound loveable and pretty.

I always take the 501 streetcar to Dufferin and on the corner of Dufferin and Queen there is this awful scaffolding that looks both unstable and gross. I personally choose to walk on the street to avoid it. Now if an Urban Umbrella were there I probably would walk underneath it and not on the street. I think that these umbrellas are a great idea. I mean the old wooden scaffolding may have worked back in the days before the Downtown Revitalization project, but today almost everything in the core is bright, pretty and restored. So imagine walking pass these beautiful structures and then seeing this ugly piece of scaffolding which makes you feel like you are in a sketchy early 90’s version of Toronto. I think that as the city becomes more modern the little things, like the scaffolding, needs to be more modern as well.

Expect the next Urban Umbrella to pop up on the corner of Yonge and Bloor.

That is Why I Love Toronto.

Why I Loved Toronto

The Model Railroad Club

I just want to say I can’t believe so many people live in Toronto to the point we need this many condominiums. I sometimes think that half the condominiums we see around the city are empty.  That’s just my view. Anyways The Model Railroad Club in Liberty Village is yet another victim of the Toronto’s condominium market.

Toronto’s Model Railroad Club was established in 1938 by Harry Ebert and Borden Lilley. The club first started in Ebert’s basement and eventually moved to Union Station. However, after the second World War the area in which the club occupied was needed for railways.  That is when it moved to its current location where it has been for 66 years. The building it occupies is 171 East Liberty Street which used to be an armament factory. The Model Railroad Club is currently the largest permanent railroad display in Canada – well, soon it will be was the largest permanent railroad display.

After 66 years the club is being evicted, which is sad because of all the work it took to assemble these miniature masterpieces.  I mean you can’t assume you’ll be occupying a space forever because nothing is forever. However, when you look at all the work and detail that has gone into these models, you kind of wish that that things were forever.  The other thing is these models are big and the club will have to take a majority, if not all of them apart. That to me is the saddest part because the club/ the people who made these models are artists. They put so much hard work into these masterpieces, to perfect them, to make them beautiful. What if you were an artist and were told to remove your hard work? How would you feel?

These last three posts have been about change and related to the You’ve Changed mural located on Queen West. Toronto has a very rich railway/ railroad history and you can check out some of the history in the Transportation section . However, this is not the end for the Model Railroad Club. It’s been around since 1938 and it would be a shame if the owners called it quits because if they are true artists, then they will never give up on their passion.

So condominiums you win this battle! But the battle is never over!

http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/article/1281456—toronto-s-model-railroad-club-closing-down-to-make-way-for-condos

http://www.blogto.com/sports_play/2012/04/inside_the_model_railroad_club_of_toronto/

http://www.modelrailroadclub.com/MRCT/Facts.html

Why I Loved Toronto The Mr. Christie Factory on Park Lawn It was just an odd coincidence that I saw the “You’ve Changed: mural on Queen West this week. I say a coincidence because little did I know that 4 prominent Toronto landmarks were about the close. 2 two become condos and the other two whose fate is left uncertain, but one of them may become condos. On Thursday it was announced the famed Etobicoke landmark, The Mr. Christie Factory, would close next fall. I lived in the area for a number of years before relocating and still continue to bike down to the Lakeshore via Park Lawn. Now Park Lawn is technically out of my way, but my normal bike route would see me passing the waste management plant, which is known on occasion to make a person gag. The reason I take the route down Park Lawn is simple. The smell that is released from the Mr. Christie Factory is heavenly. The smell of cookies and blueberries fill the air and make the day seem that much sweeter. However, biking down that area for years I have seen a huge transformation. Condominiums have been going up everywhere and the area has changed from Head Offices and factories to a luxury residential neighbourhood. I had a customer once who came into my store to by a new jogging suit and we were discussing how we like run/ bike in the area. Then we spoke about how insane the condo boom in that area was getting. This led me to say, “It will be a shame to see the Mr. Christie Factory go,” in which she responded with, “I give it a year.”  That conversation was in July. However, in my original post back on September 10th 2011 I also said that the factory’s life was limited. There are a few reasons this closure is sad. The first is simply the amount of jobs that will be lost. 550 employees will lose their job because of this closure many of them being new Canadians. Factories like this are places where new immigrants come to work in the city. It is the job that is meant to help them start their life in Canada. The second is I love Mr. Christie cookies and even though the cookies will still be produced, they won’t be produced at Park Lawn anymore. Instead the production of Mr. Christie’s goods will move to East York and Montreal. The 625,000 square foot factory made items such as Bits & Bites, Oreo’s, Ritz crackers and Stoned Wheat Thins. I personally I love those baby cookies (arrowroots) that Mr. Christie makes. They were my favorite childhood cookies and they are still my favorite cookies today. I sometime bring a pack to work and eat them at my desk. Lastly I will miss the outlet. As a university student I needed to save my money, mostly for fashion, but on occasion I did need to eat.  The Mr. Christie Factory has an outlet store that is opened to the public where they sell their products in bulk for a great price. Now these are the cookies that can’t be sold to grocers because the labeling may be crooked or wrong or the package could be underweight because there is one too many cookies/ one to few.   But let’s now refer back to the “You’ve Changed” mural. The area in which the factory is located in has changed.  Alvar Cuba the VP of operations said, “While this was an appropriate location for a large bakery when it was first built, the significant residential development surrounding it has led to operating constraints that will become increasingly difficult with the further expansion underway.” So my Etobicoke friends, next fall that marvelous smell of baked goods will be gone. Then in 2014 the factory will probably be bulldozed, the water tower that has been the Gardiner Expressway staple for years gone will be gone and soon a new high rise will emerge blocking any view we have of our beautiful lake. http://toronto.ctvnews.ca/mr-christie-s-to-close-in-toronto-cutting-550-jobs-1.1021086 http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/article/1282015—-strong-opposition-for-condo-plans-for-mr-christie-plant
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Why I Loved Toronto

The Mr. Christie Factory on Park Lawn

It was just an odd coincidence that I saw the “You’ve Changed: mural on Queen West this week. I say a coincidence because little did I know that 4 prominent Toronto landmarks were about the close. 2 two become condos and the other two whose fate is left uncertain, but one of them may become condos.

On Thursday it was announced the famed Etobicoke landmark, The Mr. Christie Factory, would close next fall. I lived in the area for a number of years before relocating and still continue to bike down to the Lakeshore via Park Lawn. Now Park Lawn is technically out of my way, but my normal bike route would see me passing the waste management plant, which is known on occasion to make a person gag. The reason I take the route down Park Lawn is simple. The smell that is released from the Mr. Christie Factory is heavenly. The smell of cookies and blueberries fill the air and make the day seem that much sweeter.

However, biking down that area for years I have seen a huge transformation. Condominiums have been going up everywhere and the area has changed from Head Offices and factories to a luxury residential neighbourhood. I had a customer once who came into my store to by a new jogging suit and we were discussing how we like run/ bike in the area. Then we spoke about how insane the condo boom in that area was getting. This led me to say, “It will be a shame to see the Mr. Christie Factory go,” in which she responded with, “I give it a year.”  That conversation was in July. However, in my original post back on September 10th 2011 I also said that the factory’s life was limited.

There are a few reasons this closure is sad. The first is simply the amount of jobs that will be lost. 550 employees will lose their job because of this closure many of them being new Canadians. Factories like this are places where new immigrants come to work in the city. It is the job that is meant to help them start their life in Canada.

The second is I love Mr. Christie cookies and even though the cookies will still be produced, they won’t be produced at Park Lawn anymore. Instead the production of Mr. Christie’s goods will move to East York and Montreal. The 625,000 square foot factory made items such as Bits & Bites, Oreo’s, Ritz crackers and Stoned Wheat Thins. I personally I love those baby cookies (arrowroots) that Mr. Christie makes. They were my favorite childhood cookies and they are still my favorite cookies today. I sometime bring a pack to work and eat them at my desk.

Lastly I will miss the outlet. As a university student I needed to save my money, mostly for fashion, but on occasion I did need to eat.  The Mr. Christie Factory has an outlet store that is opened to the public where they sell their products in bulk for a great price. Now these are the cookies that can’t be sold to grocers because the labeling may be crooked or wrong or the package could be underweight because there is one too many cookies/ one to few.  

But let’s now refer back to the “You’ve Changed” mural. The area in which the factory is located in has changed.  Alvar Cuba the VP of operations said, “While this was an appropriate location for a large bakery when it was first built, the significant residential development surrounding it has led to operating constraints that will become increasingly difficult with the further expansion underway.”

So my Etobicoke friends, next fall that marvelous smell of baked goods will be gone. Then in 2014 the factory will probably be bulldozed, the water tower that has been the Gardiner Expressway staple for years gone will be gone and soon a new high rise will emerge blocking any view we have of our beautiful lake.

http://toronto.ctvnews.ca/mr-christie-s-to-close-in-toronto-cutting-550-jobs-1.1021086

http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/article/1282015—-strong-opposition-for-condo-plans-for-mr-christie-plant

Why I Love Toronto + What’s Up Tdot!

The Princess of Wales Theatre

At 11am today David Mirvish along with Frank Gehry announced the plans they are considering for a block of King Street West from John to The Royal Alex. Now the plans would see the Princess of Wales demolished and a new condo complex (with approx. 2,600 units), exhibition and classroom space for OCAD, a gallery for Mr. Mirvish’s private collection, museum and shops go up in the area.

Now many are receiving the proposal with mixed reviews. Those who are opposed to the building are opposed because of the condo plans and the demolition of the theatre. For myself personally I am only a condo hater when it destroys beautiful or old building in our city. You know I love Churches being turned into condos, or buildings like One King West that adds condos on top of an already existing structure and I am way too excited for the MOD developments condo project that will include a full restoration of the old Bank of Commerce on Yonge. However, to tear down the Princess of Wales Theatre all together would be such a loss. Initially I was not sold on these condo plans, because I just have a feeling the condo market is going to crash very soon, but in the news conference David Mirvish said something that really began to change my opinion. He said, “I’m not building condos, but three sculptures for people to live in.” I personally never saw a condo complex in that way and then when he showcased the condo designs they were like sculptures. However, I don’t think its necessary to tear down the Princess. Just like how it wasn’t necessary to tear down those churches , One King West or the Old Bank of Commerce.

Now the design by Mr. Gehry is – interesting. I find parts of it truly amazing and other parts I question. The condominiums look stunning, not going up at a right angle, but sticking out in all different places. The street level area - well it looks really odd with squiggly lines that I would associate with child’s drawing of wind, but I still question whether it can work or not. I love his design of the AGO, it was stunning as was his Dancing House in Prague. However there are buildings I tend to question by him such as The Experience Music Project in Seattle. Now critics of this newly proposed planned have also had mixed reviews about the complex. The Montreal Gazette to me probably had the best headline for this story which read Knock Down a Gorgeous Theatre, Insult a Dead Princess, to Build What? Some people have called the odd wavy white design as toilet paper which has led them to make crap-related jokes.

However my problem is losing the Princess of Wales. I won’t lie, but of all of the properties that the Mirvish’s own in the city and knowing David’s love for the arts, I personally thought Honest Ed’s would be turned into condos by now. However, The Princess of Wales was the reason I fell in love with theatre after seeing a limited engagement revival of The Phantom of the Opera there. I even applied to work there, but instead was suggested to work for the Royal Alex, feeling that my personality would suit the show at the time there better (Rock of Ages).

Now to get into the Why I Love Toronto portion of this post. The glass exterior of the Princess is lovely. It may not have the exterior of the Royal Alex, but mind you it was built almost 2 decades ago. The theatre has 2,000 seats and was a project both Ed and David pursued together. It was the first privately owned and financed theatre built since 1907 in this country. In the press conference today, David Mirvish said he wanted to build the theatre so Toronto could have the production Miss Saigon performed here. In fact it was only supposed to be a temporary theatre which later became a theatre for big productions – like the epic fail that was Lord of The Rings. With one of the widest and deepest stages on this continent, architect Peter Smith did a marvelous job. Even though the theatre is relatively modern, Smith managed to include some traditional theatre elements. Furthermore, Yabu-Pushelberg did the interior.

The demolition of the theatre to Mirvish is said to be a compromise to allow Gehry to have a blank canvas to create this facility, but if there’s one thing I’ve seen in the last few years is that this city is all for saving buildings – however they seem to only be heritage sites.

Regardless though I will never forget my first time at the Princess of Wales theatre. I will never forget going up to the balcony and looking out of the windows at all the people below and I will never forget watching my favorite musical of all time The Phantom of the Opera there.

That Is Why I Love Toronto