random notes

-
Went for my first walk around town since coming back from Montreal. Stumbled upon the celebrations for the official opening of Toronto's latest attraction, Dundas Square (see here for local newspaper coverage). The new landmark has been the source of endless debate in the local media for the past few months, from those trying to defend its future potential to the majority who see it as an ugly concrete slab that fails to live up to the hype (this being Toronto, the centre of the universe, everything has to be world-class).

I wandered over after loading up on Japanese food on the Danforth, wandering down through Cabbagetown to walk off the excessive amount of sashimi I'd downed. Lesson learned on the way: if the call of nature strikes hard, and you're scrambling to find a men's room on the Ryerson campus, good luck! Noticed the chess tables by Sam the Record Man have been replaced by a sidewalk cafe, as part of that landmark's ongoing modernization. It'll feel weird not seeing all the chess hustlers hanging around...is there another spot that all of that stuff was moved to? The Times Square-ization of Yonge Street continues...

Wandered by the square in time for fireworks, which weren't spectacular except for some fire pots shooting off the top of Atrium on Bay and an orchestra set of whizzers going off each level of the circular billboard tower at the northwest corner (which needs to be updated, since Daredevil is still the advertised movie).

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

past pieces of toronto: knob hill farms

-
Image
From November 2011 through July 2012 I wrote the "Past Pieces of Toronto" column for OpenFile , which explored elements of the city which no longer exist. I've republished all but two of those pieces on this website.  Here's the first of the final pair, both of which provided good lessons for future writing. Prepare yourself for a lengthy preamble.
Read more

big v: once upon a time, it was an amazing part of your life

-
Image
While dodging back alley drunks in downtown Kitchener a month ago, I noticed that the back door to a Shoppers Drug Mart bore the mark of its previous identity as part of the Big V pharmacy chain. Years of hearing their slogan "an amazing part of your life" have burned it into my brain, along with images of their comical crusading knight mascot, 25 cent cans of Coca-Cola and the free lunch cooler bags sometimes offered up with the latter. Big V was started in the mid-1960s by a group of Windsor pharmacists who joined together to pool their purchasing and marketing. Most locations were pharmacist-operated, with names reflecting the owners (DeRe, Pond's , Cornett), the neighbourhood (Seminole in Windsor) or town. The chain grew to 135 stores by the time it was purchased by Shoppers in 1995. Amherstburg's store was originally Haslehurst's Big V, then switched to the more generic "Amherstburg" by the time I started shopping there with my parents. Loc
Read more

past pieces of toronto: albert britnell book shop

-
Image
From November 2011 through July 2012 I wrote the "Past Pieces of Toronto" column for OpenFile, which explored elements of the city which no longer exist. The following was originally posted on December 2, 2011. The Starbucks at 675 Yonge Street isn’t your typical branch of the corporate coffee giant. The walls are lined with sturdy old wooden bookshelves while the floor is a checkerboard of black and white. Why this location is not like the others is hinted at on the façade. Look up to the second floor and you’ll notice a legendary name in Toronto bookselling: Albert Britnell. The quality of the literature on the shelves inside doesn’t always match the standards the Britnell family maintained for over a century of book retailing, but it’s a nod to the building’s past that comes in handy while waiting for a friend or first date. English native Albert Britnell entered the book trade by working in his brother John’s bookstore in London. Both brothers moved to C
Read more