Unknown Toronto

Toronto has lost a well loved landmark tonight: the huge old maple tree outside Maple Cottage on Laing Street in Leslieville. I wrote this piece about it for one of my "CurioCity" columns for the National Post; it's reprinted with permission:

There's a cheerful yellow mural at the northeast corner of Queen Street East and Jones, painted in 2005 by young people around the Ralph Thornton Centre to honour one of Leslieville's most notable citizens, Alexander Muir (1830-1906). Alexander Muir Memorial Park on Yonge near Lawrence (which was moved across the street in the early 1950s to accommodate the construction of the subway) is also named for him.

Muir was a teacher and principal at several Toronto schools, including one on Gladstone Avenue that was renamed for him in 1925.

After a very long hiatus, I feel I must write something on this site again, about Jack Layton, with whom at one time I worked very closely.

Although it would be hard to imagine any greater legacy for a politician than redrafting the electoral map of Canada, as he has done, I am awfully sorry he didn't get another decade (or two or three) to keep bringing about change simply by being the person he was.

Happy 2010! It's been a while since I posted here, but I just had to mention The Gondola Project, a great website and a fabulous concept championed by urban planner Steven Dale. The Toronto Star recently ran a story about his idea for a cable transit system in the Don Valley or the Humber.

Cable transit is used routinely in Europe and South America, as Dale documents on his site. It's relatively inexpensive, has a very small envorinmental footprint, and is very fun.

Coach House Press celebrated its annual Wayzgoose Party (a traditional party held by a master printer for the workers) earlier this evening in the laneways around the Coach House itself (80 bpNichol Lane).

Pages books & magazines (256 Queen West, 416-598-1477) has announced it will close on its 30th anniversary due to the hike in rents at the city-owned property. Owner Marc Glassman reports he has not yet found a new location. In an official notice posted to Facebook Friends of This Is Not a Reading Series, he wrote "I have to see this as an opportunity ... Old business models are crumbling, but new technologies will not eliminate books as objects.

I know other people have written about this before, but I like it too: Michael Warning and Derek Watson of Walloper, a self-described "collection of art geeks, design wonks and new-urbanist cheerleaders" have designed stick-on vinyl wall decals featuring TTC station typography for your kitchen, bedroom or office. They come in 4'x2' and 2'x1' sizes, and cost $25 to $36. We have an orange wall; I'm wanting Dupont tiles.

Oh what a night! The 2009 Dora Mavor Moore Awards were handed out in a sensationally efficient (under three hours) gala a few hours ago. In fact, as I write, the after-party continues to rage at the St. Lawrence Centre (whither it was moved when the City strike closed Metro Hall).

The photo above shows big winner Waawaate Fobister (right), whose play Agokwe picked up six awards, including Outstanding Production of a Play and New Play.

Some shots of the finished art bus created by Patrick Thompson and Jenifer Rudski with youth at the Belka Enrichment Centre. It'll be used in the Jane-Finch neighbourhood as a mobile homework drop-in spot. I wrote about it in the National Post.

I've been meaning to post this since last summer: taken after a crashing thunder and wind storm on the islands during the Cycle Messenger World Championships, June 15, 2008.