The Billy Bishop Airport

My friend Marcia and I rode the Bathurst streetcar to Fleet Street, so that we could visit the NEW pedestrian tunnel to the Billy Bishop Airport.

The above artist rendering is courtesy of Urban Toronto.
Apparently, the 800 foot tunnel cost 82.5 million dollars to build. 

So here is the entrance to the tunnel that takes you under the Western Gap.

There are four moving sidewalks.....

And two sets of four huge escalators to take folks to and from the airport.

Once we arrived at the top of this, the last escalator, we were treated to a virtual mini museum of Billy's history.

Once we covered everything there was to see, we decided to do the return trip on the ferry.

This is us on the deck of the Marilyn Bell1, which was actually christened by Marilyn Bell herself in January 2010.

Marilyn looks like she is having a great time dumping Champagne on the ferry.

The Annex

Last month I took a tour of "The Annex" with the ROM Walks (Royal Ontario Museum).

This area was the city's first planned suburb for professional and upper middle class residents, with some unique Toronto architecture. We traveled over to Bedford Avenue, and north to Lowther, where Taddle Creek Park sits.
There is a large sculpture, called "The Vessel" in the centre of this small but busy park.

We then wandered along Lowther to number 26, which was designed for Barbara Gordon.
It features the elements of both Italianate and Gothic Revival styles.

In 1880 Ms. Gordon married Robert Parker, owner of Parker's Steam Dye Works (later renamed Parker's Cleaners).

Further along Lowther, we come to number 78, which is a residence now, but used to be the stables for the Eaton family.

The mansion at the corner (157 St. George) was built for Edward Eaton in 1898, but is now a U. of T. frat house.

Across the street, at 196 St. George, is The First Church of Christ, Scientist, which was completed and dedicated in 1916.
The architect was Solon S. Beman, of Chicago, who also built several edifices for the 1893 Chicago World's Fair.

South of here, at 135, stands the George Gooderham House, built for his large family in 1898, but today it is owned by the York Club.

According to our tour guide, this house is an example of Romanesque Revival style architecture, with its rounded-arched entrances and circular turrets.

From St. George we walked two blocks west to Madison Avenue. where there are still many, mansions lining the street. Almost all of the original structures have survived.

All pictures were taken by myself, except for this final picture, which is from Google Maps.

Finally, what visit to the Annex is not complete unless you visit the "Maddy" (The Madison Avenue Pub).

The Trillium

Last month, when Marcia and I were returning from a trip around the Toronto Islands, we were treated to a ride on the Trillium.
I was excited to be below decks and watch the steam works of this double-end, double deck ferry.

It was launched into the harbour in 1910, and served as a passenger ferry along with three other "flower ferries" - the Primrose, the Mayflower and the Bluebell.
The last time I rode any of these ferries was when the cost was only a streetcar ticket (2 1/2 cents).
The Toronto Historical Board plaque on the deck wall tells some of its story.

Eventually, all of the paddle wheel ferries were replaced in 1952 by faster diesel-powered ships. She was retired five years later and left abandoned in an Island lagoon for 17 or 18 years.

 This photo is from the Toronto Archives (Fonds 1244, Item 0261)

Several years, and one million dollars later (thanks to Tommy Thompson) a restored Trillium returned to the Queens Quay docks at the foot of Bay Street.
It should be noted here that they had to retro-fit the docks to accomodate her wider berth.
  

The Music Garden

It was Thursday....and the beginning of a summer filled with free music at the Waterfront's Music Garden.
This will continue until September 13th, and performances will take place on Thursdays at 7 pm and Sundays at 4 pm., weather permitting.

Go to the City of Toronto web site for the schedule or go to this URL:

http://www.harbourfrontcentre.com/summermusic/2015/

Tom Tollefson, an architectural blacksmith fabricated this Music Pavilion, pictured above.

The late Anne Roberts, of Feir Mill Design in Omemee, Ontario, was the creator of the Maypole that you see here.

The crowds gathered here early to hear some aboriginal music this evening.

Julie Messervy designed the garden in collaboration with the landscape architects from the City's Parks, Forestry and Recreation Department.
Its design interprets, in nature, Bach's First Suite for an Unaccompanied Cello.

With each movement (within the Suite) a different section of the various grasses and flowers have been designed to correspond.

 

Kate Mulgrew

Some time ago, I attended an interview with Kate Mulgrew.

She was doing a book tour for her book: "Born With Teeth - A Memoir"...which I had ordered in April.

There were over 300 people attending this event, and many of them, including myself, were Captain Janeway fans.

I got some very blurry photos, so I will not download them.

Instead I have taken some from the web.

This is from a previous interview.

 

 This is from the TV series "Orange Is The New Black".

 

Now this is my signed copy of her book.
It reads:

"To Nora
To Life
Kate Mulgrew"