Blue Whale bone recovery

In 2014 a tragic event happened off the coast of Newfoundland.
Nine blue whales were trapped in the ice, and subsequently died.
Usually, blue whales sink to the bottom of the ocean when they die; but in this case two of them were washed ashore.

This unfortunate event became an opportunity for the world of science to research these enormous mammals..
The Royal Ontario Museum scientist together with the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, and Research Casting International, as well as some local communities began to de-flesh and recover the bones of this endangered species.
They transported the bones to Ontario and began a two year process to de-grease these bones for display.
Herewith, are some pictures of the finished product taken at the new exhibit.

 

The Ribs

 

The Fin

                                                                       The Tail

Mosaic Mural

Walking along Danforth Avenue a few weeks ago, I spotted some activity inside the "Bus Terminal Restaurant". It has been closed now for over  a year, and it looks like they might re-open.

This week, Marcia and I were getting off the Coxwell bus and decide to have a late breakfast. So I suggested checking out the Bus Terminal Restaurant, nearby.
Despite the recent renovations, they have kept the dragon and some photos of movie stars.
I was also pleased to see that the old food sign showing the 50's prices, was still intact.

The place was clean, food was good; and once sated, we headed back to the subway.
As we were leaving, I stopped to read a poster on the fence beside the restaurant. It describes the mural that was created by volunteers and students from the area.

According to the City of Toronto web site, the mural celebrates the life and spirit of the local community. The quote at the bottom from Agnes McPhail reads: "We meet all life's greatest tests alone".

It runs from the entrance way on Strathmore Boulevard, then south beside the Coxwell Subway Station, around the corner and along the north perimeter of the parking lot on Danforth Avenue.
Here are some pictures of the mural with its mosaic images.

This certainly beats having to look at all sorts of graffiti that has marred the area. Perhaps, as a result, the walls and fences will be kept a little cleaner.
Kudos to all those folks involved in the project!

Bloor/Yorkville Ice Fest

Last week was pretty mild for February, but despite the warm weather the Bloor/Yorkville Ice Fest went on as scheduled.

The ice carvers made a valiant effort by covering them up overnight, but later on the weather was not very cooperative, and you could see some sculptures beginning to melt.

Of course, there were other sculptures placed nearby, such as the ManuLife Centre on Bloor, who had a beaver, and Louis Black on Yorkville who had an ice watch.

This is an annual event, and is free. The BIA and other business support this festival that provides residents of Toronto with a stunning display of carved ice along Cumberland Street.

Here are some of my pictures:

 

Toronto Necropolis

Back in July of this year, I went on a ROM Walk of the Toronto Necropolis.

This cemetery is comprised of 18.25 acres, and was opened to replace Potter's Field, which at one time was situated on the North West corner of Bloor and Yonge Streets.

Pictured here is the plaque located at the entrance to the grounds.

The Chapel, the Porte-Cochère, and the Superintendent's Lodge were all built in 1872 by Henry Langley.

This was a good time to photograph the Chapel's steeple, all covered with ivy.

To the right of the Chapel is the entrance way or Porte-Cochère, and the Lodge for the grounds keeper or superintendent.

When Potter's Field became completely full, the City fathers moved everyone to the Necropolis.
Some of Toronto's earliest settlers and quite a few famous Torontonians are buried here on these grounds.

This picture is the tombstone of William Lyon Mackenzie.

You can also find Ned Hanlan, George Brown and Thornton Blackburn; buried here; but the most recent funeral would be that of Jack Layton.
The woman standing in the forefront is our guide on this walk.

Finally, I do not know who this man and his family were, but I was attracted to the sleeping lions that circumvent the tombstone.

Eaton's Goes To War

Recently, while riding the subway, I noticed a poster/advert about the men who served in World War One.
It was posted by the City of Toronto, and contained a web site address for the Mackenzie House.  

Here I could see that they were interested in collecting personal stories about the Eaton's employees who enlisted in the war.

It had a link that allowed you to view the soldiers and their portraits. 

Apparently, Eaton's took pictures of all their employees who left for the war, and displayed them in the Toronto store.

 

I was delighted to find my uncle's picture among the hundreds of other portraits, and I"snipped" it for my family collection.

So I sent off a little note and included my only picture of Henry William (Cecil) Axbey to the folks at the Mackenzie House.

I received a fairly prompt response, and was asked if I would agree to an interview.

Of course, I said yes, and arranged to meet Mr. Beaton on the following Monday.

I put some information on a flash drive, and took the Memorial Cross with me to the interview.

He recorded the little bit that I knew (from talking with my Aunt Doris) and took some pictures, then scanned my picture of Uncle Cecil.

When we were done, he gave me a pass to the museum, and advised me that the exhibit would be ready in September of 2017.