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Posts from the ‘Photography’ Category

Flower

Flower

Toronto’s landscape gardeners do a phenomenal job keeping St. James Park beautiful all year round.

The Saucy Willow Inn

The Saucy Willow

The Saucy Willow Inn, Coboconk, Ontario

The Saucy Willow Inn is located in the township of Coboconk, Ontario, just two hours north of Toronto. The Inn was built in 1878 as a family home for Adam Henry Carl, and is called “The Lodge” by most locals because it was once known as Lakewood Lodge. The stately Victorian house offers accommodation as a bed and breakfast year round, with separate cottages available during the spring, summer and early fall.

We recently took a tour of the facilities and I can tell you that the home was breathtakingly beautiful. If you’re ever in the area for a couple of days, and are looking for a place to stay, I recommend that you book accommodations at the Saucy Willow Inn. The staff was friendly and courteous, and are deeply proud of the rich history of the house and surrounding area.

The Saucy Willow Inn

The Saucy Willow Inn

The Saucy Willow Inn

The view from the upper balcony

Coboconk, Ontario

Canada's Smallest Jail

Canada’s Smallest Jail

I’m in heat. No really. There are so many beautiful men walking through the streets of Toronto that I can barely contain myself. The only way to cool off and to distract myself from perverted thoughts was to make the trip to Coboconk, just outside of Lindsay, Ontario. The heat was brutal, but the scenery was worth it. For those unfamiliar, Coboconk is a community in the city of Kawartha lakes, on the northern tip of Balsam Lake. Coboconk has a rich history amongst the villages of Kawartha Lakes, and has played a prominent role in the logging, limestone, and tourism industries for over 150 years. Of course, the main attraction is Canada’s smallest jail. Go figure.

Pattie House

Pattie House

Pharmacy

Pharmacy

Downtown

Downtown

Variety Gift Shop

Variety Gift Shop

Barn

Barn

Coboconk houses

There are countless beautiful homes in Coboconk

Coboconk houses

I love the red

Coboconk houses

Twins!

Coboconk houses

Tiny, and I want to live here

Ice cream

Ice cream

Coboconk cemetery

Coboconk cemetery

Coboconk

Northern tip of Balsam Lake

May long weekend at Balsam Lake

Balsam Lake

Balsam Lake

I can’t help but look around this green earth and thank heavens I’m alive. The world is a magnificently beautiful creature, one that demands attention and respect. This weekend we drove to Balsam Lake and spent quality time with the McCallum’s. The weather was excruciatingly beautiful without a cloud in the sky. A couple of mornings I awoke before the rest of the crew and captured some photographs to document the physical evidence of the tremendous radiance of the Balsam landscape. Good company never hurts, so Lisa accompanied us and entertained with her warm sense of humour. With good food, great conversation and amazing temperatures, I can confidently say we all had an experience to remember.

Balsam Lake

6:30 a.m.

Balsam Lake

On the boat house

Balsam Lake

7 a.m.

Balsam Lake

Make a wish!

Balsam Lake

Empty Chairs

Balsam Lake

Dirt road

Balsam Lake

Lisa making veggie burgers!

Balsam Lake

Lisssssaaaaaaa!!!!

Balsam Lake

The gas station and corner store

Balsam Lake

Balsam Lake Provincial Park

Balsam Lake

My shadow

Sun

Sun

The moon over Balsam Lake

The moon over Balsam Lake

Bond Street and beyond

Co-op housing in Toronto

A co-op building on Richmond St. East

Another day, another walk. Today I decided to peruse Bond Street where a number of old historic buildings nestle beneath old maple leaf trees. Toronto is awash in modern and historic buildings, and you can’t walk very far without confronting the juxtaposition of old meets new. Toronto could do more to preserve these haunts, but the ones that have been protected are impressive and proud pieces of architecture. I am struggling to keep my camera straight! Practice makes perfect, yet perfection is far.

Toronto post office

The oldest post office in Toronto

The Spire

The Spire on Adelaide and Church

St. James Church

St. James Church

St. Michael's Hospital

St. Michael’s Hospital

Saint Michael's Choir School

Saint Michael’s Choir School

Mackenzie House

Mackenzie House

Mackenzie House

William Lyon Mackenzie was Toronto’s first mayor, and this was his house

St. George's Greek Orthodox Church

St. George’s Greek Orthodox Church

St. George's Greek Orthodox Church

St. George’s Church has a large dome in the back that I didn’t photograph. Shoot me.

Yonge-Dundas Square

Yonge and Dundas Square

Originally I posted this without any text. To be honest I’m not sure what I think about Yonge-Dundas Square. It’s an advertisement for our consumer driven Western philosophy. But the area where the square occupies was once dilapidated and unloved, until a major renovation, that took approximately ten years, rejuvenated it in to what it is today. The intersection is one of Canada’s busiest, serving over 100,000 pedestrians daily, and 56 million annually. I could highlight the many attractions and shopping centres that revolve around the square, but I figure the best thing you could really do is check it out for yourself, and then, decide if you ever want to return!

Yonge and Dundas Square

Yonge and Dundas Square

Guelph, Ontario

The Church of Our Lady

The Church of Our Lady

Guelph is not just home to a university, it’s also a city with a vibrant downtown. There’s something magical about Guelph that is yet, indescribable. Words simply cheapen the explanation. Whenever I visit I am overcome with a sense of calm and wellness. Guelph is consistently ranked as one of the top cities to live in Canada and residents are loyal, passionate and kind. If you’re visiting Ontario, be sure to spend at least one full day in this beautiful city, you will not be disappointed.

The Church of Our Lady

The Church of Our Lady

Rush Hour

Rush Hour

Abandoned

I think this used be a nunnery, but is now abandoned

The Albion Hotel

My local, The Albion Hotel. Great food and beer!

Mocondo Books

Macondo Books, the best used bookstore in town

City Hall

City Hall

Apartments

This is where Joshua and Alisha lived for 3 years

Vote Nobody

This was there even when I was in school 14 years ago

The University of Guelph

Johnston Hall

Johnston Hall still stands proud

For reasons unknown to even myself, I’ve been feeling melancholy lately. To lift my spirits and to get out of the house I ventured an hour out of Toronto to the sleepy town of Guelph, Ontario where I went to university. Not even the crisp warm weather could help as I was deflated by nostalgia. So little of the campus has changed in the ten years since I graduated. As I was walking the hallowed grounds I had visions of myself and most of my friends all blurry eyed and stupid from youth, wandering the corridors and creating drama out of the slightest insignificant misunderstandings. Good times.

We’ve come a long way from those humble days, but despite the progress, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of loss. Maybe it’s as cliché as the loss of innocence, I don’t really know. But something about our naiveté, our blatant selfishness and foolish attitudes makes me smile. I’m glad that I’m not a teenager anymore, don’t get me wrong, but I made the best of friends at the University of Guelph, and they remain very dear to me. Now all in our 30s we’re scattered across this great country of ours, but the shared experiences continue to unite us. I think.

Enough of this shameless sentiment. Here are some of the photos I took today.

Johnston Hall

Johnston Hall is a student residence

Horticulture building

The Horticulture building

The Greenhouse

The Greenhouse

Alumni House

Alumni House

The Bullring

The Bullring

War Memorial Hall

War Memorial Hall

Arts House

Arts House where Amy and Raquel lived in their first year of university

Creelman Hall

Creelman Hall

Raithby House

Raithby House

The cannon

The cannon is painted daily. I don’t know why. It’s tradition!

U of G Library

The university library where Alisha, Raquel and I worked for 3 years

The Evergreen Brick Works

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Evergreen Brick Works, is an old industrial site located near the Don River valley. It operated for nearly 100 years and provided bricks used to construct many well-known Toronto landmarks, such as Casa Loma, Osgoode Hall, Massey Hall, and the Ontario Legislature. The original factory closed many years ago, and has recently been converted into a city park which includes a series of naturalized ponds. The buildings have been restored and opened as an environmentally focused community and cultural centre by Evergreen, a national charity dedicated to restoring nature in urban environments.

The last time I visited the area was six years ago, and my has it certainly changed. There were so many people out and about enjoying the warm weather that I was a tad overwhelmed. Salvation came in the form of a killer soy smoothie! Here are my photos from today’s journey.

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Canadian Opera Company mural

Canadian Opera Company administration offices

Canadian Opera Company administration offices — side entrance

The Canadian Opera company is the largest opera house in Canada and the third largest in North America. The photo you see above is the company’s administration offices, the performance centre is located on Queen West, about ten block away; I posted a photo of it weeks ago.

At the back of this building are two murals depicting Canadian aboriginal people. I’ve tried to find some information about the art work but have not yet succeeded (my research skills suck). Regardless, I wanted to share them with my readers because they’re stunning pieces of art. At least that’s my opinion.

Mural

Mural in the back of the Canadian Opera Company administration offices

Mural 2

2nd mural at the back of the Canadian Opera Company administration offices

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