Flower
Toronto’s landscape gardeners do a phenomenal job keeping St. James Park beautiful all year round.
Posts from the ‘Photography’ Category
May 27
1 Comment
The Saucy Willow Inn
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 view from the upper balcony
Like this:
Coboconk, Ontario
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
Pharmacy
Downtown
Variety Gift Shop
Barn
There are countless beautiful homes in Coboconk
I love the red
Twins!
Tiny, and I want to live here
Ice cream
Coboconk cemetery
Northern tip of Balsam Lake
Like this:
May long weekend at 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.
6:30 a.m.
On the boat house
7 a.m.
Make a wish!
Empty Chairs
Dirt road
Lisa making veggie burgers!
Lisssssaaaaaaa!!!!
The gas station and corner store
Balsam Lake Provincial Park
My shadow
Sun
The moon over Balsam Lake
Like this:
Bond Street and beyond
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.
The oldest post office in Toronto
The Spire on Adelaide and Church
St. James Church
St. Michael’s Hospital
Saint Michael’s Choir School
Mackenzie House
William Lyon Mackenzie was Toronto’s first mayor, and this was his house
St. George’s Greek Orthodox Church
St. George’s Church has a large dome in the back that I didn’t photograph. Shoot me.
Like this:
Yonge-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!
Like this:
Guelph, Ontario
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
Rush Hour
I think this used be a nunnery, but is now abandoned
My local, The Albion Hotel. Great food and beer!
Macondo Books, the best used bookstore in town
City Hall
This is where Joshua and Alisha lived for 3 years
This was there even when I was in school 14 years ago
Like this:
The University of Guelph
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 is a student residence
The Horticulture building
The Greenhouse
Alumni House
The Bullring
War Memorial Hall
Arts House where Amy and Raquel lived in their first year of university
Creelman Hall
Raithby House
The cannon is painted daily. I don’t know why. It’s tradition!
The university library where Alisha, Raquel and I worked for 3 years
Like this:
The Evergreen Brick Works
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.
Like this:
Canadian Opera Company mural
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 in the back of the Canadian Opera Company administration offices
2nd mural at the back of the Canadian Opera Company administration offices
