Red Canoe and Float Forms

Douglas Coupland's 'Red Canoe' and 'Float Forms' in Canoe Landing Park in downtown, Toronto. Red Canoe is a boat sculpture large enough to stand inside while 'Float Forms' is a colorful display of huge fishing bobbers.

The park is undergoing renovations these days so I will try to cover its sculptural beaver dam and the Terry Fox Miracle Mile next time.

Monument to Multiculturalism

Monument to multiculturalism by Italian sculptor Francesco Perilli in front of the Union Station in downtown Toronto. The sculpture was donated by the Italian community of Toronto in 1985 to celebrate Toronto’s 150th anniversary.

Skybridge

Parade Towers Skybridge near Canoe Landing Park

Connecting two buildings by an elevated walkway is not a new concept. It was born out of necessity in the16th-century Venice linking buildings over waterways. A number of examples still exist today from that period. However, in modern buildings, these are usually added to give distinctiveness and a kind of charm by their architects. The most famous example in modern architecture is the Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Parade Towers near the waterfront in downtown were built in 2011. A 40-meter sky bridge was added a year later. These are residential buildings. The square building on the right is Parade I tower, while the round one is designated as Parade II. 

Triad by Ted Bieler

Triad sculpture by Ted Bieler at Front Street in downtown, Toronto. The structure symbolizes the unity and growth of the city.

Lions at Fairmont Royal York

Pair of lions at Fairmont Royal York luxury hotel in downtown, Toronto.

A Street Guitarist in Downtown

A street guitarist performing at the intersection of Front Street and York Street in downtown, Toronto.

Butterflies at Art Eggleton Park

The third annual butterfly laneway painting project was completed at Art Eggleton Park lane in June this year. The event was organized by Nick Sweetman in collaboration with the David Suzuki Foundation and StrretArtToronto.

These butterfly themed murals are more rich and vibrant than any other I have seen so far. There are so many stunning art creations that this lane has to be visited time and again.

The previous two events are covered here:

2017: Garrison Creek Park Lane
2018: Butterfly Way Lane, Felstead Park

Little Free Library

A 'Little Free Library' near Christie Subway station 

Near Dentonia Park in East York

'Little Free Library' is a book sharing program. A movement that works by donating and sharing books. Anyone can apply to the organization and can build a place for such an exchange to happen. Presently, there are more than 75,000 such miniature libraries throughout the world.

Murals at Peperonata Lane

The laneway west of Bickford Park in Little Italy has a number of interesting dark-themed murals. Some of these were created years ago and are now in a shabby state. But still, it is a good collection and worth a visit.

This laneway is named after an Italian dish made of sweet peppers and potatoes to celebrate the gathering of friends and neighbors at the yearly Peperonata fest by the Galle family.

Garrison Creek Park Lane

In a previous post, I covered Butterfly Way Lane near Falstead Park, in Leslieville. The art in that lane was created with the help of the David Suzuki Foundation in honor of National Pollinator Week in 2018. That was, in fact, their second such creation. In 2017, similar street art was created in the lane adjacent to Garrison Creek Park Lane north of the Canadian Pacific Railway tracks. 

The lane depicts a lot of butterflies related murals by a whole bunch of famous street artists and it is a joy to visit and photograph.