Archive for May 2006

Enjoy your stay in beautiful Toronto    (2006.05.22)

Actually, that’s unfair. This is merely one of the many unique yet unheralded vistas available here. Where else might you find a backhoe at the lakeshore edge?

Yellowest Tyvek    (2006.05.21)

‘Lower’ Riverdale    (2006.05.21)

Toronto Psychogeography Society does a walkabout in my neighbourhood. Or some neighbourhood called ‘lower Riverdale,’ at least

Gerrard Scare bridge    (2006.05.19)

At the edge of a parking lot at the Gerrard Scare (q.v.) is this unique, mysterious winding footbridge that connects you to the bottom of Pape across the train tracks (that are indeed right next to you as you park your car).

(I consider this a better photo than the last one, justifying the repetition.)

Railtruck    (2006.05.18)

This pickup truck has an added train wheel on each corner. Whilst taking pictures, the driver chatted me up. He has to pull out a safety pin, drop each wheel down, and then manually jack up each corner of the truck. It then becomes possible to drive down the tracks, sort of Bugs Bunny/Elmer Fudd–style.

By the way, one curious and dangerous feature of Toronto is the train tracks running right through the city, sometimes so close you can look out your window and see individual bolts on wheels. The trains usually just creep along, except of course for the train tracks through Leslieville, where the Via trains run at full tilt and are quite free with blowing the whistle. Trains in one’s backyard make for a a cozy feel and a distinctive cityscape, but they’re an invitation to disaster. It already happened in Mississauga in 1979.

The best-dressed defectors to Leslieville    (2006.05.16)

What West Queen West loses in frocks, Leslieville gains

reNUed    (2006.05.14)

The NUblog is back online

Luncheon with the gutted    (2006.05.13)

Photos from luncheon with the fired captioners of WGBH