[murmur]

If you've ever been out exploring and wish that the trees or walls could talk, you're in luck. Thanks to the [murmur] program, many of the most interesting spaces and neighbourhoods around the city are giving up their secrets.

Started in 2003 in Kensington Market, the program collects and records the stories of places and the people who live there, from the people themselves. It's an oral history project that aims to provide a more intimate connection between people and the city. Large green ears mark locations where [murmur] recordings are available, and the sign lists a phone number. Call it and listen to a slice of history. All recordings are also available through the [murmur] website.

If you're visiting other cities, [murmur] has so far spread to Vancouver, Montreal, Calgary, San Jose, California, Edinburgh, Dublin and Geelong, Australia.

Toronto Islands

An absolute must for any visitor to Toronto, and a great way for those of us who live here to reconnect with our city, is to see the city from the water. While there are several options for accomplishing this, I highly recommend a visit to the Toronto Islands. While the islands offer many different things, here's my favourite way to experience it. Note that I don't usually have kids in tow when I head over there, so if you're taking your little ones, this may not be the best itinerary.

Start by getting yourself to the Toronto Islands Ferry Docks at the foot of Bay Street. The ferries switched to their summer schedule at the end of May so service is pretty frequent. A round-trip ticket costs $7 for adults, with reduced rates for students, seniors and children. On weekends in the summer the wait time for ferries, especially if there is an event on the island, can be over an hour, so if you can go during the week, you'll find the wait a lot shorter and the island far less busy. Plus evenings are a lovely time to go, so if it's a choice between 6 pm on Thursday and 1 pm on Saturday, go on Thursday. The ferries run quite late so getting back won't be an issue and you'll have the added bonus of seeing the city all lit up. If you really do want to go during the peak weekend time and the lines are crazy, consider taking a water taxi. Toronto Water Taxi operates from York Street Slip, which is just a short walk west from the ferry terminal. They charge $10 per adult each way, $5 per child, but have a $30 minimum per boat per trip (not usually a problem on busy weekends). As you are not required to show a ticket when boarding the ferries on the island, you can save yourself the return taxi fare by hopping on the ferry.

At the terminal, there are 3 different ferries, going to different parts of the island (although off-season they will sometimes combine service to Hanlan's Point and Ward's Island). I recommend taking the Hanlan's Point ferry, then walking the length of the island and taking the Ward's Island ferry home. This provides two main advantages: 1) as Hanlan's Point is the furthest west, it gives you a nice long ride along the harbour providing you with the best views of the city, plus as the dock at Hanlan's Point is very close to the island airport, you get an up-close view of the planes taking-off and landing, and 2) walking the length of the island is a great way to see it. The distance, depending on how much you meander and explore, is just over 5 km.

Each section of the islands has a different personality. I love the tranquility of Hanlan's Point. There are big green spaces for picnics, playing ball or just relaxing, and as most families flock to Centre Island, it's usually pretty quiet. The main path offers lovely views of water and wild, as well as some great glimpses of the city. Many of the trees, including the lilac bushes (my favourite!), are huge and if you're interested in trees, you can pick up a brochure for a self-guided tour to trees across the island, or print out a copy from The Canadian Tree Tours website.

The most lively part of Hanlan's Point are the beaches. There is both a clothing optional and clothing mandatory beach and they are big gorgeous stretches of sand, with the bonus of a view of the city. If you have concerns about the water quality, you should know that Toronto takes part in the international Blue Flag program, which is administered by the Foundation for Environmental Education in Denmark and which sets international standards for clean, safe beaches. The City had to be evaluated against 27 criteria and Hanlan's Point beach, as well as Gibraltar Point, Centre Island and Ward's beaches were all granted Blue Flag status (plus some other city beaches not on the islands). Water samples are taken daily at each beach to ensure continued safety, and results are posted online - so check the site, then go ahead and jump in!

As you get closer to the middle of the island, it starts to get more built up. You'll pass the Gibraltar Point lighthouse, the oldest surviving lighthouse on the Great Lakes, as well as the Gibraltar Point Centre for the Arts, the water filtration plant, and the island school. On your right, sticking out on the lake side, is the Pier, which I just love. If you have the time and the energy, you can detour inland and cross over to Centre Island. Centreville, the amusement park, is the big draw here, especially if you have kids. Even if you don't, I highly recommend taking the Sky Ride. It gives you a bird's-eye view of a small sliver of the park and it's relaxing and fun. Right next door to Centreville is Far Enough Farm, one of my favourite places on the island. There is a limited number of animals here but it's a great space. Like Riverdale Farm and High Park Zoo, it was facing closure due to budget cuts, but acceptance of a recent donation by the operator of Centreville will keep it open awhile longer. There has also been an offer to match funds from private donations, so if you'd like to make a tax-deductible donation, visit the Parks and Recreation website. If you happened to bring a picnic along, Centre Island has some of the best spots for picnicking with a view of the city. 

If you want to continue your trek to Ward's Island, you'll have to retrace your steps back to the lake side of the island, as there is no connection between Centre Island and Ward's Island (or, if you're tired, you can always head for the Centre Island ferry dock and return to the city). If you continue your walk, you will soon have a choice to take the main paved path to Ward's Island, or veer off to the boardwalk. While both have their appeal, I generally prefer the boardwalk, especially on hot days - there's lots of shade and usually a wonderful breeze off the water. You'll know you're getting close to the end of your walk when you begin to see houses - Ward's Island has a small but vibrant residential community.

If you have some time to kill before the ferry, consider stopping in to the Island Cafe, just steps from the dock. They now have a liquor license so you can celebrate your visit to the island with a nice cold drink.

Exploring Toronto on Foot - Colourful City

Another staggeringly beautiful day, especially for March, so I had to get outside and go for another walk. What struck me today was just how colourful this city is. It wasn't just the bright sunshine and the early spring flowers - although they did contribute. Today it was really the painted surfaces that jumped out at me, some of them commissioned, most of them probably not. But all of them contribute to the cityscape I love. Below are some of my favourites.

Sunflowers, decorating the approach to the railway underpass on Christie Street, north of Dupont.

 

Along Bloor Street, the Korea Town BIA has painted scenes on all of the concrete tree planters. All are colourful, some are downright adorable!

These rabbits appear all over the city. One used to cheer me on about halfway along my running route - until it was painted over in boring concrete grey. I'm happy to see that while my personal rabbit is gone, he still lives elsewhere. Here, a high flying version above the Metro Theatre on Bloor, and these guys, which are part of a full alley mural on Croft St. For more images, and an interview with the artist, see this article on BlogTO.

  On the other side of Croft Street, is this mural which tells the story of John Croft, the only fatality of the Great Toronto Fire of 1904, and the man for whom the lane is named. Street art that educates.

Loved this guy, on College.

Some more murals, down alleys running south off of College, near Spadina.

A nice Van Gogh tribute on the Benjamin Moore paint store on Huron.

And finally, 2 of the murals on Renfrew Place. The one on the right above has one of my favourite figures of all...

Exploring Toronto on Foot

Today was beautiful and sunny, and the temperature was in the double digits. To celebrate, I dedicated my day to one of my favourite things - walking.

Today we decided to start by hopping on the subway and riding it up to Yonge and Eglinton. On our way to the King St. subway however we saw these lovely girls, obviously on their way to the St. Patrick's Day Parade, which was happening over on St. George.

Once off the subway, we walked east on Eglinton, then north on Mt Pleasant, where we passed Northern Secondary School, one of those gorgeous old Toronto schools that are full of character (or characters as in these pictures). Their playing field, behind the school and stretching along Broadway,  is currently being replaced with artificial turf, which will eventually result in a field built to CFL and FIFA regulations.

Broadway Avenue is a great street, full of wonderful detached and semi-detached brick houses. It seems that larger homes are starting to take over this stretch however, and I fear for the fate of these charming small homes.

We walked down Bayview and enjoyed the small town Main Street feeling of all the small shops, coffee shops and restaurants. It seemed that much of the neighbourhood was out to enjoy the great weather. Rather than stop at a cafe, we ate a picnic lunch in the grounds of Mount Pleasant Cemetery, in the Sundial Garden. This sundial, off by only about 20 minutes, was erected in memory of John H. Cunningham, a long-time employee.

After leaving the cemetery, we immediately joined the Belt Line Trail on the south side of Moore Avenue, running south through Moore Park Ravine. It was a little mucky in places, and there trees were all bare, but the air smelled fresh and earthy and it was wonderful to suddenly be in what felt like a little bit of wild.

Eventually we came out at the Evergreen Brickworks. There wasn't a whole lot going on today, but the park and space is still fantastic.

Then on to another trail, where this little guy stopped to pose for us, and then in to Rosedale for a short walk, before heading for the patio of the Blake House to end our day with a few pints of Canadian craft beer. A pretty perfect day.