In late Spring, the walking club took a stroll through downtown Toronto. We started at Bay and Bloor and headed south on Bay St. From the intersection we had a good view of the troubled condo tower “One” that has been taken over by a new company after the original ran out of funds.
Continuing south on Bay St., we appreciated the displays of spring flowers after such a cold winter.
Here is the happy group of walkers thankful to be able to walk in the outdoors once again.
Outside St. Basil’s church in Clover Hill Park was this statue of a donkey (Primrose). The artist had heard of a baby donkey born in Britain that couldn’t walk on its front legs until two veterinarians put casts on the legs, thus providing inspiration for this sculpture.
Further down Bay is the former Addison on Bay car dealership. It is now a high-rise condo site but the façade has been retained.
This is an interesting piece of art in front of a condo building.
The further down Bay St. we went, the higher the condos got.
We finally got to Queen St. where Queen is blocked off from Bay to Church for construction of the Queen station on the new Ontario Subway Line.
A little further down Bay St., the former Trump hotel is now known as the St. Regis Hotel. I think hostile reaction during President Trump’s first term in office prompted a sale and renaming of the hotel.
Finally, we came to King St. and headed east toward Church St. On the way, we continued to admire the spring flowers that various businesses had installed to cheer up the populace. This display was outside the Scotia Bank Plaza.
At Church St., we admired the steeple of St. James’ Cathedral, said to be the highest in North America. Sailors used to use the steeple to find their way back to harbour but it is now lost in a forest of high-rises.
Heading north on Church St., we passed by some of Toronto’s other great churches, Metropolitan United Church (with the largest pipe organ in the country) and St. Michael’s Cathedral. Just a little further north, we entered the campus of Toronto Metropolitan University,TMU, (aka Ryerson University) with its bustling student population. Here is only one of the university’s buildings.
North of Carlton St., we entered what is known as ‘The Village’, a gathering place for members of the LGBTQ2S+ Community.
The rainbow theme is seen everywhere:
We finally came to Isabella St. where some of us continued north to Bloor and the subway, while the rest of us headed over to Yonge St. and a cool lunch at the Artful Dodger Pub.
This was quite an interesting walk, from the luxury condos around Bay and Bloor, through the financial district, the Toronto Metropolitan University, the Church St. Village and a nice, relaxing lunch.
Probus Club of Kingsway-Islington 