Cathedral Church of St. James is the home of the oldest congregation in the city. The parish was established in 1797. The Cathedral was begun in 1850 and completed in 1853, and was at the time one of the largest buildings in the city. It was designed by Frederick William Cumberland and is a prime example of Gothic Revival architecture. The church is listed as a heritage building.
Beside St. James' Cathedral, St. James' Park features 'The Rose Garden'. .there were no roses, but other beautiful flowers - a very Zen place to relax in! Kept meticulously clean by the Toronto Garden Society, the garden is always planted with fresh flowers. There are several benches to catch some afternoon sun, some sculptures, a fountain and a large gazebo. It's a great 19th century style garden oasis.
The Toronto Sculpture Garden has been the site of innovative contemporary sculpture installations since 1981. This small, urban park in the downtown core serves as a testing ground for visual artists to experiment with public space and to address issues of architectural scale, materials and context.
Unfortunately, there was no art exhibited at present - only an empty garden.... what a shame!
Unfortunately, there was no art exhibited at present - only an empty garden.... what a shame!
St. Lawrence is a neighbourhood located in downtown Toronto. In previous times, the area was sometimes referred to as 'St. Lawrence Ward' or more often today as 'St. Lawrence Market', synonymous with the large retail vendor market which is the neighbourhood's focal point.
From 1845 to 1899, the building served as Toronto's first City Hall. Since 1901, the South St. Lawrence Market has been known for the variety and freshness of its fruit, vegetables, meat, fish, grains, baked goods, dairy products and restaurants. Still today Toronto's premier market, the South Market is a tradition with savvy shoppers throughout Metro Toronto. The South Market has over 50 specialty vendors offering all manner of foodstuffs, as well as unique non-food items for sale.
A bit like Flemington Markets in Sydney....
The Distillery District is a national Historic Site with an incredibly rich history. The site was once The Gooderham and Worts Distillery, and represents the largest and best preserved collection of Victorian Industrial Architecture in North America. In its time, The Gooderham and Worts Distillery played an important role in the growth and wealth of both the city and nation.
After 153 years of continuous production, the Gooderham & Worts Distillery finally ceases operations. During the '90s, The Distillery finds a second life as the number one film location in Canada, and the second largest film location outside of Hollywood. Over the years, more than 1700 films use the site.
In December 2001 Cityscape Holdings Inc. purchase The Distillery. They undertake an incredibly ambitious project – to restore The Distillery and its more than 40 buildings and transform it into a pedestrians-only village entirely dedicated to arts, culture and entertainment. The Distillery Historic District opens in May 2003.
A very nice area to explore, with arts stalls, pubs and tourists on segways... seems to be a popular mode of transport in this part of the world....
Aliens have arrived... probably smelt the alcohol....
Riverdale Farm is a 3-hectare municipally operated farm in the heart of Cabbagetown. It is maintained by Toronto Parks, Forestry and Recreation Division.
In 1978, Riverdale Farm opened on the west bank of the Don River adjacent to Riverdale Park. The farm is open to the public all year-round. It specializes in pioneer breeds of farm animals that are hard to find on commercial farms. Animals at the farm include poultry, waterfowl, goats, sheep, pigs, cows, donkeys, and horses.
This is a great place, in the middle of town - there is this farm....
I know, not the best of shots.... who wants to see a sheeps behind....
Interesting.....
It certainly is a pig's life....
Cabbagetown is a neighbourhood located on the east side of downtown Toronto. It comprises "the largest continuous area of preserved Victorian housing in North America".
Cabbagetown's name derives from the Irish immigrants who moved to the neighbourhood beginning in the late 1840s, said to have been so poor that they grew cabbage in their front yards, as had been done during the years of the Irish Potato Famine.
These Victorian style brick houses are absolutely amazing and huge.... love it and want to move into one....
Aah, outdoor staircase... in Toronto....
And in stark contrast you have the social housing area just next door. It looks poor, rundown and has a very ethnic flavour, mainly from South Asia.
Regent Park is Canada's oldest and largest social housing project; built in the late 1940s. It became known as one of Toronto's largest slums and much of the original Cabbagetown was razed in the late 1940s to make room for the Regent Park housing project. The average income for Regent Park residents is approximately half the average for other Torontonians. A majority of families in Regent Park are classified as low-income.
Some impressions of Toronto during my walk today in between the 'sights':
I made it to Huda's office in time to get a lift back home....
S & D
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