Beaver Quest PART 2

 June 2026 - Toronto ON

A certain dam-building four-foot-tall rodent has taken over downtown Toronto. Some lurk under trees, while others peer through office tower windows or stand guard near busy intersections.

It's hard to miss these colourful beaver statues with wide grins and a soccer ball clutched under their right paw if you happen to stroll through the eastern downtown neighbourhood of old Toronto. The installations are part of an artistic scavenger hunt running as Canada's largest city prepares to host World Cup soccer matches this week.

Forty-eight of them are a nod to the countries represented in the FIFA World Cup. Two others are to welcome the world, while one celebrates the vibrant neighbourhood.

I've decided to break the Beaver Quest into several posts as there are so many!

PART 1 includes overview of the scavenger hunt including details descriptions by the artists of each piece.

BEAVERS FOUND TO DATE

Part 1 - 20 17 countries and World, Flags, and Toronto 

Part 2 - 10

TOTAL TO DATE - 30/51

Old Town is a neighbourhood and retail district in downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It was the first of Toronto's named neighbourhoods, having acquired the moniker no later than 1815, at which time the original town of York was expanding.

Within the tiny red border.

June 9, 2026 finds

TORONTO ST

1 - UZBEKISTAN  

MIA ENGLAND

COURT ST

2 - BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVIA

RICHMOND ST

3- ALGERIA

4 - BELGUIM

ONTARIO ST

5- SOUTH AFRICA

FRONT ST E

6 - BRASIL

7 - MOROCCO

8 - NEW ZEALAND

ESPLANADE

9 - JORDAN

FRONT ST EAST

10 - IRAQ

FIFA World Cup??

 

Canada and Mexico are doing all in their power to welcome these world athletes!

While in the States:

Not a single ball has rolled on the pitch yet, and this is the picture of the 2026 WORLD CUP:

• The teams from Senegal and Uzbekistan were treated like criminals upon arrival, with full searches of their orifices.

• Africa's best referee was sent back to Somalia, despite his diplomatic passport.

• The Iraqi team's photographer was barred from entry even with a valid visa.

• Entry to the US was denied to 90% of Moroccan fans who had already purchased tickets.

• Visas were refused to 14 members of Iran's support staff.

• Entry to the country was denied to Switzerland's main striker, the Cameroonian Breel Embolo. The team traveled without him. After the strong backlash, the visa was finally granted.

• The Iranian team, whose matches will all be in the US, was banned from overnighting in the country. Immediately after each game, the athletes will fly back to Mexico, where they are staying.

Fan Tickets Revoked: The Iranian Football Federation announced that FIFA revoked the team's entire group-stage ticket allocation. Thousands of fans who already purchased tickets and booked travel face uncertainty as U.S. sanctions and government regulations impact the processing of Iranian soccer tickets.

- What's the point of hosting the World Cup if they don't intend for the WORLD to be part of it???

VIDEO

Vancouver also offered.

Signs

  Joining Tom at Signs2

June 2026 - Toronto ON

I've been meaning to track down this ghost sign, and happened upon it last week!

High above the intersection of Victoria and Queen Streets is the resurrected Loew’s Theatre ghost sign.

 The advertisement is estimated to date back to roughly 1935, which is when the theatre first began using the "Loew's Leads" tagline in newspaper advertising.

 The advertisement had faded almost entirely after decades of neglect. In 2022, historical restoration expert Lori Lemare and her team were commissioned to restore the sign, ensuring its visibility for years to come. Using a traditional pounce method — a technique that involves perforating paper with a steel “pounce” wheel and transferring the design to the wall with fine powder — the team carefully traced and repainted the original lettering, bringing the historic sign back to life.

Morning Reflections

 

 

 

Morning Reflections