Tuesday Treasures

Tom the backroads traveller hosts this weekly meme.

June 2018 - Toronto ON

I mentioned in our weekly recap that we went to Massey Hall last week to see Gordon Lightfoot.

More Lightfoot on Foto Tunes

Massey Hall in the daylight. For over 115 years these famous red doors have welcomed audiences to a variety of performances.

Yesterday I featured Lightfoot on Foto Tunes.

This concert was significant for several reasons, not the least that Lightfoot is now 79 years old and a Canadian icon.

Due to overwhelming demand a third performance was added for Sunday, July 1st.

Multiple JUNO Award winner, Grammy nominee, Canadian legend and the first-ever Massey Hall Honours Award recipient Gordon Lightfoot returns to Massey Hall with his band for back-to-back-to-back performances as the final artist to perform before the Massey Hall Revitalization Project closes its iconic red doors until Fall 2020. He has played here "over 166 times" so who better to put it to bed?

Massey Hall is undergoing the most significant renovation in its 124 year history and will close for two years beginning in July. The Revitalization will protect and celebrate Massey Hall's heritage and build a lasting legacy for artists and fans.

Click here for a virtual tour.

The project will restore and renew both the interior and exterior of this National Historic Site, improve patron amenities and accessibility, open two new music venues, and see the return of the original, 124 year-old stained glass windows.
Lightfoot began his series of annual concerts at Massey Hall in March 1967 with two sold-out concerts. His unofficial Massey Hall debut occurred in his youth when, at age 10, he entered the Kiwanis Music Festival held at Massey Hall and won first place in his category. With over 166 performances logged to date, Lightfoot has performed at Massey Hall more than any other individual artist.
Lining up we were asked to sign waivers as they were filming the concert.

Before we sat down we checked out the Centuries Lounge and Bar.

Centuries Bar & Lounge is located on the lower level and is designed to reflect the historic charm of Massey Hall. Both the entrance corridor and the interior walls of Centuries are lined with a nostalgic tour of Massey Hall photos and memorabilia dating from 1894.

 

Many dignitaries have attended the hall since its inauguration. In 1901, the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall and York (the future King George V and his wife Queen Mary) visited with Canadian Prime Minister Wilfrid Laurier.

Famous figures have appeared on the broad stage of this stately hall, including Montserrat Caballe, William Booth, Maria Callas, Enrico Caruso, Winston Churchill, George Gershwin, Glenn Gould, Vladimir Horowitz, Dalai Lama, Luciano Pavarotti, Ravi Shankar, Bob Dylan, Cream, Neil Young, Thomas Mann, The Kinks, Billy Joel, Lenny Kravitz, Oscar Peterson, Joe Satriani and Arturo Toscanini.

Neil Young's performance on January 19, 1971 was recorded and later released as a live album, entitled Live at Massey Hall 1971.

Rush, in June 1976, recorded the live album All the World's a Stage here.

Matthew Good performed and recorded his concert, on May 29, 2008, which was released as a live album, entitled Live at Massey Hall.

During Natty Dread Tour, Bob Marley and The Wailers performed for the first time in Toronto on June 8, 1975.

On January 8, 1995, Ronnie Hawkins celebrated his 60th birthday by throwing a concert here, which was documented on the album Let It Rock. The concert featured performances by Hawkins, Carl Perkins, Jerry Lee Lewis, The Band and Larry Gowan. Jeff Healey sat in on guitar for most, if not all, of the performances. Hawkins' band, The Hawks, or permutations of it, backed most, if not all, of the acts. All of the musicians performing that night were collectively dubbed "The Rock ‘N’ Roll Orchestra.

Max Webster a Toronto band headlined at the venue in 1977 and again in 1978 as well as opening for Rush for three nights in June 1976.

Kim Mitchell, former guitarist and lead vocalist of the band Max Webster, played to a capacity crowd in 1984 after the release of his platinum selling album Akimbo Alogo.

American rock band Van Halen played their first ever Canadian concert on March 14, 1978 to a capacity crowd at the venue.

Canadian rock band Spirit of the West's 2015 concert at the venue, and the preparations for it, are profiled in the 2016 documentary film Spirit Unforgettable.

Toronto-born comedian Russell Peters filmed his Netflix Original stand-up special Almost Famous over two nights at Massey Hall in April 2016.

On his first solo tour, after One Direction went on hiatus, English singer Harry Styles performed at the venue on October 4, 2017. His tour sold out in seconds, setting a new Ticketmaster record.

Finnish symphonic metal band Nightwish performed at the venue on March 21, 2018 as part of their Decades: World Tour.

We saw Vince Gill here in February 2002 in an extraordinary one man show, just him and his guitar This Old Guitar and Me.

It was the site of the legendary Charlie Parker-Dizzy Gillespie concert, recorded as Jazz at Massey Hall, in May 1953. Accompanying Gillespie and Parker in this acoustically sound hall were Bud Powell, Max Roach and Charles Mingus.

It holds 2,753 people and it filled up quickly.

With no fanfare or introduction Lightfoot took the stage to a standing ovation.

The voice is older and huskier but he still performs.

His band were incredible, the acoustics in Massey Hall let you hear every single sound.
Rick Haynes, Bass
Barry Keane, Drums, Percussion
Mike Heffernan, Keyboards
Carter Lancaster, Lead Guitar

This is a soundtrack of his show two years ago that is pretty much the same format/agenda as the one we saw, that is not a criticism.

During intermission we stepped out for some photos.

 Plaque
Knighted in 1935 for services to music in Canada, Ernest MacMillan was a familiar figure to adults and school children alike. A composer and organist, he was for many years conductor of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra and of the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir, principal of the Toronto Conservatory of Music and dean of the Faculty of Music at the University of Toronto. MacMillan worked tirelessly to promote music and musicians at all levels. He supported new national music organizations, published widely, conducted local orchestras and choirs and adjudicated at music festivals in cities and towns across the country.

Over and we step out into a crowded balmy Friday evening. It will be a shame to see the lights out for two years.

My Recipe Box - Coconut Carrot Bread

July 2018 - Toronto ON

We had bought a carrot raisin loaf when we were at the Gluten Free Garage last month. I defrosted it last week and it was good but a bit dry. It also sells for $6.99 for a small loaf. 

It made me want to make one and I had the cream cheese in the freezer.

This is so moist and delicious!

Source

COCONUT CARROT BREAD
Prep Time15 mins
Cook Time1 hr
Total Time1 hr 15 mins



Loaded with coconut, shredded carrots and golden raisins and glazed with a cream cheese icing, a slice of this coconut carrot bread is like having carrot cake for breakfast!

Course: Bread
Cuisine: American
Servings: 10 servings
Calories: 326 kcal
Ingredients

1 cup shredded carrots
2 large eggs I only had one, so I used a 1/4 cup of applesauce for the 2nd egg
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt/or sour cream I didn't have enough sour cream so I added some cream to make up 1/2 cup
1/2 cup shredded coconut
1/2 cup golden raisins
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour gluten free A/P flour
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
Glaze:
1/2 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoon cream cheese (room temperature)
1 tablespoon milk

I wanted an icing but didn't want any butter in it. I found a recipe but it was too much for this loaf so I did the following.

8 oz cream cheese

1/2 lemon juice and zest

1 cup icing sugar

Mix well.

OPTIONS

Instead of lemon use maple syrup or cream

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line the bottom of a 9x5" loaf pan with waxed paper and spray with non-stick baking spray. Set aside.


In a large mixing bowl, combine the carrots, eggs, oil, yogurt, coconut, raisins and vanilla. Stir until combined.


In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, baking soda and nutmeg.


Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir until combined.


Pour the batter into the prepared pan, and bake at 350 for 58-62 minutes. Test by inserting a toothpick into the center of the bread. When the toothpick comes out crumb-free, the bread is done.


Let the bread cool for 5 minutes in the pan, run a knife along the edges and remove from the pan. Remove the waxed paper, and let cool on a cooling rack.


Stir together the powdered sugar, cream cheese and milk to create a glaze. Drizzle over the top of the warm bread. Slice and serve.

Recipe Notes

The calories shown are based on the bread being cut into 10 pieces, with 1 serving being 1 slice of bread with glaze. Since different brands of ingredients have different nutritional information, the calories shown are just an estimate.

Nutrition Facts

Coconut Carrot Bread

Amount Per Serving (98 g)

Calories 326Calories from Fat 126

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 14g22%

Saturated Fat 11g55%

Cholesterol 41mg14%

Sodium 193mg8%

Potassium 202mg6%

Total Carbohydrates 45g15%

Dietary Fiber 1g4%

Sugars 28g

Protein 4g8%

Vitamin A44.6%

Vitamin C1.2%

Calcium5.1%

Iron7.4%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Monday Mural

I'm linking up at Monday Mural

June 2018 - Toronto ON

Click here for a first glimpse of this vibrant neighbourhood and here for some doors in the area.

The smell of bread is gone from Fraser Street - in 2010 Canada Bread announced that it would be building a new "super-bakery" in southwestern Ontario, and that the Liberty Village bakery, along with two others at Keele and St. Clair and in Etobicoke, would be closing.

Canada Bread's departure effectively closes a chapter in the neighbourhood's history - the last manufacturer to move away. "I would say they're the end of it. Barrymore (Furniture) moved out in 2000-2001, and Canada Bread is about it. Who's moved into the area now? Mostly small to mid-sized commercial operations, but mostly they're working on computers - more office-oriented, creative businesses."

Toronto-based solution provider and CDN Top 100 winner Softchoice recently added a new section to its existing 100,000 square-foot campus in Toronto’s Liberty Village neighbourhood – a 25,000 square-foot partition of a former Canada Bread Bakery designed to maximize collaboration between its 900 or so employees.

Four industrial silos and two hoppers were left behind in the Canada Bread facility along the South Liberty Trail have been designated to serve as canvases for a large-scale public art initiative through the city's StreetARToronto Partnership Program.

Canadian mural artists Alex Bacon, birdO, Emmanuel Jarus and Troy Lovegates were chosen to work in consultation with Mural Routes, local architects and York Heritage Properties (which owns the structures) to create what organizers are calling "industrial artifacts."
This will be the first of two posts as we found three (3/4) silos and one (1/2) hoppers.

TRULY TWO - The silo’s cylindrical shape serves as the conceptual starting point for birdO’s message; the necessity of a greater synchronicity between the natural and anthropomorphic world. birdO employs the use of his signature iconography in the form of animals and three-dimensional cubes to create a surreal trompe l’oeil effect that gives the viewers an immersive experience. It speaks not only to the aesthetic considerations of the artwork, but entices the public to explore the conceptual underpinnings therein. Superficially, the mural is a light-hearted tale of mystery and intrigue, but looking deeper, the contradicting birds can be viewed as an allegory of our struggle with how we perceive our relationship with the environment. With growing concerns over pollution and climate change, it is important to incite public conversation about our responsibility as inhabitants of the earth and our role within society and nature.

THE PLAYERS - Both the silo and hopper by Alex Bacon include imagery that represents both the past and bright future of Liberty Village. The silo shows a curious cat, representing the feral cat population which was infamous for decades in the area, thought to be for keeping rodent populations down and living off of scraps from the Canada Bread factory and other local factories of the area. The silo’s blooming flower and robin represent the new changes and harboring of an era of ‘spring’ to come to the area.

IN SIGHT OUT HOPPER - The hopper shows close up imagery inspired by the characters on its neighbouring silo. The cat eye represents the feral cat population infamous for decades in the area, and the robin’s eggs represent the new changes and ‘spring’ to come.

RED FORK - Jarus’ approach to the South Liberty silo emphasizes the human gaze within an area of industrial buildings and residential towers, reminding the viewer that nature is there if we just take a look. Much work has been done to conserve our trees in Toronto and rejuvenate areas with native species of flora and fauna. The silo encourages us to go outside. There is great potential in harnessing the power of these highly visible public spaces to evolve the public attitudes and celebrate a more inclusive notion of ecological literacy. As a realist painter, the narrative Jarus depicts communicates a palpable sincerity, a feeling that the story of individual spirit, is fresh and relevant to the metabolism of the neighbourhood.

My Recipe Box - Lemon Cheesecake

Delicious served with lemon curd.

2 pkg. (8 oz. each) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 tsp. lemon zest

1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract - I use lemon extract

2 eggs beaten

1 ready-to-use graham cracker crumb crust (6 oz.) - I use gluten free Kinnikinnick 

INSTRUCTIONS

Heat oven to 350°F.
Beat first 5 ingredients in large bowl with mixer until blended. Add eggs; mix just until blended.
Pour into crust.
Bake 40 min. or until center is almost set. Cool. Refrigerate 3 hours or until firm.

Spirit

Theme Day - Spirit

Happy Canada Day! 151 Years and Proud

inSPIREd Sunday

Sally and Beth host inSPIREd Sunday!

June 2018 - Toronto ON

We came across two converted churches on our College St. walk the other day.

This was on Dupont.

This Neo-Gothic inspired church replaced an earlier Centennial Methodist Church built on this site in 1891. Notable design elements include decorative stone trim, three central Tudor-arch windows, and flanking square towers topped with pyramidal steeples. It was renamed Centennial United Church in 1925, after the creation of the United Church of Canada. In 1986, the Nisei congregation of the Toronto Japanese Church joined Centennial United to form Centennial Japanese Church. A residential redevelopment was completed in 2010.

The Channel Club??

The large church was built in 1885 as College Street Presbyterian and could hold 1200 worshippers, under founding (1874) minister Alexander Gilray (1874-1915), and Robert Balmer Cochrane (1915-1925). In 1925, this congregation voted to join the United Church, and was the site that June of the 51st and final General Assembly of the originally constituted Presbyterian Church in Canada before a majority of congregations of that founding denomination voted to enter the United Church of Canada. Over time attendance fell and it ran into financial difficulties and fell into disrepair.

In the late 1980s, despite its heritage status, it was decided to demolish much of the church, renovate the bell tower, and rebuild in 1990. The new building is 8 storeys tall with a 89 suite condominium on top of the Church. The architects of the new building worked to have it be as similar to the old church as possible, copying many of its architectural elements.