Welcome to The Weekend Roundup...hosted by Tom The Back Roads Traveller
1. Starts with "Y"
2. A Favorite
3.YARD - chosen by Tom
Starts with Y
FAVOURITE
YELLOW Las Vegas NV
YARD
Our back yard - looking towards Lake Ontario
21 June 2024
18 June 2024
Signs
Wordless Wednesday Wordless Be There 2day
Appeared to be out of business, Kensington Market.
2024 - Toronto ON
Various sundry signs I have recently found lately around Toronto.
Marine Parade Drive Toronto
Lake Shore Blvd.
They left behind their waffle.
Funny typo on website of a bagel place in Kensington Market that I visited.
Tuesday Treasures
Tom the backroads traveller hosts this weekly meme.
Market Street is one of the earliest main roads in Old Toronto. Beginning in 1803, Market Street connected the harbour of Lake Ontario to the town centre. A fire in 1849 destroyed much of the original St. Lawrence Market neighbourhood, and the urban fabric changed significantly in the 1850s, as the advent of rail led to the quick growth of economic trade and development.
Market Street was part of the City’s original public market and this section south of Front Street was the cultural centre of the Old Town of York.
Market Street, west side, looking north to south of King St. E., 1911. Image: Toronto Public Library
Ignore the firemen, the alarm was going off in this block. Market St. is closed to vehicles in the summer.
Over the course of a decade, under the leadership of Paul Oberman, Woodcliffe Landmark Properties acquired these three buildings and embarked on an ambitious plan to reinvent the street. In addition to restoring the heritage buildings and adding retail spaces, public realm and street improvements were implemented and set new standards. The heritage buildings received new mechanical and electrical systems, and, in many cases, new flooring. Woodcliffe also installed new storm and sanitary sewers, water and gas lines.
As it looked in 2007.
The building at 87 Front Street, built in 1858 in the heart of the St. Lawrence Market neighbourhood, was designed in the Georgian Revival style for the Edward Leadley Company, which traded in wool, hides, skins and tallow.
Woodcliffe also rebuilt and waterproofed the stone foundation of 87 Front Street.
Around the corner at 10-12 Market Street, the Armory Hotel was built in 1880 for William Cayley, a lawyer, financier and provincial politician. The two-storey building features elaborate detailing inspired by Italianate design.
So named for the Toronto Armory across the street, where the market now stands, quickly became a hangout for soldiers coming in after a hard day doing drills.
In 1893 the City of Toronto put out a directory listing the leading businesses of the day and wrote the following the Armory Hotel:Toronto has a number of comfortable and well managed hostelries, and among them the popular, old established Armory Hotel under the control of Mr. J. J. Coulter, who has since made considerable improvements about the premises with newly fitted and re-furnished rooms throughout in a modern style, and is well prepared to receive and entertain guests for the price of $1.00 per day.
The average price for a room in a lesser hotel back then was about 50¢ a day and a dime could get you a shared room with about 20 other men. But if you were really desperate, for a nickel you could rent a bed in a flop-house for six hours.
The more upscale Armoury Hotel had 30 guest rooms including a smoking parlour, three sitting rooms, a large dinning room and a well-stocked bar serving the choicest foreign and domestic wines plus a wide variety of liquors, ales, beer and cigars.
Local legend has it the hotel was also one of the first in the city to hand you a menu at dinner as before you ate what was put in front of you.
As the city grew, and the Market area which was once the bustling centre of town started to decline, the stylish Armoury Hotel become just another dive in a neighbourhood by then filled with flop houses renting to a transient clientele.
In 1948 a fire swept through the old hotel, then being used as a warehouse for the Wilkens Fruit Co., injuring nine people. It made the front page of the Toronto Star. During the 1950s and ‘60s the building was used as an auto-parts warehouse before being converted into the Old Fish Market Restaurant in the mid 1970s.
To stabilize the second storey brick façade of the Armory Hotel, it was completed rebuilt, including replication of wood windows and a brick parapet, and the recreation of a missing wood cornice. Outer bricks were rotated so the fresh inner face of the brick was shown, and replacement bricks were ordered from the UK, as no company in Canada made ones that matched the style and colour. As part of the complex’s redevelopment, an internal corridor was built along the rear of the buildings with access to a loading zone and garbage storage area, preventing the use of Market Street as a loading area.
Architect A.R. Denison designed the John Hallam Warehouse at 8 Market Street in 1900, just south of the Armory Hotel, featuring Romanesque Revival elements, completed with red brick cladding and brick and stone detailing. It was a tall building for its time at six storeys and serves as an office building. Its French-inspired Mansard roof is added later.
In addition to the restoration of the historic properties, the north-west corner of Market Street and The Esplanade has been redeveloped from an auto repair shop to a modern building also designed by Taylor Smyth Architects. The new 5,000 square foot structure is occupied by a restaurant, book-ending the LCBO at the restored historic property on the corner of Market and Front Streets. The main floor of the LCBO on Front Street also extends through the length of the second floors of the historic buildings on Market Street, leading to a loading dock on The Esplanade that is connected to a service corridor.
Paul Oberman's Walk includes a variety of dining options from Bindia Indian Bistro to Olive and Olives. Some of the other vendors along the street are Balzac's Coffee Roasters, the Spanish Tapas restaurant Barsa Taberna (permanently closed (Covid)), and the seafood restaurant Market Street Catch.
16 June 2024
Monday Mural
I'm linking up at Monday Mural
June 2024 - Toronto ON
I found these new murals in Kensington Market last week.
Kensington’s charm lies snuggly in its pokey alleys, flamboyant graffiti and a jumble of shops that range from old-school ethnic to cutting-edge hipster.
Both were in this lane.
This artwork is by Sadie Rock and is entitled "SNOOPY AT THE LAKE". This piece was painted in 2023 as a part of the StART Support Program and is located at @pearlharborgiftshop.
"Where Math Meets Art" signed Sasha Q can be seen on the corner of the building in the last photo.
15 June 2024
Kream
Linking up with Marg at The Intrepid Reader
May 2024 - Yonge St. Toronto
Saturday-Sunday
I made a cheesecake with this recipe but used limes instead of lemons. I also made a blueberry compote to top it. We also had some pie as "lunch" after bacon and eggs for breakfast on Sunday.
I also made a soup using the leftover lamb shank bones and sauce along with another lamb bone we had frozen. The soup was a great for a Monday lunch with Sunday's leftover rice.
We tend to do chores on the weekend so we can be out and about during the week.
After a dreary weekend, Monday was more of the same! So I made the management decision to spend the day in, bingeing on MasterChef Australia! It got really chilly in here, I ran into a woman in the elevator who said she had to put socks and a sweater on!
Tuesday, and it continues to be dreary! Dressed accordingly (13C), we headed out on the 11:20 shuttle for lunch at The Bangkok Garden Thai buffet ($22 pp). The buffet was disappointing, the vegetarian springs rolls, veggie balls and chicken wings were very good, the red chicken curry tasted like plain boiled chicken. John said that the noodle soup was hot and spicy. The fish was good as were the vegetable dishes but not hot enough.
Pics along the way.
Dundas Square
First Canadian Shake Shack - opening Thursday. Having eaten there in Vegas in March, I won't be rushing there.
I mentioned the demolition of this building on Monday Mural this week. The outer wall had a history of murals.
Welcome to 8 Elm, in collaboration with Simu Liu, a spectacular new 69-storey condominium by Reserve Properties and Capital Developments, offering an exhilarating lifestyle in the heart of Toronto.
Elm will preserve the James Fleming heritage building at its base. As part of the project scope, the existing properties at both 8 Elm Street and 348-350 Yonge Street will be conserved and incorporated into the redevelopment.
NEW! Funduk, a Turkish candy/pastry shop. Lots of nougats, I sampled a couple, delicious.
Lots of Turkish Delight, a favourite of mine since forever!
Baklava!
Inspired by real Canadian stories, The Last Timbit follows a group of strangers who wait out the snowstorm of the decade in a Tim Hortons.
We caught the 2:45 shuttle and didn't get home until 4:30. We had seen and heard all the police cars, fire trucks and ambulance racing down York. When the bus reached the corner at York the traffic person stated there was an accident so the driver should find another route. It didn't matter they had closed the expressway due to a fatal accident so traffic wasn't moving anywhere.
Wednesdays John golfs.
I ordered tickets for Titanique, coming in December.
I went to St. Lawrence Market to get Greek dips for dinner.
Interesting contrast, the grey glass building middle right, has the GOOGLE logo on it.
Funny bag in a thrift shop - everything is under control.
Market St. is closed to vehicles for the summer. Check back on Tuesday for some history about these buildings.
I seem to attract fire trucks, a few weeks' ago it was Longo's.
the fire alarm was going in the block of buildings. The LCBO had already evacuated their store, but none of the restaurants had. The firefighters emptied the coffee shop as they walked by.
St. Lawrence Market PRIDE 2024.
Visit the Market Gallery from May 18 to August 4 to explore artist Kevin Matthew Wong’s Benevolence Hall. This free immersive community space invites visitors to reflect on their journeys and relationships to Canada, through the lens of Hakka (客家 / guest family) people.
Moon Gate
Buying olives for John, I don't like them, so the choice was overwhelming.
Outside of Meridian Hall was teeming with graduates as I went by but on my return they were all inside.
The George Brown College of Applied Arts and Technology is a public, fully accredited college of applied arts and technology with three campuses in downtown Toronto (Ontario, Canada).
This construction traffic is the bane of my existence, so I can only image how the drivers feel. I got the 3:45 bus (ten minutes late) and got home at 4:45.
Thursday John took two garbage bags to the thrift store and ran a couple of errands.
To go out or not? The weather took care of that, humid, tornado warnings and strong winds. In the end we didn't get anything, although areas around us did.
Friday John golfed at 11. I went to Kensington Market in search of Indian spices.
It was a gorgeous day to wander, I should have started earlier because as it got near noon, there were hordes of school kids on day trips, I guess the schools are using up their funds, use it or lose it.
For more than a century Kensington Market has served as a multicultural gathering place and shopping district, where successive waves of immigration have left behind traces of their presence—even as new newcomers arrive to make their own mark.
Super Serve Ice Cream - will be a stop on the next trip!
I couldn't find an artist signature. Click here to see more murals from this outing.
Immigrants from the British Isles started transforming the area west of Spadina Avenue from agricultural land into a neighbourhood in the 19th century.
You’ll notice many storefronts conceal the type of Victorian brick house they constructed all over Toronto.
Lovely to see the neighbourhood still manages to keep its identity.
Golden! Zoom in on the floral mirror by the stairs.
There are some lovely private homes as well.
I stopped here on my way back to get some things and it was very busy! Strange, cash or debit (CDN) only.
Now it starts to get busy.
I had a hot dog at this new place.
I have reached my destination! Pay cash and there is no tax!
I am like a kid in a candy shop (oh, I did that above in the Turkish store!)!
The kids are everywhere now!
I picked up two gluten free bagels to see if John would like them.
More private homes steps away from Spadina and Dundas.
My haul.
These would have been cheaper if I had walked to the Chinatown stores, but it was fine.
COOKING
Saturday honey balsamic pork tenderloin, mashed turnips and carrots and broccolini. The pork recipe was okay, nothing special.
Sunday Curry Guy chicken curry page 184 and papadums. This was absolutely delicious, the best curry I've ever made. It could be spicier, I will tweak that in future, but the sauce is so smooth! I could have licked the bowl.
Monday pork chops, mushy peas and mashed potatoes (sweet and white). I made enough so I don't have to cook on Thursday.
Tuesday John requested egg and onion sandwiches while we were at lunch.
Wednesday Greek dips, pita, salad. We'll have lunch for a few days!
Thursday bacon and leftover potatoes and mushy peas, mashed turnip.
Friday steak frites. I haven't really mentioned it, but John typically cooks Friday steak. If we have fries he also takes care of that. I make any sauces/dips and do the vegetables.
WATCHING
The Mayor of Kingstown season 3.
American Rust.
READING
Daughter started off slowly but then developed into a little confusing story that still kept my attention. Certain actions by the twin brothers and father don't make a lot of sense. This was beautifully written and I didn't mind the ending although many did. No spoilers, but we've all known this to happen in families.
It Girl how could I not like a book set in Oxford academia? A good read.
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