Admission is $10 and all the vendors are Canadian artists and designers selling one of a kind jewellery, glassware, clothing and paintings and photography.

If you’re unfamiliar with the Distillery District, they provide a map as well to help you get around. As you’ll see, there is a ton to do in this area of the city, which is trendy and packed full of great food and fun things to do. A national historic site, The Distillery District happens to be one of the largest and most well preserved Victorian industrial design complexes. So why not bundle up, grab a coffee and check out some one of a kind Canadian goods? With summer over, this area will be less crowded, but still just as historically interesting and beautiful to wander through.

Image Credit: Payton Chung on Flickr

Post from: The Toronto Traveler

The Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibition (TOAE) can easily claim to be one of the oldest annual traditions within the City of Toronto.  It’s certainly one of the oldest contemporary traditions, with 2008 being the 47th year in which the exhibition is being held.

One of the reasons that people tend to find the TOAE so special is the fact that it is a rarity not just in Toronto, but across all of Canada as well.  It is an exhibition taking place completely outdoors, allowing people to walk around one of the biggest outdoor squares in Toronto, taking in the great weather as well as the beautiful works of art.

The TOAE takes place in Nathan Phillips Square, which is located in the heart of downtown Toronto.  It’s about equidistant from both the Queen and Osgoode Subway Stations and is around many other Toronto attractions, allowing you to easily combine a visit to the TOAE with other events you might want to visit on the same day.

Admission to the TOAE is completely free and the exhibition will be held on Friday July 11 (10 AM to 8 PM), Saturday July 12 (10 AM to 7 PM) and Sunday July 13 (10 AM to 6 PM).

Overall, it’s expected that around 500 different artists will be showcasing their works at the various displays available around the square and the styles of art are expected to encompass everything under the Sun.  Many of the artists will be recognizable to people that follow the art industry whereas many of the others will be complete unknowns or alternatively students looking to make some cash to help pay the next year’s tuition.  It’s this melding together of the known and unknown that is one of the reasons that this year’s exhibition is expected to draw over 100,000 visitors during the 3-day event.

More information about this event is available on the TOAE 2008 website, including a list of artists, gallery of past events and contact information.

Photo Credit: Flickr Creative Commons

Post from: The Toronto Traveler

Pancakes are most definitely wonderful things.  Whenever I have a bit of extra time in the morning I love making them just because getting the chance to sit down and devour them is so amazing.

Whether you take your pancakes plain or with syrup and butter however, you can start the day off right with a Free Pancake Breakfast courtesy of the City of Toronto!

Starting at 8:30 in the morning on May 26th, the City of Toronto will be holding the 19th Annual Pancake Breakfast.  It started off as an event to promote the use of environmentally friendly means to get to work, but it has since become much more than that.  They maintain the event on a Monday however in order to allow people to start their work week off in a fun way, but tourists are invited as well!

Breakfast will be served at Nathan Phillips Square which is right in front of City Hall.  It will go until one in the morning, so even if you don’t have time to stop in for breakfast, you can stop in for a delicious late night snack on your way back home.

Not only will pancakes be served, but there will also be fair-trade coffee created organically, croissants, fruit and the condiments to go along with each food or drink item.  All of the plates and utensils will be fully biodegradable, allowing you to eat to your heart’s content without having to worry about how to dispose of the items afterward.

At the same time as the breakfast is going on, there will be an Open Air Fair for people to take in, where you can meet a number of the more environmentally minded people in the local community.  Overall, it promises to be a fun event.  And hey, getting free stuff is always nice!

Photo Credit: Flickr

Post from: The Toronto Traveler

Post from: The Toronto Traveler

Okay, so I’m a little bit behind the ball here since Victoria Day started about 19 hours ago (my time) and ends in about 5 hours, but I still felt it important to convey best wishes on a holiday that is important to Canadians, although not necessarily celebrated in earnest by any other country in the world.  While there are other countries such as Scotland that do celebrate Victoria Day in some areas, all of Canada celebrates it and that makes it an important topic for The Toronto Traveler.

Speaking Victoria Day like a Torontonian

While Victoria Day is most definitely the official title of the holiday in Toronto, you’ll also hear it referred to on a frequent basis as the May Long Weekend, because it happens to be a federal statutory holiday in nine provinces and three territories, with Quebec also celebrating a provincial holiday at the same time.  Other more colloquial ways to refer to Victoria Day are May Long, May Run and The May Two-Four, in honour of the term we use for a case of 24 bottles of beer!

The History of Victoria Day

May 24th is the birth date of Queen Victoria, the first sovereign of Canada after confederation in 1867.  Before that however there was already a tradition of celebrating Victoria’s birthday as in 1854 on May 24th over 5000 residents of what was then known as Upper Canada gathered to celebrate the Queen’s birthday.

In 1901, May 24th was declared Empire Day throughout the British Empire, although because each new sovereign had a different birthday, chaos tended to ensue with people not being exactly sure when each successive yearly celebration of Empire Day would take place.  Eventually, Empire Day became Victoria Day and was settled as being on the Monday on or before May 24th, Queen Victoria’s birthday.

This way the day would be known well in advance every year and there would be less confusion on when to celebrate it.  Incidentally enough, Victoria Day as a holiday often coincides with Memorial Day in the United States, although this year the two dates will be missing each other by a week.

Celebrating Victoria Day

The best way to celebrate Victoria Day in any part of the city is fireworks!  And indeed, there are many public places within Toronto that have fireworks on this day as well as many individuals that go out to open areas and light fireworks of their own.  If you keep your eyes peeled to the sky once twilight and night hit the city, you should definitely be able to see one sweet show.

There are also parades in many cities on Victoria Day, the most famous of which takes place in Victoria, British Columbia.  That city was named after the monarch, so it seems only fitting that the largest parade happen there each and every year.

So once again, The Toronto Traveller wishes you all a very happy Victoria Day!

Photo Credits: Flickr, Flickr

Post from: The Toronto Traveler

The tour starts at the Southwest end of the campus at the intersection of Spadina and Bancroft and ends at the Eastern end of the campus at the intersection of Queen’s Park and Wellesley.  A full map of the tour can be found here and a brochure detailing the event can be found here.  However, being a student of the university I have been inside many of these buildings before, so I’d like to take the time to offer a few comments on some of the twelve buildings that are going to be part of this tour.

University of Toronto Multifaith Centre – Stop #1

Located at Spadina and Bancroft, the Multifaith Centre is arguably one of the most important cultural buildings in the City of Toronto.  It is home to all of the different spiritual student groups and for that reason forms a sort of hub of faith-based student activity not just within the university, but really across the city.  The University of Toronto is home to over 80,000 students and for that reason forms the lion’s share of the post-secondary student population residing within the city.  It’s a real education chatting with many of these groups and you’ll get a chance to see firsthand just how richly diverse the religious community within the city actually is.

Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library – Stop #3

The Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library really doesn’t have anything to do with spirituality, but the tour has billed it as being a “temple to the book.”  While that’s perhaps overstating things a little bit, it is certainly true that the inside of the library does lend itself to that type of imagery.  With many of the rarest books in the world being housed within this area, getting a chance to see them firsthand could be considered a spiritual experience for anyone that is inclined to reading as a hobby.  This building is located at St. George and Harbord and is very hard to miss.

Hart House – Stop #9

Well, no tour of the University of Toronto would be complete without a stop at Hart House and luckily enough for the people going on this tour there happens to be a chapel right inside where people can pause for a moment before continuing the tour.  Hart House is one of the central hubs of the university and even on the weekend you can expect it to be bustling with activity.  The architecture of the building is spectacular as well and according to the University of Toronto public relations division, it is one of the most photographed buildings in the country.

These are just three of the twelve major stops on the walking tour of the university and truth be told you can probably check out many of the adjacent buildings as well.  The University of Toronto is one of the most spectacular campuses in the country in terms of its historical value and aesthetic beauty and for that reason a walking tour of the campus is always a fun thing to do.  When the added bonus of a tour from a cultural point of view is thrown into the mix however, the results are that much more pronounced.

Post from: The Toronto Traveler

Are you interested in visiting Toronto sometime in the near future?  Well, whether you’re planning to drive across the border from the US, hop into Pearson International Airport from another continent or simply take a bus or train ride into the city from elsewhere in Canada, the upcoming weekend of May 24th and 25th should be your top priority when doing the scheduling.  The reason for this is that a great event will be taking place during this time. 

Known as Doors Open Toronto, this event will showcase some of the best of the city as 150 buildings will open their doors to the public over the weekend.  These include places that show off Toronto’s distinct multicultural heritage and religious diversity as well as the historical heritage that the city has come to be proud of over the years of its existence.  Some of these buildings would not normally be open to tourists because of their private nature, but during Doors Open Toronto you can tour them to your heart’s content.

Event Details

Doors Open Toronto 2008 is the 9th incarnation of this event and it is going to be the biggest one yet.  Admission to all of the buildings participating under Doors Open Toronto is completely free during the May 24-25 weekend.  To get an idea of how remarkable that is, every single building on the list is either a building that would not normally be open to the public during those hours or alternatively would charge an entrance fee for you to enter.  However, during the weekend that Doors Open Toronto is going on, admission is free and accessibility is universal.

More information about the event can be found by visiting the Doors Open Toronto Website, by e-mailing doorsopen@toronto.ca or by phoning 416-338-0628.

Buildings on Display

A full list of buildings on display is readily available from the Toronto City Website, but in looking over it I’ve come up with some highlights that I think warrant special attention:

Allan Gardens, located on 19 Horticultural Avenue, is one of the premier botanical garden sites in Toronto.  It was created in an act of philanthropy more than fifteen decades ago and ever since that time it has been a must see site within the City of Toronto.  During Doors Open Toronto, it will be open on both days from 10 in the morning until 5 in the afternoon.

The City of Toronto Archives is a site that doesn’t get mentioned much in traditional tourism, mostly because access to the archives is restricted by the city’s governing council.  However, all of the information that you could ever want to know about Toronto’s rich cultural and historical tradition can be found inside the archives and for people that love to totally immerse themselves in a city both past and present, the accessibility to the archives during Doors Open Toronto is an opportunity that can’t be missed.  The archives will be open on Saturday from 10 in the morning until 4:30 in the afternoon and will be closed on Sunday.  It is located on 255 Spadina Road.

There’s no specific reason for me to mention these two out of the 150 that will be available aside from the fact that I haven’t covered either before on The Toronto Traveler.  The fact of the matter is that every single site on the list is an important one for understanding Toronto, so you can quite easily scan the list and pick out the buildings that interest you the most.

Photo Credit: Flickr, Flickr

Post from: The Toronto Traveler

Who says Toronto isn’t a city where you can kick back and just have some extremely silly fun?  I admit that when I first heard about this event from a friend of mine I was a bit skeptical, but as I started doing some checking around I discovered that it’s no joking matter.  There actually is going to be a gigantic pillow fight in downtown Toronto at the end of this month and anyone that wants to participate is invited to do so!

Event Details

Event: Pillow Fight Toronto 2008

Location: To be decided.  Make sure that you E-Mail the Organizer in order to be notified when the exact location has been determined.

Time: The event is on May 31, 2008 and starts at 7 PM, going until the sun sets.

More Information: You can either e-mail love@newmindspace.com or check out the Facebook profile for the event.

Event Rules

I don’t think anyone can claim to be an expert on gigantic urban pillow fights (I certainly am not), but it seems like there are a number of problems that could crop up during such things.  Well, the organizers of the event seem to be thinking along those lines as well, which is why the following rules have been put forward:

- only soft pillows are allowed

- make sure that you are very light on the swinging, because many people will be doing it at once

- only people with pillows and without cameras can be targeted for swinging

- make sure that you remove your glasses before participating in the pillow fight

- a signal to start will be given, before which no swinging is to occur

- make sure that you take your pillow home with you

- by participating in the event, you are agreeing to clean up twice the mess that you made

Those appear to be all of the rules that they currently have in place, although if you e-mail the organizer and get yourself on the list for updates, you’ll be well informed about anything else that comes across the wire.  It certainly sounds like a fun event though, so definitely think about going if it sounds appealing to you.

Photo Credit: Flickr

Post from: The Toronto Traveler

The Art Gallery of Ontario is one of the largest art galleries in the world and the current construction that is proceeding on the building will make it even bigger and better.  According to their website, when the construction is finished there will be over 110 galleries in the building.  While I’m not entirely sure how many were there before the construction started, I know from being there personally that it was nowhere near that amount.  The construction has been going on since October 7, 2007 and for the whole time that the construction has been proceeding, the gallery has been closed to visitors.  The latest update puts a rough date of opening in the fall of this year, but no firm date has been set.  For more information on this, check out the Art Gallery of Ontario Director’s Message.

Art Gallery of Ontario Location

The Art Gallery of Ontario is located at 317 Dundas Street West, which puts the gallery between University Avenue and Spadina Avenue on Dundas, right near Beverley Street and McCaul Street (MAP).  You can easily get to the Art Gallery of Ontario from Dundas Subway Station, which is located at the intersection of Dundas and University.  From that point it’s only about a three block walk west to get to the Art Gallery of Ontario.

Art Gallery of Ontario Collection

One of the main reasons that the Art Gallery of Ontario is famous is the fact that it has one of the largest collections in the world.  Before the renovation started, there were roughly 70,000 pieces of art in the collection and they spanned the course of history from approximately the year 100 AD to the present moment in time.  In particular, the Art Gallery of Ontario has focused on promoting Canadian art to people both inside the country and those visiting.  This is why two out of every five pieces in the pre-renovation collection were from Canadian artists.  Canada has had many famous artistic talents such as the Group of Seven and Emily Carr.  There have also been rich artistic traditions amongst Inuit living in Canada and that tradition is displayed proudly within the walls of the Art Gallery of Ontario.

Transformation AGO

Transformation AGO was a project that was envisioned by a new board of directors at the Art Gallery of Ontario.  Their aim was to create a bigger and better version of the gallery that so many had come to love.  Indeed, looking at the construction over time shows that the physical building appears to be getting larger and that definitely bodes well for the insides which pre-renovation were stuffed full of artistic works.  The main goal of the transformation is to add new art, create new collections, add volume to the building and increase the overall exposure that artists can get through having exhibits at the Art Gallery of Ontario.  While construction has been long, it is also close to being over and the executives are promising that what you see when it re-opens will be more than worth the wait.

Photo Credits: Personal Collection

Post from: The Toronto Traveler

Toronto is a city with lots of fantastic artwork attached to it.  Sometimes, as in the case of the above photo, the artwork manifests itself on one of the walls of the city or some other such public place.  However, in most cases, to see great Canadian art you have to head to one of the many artistic venues in the city such as the Museum of Contemporary Canadian Art, which from now on will also occupy a place on The Toronto Traveler’s blogroll.

The MOCCA as it’s known for short is exactly what the name implies and between May 2, 2008 and June 1, 2008, they are going to be having an exhibition of art entitled Between Memory and History: From the Epic to the Everday.  Here is a partial list of people that will have works on display at the event:

Raymonde April

Raymonde April is indicative of the large pool of French Canadian artistic talent that Canada is privileged to have.  She’s one of the contemporary photographic artists that Canada has built a reputation for turning out and ever since she got her start in 1979, her photographs have been in high demand for display around the country.

Robert Burley

Robert Burley, like Raymonde April, is a design photographer and one that has been working for over two decades.  According to his website, the work he does explores the relationship between nature, architectures and the overall urban landscape.  He has many excellent pictures that deal with the meat of this conceptual area, including very awe-inspiring pictures of large pockets of nature next to significantly smaller urban areas.

Martin Parr

Martin Parr is a man that refers to himself as the “chronicler of our age.”  He is a man that has been highly critical of mainstream media photography and serves to counter that photography with what he refers to as “criticism, seduction and humour.”  This gives us a chance to take a look at his interpretation of many famous media shots over time and that in itself is a very interesting thing to do.

MOCCA’s Location

MOCCA is located at 952 Queen Street West, which puts it at a major intersection nearest to Queen Street West and Ossington Avenue.  This is actually somewhat far away from the Subway, although there are busses that run along Ossington Avenue from Ossington Subway Station on the Bloor-Danforth line as well as streetcars that run along Queen Street that intersect both the Yonge and University Subway Lines, so the TTC coverage to this particular location is still extensive.

Summary

Event: Between Memory and History: From the Epic to the Everday
Location: Museum of Contemporary Canadian Art (MOCCA), 952 Queen Street West
Dates: May 2, 2008 to June 1, 2008
Museum Hours: 11 AM to 6 PM Thursday-Sunday, closed Monday
Admission: Free to the gallery
More Information: 416-395-7490 or mocca@toronto.ca

Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons

Post from: The Toronto Traveler