Spring in Toronto:High Park

Picnic season is starting. One of the best places for a picnic is under a cherry tree in High Park,Toronto. Better yet, if you go at the end of the cherry blossom season, the pink flowers will fall of the tree and float down around you. Cherry blossoms fall off rather than fade away.

This photo is from the weeping cherry tree in my backyard. For a spectacular show, see the rows of mature cherry trees in bloom at High Park right now.

Where are the blossoms?

High Park Blossom Map

What's at High Park?

High Park is a huge park in the west end of Toronto. I've taken a bike on the subway to the High Park stop. You can bike in the park. There's a children's playground, a free zoo, a swimming pool, a dog park and a restaurant. In the summer, there's an outdoor theatre. Watching a play under the stars is a lot of fun. For more information, check out the official High Park site.

High Park Toronto

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Easter Egg Hunt

There is a fun game the children play on Easter Sunday. They go on an Easter Egg hunt. The Easter Bunny hides Easter chocolate and candies. The children look for the treats.

There are different kinds of Easter Egg hunts in Toronto. Some families have Easter Egg hunts in their homes or yards. Also, there is an Easter Egg hunt at Toronto Zoo and Centre Island. At Centennial Park, there is an Easter Egg hunt for dogs! The dogs find eggs. Inside the eggs are doggy treats.

Try this Easter hunt. Watch the first video here and then click a box. The box takes you to youtube. After, do the listening quiz here.

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Spring in Toronto 4/14/11

• The first flowers are blooming.
• The grass is turning green.
• The buds are on the trees.

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Monday Music: Michael Buble'

The Juno Awards are coming to Toronto in March! The Juno's are the Canadian music awards. Michael Buble' ("booblay") was at the Juno's last year. He has won multiple Juno Awards.

Last year, he won

• Pop Album of the Year
• Single of the Year - Haven't Met You Yet
• Album of the Year - Crazy Love
• Juno Fan Choice Award

Last year, he was nominated for

• Artist of the Year
• Songwriter of the year

Here is Michael Buble' 's song, Haven't Met You Yet. He is singing it at the Juno Awards, 2010.

Here are the words for Haven't Met You Yet. You can listen to the song and follow the words.

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Winter in Toronto, 2011

Last week, Toronto had some storms. A walk at Lake Ontario shows the trees and bushes covered in ice. The last two weeks of January and the first two weeks of February are usually the coldest part of the winter. This is early February and it was cold! My camera got so cold, it stopped working.

I look at these winter photos, but I know the February thaw will follow. The ice will begin to melt by the end of February. March is always unpredictable. We could get some snow storms in March. We have had a lot of snow this winter and it looks like it will be here for some time.

Check out the weather in Toronto here.

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Toronto in December, 2010

Where are we? Downtown TO

Well, this is Ashbridges Bay. It's quiet in December, but the parks along Lake Ontario are still open.

Do you notice Toronto's landmarks?

The CN Tower can be seen from many directions including the lake.

Check out the CN Tower here.

Mayor Hazel and Rick Mercer

Mayor Hazel is the oldest mayor I know. She has been the mayor of Mississauga since the late seventies. Mississauga is the city to the west of Metropolitan Toronto while Scarborough is on the east side. Next Monday is the Toronto elections. Hazel McCallion is hoping to get reelected for mayor. In 2006, Hazel won 92% of the vote.

Rick Mercer is from the television program, Rick Mercer Report. He interviews Mayor Hazel on television on February 26, 2009. In 2009, Hazel McCallion was 88 years old. Watch her play hockey, go bowling and star in a music video. I think Rick Mercer and Mayor Hazel have a lot of fun together. Enjoy their time together.

Watch the video again. This is an interview, so Rick Mercer asks lots of questions. Here are some of the questions. Listen to Mayor Hazel's answers.

1. You have been elected two or three times?

2. How do you stay in office for 31 years?

3. Your debt is?

4. How many mayors have bobble heads?

5. Have you ever been injured? What happened to the truck?

6. Are you someone who doesn't campaign or someone who never stops campaigning?

7. What is this? (He is looking at a miniature city.)

8. Why haven't you retired?

9. What is your approval rating? (She talks about votes.)

10. Any regrets?

Spring in Toronto: Pillow Fight 2010

It's time for the annual pillow fight! International Pillow Fight Day is April 3rd, but the Toronto pillow fight takes place on the second Saturday in May. It's at Yonge-Eglinton Square on Saturday, May 8th. You can start swinging your pillow at 3:00 p.m. Bring a soft, feather free pillow and remember to take off your glasses.




The pillow fight is free for all ages. For more details, go to last year's pillow fight. Press here.

Winter in Toronto: The Olympics

Andrew Hesp, Flickr

For me, the olympics started about 2 months ago when the torch passed through Toronto for the first time. It was a cold night and I was heading for a meeting at Yonge and St Clair when people started to line the street. In 10 minutes, the crowd was able to see the flame coming. It towered above the runner as it does in this photo. It was a small event, but I felt lucky and honored to have seen the historical flame.

Winter in Toronto 6

My feet are cold.
By Grant MacDonald

A picture is worth a thousand words. Winter has hit in Toronto. It's one of those Sundays, it's best to cuddle up with a good book or a laptop and wrap yourself in a warm blanket. Just looking outside makes me feel cold. The newsman says the cold weather is going to be around for a few days.

However, there is no snow yet in Toronto. Further north like in Ottawa, it's very white and beautiful. Right now, it's too cold to snow, but the snow storms will come. Soon enough, the snow ploughs will be humming up and down the streets and the homeowners will be shovelling heavy snow. There is actually a law in Toronto that requires all sidewalks to be cleared after a snow fall. Luckily, senior citizens can have their sidewalks cleared by the city. So right now, is the calm before the storm. Lots of snow brings chaos to the city!

Feel like venturing out this winter, check out the winter activities organized by the city. Toronto's WinterCity Festival starts end of January. Press here.

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Spring in Toronto 3

It's time to see the baby animals at Toronto Zoo. Also, do you know about the two free parks where you can enjoy a stroll and see some animals too? These are my favourite places to be near nature. All three of these places feel like you have left the city. All that green space relaxes you especially on a spring day.


1. Riverdale Farm


Riverdale Sheep by Glossy Eye

Riverdale farm was the first Toronto Zoo. The old zoo had small buildings with caged openings to see the exotic animals. In fact, the old monkey cage is still there near the stone bridge and the pond. Look for the turtles in that pond. There's several.

So what's at the farm?

There is a restored farm house with a front porch surrounded by colourful flowers and bushes. In the front of the porch is the start of a park. Here you can listen to free music concerts in the summer. Nearby, there is wading pool for the younger children and some picnic tables near the tall mature trees.

Beside the farm house is the entrance to the farm. To the left is the barn for the horses and a donkey. There are sheep and also pigs. Because it's spring, there may be some lambs. Other fenced areas hold animals for us city people to watch. I remember the cool waterfall in the forest area beside one of the walking paths.

Behind the farm house is modern building. It is used for community activities and there is a play centre for young children. As you can see, young children and families enjoy the Riverdale Farm.

Where is it?

In Cabbagetown. It's on Sumach Street which is near Parliament and Gerrard. You can get there by TTC. On the weekend, you can park there, but sometimes you have to park on the next street.


2. High Park

An Emu in High Park by Neil Aiston

Trees and more trees. This park is huge! It's got a restaurant, a public swimming pool, long bike trails, a children's playground, Grenadier Pond and don't forget the free zoo. The animals are outside enclosed by high wire fences. There are maybe a dozen different kinds of animals.

Where is it?

The west end of the city. You can take the Bloor subway line to High Park stop. My family has taken bikes on the subway, so we could bike in the park. By car, it's near Bloor and Keele.


3. The Toronto Zoo

www.day-trips.ca/content/toronto-zoo



This modern zoo opened in the seventies. It's huge! Be sure to wear your walking shoes and a hat. There are several large buildings where animals and sea creatures from different countries or areas can be viewed. Also, many of the exotic animals roam around in the large open spaces.

Also, there is a water park for kids. Bring a picnic lunch or visit one of the several restaurants. Special visiting animal exhibitions are popular. The stingray exhibition started this May. Press here for more information.

Where is it?

In the east end of Toronto. It's on Meadowvale Road in Scarbourough. It's off the Highway 401 by car or take the TTC. There are buses that go out to the zoo.


Today it is raining, so I am writing this post. But hopefully it will be better weather soon. The trees look so good with new leaves and the spring flowers do wonders for us all:)



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Spring in Toronto 2

Tulips in Bloom
Originally uploaded by szuberi

May means spring flowers and trees. Enjoy the tulips and cherry trees at High Park. Edwards Garden and Osgoode Hall, York University also have those beautiful pink cherry blossoms.

Speaking: The Weather

Canadians are always talking about the weather? Why?

• We have four seasons about three months each. March 20th was the first day of spring!
• The change from one season to the next can be gradual or abrupt. It's never the same each year. This spring, we had a few warm days, but now its cooler again.
  
• We have a lot of extreme conditions. Too hot. Too cold. Too much snow....
• The precipitation changes year to year. This year, we shovelled a lot of snow! Last summer, it rained a lot.
  
• The weather can change from morning to afternoon, day to day and week to week.
  

Small talk: Weather is a great opener for small talk or short two or three minute conversations. Here's some common questions to ask about the weather.

• What's the weather like? or What's it like out?
• Is it hot/cold enough for you?
• Is it going to rain/snow today?
• Is it going to warm up today/ this week?
• What's the forecast for this week/ the next few days?
• What's the temperature?
• Isn't it beautiful?

Now it's April, and it's colder than usual for April. Yet, it's not unusual to see snow in late March or early April. Take a look at April 7th in Toronto.




So, when will spring arrive in Toronto? I hope earlier than in 2008. That year, it seemed like it was never going to stop snowing and I remember skiing in late March. Follow the change from winter to spring in 2008. At least, spring started a bit earlier this year.



One thing for certain. Spring means rain. Here's some vocabulary and expressions for rainy conditions.

• There is a light drizzle: very light rain
• There are showers: light rain
• It's pouring: heavy rain
• It's raining cats and dogs: heavy rain
• There is thunder and lightening: usually during a storm, you see light and hear noises in the sky

But remember, April showers bring May flowers!




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Spring in Toronto

Toronto Pillow Fight by Reza Vaziri


March 21, 2009, Torontonians met downtown for some fun at Dundas Square near the Eatons Centre. Everyone brought a pillow for a massive pillow fight! There were lots of young people and parents arrived with their children. Some of the participants wore silly costumes to celebrate the free cultural event. At 3:00 p.m., the signal was given and the annual Toronto Pillow Fight began.

The participants had to follow some simple guidelines. Newmindspace helped organize the annual event and here's their suggested rules.

Rules: Please follow these guidelines to ensure a safe and fun pillow fight for everybody!

+ Soft pillows only!
+ Swing lightly, many people will be swinging at once.
+ Do not swing at people without pillows or with cameras.
+ Remove glasses beforehand!
+ Wait until the 3:00 to begin.
+ Pillow fight ends when the sun sets.
+ Do not abandon your pillow at the location.

Cleanup: Please limit your use of feathers. As the pillow fight grows in size, so does the mess. By participating, you are pledging to clean up twice the mess you made :)

Good news for those outside of Toronto: Tomorrow is World Pillow Fight Day!

In Canada, Quebec City and Vancouver have signed up for Saturday, April 4th. Many cities all over the world from New York City, US to Paris, France to Cape Town, Africa will hold massive pillow fights.




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Wanna be Wednesday 3/11

I want to be Irish. Actually, I am 1/4 Irish, 1/4 Scottish, and I/2 Canadian if I use my four grandparents. So why do I want to be Irish? Because Saint Patrick's Day is coming. Everyone wants to be Irish on March 17th!

Everywhere people celebrate Saint Patrick's Day or Paddy's Day. Yes. It started in Ireland and is a national holiday there, but there are many Irish all over the world. I remember hearing, there are more Irish in USA than in Ireland. Is that true?! Celebrations include Irish music, songs, food and drink. Also, there will be lots of Saint Patrick's parades this weekend in different countries. There is always the traditional parade in Dublin, the capital city of Ireland.

Toronto has a Saint Patrick's Day parade at 12:00 noon, Sunday, March 15. I have watched it in front of the Eaton's Centre, as floats and marching bands moved down Yonge Street. This year, it will finish at City Hall. One of the major sponsors is the Irish Embassy Pub and Grill at King Subway. This downtown pub and the other Irish pubs around the city will be crowded this weekend and and on Saint Patrick's Day.

For the less Irish, it's just a good excuse to have fun. To be in the Irish spirit, wear something green. I remember going to a Saint Patrick's party where green beer was served. How did they get the beer green? Try a drop of green food colouring.

Talking about green and dye....have a look at this short video. The time is in fast motion on Saint Patrick's Day. You will look down at the Chicago River and see the boats moving.





In 1962, 100 pounds of dye were added to the Chicago River and it looked green for about a week. Now they add 40 pounds of green food colouring each year and the river stays green only a few hours on Saint Patrick's Day.

What's odd about this celebration? Many peope don't know who Saint Patrick was. According to Wikipedia, he was a Catholic missionary who died in 460 AD on March 17. He helped bring Christianity to the then Pagan people of Ireland. Also, in Ireland, Saint Patrick"s Day is a Christian celebration when Catholics go to church and have a feast.

So, may you have the luck of the Irish and wear something green on March 17 if you like.



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Happy Birthday Toronto!

Happy Birthday to you ...175 years old.
Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday to you.


5 Reasons I Love Toronto

• The Royal Ontario Museum (ROM). My grandmother took me there for my seventh birthday. The totem pole, the mummies from Egypt and the dinosaurs still excite me. Later, they added the bat cave and the Canadian animal section. Recently, the new "crystal" addition was completed.

• Restaurants. There are restaurants all over the city. There are cheap to expensive restaurants. Also, you can eat food from many different countries. For example, I like Chinese, Japanese, Mexican, Italian and Korean dishes.

• Big green spaces. The Toronto Zoo is a great place to walk. We have some big parks like High Park and Centre Island. Lots of parks are along Lake Ontario.

• .Education.There are lots of good schools in Toronto. There are many different kinds of high schools, so students can follow their interests. We have several colleges and universities.which offer different programs.

• The CN Tower. It gives Toronto strength. You can look up and find it anywhere downtown. It works like a compass because it is in the centre of the city near Lake Ontario. I remember my kids were worried about the CN Tower when the Twin Towers in New York City were destroyed 9/11. I visited the CN tower the first year it opened and on it's thirtieth anniversary. The CN Tower is no longer the tallest building in the world, but it is one of the Seven Wonders of the World.

5 Growing Pains for Toronto

• Rush hour in Toronto. Too many cars. The TTC subway breaks down and the buses can be slow in cold weather..Its hard to get a seat. In really cold weather, - 20 degrees Celsius, the electrical switches for the GO train don't work.

• Toronto is a poor city. It doesn't get enough money from the Canadian government. The home owners and renters pay too much city taxes.

• The pollution. In the summer, we get smog alert days. The smog gets too high on really hot days. The winds blow it east, so it is worse east of Toronto.
  

• A new hockey team. Our poor Maple Leafs haven't won since 1967. The American and Canadian hockey teams compete for the Stanley Cup. It's the prize for the best hockey team in the National Hockey League (NHL).
  

• Crime in Toronto. The crime rate is low in Toronto, but there are some gangs who carry guns. They think they are cool?! Our gun laws need to be stronger. The kids in public school and high school need lots of good programs to keep them out of trouble in the city.

What's happening in Toronto this weekend?

Check out the Toronto activities or events here


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Places Along Lake Ontario

Ready for a walk? Sure you are if your dressed like this.



Maybe, a bit early for the beach? You will still need your sunglasses.


East of Toronto, there are many little towns and a few small cities along Lake Ontario. They were originally started when ports were important. The first mode of transportation was ships, and then the national railroad and the highway followed. Depending on the success of the commerce in the area, some towns have grown a lot and are full of modern subdivisions. In some of the smaller towns, less has changed and older houses surrounded by native trees create a charming view for both residents and visitors.

There is always an older area in most towns where people first started to settle usually with a church to complete the town setting. Canada has rural beginnings and many towns are still surrounded by farms that are many generations old. Unfortunately, most of the farms are gone that were in the Toronto area. The city has pushed the farming out and some of our homes and buildings sit on very fertile soil.

The homes close to the lake sit on sandy soil. Some of the homes closest to Lake Ontario started as cottages. An area in Toronto, the Beaches, started as an area for summer homes. People vacationed in this area and other areas along Lake Ontario. Middle class families enjoyed summer weeks and weekends near the sandy beach. Now people visit the parks in all the seasons.

The winter pictures were taken near Picton. Here's a map of Lake Ontario. How long do you think it takes to get from Toronto to Picton? About 2 1/2 hours.

For more history about the Beaches, check out these short stories



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Wanna be Wednesday 3/18

Family Day

In the fall of 2007, Dalton McGuinty was re-elected as premier of Ontario. Soon after, McGuinty created Family Day. The third Monday in February became a new statutory holiday. Now the people of Ontario have 9 public holidays. It was announced October, 2007.

Family Day was created to support family values by giving busy working parents a day off to spend with their children. February 18, 2007 was our first Family Day. For everyone, it has become a much needed break between the Christmas/New Year holidays and the spring Easter holiday.

According to Wikipedia, only four provinces have family day. They are Alberta, Ontario, Prince Edward Island and Saskatchewan. It is not an official Canadian holiday. Therefore, some Ontario employers do not have this holiday. If you work for the federal government, you do not have next Monday off.

Last year was the first Family Day. Many families in Toronto took advantage of the extra day off. Some went away for the weekend. I remember hearing a record number of skiers hit the slopes north of Toronto. There were lots to do in the city and I'm sure some just relaxed.

For ideas on what families can do on Family Day, check out the Toronto Star article, Things to do on Family Day. The author, Paola Lorriiggio, also has some good suggestions for things to do with no kids.

Have a good weekend! We have Valentine's Day on February 14th. Saturday this year and Family Day on February 16. Enjoy. I've already bought some sweets for the weekend. I just hope the rain stops and we see some sun soon.

I plan to be busy this weekend, but check out my Valentine post. It's coming soon.



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Valentine's Sweets on the Danforth.


Valentine's Day is coming. The weather is warming and I was actually able to get out and take pictures for about an hour before my fingers started to get cold. When I was snapping pictures, I could only wear a pair of thin leather gloves.

The candy store, Suckers, is from the Danforth which starts about Jones Avenue and goes to Broadview Avenue or from Donlands Subway to Broadview Subway. Do you see the people and snowy street behind the store sign?

The Danforth is known for its many Greek restaurants. In the summer, there is Taste of the Danforth. It's Toronto's Greek festival with live music, cultural dances and lots of places to try some food. Thousands of people walk the street. The cars are not allowed for the weekend.

There were many stores decorated for Valentine's Day. Take a look at the Danforth with this little slideshow.



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Groundhog Mound by Occozzaglia@Flickr



This photo was taken one year ago on February 2, 2008 in Toronto. It is called Groundhog Mound because February 2 is Groundhog Day in Canada and United States.

Groundhog Day is an annual holiday when a small animal, the groundhog, peaks out of its winter burrow. If it doesn't like the weather, it will return to its burrow for six more weeks.

Every year in Ontario, there is a morning celebration in the town, Wiarton. People gather to watch the groundhog, Willie. They want to see Willie emerge from his burrow. It is important whether the groundhog sees its shadow. Why?

1. If the weather is cloudy, the groundhog will not see its shadow. No shadow means winter will soon end and spring weather will soon arrive.

2. However, if the weather is sunny, the groundhog will see its shadow and return to its burrow because it knows winter is not over. A shadow means a long winter and spring will not arrive for another six weeks.

Can you guess what happened in the town, Wiarton today? Well, was it sunny today? Yes? Willie, the groundhog saw its shadow.

I agree with Willie. I think we are going to have a long winter and the snow will not melt yet. I hope you were able to get outside on Sunday. It was the last day of January, but it was a bright day above zero Celsius. I enjoyed a trip to the park with my dog, Lucy. There were other neighbours at the park and we all wished this was the start of warmer weather. Canadians know better! Get ready for the temperatures to dip or go down again.

Would you like to see a picture of a groundhog? Take a look at the groundhog on page two.


About the Photograph

The photo was taken in a downtown neighbourhood called the Annex. Go to the photographer's site to see The Annex, Toronto (pool of pictures).



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