Junction Triangle

Christopher Hume, the Toronto Star's "Condo Critic" had some nice words to say about our neighbourhood, specifically Wallace Ave., the Railpath, and the Wallace Station Lofts:

Wallace Ave., which no one would rank among the memorable thoroughfares in Toronto, is better than it looks. This mixed landscape of old industrial heaps and lowrise residential and apartment buildings can appear bleak, but the visitor soon realizes that this is a healthy and vibrant neighbourhood. The advent of the West Toronto Railpath, which passes beneath the Wallace Ave footbridge, will only enhance the area by making it more accessible and pedestrian-friendly.

Read the complete article online here.

For an interesting look back at the past, have a look at the picture on the bottom of this page at trainweb.org. It shows what is now the West Toronto Railpath and Wallace Station Lofts back in July 1985.

Beverley Coburn, a personal trainer who runs Active Age Fitness, has been leading "Monday Night Runs" (and walks) in our area since earlier this year. Every week, these runs always lead to new places within a few kilometres of the Dupont and Lansdowne starting point.

These free events are a great way to get some exercise, explore our local neighbourhoods, and meet new people. Give it a try sometime.

The upcoming run will actually focus on our neighbourhood. Here's is the announcement email sent by Beverley:

Hi Runners and Walkers,

Toronto Star columnist Christopher Hume writes about the West Toronto Railpath in today's paper:

However unintended, the transportation and manufacturing networks built in the late 19th and early 20th centuries form the backbone of much 21st-century urbanism.

The most recent example is the West Toronto Railpath Park, a 2.1-kilometre linear green space that picks up from what were once train tracks. As designed by landscape architect Scott Torrance and architects Kim Storey and James Brown, the $4 million trail/park brings new life to this part of the city and its 250,000 residents.

At a time when people feel increasingly cynical and alienated, the path reminds us that cities are also communities, not just places where people live and work, but places they inhabit. Any project that enables and encourages residents to take possession of the city should be enabled and encouraged.

As the Railpath makes clear, handled intelligently, one era's ruins can be another's monuments.

Go to the Star's website to see the complete article.

And don't forget, today is the "official" opening ceremony for the Railpath, 2:00pm at the Wallace Bridge. Try to drop by if you're around!

The official opening of the new West Toronto Railpath linear park on the west side of our neighbourhood will take place on Friday October 30th at 2:00pm, at the Wallace Ave. bridge.

A previous unofficial opening ceremony and parade was a success, even with all of the rain that day.

Here is the official announcement from councillor Giambrone's office, also attached as a PDF file.

West Toronto Railpath Park Official Opening Ceremonies

Councillor Adam Giambrone invites you to the official opening of the West Toronto Railpath Park on Friday, October 30, 2009. Councillor Giambrone, the City of Toronto, and Friends of the West Toronto Railpath are pleased to open the first 2.1 km of this exciting recreational trail.

• Date: Friday, October 30, 2009
• Location: West Toronto Railpath entrance at Wallace Avenue (south of Dupont, west of Perth, north of Bloor). See attached map.
• Time:
  • 2:00 p.m. – Opening Remarks
  • 2:15 p.m. – Official Ribbon Cutting Ceremony
  • 2:20 p.m. – cyclists gathered ride the trail and enjoy the sculptures
  • 2:25 p.m. – interested participants invited walk 2.1 km and explore the trail and sculptures
• RSVP: Toronto Protocol RSVP Line 416-392-7667

This photo is a screenshot from Matt Greenwood's Take Picture Don't Steal website. After finding a disposable camera in the cupboard above his fridge, Matt decided to hang cameras in various locations around the city, encouraging people to take photos. These photos are then posted on the website.

Our neighbourhood was represented in this project when Matt placed a camera on the Railpath under the Wallace Ave. bridge. The photos that were taken are fantastic. You should definitely check them out, and see if you know anyone in them! I only recognized one person.

Many other parts of the west end of the city are online too: Kensington Market, Trinity Bellwoods Park, The Junction, and more. Matt was out hanging up more cameras today as well.

There's also an interview with Matt on the 5 Blocks Out blog.

www.takepicturedontsteal.com

A photo taken using a "public" disposable camera that was attached to the Wallace Ave. pedestrian bridge, summer 2009. This is a screenshot from the Take Picture Don't Steal art project, by Matt Greenwood.

The Fuzzy Boundaries neighbourhood naming group pulled off another fun publicity spectacle on Wednesday evening. All 180+ names that have been suggested so far were listed, in chalk, along the West Toronto Railpath between Bloor St. and Dupont St. Be sure to go for a stroll or bike ride along the Railpath soon before the weather washes the names away.

The list of suggested names is still growing, and you have until the public meeting on January 14th 2010 to submit your own name(s), and discuss the names that have been submitted so far.

The popular Toronto news and events blog, BlogTO, wrote about this Railpath event on their website today, and it is also featured in this evening's print edition of t.o. night.

Keep an eye out on Global TV News next week, as they will also be covering Fuzzy Boundaries.

More photos, as well as a video of the entire name list are shown below. Click images to view larger versions.

Photo by Vic Gedris, 2009-10-15.

Photo by Vic Gedris, 2009-10-15.

Photo by Vic Gedris, 2009-10-15.