Thursday, 16 August 2012
Trinity Bellwoods
I could not capture the true nature of Trinity-Bellwoods Park for the same reason I could not capture my previous Toronto Beaches photo project. A middle aged man cannot get away with taking photos of groups of people. It is too creepy, blog or no blog.
Monday, 13 August 2012
Delayed Project
My project to document Trinity Bellwoods Park has been delayed.
Trinity Bellwoods has to be the busiest park per square foot in Canada.
It is a large park by urban standards, but is packed daily with people of every age and ethnicity. They seem content to claim their small piece of this great city experiment.
There is no doubt many people outside of Toronto would be appalled that so many people are so close together, but in inner city Toronto, packed streets and parks are part of what makes this city great.
The park is not terribly clean, there are weeds everywhere, as the city does not allow pesticides. Homeless youth sometimes camp out in the park. No one seems to mind. People tend to live and let live in the park.
Trinity Bellwoods is not a park without charm. There are mature trees, trails, plenty of hills. There are tennis courts and hockey rinks for winter.
I live right downtown and the city sidewalks and patios are packed 7-days a week at all hours of the day and night. The patio at the Irish pub across the street from my condo does not have an off day. Sunday through the following Saturday there is not a empty table to be had.
The whole Trinity Bellwoods experience reminds me a bit of the Charlton Heston movie, Soylent Green, maybe 15-years before the state of the city depicted in the movie.
Trinity Bellwoods has to be the busiest park per square foot in Canada.
It is a large park by urban standards, but is packed daily with people of every age and ethnicity. They seem content to claim their small piece of this great city experiment.
There is no doubt many people outside of Toronto would be appalled that so many people are so close together, but in inner city Toronto, packed streets and parks are part of what makes this city great.
The park is not terribly clean, there are weeds everywhere, as the city does not allow pesticides. Homeless youth sometimes camp out in the park. No one seems to mind. People tend to live and let live in the park.
Trinity Bellwoods is not a park without charm. There are mature trees, trails, plenty of hills. There are tennis courts and hockey rinks for winter.
I live right downtown and the city sidewalks and patios are packed 7-days a week at all hours of the day and night. The patio at the Irish pub across the street from my condo does not have an off day. Sunday through the following Saturday there is not a empty table to be had.
The whole Trinity Bellwoods experience reminds me a bit of the Charlton Heston movie, Soylent Green, maybe 15-years before the state of the city depicted in the movie.
Wednesday, 8 August 2012
Thinking Out Loud
I note that Catholic nuns are meeting in the US this week to consider the Vatican's decision to assign 3-US bishops to clamp down on their social justice work. The Vatican thinks the nuns should spend more time fighting abortion and same sex marriage and less time on helping the poor.
I think it is time for the nuns to break free of an out of touch Church. The complete overhaul of the Catholic Church, ruined by the far too long rein of John Paul II has gutted the social activism of the original Christian Church and replaced it with a right-wing leadership, forever stacked by JP II and his successors. It is self perpetuating.
The Catholic Church is turning into a Third World, backwards arch-conservative relic. It is no wonder that nuns are not replacing their ageing members and priests increasingly have to be recruited from Asia and Africa. Decades of turning a blind eye to rampant paedophiles and now wholly obsessed with the abortion issue to exclusion of all others. Backing Republicans and Conservatives who ignore the poor, but back the Church's social conservative agenda. It is like socially active Jews turning to Republicans because of unblinking support of Israel. It trumps all other policies.
On another issue, I did not see any one comment on the poor French competitor that was wiped out by triathlete Simon Whitfield's mistake at the Olympics. No apology from Whitfield, no mention by any paper, or TV reporter in Canada. His Olympic moment was ended by Whitfield's actions.
I remember attending a TFC soccer match last year when members of the Women's National Soccer team, including Christine Sinclair, were trying to sell tickets to an upcoming friendly. They were largely ignored. I'm betting they get a better reception next time.
My next Blog project will be a brief expose on Trinity Bellwoods Park in downtown Toronto. A unique urban park, warts and all.
I think it is time for the nuns to break free of an out of touch Church. The complete overhaul of the Catholic Church, ruined by the far too long rein of John Paul II has gutted the social activism of the original Christian Church and replaced it with a right-wing leadership, forever stacked by JP II and his successors. It is self perpetuating.
The Catholic Church is turning into a Third World, backwards arch-conservative relic. It is no wonder that nuns are not replacing their ageing members and priests increasingly have to be recruited from Asia and Africa. Decades of turning a blind eye to rampant paedophiles and now wholly obsessed with the abortion issue to exclusion of all others. Backing Republicans and Conservatives who ignore the poor, but back the Church's social conservative agenda. It is like socially active Jews turning to Republicans because of unblinking support of Israel. It trumps all other policies.
On another issue, I did not see any one comment on the poor French competitor that was wiped out by triathlete Simon Whitfield's mistake at the Olympics. No apology from Whitfield, no mention by any paper, or TV reporter in Canada. His Olympic moment was ended by Whitfield's actions.
I remember attending a TFC soccer match last year when members of the Women's National Soccer team, including Christine Sinclair, were trying to sell tickets to an upcoming friendly. They were largely ignored. I'm betting they get a better reception next time.
My next Blog project will be a brief expose on Trinity Bellwoods Park in downtown Toronto. A unique urban park, warts and all.
Sunday, 5 August 2012
Latest Update
Reading the Toronto Star article about the Catholic Priest in Ireland that was giving a PowerPoint presentation to parents of kids getting ready for first confession. The memory stick he used instead featured gay porn. Father McVeigh ran out of the room all flustered. No explanation, or apology given. Someone else had to finish the presentation. He returned later to tell the parents that, as kids get monetary gifts for first confessions they may want to donate some of it to the church. All the better to help payoff abuse claims.
Another is a series of restaurant reviews, I visited Weslodge (photo above) on King St. West, with the H girls. This Western themed high end saloon was a disappointment. We drank tap water, but the bar features $16 cocktails, or for $2.50 per person you get unlimited filtered water. The food was very average. The lunch menu had maybe six entree options. I had a hamburger that will not crack the top-50 in the next Toronto Life survey. Selective non-meat eater Mariana had the fish, which she claimed was ok. Ana "Donut Girl" had the lobster burger which was apparently also decent. The H sisters prefer less pretentious eateries. Mariana threw in a crack that it may have been the company, not the food, that was the problem.
The continued gentrification of King West has hit a speed bump by trying too hard to impress. The wait staff are forced to wear holsters. The place is drawing big crowds. Must be Bay Street expense accounts buying the overpriced cocktails.
Another is a series of restaurant reviews, I visited Weslodge (photo above) on King St. West, with the H girls. This Western themed high end saloon was a disappointment. We drank tap water, but the bar features $16 cocktails, or for $2.50 per person you get unlimited filtered water. The food was very average. The lunch menu had maybe six entree options. I had a hamburger that will not crack the top-50 in the next Toronto Life survey. Selective non-meat eater Mariana had the fish, which she claimed was ok. Ana "Donut Girl" had the lobster burger which was apparently also decent. The H sisters prefer less pretentious eateries. Mariana threw in a crack that it may have been the company, not the food, that was the problem.
The continued gentrification of King West has hit a speed bump by trying too hard to impress. The wait staff are forced to wear holsters. The place is drawing big crowds. Must be Bay Street expense accounts buying the overpriced cocktails.
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