Sailor's Memorial - work of the author, April 2009
At the easternmost edge of the Harbourfront stands this rather striking monument to the local sailors who gave their lives in two world wars. Below it lie two eight-inch guns, both trained on the base of the Jacques Cartier Bridge. Apparently, at certain times of the year – my guess business hours during the summer, you can climb to the lookout up top. Never met anyone who’s ever been inside though.
Medieval Courtyard - work of the author, December 2008
Named after the Swedish humanitarian who saved thousands of Hungarian Jews from the terror of the Holocaust, the small square behind Christ Church Cathedral features a bust of Raoul Wallenberg in a cage wrapped in barbed wire, an emblematic image of the concentration camps. Wallenberg was likely killed by the NKVD on suspicion of being an American spy sometime in 1945 or 1947 – his feats of heroism and bravery during the war earned him a spot as a honourary citizen of Canada and as one of the ‘Righteous among the nations’, an honorific bestowed by the state of Israel. The Square is composed of three principle buildings; aside from the cathedral, there’s the former presbytery, now a French restaurant and the Tour KPMG. Along the union side, there’s an arcade-wall with plaques demonstrating what stars and constellations can be seen from the square at certain times of the year. It’s an extremely pleasant little spot, particularly enjoyable in the summertime when the city’s birds make excellent use of the fountain. Moreover, the trees along the edge of the ‘courtyard’ portion, pictured here, have been pruned to make each bench feel like a private alcove. Enchanting really; a must-see.
Even though it clearly states ‘looking West’, I can imagine it would’ve looked about the same facing East. Can’t figure the cross-street though. Love the residential character of Sherbrooke Street back then.
I wonder if downtown public schools will ever make a come-back. It feels odd living in a city where the only downtown schools are generally private, or FACE. May become a necessity if the city is successful in encouraging more people to emigrate back into the city.
This picture looks as though it should be in the dictionary next to the expression ‘hustle & bustle’.
St-Catherine's looking east from Peel
Again, notice the residential feel to some of our busiest, highest capacity urban streets. Seems quaint by comparison.
View of the Windsor Hotel across Dominion Square, ca. 1900
The square looks almost brand new in this picture. Consider this, when this photograph was taken the Windsor Hotel would have been the undisputed highest-class hotel in the entire city. The view from the hotel would have been striking, as the newly renovated Dominion Square opened up the new uptown and framed the many churches built around, none more impressive than Mary, Queen of the World Cathedral. Back in 1900, the entire city was about 400,000 people – a significant but by no means large North American city. Anyone who was anyone, including Oscar Wilde and Mark Twain, stayed here and would have seen this each morning. Moreover, back then, this would have been a residential square, with beautiful Golden Square Mile homes running the length from behind the hotel straight to the Mountain. Children probably played here. Odd to think of that now eh?
November Rain at Phillip's Square - work of the author, December 2008
Had this conversation with a good friend many moons ago. Should the city have lighting regulations? Perhaps even individual building lighting uniformity and/or some sort of municipal agency tasked with ensuring the highest quality natural and artificial lighting throughout the metropolis? This may sound crazy, but good lighting can make or break public space, and in certain circumstances, can create some rather striking street scenes. If you have a chance, take a walk down de Maisonneuve near Peel and Stanley and see the new lighting set-up there. Also, is it me or is it terribly discouraging, aesthetically-speaking, to see an office tower with all kinds of different lighting. Especially when it comes to all-glass modernist towers, bad lighting makes the building look uncared for. Just a thought…