Results tagged “nathanphillipssquare”

At a preview, on Monday afternoon, of City Hall's new green roof, Chris Pommer stood in council chambers and explained some of the thinking behind the multicoloured carpet of vegetation that will soon engulf the podium area underneath Nathan Phillips Square's iconic concave towers. Pommer is a partner at PLANT Architects, the firm that designed the new roof. The project was conceived as "an elaborate series of plantings," he said, gesturing at a large architectural illustration full of minute detail. Elaborate plans are one thing, but we had to wonder just who was doing all this planting.

       

People gathered in Nathan Phillips Square yesterday to mark Hiroshima Day in Toronto with music and speeches, finishing after dark with a lantern ceremony in the reflecting pool. The Peace Garden in the Square features an eternal flame, which was lit from an ember of the Peace Flame in Hiroshima, and a fountain, to which water from a river in Nagasaki was added.

Outside: driving wind, plummeting temperatures, mermaid-chasing sea monsters on stilts. Inside: googly eyes, pipe cleaners, and that heady mix of scissors, glue, and lip-biting concentration known to craft-making kindergarteners the world over.

Between exuberant public improv and hip-hop brimming with civic pride, we've had some pretty good luck with locally flavoured YouTube videos as of late. Case in point: the above clip from comedy legend Steve Martin's The Funnier Side of Eastern Canada, a travelogue-style jaunt through the exotic northern locales of Toronto and Montreal.

Contributor Tony Makepeace is taking us for some spins around our city with his panoramas. You can look up, down, side to side, in, and out—pretty much every direction but back at yourself, which would be kind of creepy. Say hello to Panoramaist, the Toronto shoe-gazer's worst enemy.

Photo by Henry Roxas.

MUSIC: Before their performance tomorrow night at Sneaky Dee's, critically-acclaimed group Colourbook will be playing a show as part of Ryan McLaren's ALL CAPS concert series. Also on the bill are Cobras Cobras Cobras and Brides. Whippersnapper Gallery (587A College Street), 6:30 p.m., $6.

While Torontoist usually shows how the city has been used by movie producers, home-grown small-screen productions have also made ample use of our city's streets since CBLT came on the air in 1952. Back in 1971, comedians Johnny Wayne and Frank Shuster used downtown as a backdrop for an exciting new sport, city golf. Over the course of 18 holes, cameramen preserved pieces of the city that development has changed significantly in the ensuing years, from landmarks in their infancy to retail icons that have moved along.

Photos by Miles Storey

Every weekday morning, bright and early, we feature a photo (or two) from a photographer in the Torontoist Flickr Pool. It's our way of giving the many excellent photographers in our pool the attention that they deserve.

You've got less than three weeks to prepare yourself for Earth Hour on Saturday, March 29. That's when people around the world are being encouraged to turn off their lights for one hour to raise awareness about global warming. Toronto was the first Canadian city to sign up for the international event late last year, and has since been joined by most other GTA municipalities, Montreal, Vancouver, Ottawa, and many more—close to 50 cities across the country at last count.

Today launched Dear Toronto, a new independent videoblog site by Adam Schwabe, Ryan Couldrey, and Rebecca Black. The trio had previously collaborated at BlogTO, but recently decided to branch out on their own to focus on strictly video-based content.

Every weekday morning, bright and early, we feature a photo (or two) from a photographer in the Torontoist Flickr Pool. It's our way of giving the many excellent photographers in our pool the attention that they deserve.

As part of the Wintercity festival, France's Cie Carabosse are firing up hundreds of clay pots and metal sculptures, some of which are pleasantly warm to sit on. More images from this fiery spectacular after the jump.

Feeling S.A.D.? Toronto's Christmas spirit wore off weeks ago and waiting outside for the streetcar has become more face-numbing than going to the dentist.

For some magically ridiculous reason, CBC Radio 3's weekly countdown, the R3-30, is broadcasting from a skating rink this week in a move that's heavily dividing the hipster set after the announcement of another free—and markedly less active—event that same night: Tokyo Police Club at Nathan Phillips Square.

What could be better on a cold winter day than a hotdog and fries, straight from one of the chip wagons lining Queen Street at Nathan Phillips Square? There are plenty of chilled condiments to choose from and some of the trucks offer free gravy. So take a break from those ice skates and load up on some carbs—this snack will keep you going for hours.

The ice rink at Nathan Phillips Square displays its wounds after suffering through the recent spring-like weather.

What to do if you are alone tomorrow, either because you don't celebrate Christmas, or because there's no one around to celebrate with:

Each week, Torontoist shows off the most interesting, creative, and cool submissions to our Torontoist Flickr Pool. We're especially partial to photos that show our city in a new light, highlight a recent event, and remind us why we live here. Join the Flickr pool and show us what you've got. How's the view up there?BY ~EVIDENCE~ Canadian Heat WaveBY SNIDERSCION North side glass bridgeBY UWAJEDI Toronto On a StickBY SWILTON Toronto Is... Ice. #2BY...

Every weekday morning, bright and early, we feature a photo (or two) from a photographer in the Torontoist Flickr Pool. It's our way of giving the many excellent photographers in our pool the attention that they deserve. play for today BY MOONWIRE RELATED ON TORONTOIST: It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Chr... Uh... The Holidays...

On July 27 of this year, 75-year-old Antonio Batista was found guilty of making death threats against his Mississauga city councillor for writing and distributing around his neighbourhood a poem which concluded with the following passage:We are going to dig a pothole about six feet and 3 feet wide and 5 feet deep to hide her body and God will take care of Her Soul, but we cannot forgive her for doing nothing. She...

Each week, Torontoist shows off the most interesting, creative, and cool submissions to our Torontoist Flickr Pool. We're especially partial to photos that show our city in a new light, highlight a recent event, and remind us why we live here. Join the Flickr pool and show us what you've got. homeBY CHRISJACKSON electric blueBY JENNEYEFUR Illumunated RingBY PDPHOTOGRAPHY autumn fogBY SYNCROS UntitledBY SQUEAKYRAT Yonge/Bloor StationBY PGREVSTAD flight leading nowhereBY JASFITZ Saline...BY TAYLOR ZHOU Cleaning...

It's time to sharpen your skates, start bubbling up the hot chocolate, and get out your kneepads (and asspads and helmet, if you're like us), because today kicks off the skating season at Nathan Phillips Square. If skating isn't your bag, then you can still come down tonight to check out the Cavalcade of Lights kickoff. The events include performances by Jully Black, Sarah Slean, and Kim Stockwood, as well as a performance by...

Are you concerned that the magic's gone out of City Hall? If so, then this Saturday, November 3 might be your perfect opportunity to make a little magic happen over at Nathan Phillips Square, as a multidimensional mystery unfolds between the hours of 2:20 and 3:20 p.m.

Photos by Sarah Prickett. Above: Vancouver's Ginch Gonch Underwear, first show.

A note to Torontoist readers from an artists' group with some impressive collective activist-power: