My World

Great Staff I recently stayed at the Innisfail Econo Lodge (later renamed Travel Inn & Suites) for just one night when visiting family in Central Alberta. The staff here are friendly, courteous, customer-focused and looked after every need. The room was very clean and sheets/towels were fresh. Lots of hot water available with good water pressure. Comfortable bed and powerful air conditioning…

Photo: TorontoToday.ca After 81 years, Toronto’s iconic Imperial Pub closed its doors last November. Back in 2021, a proposal was brought to City Council for a development that would see the entire north-east block of the Dundas East and Victoria Street Lane, which includes, most prominently, Imperial Pub, demolished and a multi-storey, mixed-use development built over it. The owners sold the…

Never Again I recently stayed at the Merchant Lodge Hotel in Glasgow, Scotland for two nights. The Merchant Lodge is a very charming old building which, in a former life, was a warehouse for Glasgow’s tobacco industry. The room rate I paid during my visit was £40 per night for a double, which included ensuite bathroom, hair dryer, iron & ironing board and breakfast. Other room amenities were TV,…

Very Good Hotel I stayed at the Premier Travel Inn Heathrow for just one night in order to catch an early morning connecting flight to my final destination. What a pleasure my brief stay was at this hotel – I was impressed! The room (with exceptionally comfortable queen size bed) was a good size, very clean and the ensuite bathroom was also large, sparkling and immaculate. Lots of hot water and…

Joy Oil was a 1930s petroleum company famous for operating uniquely designed, miniature “château-style” gas stations across the GTA. By importing cheaper crude oil, they undercut larger competitors and became a beloved local staple before the company ceased operations in the 1950s. Former Joy Oil station in front of the Tip Top Tailors building at 637 Lake Shore Blvd. West, in the 1980s[City of…

David French Lane is a small lane running between Borden Street and Brunswick Avenue, just south of Bloor Street West: David French was a Canadian playwright and author of many award-winning plays including “Leaving Home”, “Of The Fields Lately”, “Salt-Water Moon” and “Jitters”. In his honour, the David French Lane was so named in 2014. The lane now hosts some incredible artwork, painted on the…

As part of the massive project to revitalize the Toronto waterfront, a total of four new arch bridges have been built in the Port Lands. These bridges will protect the area from flooding, create a naturalized mouth for the Don River, and connect the future Villiers Island (now officially named Ookwemin Minising) to downtown Toronto. These are much-needed changes for our waterfront: The currently…

Canoe Landing Park is an 8-acre urban park in downtown Toronto, adjacent to the Gardiner Expressway in the CityPlace neighbourhood. Situated at 95 Fort York Boulevard, the park serves CityPlace’s high-density community. Officially opened on September 9, 2009, the park was developed as part of the surrounding condo development and serves as a green oasis in this area’s urban landscape. The park…

A Hidden Toronto Spot? I had never heard of the Rosehill Reservoir until I started doing a little research on an interesting sculpture located there. The Rosehill Reservoir sits beside Rosehill Avenue, east of Yonge Street, and is part of the David A. Balfour park: The Reservoir was created in 1874 to supply clean drinking water to the residents of Toronto, and continues serving this function…

Everyone knows our famous TORONTO sign in Nathan Phillips Square, but how often have we taken a really close look at it? I hadn’t, until now. The current “wrap” (as these designs are called) has been in place since September of 2022; I’ve seen it so many times it’s burned into my memory, and I’ve taken the sign for granted without really looking closely at it. I just learned that the City of…

Today we’ll take a short, rainy-day walk across Richmond Street West, roughly from Simcoe Street to John Street. Prior to researching it, I knew in general that this street was of historical significance in terms of Toronto’s old warehouse district. Delving a little deeper I learned a bit of background on some of the buildings along this stretch. The Graphics Art Building – 73 Richmond Street…