Summer slowly turning int autumn, sons travelled to California, leading to more couples time and eldercare.
Toronto, Ontario
Toronto Eaton Centre: The shooting fountain opened in 1977 remains covered and silenced, alongside many signs requesting that masked visitors keep moving. Volume of shoppers was moderate for the Friday of a Labout Day holiday weekend. It could be 2 years since I’ve been inside the building. (Toronto Eaton Centre, Yonge Street, Toronto, Ontario) 20210903Congee Queen Agincourt: An extended afternoon of straightening out my father’s mobile phone service led into a casual dinner out on a holiday weekend. My vegan diet wasn’t planned into their shopping for the weekend, so going out for dinner was an easier option. Followed by a few more hours of wrangling with smart devices that aren’t so straightforward for senior citizens. (Congee Queen, Sheppard Avenue East, Scarborough, Ontario) 20210904Front Campus: Big dig project at centre of university campus started in June as the Landmark Project, with a 3-year completion date. Boreholes 240 metres deep will enable a geothermal exchange field below a new underground parking lot. I remember the days in the 1970s when the ground would be saturated in the spring, as the submerged Taddle Creek would re-emerge. (Front Campus, King’s College Circle, University of Toronto, Ontario) 20210905Neville Park Loop: In daylight #TheliaShelton (2021) Share the Love sculpture from March @makewavesTo Luminosity exhibition doesn’t have the red glow visible at night. Installation sees empty streetcars loop from eastbound to westbound multiple times per hour. Driftwood endures beyond the one-month official period int he spring. (Neville Park Loop, Queen Street East, Toronto, Ontario) 20200909Lakeshore Boulevard East: On weekends, the roadway eastbound from Cherry Street has been shut down, as the overhead concrete surfaces are being crushed and removed. There was an alternative not taken to remove the whole structure, so the pillars for a fixture for the foreseeable future. Weekday drivers to the east end are still getting used to alternative routes. (Lakeshore Boulevard East, east of Cherry Street, Toronto, Ontario) 20210911Art Gallery of Ontario: Sculpture of formica and plexiglass bound with Everlast boxing wraps @juliadault (2014) Untitled 36, reinstalled here on November 2, 2020. Brighter colours inside the loops than I recall with (2013) Untitled 26 that I saw at #ScrapMetalGallery in 2019. Exhibits on display this visit may have more content indigenous to Canada, convenient since transcontinental shipping is likely reduced with the pandemic. (Art Gallery of Ontario, Dundas Street West, Toronto, Ontario) 20210915James Canning Gardens: Urban playground nearby benches where philosophical gymnastics with @zaid___khan extended beyond our western-dominated education. Late afternoon with no signs of children playing, cooling temperature called for a jacket on the bike ride home. Originally named Dundonald Street Parkette, there’s more greenspace in the sections of the Yonge Street Linear Park directly north. (James Canning Gardens, Gloucester Street, Toronto, Ontario) 20210919Lakeshore Boulevard East at Bouchette Street: Looking west from the south curb, the surface of the ramps have been removed, leading nowhere up to an elevated road that has been removed and crushed. Surface traffic appears unimpeded, with daylight a welcome change to the prior shadows under the Gardiner Expressway extension. In the distance, the CN Tower is clearly visible towards the west waterfront. (Lakeshore Boulevard East at Bouchette Street, Toronto, Ontario) 20210921Ryerson Student Learning Centre: Late afternoon weekday, few students evident on campus, light pedestrian traffic on Yonge Street north of Dundas Street. Surprised by more bike lanes occasionally reducing automotive traffic on Canada’s main street to two lanes north and south. Unseasonably warm temperatures may see one of the last days bicycling around in shorts. (Ryerson University Student Learning Centre, Yonge Street, Toronto, Ontario) 20210927
The Beaches Cinema: Arrived just in time before screening of #ShangChi at the local cinema. Unintended private screening for two, by consciously paying full price for 7pm show on a Monday. Inspection at front door for verification of double vaccination, with matching photo ID, masks on while in motion. (The Beaches Cinema, Queen Street East, Toronto, Ontario) 20210927
Easing into a more regular schedule, enjoying seasonable summer afternoons, with extra couples time on the weekends.
Toronto, Ontario; Kawartha Lakes, Ontario
Cherry Street at Lakeshore Boulevard: Looking south towards Port Lands, red-and-white Cherry Street North Bridge is in place, thoroughfare to ramps are under construction. Chain link fence with dark shroud temporarily channels bicycle traffic ialong Martin Goodman Trail. Could take up to 3 years before cycle tracks are restored, the alternative could be on Mill Street, north of the CN Rail tracks. (Cherry Street at Lakeshore Boulevard, Toronto, Ontario) 20210801Victoria University: Between Emmanuel College and Northrop Frye Hall, #MaryonKantaroff (1983) Anadyomene sculpture donated by Senator #NancyRuth in honour of the women who walk here. Crabgrass flourishing as university landscaping has been reduced both due to the pandemic and summer break. United Church theological school now federated with the University of Toronto in 1890, and moved to this location in 1892. (Victoria University, Queen’s Park Crescent East, Toronto, Ontario) 20210803Kew Beach: Unexpected elevation on the beach, with dune ecosystem project @TRCA_HQ to curb shoreline erosion and provide a habitat for shoreline waterfowl. Sand south of the boardwalk, fenced mound, and then sand beyond to Lake Ontario. Unaccustomed to seeing girls in bikinis in the urban setting. (Kew Beach, Eastern Waterfront, Toronto, Ontario) 20210805Museum of Contemporary Art Toronto: Scheduled a Friday night date @MoCAToronto, including #MichaelLin (2020) Archipelago painting installation of florals inspired by Taiwanese, Indonesian and Hawaiian textiles. Relaxed couples time in a large venue with timed entries. Upstairs video installations are thought-provoking and entertaining, but too much like staying at home watching big screens. (Museum of Contemporary Art Toronto, Sterling Road). 20210806Sorauren Avenue Park: Off-leash fenced area is larger than than the baseball diamond directly west. Big dogs overjoyed to be bounding across the open space with their brethern. Canines seem to want to cluster around their masters, presumably trained as to who is the alpha. (Sorauren Avenue Park, Parkdale, Toronto, Ontario) 20210812Gardiner Museum: Garniture Remix in the north window facing the next building, an ensemble of porcelain objects in the tradition of 1600s European arrangements of vases. Date night to see the ceramics collection for the first time. Strong focus on provenance, viewed large collection manufactured in Britain 1600s-1700s, influenced by bowls and dinnerware first produced in China 1000 years earlier. (Gardiner Museum, Queen’s Park Crescent, Toronto, Ontairo) 202010813L’Amoreaux neighbourhood: Couldn’t find my chain tool, got a hand to repair a break from a bad shift on the bike I bought in the spring. Research paper deadlines and job change had the wheels hanging n the garage for months. Tuning up the drivechain, couldn’t get the full range of gears, but this ride should be an improvement over my winter bike. (L’Amoreaux neighbourhood, Scarborough, Ontario) 20210815Greenwood Yard: With a capacity for 328 cars, half of the subway trains for the city are stored here overnight. Site is 61 acres on the eastern branch, surrounded by residential houses on three sides, and intercity rail to the south. Curious about the wye triangular junction underground between Donlands station to the northwest, and Greenwood station to the northeast. (TTC Greenwood Yard, Greenwood Avenue, Toronto, Ontario) 20210817Casement Island: Water is warm in Upper Stony Lake. Full day, driving from Toronto to Petroglyphs Provincial Park, cottage on lake for lunch, Trent University campus, Trent-Severn Waterway Lift-Lock 21, conversation in Peterborough as a private garden party, then back home after dark. Not very familiar with the Kawartha Lakes, with a childhood in Muskoka, but the granite geology looks familiar. (Casement Island, Upper Stony Lake, North Kawartha, Ontario) 20210821Edward Gardens: Returned to the fountain for the 36th time, reflecting on our time together since the last visit, and committing for another year. Annual visit is timed well, I can’t remember any rain except for the day of the wedding so many years ago. Seems like fewer people enjoying the park this year. (Edward Gardens, Lawrence Avenue East, Don Mills, Ontario) 20210824Edward Gardens: Following the annual ritual, slow stroll down the hill and over the brook. Fences diverting pedestrians away from the north bank, construction in progress. Plants unfortunately looking a little stressed with the summer heat alert. (Edward Gardens, Lawrence Avenue East, Don Mills, Ontario) 20210824Merchants Wharf: Looking southeast into the inner harbour, the schooner from the east headed for the Eastern channel, as smaller craft sailed west towards yacht clubs on Toronto Island. Water’s edge in the East Bayfront neighbourhood is still under development. Residents from the high-rise towers lounging on the walks and small green spaces as the heat warning abates. (Merchants Wharf, East Bayfront, Toronto, Ontario) 20210829
Gardiner Expressway East: August 31 will be the last day the ramp at Logan Avenue will be open. First opened in July 1966, this spur route was part of plan to connect to the Scarborough Expressway that was never built. In July 2015, Toronto City Council voted to not bring the junction of the Don Valley Parkway and Gardiner Expressway down to grade, in favour of a hybrid option continuing part of the elevated roadway. After 3 years, the drive west will be on Lakeshore Boulevard, for an onramp at Jarvis Street. (Gardiner Expressway East at Logan Avenue, East Harbour, Toronto, Ontario) 20210830
Summer in the city with temperate weather, without the usual crowd scenes for summer festivals.
Toronto, Ontario
Queen’s Park: If Queen Victoria (reign 1837-1901) looked over her shoulder, she would see J. Sandfield Macdonald (first premier of Ontario, 1867-1864). Government offices are closed on the public holiday, visitors can enjoy the green space on bright summer day. City has started to open up from pandemic shutdown, optimistic for more social time. (Queen’s Park, Wellesley Street West, Toronto, Ontario) 20210701Leslie Grove Park: Tai chi group would seem to convene at 10 a.m. in this east end green space. Those presuming the Chinese commmunity centered on the west side around Spadina Avenue may not have appreciated residential property was more affordable on the east side, even in the 1970s and 1980s. Outdoor ping pong table was in use, slightly to the south. (Leslie Grove Park, Queen Street East at Jones Avenue, Leslieville, Toronto, Ontario) 20210702FedEx Ship Centre: In the Port Lands district, dropping off laptop computer return, with job change. Original Thinkpad carton fits exactly in the large shipping box, must be more than a coincidence. Distribution centre has tall grasses indigenous to the Toronto Harbour marshes, better than a lawn. (FedEx Ship Centre, Commissioners Street, Port Lands, Torotno, Ontario) 20200706Toronto-Dominion Centre: During the heat warning, the shadow on #JoFafard (1985) The Pasture cools the seven bronze cows on the lawn. The installation was originally south of Wellingston Street, when I worked in that tower in the late 1980s. Looking between the TD North Tower and E&Y Tower in the Mies style, in the distance, are the Commerce Court South Tower by I.M. Pei and Scotia Plaza modern tower with parallelogram floorplan by WZMH Architects. (Toronto-Dominion Centre, Wellington Street West, Toronto, Ontario) 20210706The Bentway: Roller skaters on southern branch of loop, through cross-court installation #EsmaaMohamoud (2021) Double Dribble, past basketball nets oversized and undersized, at impossibly high and child heights. Without rules to guide participants, play is negotiated interactively at this underpass under the Gardiner Expressway West. Varying levels of proficiency on wheels suggests that most have rented equipment from the pop-up store, rather than bringing their own. (The Bentway, Fort York Boulevard, Toronto, Ontario) 20210710Charles Sauriol Parkette: Modest green space with benches facing west, with only dense forestry as the scenic view. Just beyond the trees is the sharp drop to Pottery Road. History says the old Pottery Road roadbed used to end here, but the south end was moved a few hundred meters south (by the Dairy Queen) in the 1960s, to reduce the gradient for automobiles. New landscaping and seating area renewed this patch of land in 2015. (Charles Sauriol Parkette, Hillside Drive at Broadview Avenue, Toronto, Onrtario) 20210715Craven Road at Gerrard Street East: Travelling eastbound through Little India, bright splash of colour reveals itself down the side street. With Leslieville School of Dance and Music now occupying the space, the solid beige was boring, and a potential target for tagging. Along the main street, restaurants and cafes have extended over the sidewalk onto the curbside lane. (Craven Road at Gerrard Street East, Little india, Toronto, Ontario) 20210717Bellair Street: Public space has been reallocated into curbside patio, with the restaurants taking over the whole street. The brick lane only runs two short blocks, and can easily be circumnavigated by cars on a slow one-way loop. Businesses were active with customers, but not like the usual summer festival seasons for the city. (Bellair Street, Yorkville, Toronto, Ontario) 20210718Hong Shing: Family dinner at restaurant in Toronto Old Chinatown, updated by a second generation owner. Cantonese cuisine with northern options featuring numbing Sichuan peppers, background house music might be better appreciated by late night crowd. Guests visting in city swap with son #3, they’re in Vancouver liviing in Eastern Time. (Hong Shing, Dundas Street West, Toronto, Ontario) 20210721Crothers Woods: Long stroll with @redesign from Broadview Avenue down through Todmorden MIlls, around Cottonwood Flats. Is this an old CP Rail line towards Belleville? We encountered two acquaintances and said hello, dispersed social interactions still under pandemic distancing. (Crothers Woods, Broadview North, Toronto, Ontario) 20210722
Lisgar Park: Sculptural playground climber of logs may be better than artificial materials, planned as a safe place for toddlers. In the plaza beyond, trees sparsely ring the open space, yet it seems unlikely that children would attempt ascending. Park is a former 1900s warehouse site, constructed between 2014-2016, with the rise of apartments in the district. (Lisgar Park, Abell Street, Toronto, Ontario) 20210723
Early summer weather, with a city gradually emerging from pandemic shutdown orders given by the Province of Ontario.
Toronto, Ontario
Riverdale Farm: Lamb looking off into the woods, meditating, while the rest of the crowd is busy grazing. In the pen, the mature sheep are wearing thick coats, due for shearing. The farm is still closed for the pandemic shutdown, only a view visitors outside on a sunny morning. (Riverdale Farm, Carlton Street, Toronto, Ontario) 20200601Commerce Court: Bronzes cast by #DerrickStephanHudson (2002) Tembo, Mother of Elephants, on loan from collection of #LouOdette. The life-sized cow, trailed by two calves, was scaled up the smaller statues originally collected from Florida. In the mixture of a 1931 Beaux Arts north tower, the three 1983 towers west east and south by I.M. Pei have the wildlife headed for the pond and fountain. (Commerce Court, Bay Street, Toronto, Ontario) 20210602Laneway, Leslieville: Project by @lanewayproject seems complete, with stripe replacing drab pavement, south of Queen Street East, from Logan Avenue eastbound towards Morse Street. Proposed as the “Leslieville Laneway Park-Ing”, did I miss an official launch, or are we awaiting pandemic reopening? This byway is not yet named, while the next block west is Louis Kesten Lane. (Laneway south of Queen Street East, from Logan Avenue east to Morse Street, Leslieville, Toronto, Ontario) 20200604391 Yonge Street: Not an art installation, but three concrete piers with rebar in a gravel field, for reuse from the prior building? From the 1950s to 1970s, Bassel’s Restaurant was a classy pre-theatre diner, taking up 3 storefronts on Yonge Street. Hoardings now block the view of 3 Gerrard Street East, as the YSL (Yonge Street Living) Residences site as been abandoned, and Cresford Development is in receivership. From O’Keefe Lane, the open pit construction deepens to the south, frozen in time. (391 Yonge Street, 3 Gerrard Street East, Toronto, Ontario) 20210605Lower Don Recreation Trail: Bike path partially obstructed by construction crew working in a small trench extending south under Lakeshore Boulevard East under steel plates, into the Port Lands proper. Gardiner Extension still looms overhead. (Lower Don Recreation Trail, East Harbour, Toronto, Ontario) 20200607Jeff’s No Frills: Second jab of AstraZeneca vaccine, in the same grocery store pharmacy as the first immunization 12 weeks ago. In the 15-minute observation period, I could feel my pulse rising, and slight headache starting. Appointment was punctual, with no other patients before or after me. Taking 2 days off work, in case of side effects. (Loblaws Pharmacy at Jeff’s No Frills, Carlaw Avenue, Riverdale, Toronto, Ontario) 20210609Toronto Coach Terminal: Morning sunshine streams through skylights of the platform bays in the intercity bus terminal built in the Art Deco style in 1931. Greyhound service ceased in May 2020, and the lease on the building expires in July 2021. Peeking in front windows, the waiting room was vacant, with just one security guard in the unlit space. (Toronto Coach Terminal, Bay Street, Toronto, Ontario) 20210611Dufferin Grove Park: Variety of cobblestones on the figure-eight #JennaMorrison Memorial Reflexology Foot Path, installed in 2014. Handrails around each loop allow walkers to maintain balance while getting feet massaged, but toddlers and children don’t seem to need them. Park is cool and shady on a hot day early in summer. (Dufferin Grove Park, Dufferin Street, Toronto, Ontario) 20210612Distillery District: Spring Stations exhibition by #JackLeather + #CharlieLeather (2021) From Small Beginnings had white pine saplings on lower shelves, that visitors must have taken home for replanting. When the installation ends, the wood slats will be reused for something else. Competition winners originally were to be shown for Winter Stations at Woodbine Beach, deferred with the pandemic shutdown. (Gristmill Lane, Distillery District, Toronto, Ontario) 20210615Riverside neighbourhood: Saturday afternoon family garage band, as sons asked what I wanted to do pre-Father’s Day. Nephew has been convening Wednesday night jam band in nearby studio, so we took the opportunity to play in daylight, with pizza for dinner. Since son #3 has taken over bass I haven’t played in over 35 years, I’ve indulged in getting a red Roland Go Keys GO-61K, and am learning songs popular post year 2000. (Riverdale neighbourhood, Toronto, Ontario) 20200619 Photo by DY.138 D’Arcy Street: Spadina Chinatown #CommunityFridge @cf___to woefully empty, as it was in a visit a few weeks ago. Arrival on bicycle today had group of elderly Chinese ladies coming out, even before I could open the cabinet door. Cross-town commute is extra exercise, passing over the 348 Pape Avenue location where the fridge has sadly been removed. (138 D’Arcy Street, Toronto, Ontario) 20200620RendezViews: Morning calm @RendezViewsTO patio converted from parking lot designed by @CollectiveBrew, view south to CN Tower, southwest to glass towers of Simcoe Place and Festival Tower. By late afternoon, crowds seeking beverages and camaraderie will fill the gated area. Surrounding streets are blocked with road construction encourage pedestrians. (RendezViews, Richmond Street West, Toronto, Ontario) 20210622
Queen Street East at Logan Avenue: Overhead wires have been at this city intersection since the 1880s, presumable replaced many times over. Second truck parked across the street was detaching cables, the poles further east have neater braids. This tough urban streetscape might be improved by burying underground, but one block south used to be a marsh, suggesting geological as well as economic practicalities. (Queen Street East at Logan Avenue, Riverside neighbourhood, Toronto, Ontario) 20210628
Brighter days of spring, with slight dips in temperature to remind us our four-seasons climate.
Toronto, Ontario
Varsity Stadium: Blue and white are the colours for UToronto, so the track is thus themed. Summer session officially starts in 2 days, although the pandemic stay-at-home order precludes organized athletics, even outside. View south catches the CN Tower, a landmark years before the field was constructed. (Varsity Stadium, Bloor Street West, University of Toronto) 20210501Hamers Coffee: Imagery of sky and hands painted on #CommunityFridge, alongside green and white sign on pantry, is more artistic than other locations. Well-kept venue is open to all, at the corner of a major thoroughfare. Shelves were almost empty, maybe turnover is faster as elderly and families came to empty their bags in, and take a few items out. (Hamers Coffee, Dundas Street West at Manning Avenue, Little Portugal, Toronto, Ontario) 20210502Ashbridges Bay Wastewater Treatment Plant upgrade: Naturally rusted steel panels of varying heights obscure the trenches of construction to the south. Probably not intended as a brutalist art installation, temporary wall puts function first. Municipal facilities won’t be completed within this calendar year. (Ashbirdges Bay Wastewater Treatment Plant, North Service Road, east of Leslie Street, Toronto, Ontario) 20210506Leader Lane: Looking south, in courtyard #AndrewPosa (1982) U. V. Ceti sculpture in honour of architect #EdwardIsaacRichmond. In the distance, the L Tower designed by #DanielLibeskind is shaped with a backward curve so that the 58-floor residential condominiums don’t block the light onto #BerczyPark. Biking down to the building, it’s the repurposing of the southern wing of #MeridianHall, formerly known as #SonyCentre, #HummingbirdCentre and #OKeefeCentre. (Leader Lane, 30 Wellington Street West, St. Lawrence district, Toronto, Ontario) 20210508Meridian Hall Plaza: View north from triptych @HarveyValentine (2016) Dream Ballet stainless steel sculptures, against a background of reflections with buildings in mirrored windows across Front Street at 33 Yonge Street. Grey tiles confuse the shapes in the chrome with strange angels. Plaza is a natural open space for children from the L Tower to the south. (Meridian Hall, Yonge Street at Front Street East, Toronto, Ontario) 20210512Tommy Thompson Park: Convex mirror at fork in road suggests vehicles travelling too quickly on the asphalt trail? First tried direct southbound route, but there’s a high fence because the lift bridge is still out. Doubled back to then ride east and south around the wetland cells, on the alternate road along the endikement.(Tommy Thompson Park, Toronto, Ontario) 20210517Nelson Mandela Walk: Outdoor conversation pit features cantilevered granite plank with rectangular depression carved out of top near far end. Construction along pedestrian walk has been completed after two winters. No students on campus in late spring, a few people lounging on benches, enjoying clear weather. (Nelson Mandela Walk, Ryerson Community Park, Toronto, Ontario) 20210520
Centenary Hospital: Father receiving second Moderna vaccination after 10 weeks, accelerated from the 16 week expectation. Hospital was proactive in following up, to offer an earlier slot. Spent 15 minutes in observation room, amongst families and younger people getting first shots. Nurses caution that full immunity takes 2 weeks, keep wearing masks! (Margaret Birch Wing, Scarborough Health Network Centenary Hospital, Ellesmere Avenue, Scarborough, Ontario) 20210628
Short bike rides around town, in variable spring weather under pandemic stay-at-home orders,
Toronto, Ontario
Wilson Rail Yard: Looking west into developing Keating Channel Precinct, with a sliver of land between the Don River shunted towards the city centre to the south, and the GO Transit Don Yard to the north. Metrolinx has plans for adding 5 new tracks and reconfiguring 3 tracks, to accommodate train movements for future Regional Express Rail. Land has been owned by the Toronto Port Authority for a long while, infrastructure takes time. (Wilson Rail Yard, Lakeshore Boulevard East, Toronto, Ontario) 20200401Coffee And Clothing: Paid more attention to “Free Food” #CommunityFridge and pantry, outside of shop just west of @GerrardSquare. Sign says “Take what you need. Leave what you can”. “Do leave: Fresh produce, dairy, bread, protein, pantry items, grab and go foods, personal care items, PPE”. A network of volunteers in mutual aid for those struggling with food security. (Coffee and Clothing, Pape Avenue, Toronto, Ontario) 20210402Strada Lane: Tracks originally leading to Toronto Container Port are covered over by pavement, southbound curving to the west. On the other side of the fence is a yard of aggregate, amongst many other piles of earth and gravel around the Port Lands. Turning basin to the west, Tommy Thompson Park to the south, Leslie Street Allotment Gardens to the east. (Strada Lane, Port Lands, Toronto, Ontario) 20200407House of Parashos: Painted white house in Hellenistic theme turns heads of cyclists and drivers, northbound on the one-way residential street, in contrast with the duller-hued Victorian buildings. Patriarch immigrated to Canada in the 1980s, and freshens the paint annually. Surprised to see this style on the west side of town, Greektown is conventionally along the Danforth on the east side. (House of Parashos, Shaw Street, Christie Pits neighbourhood, Toronto, Ontario) 20210410Massey Hall: Shuter Street at Yonge Street shut down, as a crane lowered a large ladder cage from the theatre vertically to the ground. Easing the steel structure to horizontal, then crews reattached cables to swing the it over to the flatbed truck. Construction work would seem counter to the new pandemic lockdown additions announced by the province, yesterday. (Massey Hall, Shuter Street, Toronto, Ontario) 20210417R. Fraser Elliott Building: Kosso Eloul (1978) Innercity Gate sculpture welds three black stainless steel rectangular boxes in a precarious balance. Straight lines show influences of artist’s studies with Frank Lloyd Wright. Outside a wing of Toronto General Hospital, not on a medical visit, just bicycle tourism. (R. Fraser Elliott Building, Elizabeth Street, Toronto, Ontario) 20210425
Spadina Quay Wetlands: Anne Roberts (1999) Bird House Sculpture is a set of buildings doll-sized, raised on stilts over the natural habitat, a dry bed at the end of winter. Harkens back to the early 20th century, when industrial businesses were alongside recreational spaces by the harbour. No apparent signs of birds interested in nesting in the structure. (Spadina Quay Wetlands, Queen’s Quay West, Harbourfront, Toronto, Ontario) 20210426
Douglas Austrom and Carolyn Ordowich shared some reflections developed jointly with Bert Painter (Vancouver, BC) on some draft humanistic principles, the three Tavistock perspectives, and a meta-methodology with Systems Thinking Ontario. Proponents of Socio-Technical Systems design refer back to the 1960s-1980s research of Fred Emery and Eric Trist of the Tavistock Institute. Calls to reinvent […]
Doug Schuler joined the monthly Systems Thinking Ontario meeting for a conversation about the potential for patterns and pattern languages to help address wicked problems on a large scale, via technology, loose coordination, and social commitments. Doug was exposed to the original A Pattern Language in the mid-1970s. It aimed to generate towns and buildings […]
Literacy has been proposed as an understanding of a small number of pervasive principles appropriate to making informed personal and societal decisions. Systems literacy includes an understanding of systems that influence you, and your influence on systems. Peter Tuddenham has been leading an initiative on Systems Literacy across a variety of systems organizations, particularly with […]
The Creative Systemic Research Platform (CSRP) Institute, led by Susu Nousala and Jelena Sucic, is distinctive in approaching systemic design from a bottom-up, longitudinal perspective. The co-presidents were able to join us in conversation at a Systems Thinking Ontario session, remotely from Finland and Switzerland, at a significant time disadvantage. Many approaches to systemic design […]
To appreciate how systemicists worldwide collaborate, Gary S. Metcalf joined Systems Thinking Ontario for a conversation. Gary served as president of the International Society for the Systems Sciences 2007-2008, and of the International Federation for Sysrtems Research 2010-2016. From 2003 to 2018, he was a graduate instructor in Organizational Systems and Research on the faculty […]
While the term “theory of change” is often used by funders expecting an outcome of systems change for their investment, is there really a theory there? The November 2020 Systems Thinking Ontario session was an opportunity for Peter H. Jones (OCADU) and Ryan J. A. Murphy (Memorial U. of Newfoundland) to extend talks that they […]
In conversation, @zeynep with @ezraklein reveal authentic #SystemsThinking in (i) appreciating that “science” is constructed by human collectives, (ii) the west orients towards individual outcomes rather than population levels; and (iii) there’s an over-emphasis on problems of the moment, and…Read more ›
In the question-answer period after the lecture, #TimIngold proposes art as a discipline of inquiry, rather than ethnography. This refers to his thinking On Human Correspondence. — begin paste — [75m26s question] I am curious to know what art, or…Read more ›
How might our society show value for the long term, over the short term? Could we think about taxation over time, asks @carlotaprzperez in an interview: 92% for 1 day; 80% within 1 month; 50%-60% tax for 1 year; zero tax for 10 years.Read more ›
For the @ArchFoundation, #TimIngold distinguishes outcome-oriented making from process-oriented growing, revisiting #MartinHeidegger “Building Dwelling Thinking”. Organisms are made; artefacts grow. The distinction seems obvious, until you stop to ask what assumptions it contains, about the inside and outside of things…Read more ›
In web conference, #HermanDaly says #EcologicalEconomics used to get attacked from the right, now it's from the left. Panel @revkin @jon_d_erickson @ktkish @sophiesanniti #TimCrowshaw #KatieHorner livestreamed #sustainwhat .Read more ›
Complementing the idea of a @longnow , @nfergus provokes the challenge of a #shortthen as the online social media platforms distract the larger perspectives on history.Read more ›
In his system of system concepts, Russell Ackoff made the distinction between reformation and transformation in many of his lectures. Here are two written sources. From Redesigining Society (2003) … Systemic Transformation A system is transformed, as contrasted with reformed, when its structure or functions are changed fundamentally. Such changes are discontinuous and qualitative, quantum […]
While Ackoff’s definitions of goals, objectives and ideals have been republished (and rewritten) multiple times, the 1972 definitions were derived from his original dissertation work. Accordingly, in addition to the human-readable definitions, some mathematical notation is introduced. — begin paste — OUTCOMES 2.30. End (an immediate intended outcome) of a subject A in a particular […]
The fifth way of knowing, as described by West Churchman, is a Singerian inquiring system. (This fifth way of knowing is more colloquially called Unbounded Systems Thinking in Mitroff and Linstone (1993)). The book On Purposeful Systems (Ackoff and Emery, 1972) was derived by Ackoff’s dissertation that was controversially coauthored with West Churchman. Purpose can […]
Understanding Process-Function Ecology by Ashwani Vasishth leads to luminaries in the systems sciences, including C. West Churchman, Eugene P. Odum and Timothy F.H. Allen.
As an irony, the 2020 book, The Innovation Delusion by #LeeVinsel @STS_News + #AndrewLRussell @RussellProf shouldn’t be seen as an innovation, but an encouragement to join @The_Maintainers where an ongoing thought network can continue. The subtitle “How Our Obsession with the New has Disrupted the Work That Matters Most” recognizes actual innovation, as distinct from […]
An online social network reproduces content partially based on algorithms, and partially based on the judgements made by human beings. Either may be viewed as positive or negative. > The trade-offs came into focus this month [November 2020], when Facebook engineers and data scientists posted the results of a series of experiments called “P(Bad for […]
