Outing to the Distillery District
October 16, 2016
Yesterday, I joined six others from the St. Catharines Photographic Club in an outing to the Center of the Universe’s Distillery District. I had been to C.U. a number of times before, but this would mark my first visit to this particular corner of the universe’s center.
As those who know me would expect, I got a number of good highway shots en route.
Entering C.U.
Passing the Ricoh Coliseum, home of the AHL’s Toronto Marlies. Nearby is BMO Field, home of the Toronto Argonauts. Rumor has it they were playing yesterday. Not that many would notice or care. I figured they were playing the Farmers’ Republic of Saskatchewan since I spotted a few people milling about the Distillery District decked out in Riders gear later in the evening.
Passing the Rogers Center, née SkyDome.
At left is the Air Canada Center, home to a team in one of hockey’s major leagues.
Following an enjoyable drive that went much quicker than expected, I began exploring the area.
A group on a Segway tour. Watching them roll through the cobblestone streets, I couldn’t help but think of the late Lindor Reynolds, a former columnist with Socialism Illustrated who once interviewed me for a piece back in 2007. Reynolds fell and broke her pelvis while on a Segway in Minneapolis, and she later blew off a lot of steam in a self-serving column in which she unfairly laid the blame for her mishap entirely on the devices themselves.
But I digress.
Here was a magician at work. He was so good, in fact, that he must have made himself disappear. I later did spot him back at work, so he obviously knew how to make himself reappear as well.
Some urban art. I think.
An old truck.
As a non-coffee-drinker, it doesn’t brew my mind.
This was a particularly popular spot for selfies. All told, I probably saw more selfies taken around the Distillery District than in a typical visit to Niagara Falls.
Uber-trendy shops were everywhere, yet I hardly spotted anyone with shopping bags. The many people out and about were patronizing the bars and restaurants, taking pictures or getting married. I lost count of the number of wedding parties I saw around there through the course of the day and early evening.
It’s a good thing they put this sign in upper case to SHOUT at those hard of hearing.
Hook up with a Segway tour here.
Whatever this is, it reminds me of the giant spider outside the national art gallery in Ottawa.
Warm sake keeps you warm. Duh. I didn’t think it keeps you cold.
Plenty of space for outdoor seating for those so inclined.
Enjoy your “macarons.”
This piece of artwork with a Leafs motif caught my eye.
For $20, you too can have a lock put up on this selfie magnet. That includes engraving.
Just beyond the entrance was a block-long line of taxis coming and going. This is a popular destination.
With some extra time, I took a stroll around the neighborhood, covering the Canary District on my way to Corktown Common. This particular shot comes from George Brown College.
Elsewhere in the Canary District.
Shots around Corktown Common, a park bordering a bike trail.
Forget about the animals, stop voting Liberal. But again, I digress.
This Tim Hortons-branded bicycle caught my eye. If they are indeed branching out into bike sales, I hope that means they’ll soon by offering more bike racks at their restaurants.
This shot was taken for the benefit of one former colleague. Those of you who are friends of mine on Facebook may have already seen it.
Neither the dogs nor their owners seemed to be paying much attention to this sign.
More scenes around the Distillery District.
Look up. Look way up. So says the Friendly Giant.
This “treasure box” will set you back $38. Plus KST. No wonder there weren’t many people with shopping bags.
Many of the shops like this one were making an effort to cater to their customers who had a dog with them. There were a lot of dogs around, but in sharp contrast to what I’ve experienced in the SPRM, all of them were on a leash.
I’ve seem them before, but I got these shots of a TTC streetcar. It still amazes me that Winnipeg got rid of them once upon a time. Not that I’m bitter or anything.
We took a break and had supper at the Mill Street Brewpub. The dining options around there were horrible, but it was the best of a bad lot, so rather than make the two block trek to a Subway, I opted to stay with the group. The fish and chips I had were all right, though it did leave an aftertaste, and of course, I didn’t partake in any alcoholic beverages. The real problem there was that they stacked up their customers like cordwood. You really did have to step outside to change your mind.
Perhaps the funniest moment of the day came when we were ordering. Our club president asked the waitress if a particular offering was good. Did she expect the waitress to say it was lousy?
After eating, I took a stroll on the west side between Parliament and Lower Sherbourne Streets. This shot was taken at a basketball court in front of a housing co-op.
This dry cleaner offers “taperring.”
More scenes from the area. I took the shot of the fire hall for the benefit of one reader who I know will appreciate it.
Just in case you need to vacuum yourself.
A nice shot after the sun went down. The others, with skills and equipment far superior to mine, enjoyed the opportunity for some night photography.
The CN Tower lit up at night.
All in all, it was a long, but productive and enjoyable day. Thanks go out to Vic for organizing the event and to Steve, who got us there and back safely.
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