Site 10: The Humber Wastewater (Sewage) Treatment Plant

1. The last site I decided to visit during my tour of ethnographic sites around the city was the Humber Wastewater Treatment Plant on The Queensway in the west end of the city. I went to this site on a partly sunny, but chilly day in late November at about 3:00 p.m., and spent approximately a half an hour walking around the area and observing. The site is a large complex, approximately the size of a city block, consisting of several large buildings and is completely surrounded by a fence on all sides. Signs warn visitors that trespassing is not welcome and that the area is under surveillance - which I confirm when I see a tall black pole with a security camera mounted on top. There appear to be two entrances to the facility from The Queensway, each with a long driveway that ends in a security gate or fence. To the south of the facility, on the opposite side of The Queensway, is a medium-sized plaza with a grocery store, pharmacy, bank, liquor store, fast food, and a few other businesses that create a great deal of traffic in the area. The other three sides of the facility are surrounded by slightly hilly, open wooded areas which separate it from the surrounding neighbourhoods and the Humber River that flows just to the east. The sound of cars driving by on The Queensway is once again the predominant sound.

At this time of year the plant is a lot harder to miss because the many trees that surround it have fully lost their leaves and start to reveal the facility they hide all spring and summer. However, the evergreen trees and newly laid sod around the facility keep it looking green. The site is under construction, although I didn't hear or see much construction going on while I was there. The main evidence was the partially completed building on the south side of the property, and the nine different construction signs that sit in front of a tall flagpole that marks the west entrance. From what I could see (which was admittedly limited), the site did not seem to have a great deal of artificial lighting compared to its size. While I'm sure there were much more hidden away from my view, the only lights I really noticed were the four tall lampposts that lined one side of the west entrance driveway.

2. While the surrounding area itself is quite busy thanks to the nearby plaza, I was somewhat surprised that I saw almost no other human beings on the actual site the entire time I was there. Two employees worked on something just out of my view, but other than that, there was no one to be seen. I have to assume that the majority of activity and work takes place inside one of the many buildings on the property. What was probably the most interesting activity in the area was the large group of Canada Geese taking advantage of a meal of free sod before making the long trip south for the winter.

3. I was caught off guard when I saw the wonderful view I could get at the top of the hill that lines the west edge of the property. Once I was able to block out the huge industrial complex and other eyesores on the property that got in the way, I started to see how nice everything else in the area actually is. In fact, facing just the right way, the area is almost picture perfect. But even if you were somehow able to keep the massive plant on this site out of your view, on many days the area is still useless because of the horrible smell that it produces. Because of all of this, I think this was probably the most depressing site for me to reflect about.

4. The most obviously relevant article from the SUDR would be John Tilman Lyle's piece, "Waste as a Resource," in which he deals with the issue of sewage treatment specifically, and the one which may have been the most interesting of the SUDR readings for me. When I was first reading that piece, I actually thought about another site in the west end - Centennial Hill. Growing up we would always call it "Garbage Mountain" or "Mount Trashmore" because it was once a municiple garbage dump that was covered and turned into a large park with a small ski hill in the winter. However, if you didn't know of its former dump status, I doubt it would be obvious to anyone but an expert. The city turned what was once a large source of pollution into a valuable asset for area residents. Is it possible to do that here?

Tilman Lyle's piece also got me thinking about potential ways we could replace this monstrosity of a site and create something more conducive to a healthy and happy relationship with nature. I was looking up some information about the site after my visit and I discovered, much to my surprise, that prior to the plant being built on the site in 1960, it was actually home to a golf course! I can only imagine what it must have looked like (I tried to find pictures on the web, with no success). Of course, as I mentioned in my blog about my visit to the Clubhouse at St. George's, golf courses are not perfect either. However, I think it goes without saying which one is preferable to have in your backyard. Unfortunately, instead of looking for ways to build new, more environmentally friendly water treatment facilities, the city has instead decided to upgrade and expand this current location. Sadly, I think it will be some time before Tilman Lyle's recommendations will be taken into consideration in the city of Toronto.

5. This was quite an odd site, surrounded by all kinds of nature and yet one of the more industrially heavy and technologically advanced sites in the area. I can see that people do come through the area, as there is a path that has been worn into the grass and through the tall bushes that separate the property from the surrounding neighbourhood. Yet at the same time, on the day that I am there - a fairly nice late November afternoon - no one else comes through this site. None of the other activities that I would commonly see in the other sites I visited were happening here: no cars drive in, no one was biking or inline skating through the area, no one was walking their dog. Even the great view and surrounding nature doesn't seem to be enough to draw people there.

There was little to no foul odour that I could notice on the day I went there to observe, although that may have been a result of the colder weather or simply having the wind blow in the right direction. However, I do spend a lot of time in this area during the summer, and in the right conditions I can honestly say that the smell from this place can become so bad that it defies words. There is a large middle-class neighbourhood in the immediate area, and new condos keep popping up every year, and I often wonder how the residents can stand it. The smell is so oppressive that there is no getting used to it. I imagine the area residents deal with it by staying inside more often than they normally would if they didn't have to deal with the smell. And people without air conditioning likely have to choose between a hot muggy house and a noxious breeze, so I imagine that there are few houses left without air conditioning. Neither of these things is conducive to a happy relationship with the environment.

Maybe I'm thinking about this all too much, but I can't help but wonder just how destructive this way of living can potentially be. When the inside is nicer than the outside, of course staying inside and watching tv or surfing the net seems more appealing than taking a walk or going for a bike ride. So now people are stuck in their homes, and they can't even open a window to catch a breeze because the smell will make them feel ill. So they install air conditioning to suck a little more power off the grid and pollute the air some more. And their bills go up, and they are stuck inside, and the value of their home goes down, and they become more and more miserable. Of course, not everyone will experience such a chain of events, but I don't think it is all that far fetched either. But what can we do now? The poop has to go somewhere! We surely don't want to go back to the days when we just sent it directly in the lake without treating it, because that only relocates the problem instead of solving it. So until the powers that be decide to invest what will be an admittedly huge investment of time and money into making the necessary changes, unfortunately, this is all we have.

I purposely left this site for the end because I think it is symbolic of so many things we learned this year in class. It is a demonstration of the short-sightedness we experience far too often when dealing with the consequences of city life. It is a physical example of the far-reaching effects human beings have on their environment. It shows how in fixing one mess we often create another that is just as bad. And, finally, I think to speaks to the many ways the unnatural environment encroaches on our natural environment, and the harm it causes to all of us as a result. Sites like the Humber Wastewater Treatment Facility are, unfortunately, a necessary evil right now. However, if Toronto is serious about becoming a more "green" city (as City Hall has been working so hard to convince us it is) then we need to invest more money into greener waste management alternatives instead of expanding the ineffective and outdated ones we already have. I would love to see Tilman Lyle's ideas used to create something that would work for us - of course, I am not holding my breath.

Site 9: The George Ignatieff Theatre

1. After visiting the Gardiner Museum, I walked over to another familiar site in the area, the George Ignatieff Theatre. Although there is a pillar engraved with the year "1961" on the outside of the larger building to which it is attached (Larkin), I did a quick search and discovered the theatre was actually built in 1979 and opened in November of that same year. Part of Trinity College, it would be hard to tell that this was a theatre and not just another section of the Larkin building if it weren't for the printed sign in the window at the top of the stairs and the larger (and much more professional) sign just outside of the entrance. The entire building is elevated from the street and sidewalk, and entry to the property is cut off from almost all sides by a tall black metal fence, leaving only one small area to access the theatre from this side of the property. Walking south down Devonshire Place, there is an area that appears as though it is an opening, but when one gets closer you see that it is only a recess in the fence to allow for two fire hose access pipes. Stone retaining walls line either side of the stairs that leads up to the building from the sidewalk, and three cement benches sit on the edge of the small cement courtyard outside of the theatre. Just past the courtyard is a green grassy area with bushy trees that line the black metal fence and hide utility boxes from sight. There is a lone tree that sits behind a plaque mounted on a stone. I have to get close up to read it, and when I do I see that it notes the tree's dedication to George Ignatieff in 1992.

I got to the site at approximately 1:00 p.m., and while the day started off dark and unpromising in terms of weather, the sun surprised me by peeking out from behind the clouds and adding a bit of sun warmth to the chilly late-November temperatures. There is not a great deal of artificial lighting in the area. Besides the always ubiquitous city streetlamps, there is a small light above the walkway which appears to be in questionable working condition, and a decorative lamppost near the entrance to the theatre. I thought this was a light, but when I got closer I realized it was a purely decorative piece of abstract art hanging on the wall. I hear the typical sounds of traffic in the background, this time alongside the occasional whistle and cheer from the people practicing (and the people watching them) at next door Varsity Stadium, and nearby people talking to their friends or classmates.

2. Most of the activity in the area involves students, who pass through the area on their way to and from classes or take a break between classes or as they wait for them to begin. I spot a young man sitting on one of the cement benches outside of the theatre, reading something as he smokes a cigarette. Two other young men and one young woman join him later and they have a conversation for approximately ten minutes. During that time, another young woman came out and sat on the bench to have a cigarette herself, but did not join the group's conversation. There is not a great deal of moving car traffic while I am there, but quite a few people walk or bike down the street and sidewalk. The occasional guy or girl stops at the top or bottom of the stairs to talk briefly with someone and then leave the area.

3. This is another area I have been to many times but have never really noticed. In addition to eating and studying in The Buttery on countless occasions, I had a class in the actual theatre during my second year, and a class in the Larkin building this past summer,and yet I realize now that I still managed to miss so many things on and around the building during those many visits. I had never noticed the lone tree with the plaque dedication on the large rock before, and I actually thought it might be a new addition to the area since I had my class in that building during the 2007/2008 school year - imagine my surprise to see that it was dated April 1992! It must have passed by it one countless occasions, yet it wasn't until I made a conscious effort to actually look around the area that I actually noticed it.

Another interesting thing I realized upon reflection is that, other than the day I observed the St. George Golf and Country Club property, this is the place I felt most uncomfortable taking pictures. At the rest of the sites I have visited so far, I didn't feel strange taking pictures. Often - like at the Humber Bay Butterfly Habitat - there were many other people taking pictures. And during those times I was the only one with a camera, it was at sites one would expect to find tourists so I felt I didn't stand out. At this site, however, there was a steady stream of students coming in and out of both the theatre and the Larkin building itself, and I started to feel very awkward taking pictures of the area, especially taking pictures with actual students in them. In some way the other sites I observed felt much more public, making the people in the area almost feel like part of the scene. Due to the "exclusive" nature of the University, this site felt much more private, which made taking pictures of the students feel much more obtrusive.

4. I have never thought of the George Ignatieff Theatre or Larkin as particularly "exclusive" before, yet when I was observing this area I thought back to our class discussion on the Munk Center for International Studies - which is the property just south of Larkin - and couldn't help notice the similarities among the many obvious differences. At first glance Larkin and the Munk Center look nothing alike; the former is boxy and grey while the latter is much more decorative. The Munk Centre building is a mix of both traditional and modern architectural styles and was obviously planned to not only be a useful space, but also a physically appealing space for those people lucky enough to have full access to the grounds. In comparison, Larkin is far more utilitarian - although not ugly - with minimal decoration and landscaping. However, both are surrounded by tall metal fences with hard-to-find gates or entrances that "protect" them from the pedestrian and automobile traffic that passes by each day on the abutting sidewalk and street.

Finding an article in the SUDR that seemed relevant was not easy for this site because there were very few things that seemed particularly significant to any of the readings. But then I thought back to the section on "Green Architecture" and I decided to look at the building from that perspective. There is nothing particularly "ungreen" about the theatre, at least not in comparison to other structures built around the same time. However, the lack of any "green" foresight into this building is what I found interesting. While the Larkin and George Ignatieff Theatres were both constructed well before the three pieces we read in the SUDR about green architecture were written, I think this site is a good example of the general lack of environmental concern or thought that went into most construction at the time. Sadly, while we have come a long way in terms of sustainability and design ethics, I still hear little about ecological design in modern Toronto construction.

5. This site was one of the more unusual ones for me to observe, even though it may technically be the site I see most often in my day-to-day activities. I meet friends and study in The Buttery, and have attended classes in both the Larkin building and in the theatre itself, yet I have never thought of it as little more than another stone building on campus and have honestly paid little attention to it during my nearly four years at the University. However, when I finally did pay attention I started to notice many interesting things that I never would have considered previously.

While the theatre may not be as architecturally attractive as many of the fabulous buildings on campus and the landscaping may not be as grand, when I actually stopped to think about it, the building was far more conducive to a human-nature relationship than I would had originally realized. For example, there is an abundance of windows on the main level of the building, allowing people inside to have natural light and stay on top of the quickly changing autumn weather. I sometimes feel a bit claustrophobic in the older buildings on campus, due to the lack of windows in general that always makes me feel so shut off from the rest of the world. I never feel cut off when I am in this building.

There always seems to be people hanging around outside the theatre or Larkin building, either talking to their friends or having a cigarette, and on nicer days I even see people eating their lunch on the stairs or surrounding patio. Being a part of Trinity College, there is no lack of more architecturally beautiful buildings in the area with grounds and courtyards that are probably more attractive; however, people do not seem to be drawn to those buildings – or, at least, they are not drawn away from the theatre/Larkin building. I thought back to our discussion of the Munk Centre in class and I started to think that maybe those places are a bit too nice? Comparatively, the theatre property is still nice, but not so nice that it has become intimidating to students.

On the other hand, the “greenest” parts of the property – the parts that you would expect to be the nicest – do not seem to attract any students at all, and I found this quite odd. The theatre entrance is right next to a nice green area, but the students all seem to stay on the concrete patio and sit on the concrete benches. I’m sure it doesn’t help that those benches are all turned away from the green space and towards the concrete building either. I think part of the problem is that we are all so programmed to keep to the path when we see one that sometimes it never even occurs to us that we could take a step off of it if we wanted. I assume the people that created the green space expected students to get out and use it, simply because to read the dedication plaque one would need to walk over the grass to see it. Unfortunately, no one seems to notice.

Site 8: The Gardiner Museum of Ceramic Art

1. The next site I decided to observe was the Gardiner Museum of Ceramic Art, a small museum located just south of Bloor Street on Queen's Park. The only museum of its kind in Canada, it was founded in 1984 and underwent a multi-million renovation in 2006, resulting in the building I saw during my visit. The building itself looks to be built of granite and cement with many glass windows facing the street and beautiful glass doors that allow visitors inside the museum. A line of four tall billboards advertising current and upcoming exhibits stand between the sidewalk and the stairs, hoping to attract some of the several hundred (and sometimes thousand) people who pass by this location every day. The building is nestled between two buildings (U of T's Annesley Hall Residence and the former Department of Household Science building that is now home to a Club Monaco) whose more traditional architectural styles contrast significantly with the modern design of the museum.

It is around the time most people take lunch when I visit the museum, and while it is not particularly warm, the sun keeps peeking out from behind the clouds and makes it a pleasant mid-November day. The traffic is heavy, but normal for the area and time of day. I hear the usual sounds of traffic while I am there. Pedestrians have conversations as the pass by. I can see a few artificial light sources when I arrive, but the more I look the more I find. In addition to the street lighting, there are eleven approximately waist-high lampposts that line the two gardens on either side of the stairs leading up to the main entrance, in addition to small lights on the back of each stair and a row of lights between the stairs and the retaining wall that is engraved with the museum's name. I also notice some attractive overhead lighting in front of the entrance as I get closer to the building. I imagine that it must look quite lovely at night.

2. Walking appears to be the most common activity in the area, and many people pass by the front entrance of the museum in both directions. The surrounding area is busy, but fewer than ten people leave or enter the actual building while I am there, although the pace with which they enter and leave is fairly steady. There are the typical downtown activities going on while I do my people-watching - talking on cell phones or dialling a call, listening to their iPods, jogging and bike riding. With the exception of the few people who come in and out of the museum, most people are not stopping in the area for long, seemingly passing by as they go about their daily routine.

3. The thing that really got me interested in this site was its modern style of architecture, especially considering its location between Annesley Residence (with its Queen Anne Revival style of architecture), the Club Monaco building (in a Neo-Classical style), and just across the street from the ROM with its new postmodern "crystal" addition - which, depending on who you ask is either gorgeous or hideous (I happen to think it's the former, but I seem to be in the minority with that opinion). In many ways the museum is an almost unassuming building, yet it still manages to stand out in spite of its awesome surroundings. It almost reminded me of a home in a strange way, most likely because it reminds me of a nicer version of a home that was built next door to my in-law's home a few years ago. Interestingly enough, that home has often reminded me of a museum.

4. Whenever I see or think about sites in Toronto such as the Gardiner Museum, I am now reminded of the discussion we had in class about the Globalization and World Cities Studies Group (GaWC). When we were going over the list of qualification in class, I almost felt as though someone working for the city got a hold of those requirements and it was decided that from that point forward, every thing the city did would be a step towards moving up in the World City Hierarchy. Poor Mayor Miller tried so hard to get us into that Alpha B group, but it doesn't look like it's going to happen before he leaves office. However, Toronto citizens win no matter what with the improved infrastructure and culture that was brought to the city as a result.

One of the readings in the SUDR I thought was relevant to my visit to the museum was Allan B. Jacobs' piece on "seeing change." because it was by taking the time to actually walk around and really stop to look at and examine my every day surroundings that I was able to appreciate them and learn about them to a much larger degree. I walk by this building on a fairly regular basis - at least once a week, but usually more - and have been doing so for the past four years, but I have never noticed many of the things that I noticed about it today - things that have been essentially right in front of my face this entire time.

5. A group of pigeons sitting on one of the ledges of the Club Monaco building got me thinking a lot about urban nature. Pigeons are an interesting part of our city's ecosystem, seen by many as being "natural" simply by being a living thing, yet in many ways they often seem better adapted to urban life than many humans. I watched the group of these birds sit there for a while; one would fly off and not too long after another would come in to take its place on the ledge. This kept happening the entire time I was there and there didn't seem to be any rhythm or reason to the pattern, although there did seem to be a kind of method to the madness. One pigeon would fly off, followed by another one a few seconds later. Then about ten seconds later two birds would come in together as one more flew off the ledge, and so forth. This continued for the duration of my visit.

While watching the pigeons I got a bit philosophical and started thinking about our limited space, and how not only have these animals found a way to successfully share their space with humans, but how they also learn to successfully co-operate with each other in their own "neighbourhood," even if it all did seem a bit chaotic. For whatever reason this was by far the most popular pigeon ledge in the area, the best piece of bird "real estate," but not one of them seemed to "own" it. No bird pushed any of the other ones out of the way or overcrowded them until they had no choice but to leave. I'm certainly no bird expert, but it looked like sharing to me.

This tree may have been the most interesting part of the visit for me. Due to its very obvious placement perfectly in the center of the perfectly round hole that has been cut in the surrounding layer of cement to accommodate it, there can really be no question that someone thought it was very important for this tree to be here. And unlike the rest of the landscaping, which is kept entirely contained within concrete walls and barriers, this lone tree almost appears as though it has escaped from those confines and found a home of its own in the concrete. The tree actually made me quite sad. It probably didn't help that it no longer has any leaves (if it ever did), so it looked almost naked and pitiful all by itself in this sea of concrete.

Thinking about this tree, I started to really wonder why the people who created this new building would have thought it was so necessary to include this one solitary tree in their landscaping design. I assumed they were quite proud of their design, considering they decided to engrave their names on the stone pillar right next to the front entrance. I tried to figure out the thought process behind such a strange decision. It is because humans seem to require a certain amount of "nature" in their view when surrounded by so much stone and glass? The building itself is quite beautiful, but without the two large overflowing gardens and this one lonely tree, it would seem much colder, much more utilitarian, and I'm sure the (world-class professional) architects and designers responsible for the building were aware of that.

Site 7: Artists' Gardens at Harbourfront

1. The Artists' Gardens at Harbourfront are pretty much exactly what the name implies - a collection of small whimsical "gardens" created by different artists, located on the south side of Queen's Quay near the foot of Lower Simcoe Street. Several buildings surround the property, including the Enwave Theatre to the south, the York Quay Centre to the west, and many tall buildings and condominiums to the east and north. The Canadian flag flies high on several tall flagpoles while a row of Harbourfront flags lines the area sidewalk and road. There are currently 24 gardens on site, each created by a different local artist and each representing a different theme. I imagine the gardens are quite spectacular in the spring and summer; however, like many of the sites I have visited so far, the shorter days and falling temperatures of autumn means that what was once leafy and green and full of blooms just a couple of months ago is now turning brown. I can still see some reminders of what must have been some very cool exhibits - one of them incorporates old television sets into its designs, another features several different sized parabolic mirrors - so there is still quite a bit to see. In addition to the artists' gardens, the entire west side of the property is lined with 40 large billboards displaying a photo exhibition that features aerial photographs of Canada's Boreal Forest taken by nine different Canadian photographers.

It is a Saturday afternoon, approximately 4:00 p.m., and while it is mild for mid-November, the overcast skies make it seem less pleasant than it actually is. However, this does not stop several children from using the colourful and large playground the sits in the middle of the property. In fact for the first time in my observations, even though this site is right next to the very busy road, the most dominant noise I hear while I am observing my surroundings is not traffic, but children screaming and laughing and yelling and screaming and yelling some more. A few minutes of that loud high-pitched wail that only young children seem to be capable of creating and all of a sudden, the car noises I had been complaining about this entire time all of a sudden did not seem all that intrusive.

2. I have finally discovered where all the people that have been conspicuously absent from all of the other sites that I have visited thus far have been hanging out! This area was incredibly busy, with all kinds of people sitting on the benches or standing around as their children play. The gardens are out in the open and fully accessible, and some of the children can't resist getting a hands on experience. Several people walk around and look at both the gardens and the photo exhibit. Some people take a rest on one of the many benches that surround the property. Many people come in and out of the York Quay centre holding shopping bags, perhaps getting a head start on their holiday shopping. A young couple walks through the area to the parking lot next door. No one is biking around the gardens, but people it must be going on somewhere since people are encouraged to take their bike down to the area (or so I assumed because of the dedicated bicycle parking area on the property).

3. This was a fun site to visit, simply because there was so much to see in such a small space, and the pieces themselves - or what was left of them thanks to the weather - were really interesting and creative. There seemed to be two distinct groups of people at the gardens: the people who came to the area with the specific purpose of sightseeing and taking in the exhibits, and the families who came to use the nice playground (that just happened to be located within the exhibit). I was certainly part of the former group, which also felt like the smaller one while I was there, but looking back at my pictures I realize that there were not as many people using the playground as I remember. The sound of children was so prominent during my visit that it must have altered my perception.

4. This site is far more pedestrian-friendly than many of the others I have sites I have been observing so far, and this brought to mind Peter Calthorpe's piece in the SUDR called "The Next American Metropolis" where he discusses the need for more pedestrian-friendly neighbourhoods and communities. He talks about "Pedestrian Pockets," and this is how I saw this site. While some of the gardens sit close enough to the road to be spotted from your car, they are little more than a blur while zooming by at 40km/hour. Queens Quay is a very well-travelled road, serving as an alternative to the other east-west roads and highways in the southern half of the city, and as a direct route to accessing the actual lakeshore and Harbourfront areas. Yet, at the same time the entire Harbourfront area caters to that part of the population who wants to get out of their cars and explore the sites around them, giving those people areas to explore and enjoy.

Pucher, Komanoff, and Shimek’s article about a bicycling renaissance is once again is relevant to a site like this for very similar reasons to the ones I gave above. While you are never going to get everyone out of their car, places like the Artists' Gardens (and most of the other sites around the Harbourfront) actively discourage people from driving in many ways, starting with the high prices charged for the limited parking in contrast to the plentiful and free bicycle parking provided. In addition, if you really want to see the sites in this area, you have to get out of your car. The very nature of the gardens' designs, with their intricate designs and hidden objects, need to be examined up close to be truly appreciated. Doing so is so much easier when on a bike than when in a car. Finally, separate paths are provided through the area for both walking and bicycle/inline skate traffic, making it much easier for people to travel through the area. And as they zoom by all the drivers in their cars parked in bumper-to-bumper rush hour traffic, perhaps one of them will see all the benefits biking offers and decide to give it a try?

5. I don't know that it is a well-known site, but it was certainly the most popular of the ones I have visited for this assignment - regardless of the quickly falling temperatures and shorter days. However, I don't know that it was the gardens that were bringing the people out. In fact, I think it was a mix of things that make this site so popular to local (and perhaps like myself, not-so-local) residents. The playground is probably the most popular feature, and the one seemed to draw the biggest crowd on the day of my visit. Very much like the Humber Bay Habitat, this site is surrounded by large condominium developments whose footprint takes up so much space that there is often little room remaining for specifically designated play or leisure areas for the residents who live there. This site likely serves as one of the few remaining areas where local residents feel as though they can still enjoy their local surroundings.

I feel that this site is a good example of the "fetishization" of nature that goes on in urban environments. Harbourfront is often marketed as a place that is specifically made for the residents of the city, and the tourists who often join us, to enjoy nature and the outdoors. However, the majority of the area has been paved over to make way for paths or parking or buildings, leaving very little "natural" green space behind. The only "natural" part of the environment that remains is the lake that provides a beautiful backdrop for most of the area. The people who designed this site created small "oases" with controlled areas of plant growth in an area where the most ubiquitous site is cement to make the site more liveable for neighbourhood residents.

The Artists' Gardens are so close to Queens Quay, the highway, and other main arteries that run through the heart of downtown Toronto, that traffic is always going to be an issue. While the lake view provides some respite to the urban buzz that continuously lingers in the background, especially when the sun is reflecting off the water just right and making everything around it glow, there are so many remaining distractions in almost every other direction one faces. The children running around and screaming with the seemingly endless supplies of energy, the cars zipping past well above the speed limit, the large trucks and construction vehicles belching thick black smoke into the air, people passing through the area with their hands full of purchases from the local gift shops and craft stores - none of it is particularly conducive to experiencing nature in the city.

That being said, I still thought this was a really great site in the way it not only brings art to the people, but also brings them nature by way of the art pieces. Watching the young boy play around in the one garden with the television sets really made me realize how special it is to have access to sites like this. My first instinct when I saw him was to be horrified at him "messing up" the garden into which someone had put so much work. But then I noticed that there were no signs asking people to keep out of the gardens, and if they were really worried about people getting into them, they wouldn't have made them so accessible to even the smallest children. Not to mention that it was the end of the season anyway, and most of the plants were already dead or dying. So I took a page out of this kid's book and started touching the exhibits myself, immediately turning into an active instead of passive observer. It was so great because I spend a lot of time at the ROM and I spend most of the time fighting back the urge to touch everything I see, so this was a very liberating experience for me. I may be an especially tactile person, but I don't think I am alone in having a strong desire to touch things I find interesting or attractive. Sites like this can make people feel like they have a more active role in their community, environment, and the cultural events that take place in their neighbourhoods, making them more likely to participate and to advocate for similar events in the future.

Site 6: Scadding Cabin

1. The next site I go to is called Scadding Cabin, which is the oldest surviving residence in the city. It was built just east of the Don Valley River in 1794 by its namesake John Scadding, the manager of Lieutenant Governor John Graves Simcoe’s estate. It was moved to its current location on the CNE grounds, south of the Dufferin Gates, by the York Pioneer and Historical Society in 1879, who has maintained the property ever since. It can be easy to miss because it is hidden on the south edge of the CNE grounds in an area that can only be accessed from a dead end path well off the main road, and the building is encircled by large trees that grow above the cabin’s roof. I have been to the CNE numerous times and I have never once stumbled across it. There are no signs on the nearby paths to inform visitors that it is there, and it is only when you get close to the front of the property that you find any information about the cabin, and the history behind it. The giant Exhibition Place wind turbine just stands just to the west of the property, overshadowing the tiny cabin. The building is in excellent condition considering it is over 200 years old, and looks to be almost entirely original, with the exception of some obviously modern additions such as the four caged ground lights that illuminate the property at night and the two metal plates that have been placed on the ground on either end of the east side of cabin (some kind of drainage equipment?). Decorative lampposts line the path that leads to the cabin to provide additional lighting for the area. The building is surrounded by an old wooden fence to prevent errant pedestrians from walking on the cabin property.

It is a pleasant but somewhat overcast Saturday afternoon and I arrive at approximately 3:00 p.m., spending almost a half hour observing the area and the property. Like all the other sites I have visited so far, I can hear the faint sounds of cars and traffic in the background, and the nearby Island Airport means the sounds of small planes occasionally fills the air. About five minutes into my visit I hear a jumbo jet flying high above us and in the distance, and not too long after that, the sounds of a helicopter overpowering any other noises in the area.

2. While the surrounding area is quite busy, as there is an event taking place in the large Direct Energy Centre on the opposite end of the CNE grounds, the area immediately around the cabin is fairly quiet. I suppose I am not the only person who does not know this place exists, as only a few people jog through the area and no one actually comes close enough to check out the cabin, simply using the existing paths to make their way through the grounds as they exercise. When I glance across Lakeshore Boulevard to the path that runs along the lake, I see many people bicycling and inline skating, but none of them cross over to this side of the road. I don't see any city or CNE employees the entire time I am visiting this site.

3. After seeing this building, I was surprised that I had never even heard of it before, or even accidentally come across it during one of my many visits to The Ex or the CNE grounds. It was such a neat little building, and I really wish it was open so I could have taken a peek inside to see what it looks like. It also struck me as a rather odd location for this building. Considering it is the oldest existing residence in the city, you would think that there would be more concern for its well-being, but except for the lights, I did not see any security measures around the building at all. It is surrounded by the wooden fence I mentioned above, but that could hardly be called a security measure since it is easy to climb over and it has no gate! It's fairly secluded, located on a part of the CNE grounds that did not seem to be well-travelled and hidden by the many tall trees and structures around it. Perhaps it is the budding anthropologist/archaeologist in me, but it actually makes me nervous just thinking about how easily pretty much anyone could deface the cabin or property. I obviously place a great value on historic Toronto buildings (and Toronto history in general), so my concerns of it potentially being destroyed or damaged by either carelessness or vandalism may be exaggerated.

4. Similar to Montgomery's Inn, this site was an interesting mix of old and new, city and country, essentially blurring the line between these titles. In the case of Scadding Cabin, nature and the city are diametrically connected in so many ways. It sits on the south-west edge of the CNE property, a property which has been a showcase for the most technologically advanced inventions of the past century - both in its architecture, which features an array of popular 20th century (and now, new 21st century) styles, and in its many yearly fairs and exhibitions that have introduced generations of visitors to the newest innovations in manufacture and design. At the same time, great lengths have gone into preserving the cabin itself, which, considering the efforts put into its relocation and upkeep, has obviously been recognized as an important piece of Toronto history and architecture for well over a century now. It demonstrates the importance that we place on objects that connect us to our past, and to a time when people had a much stronger connection to their environment.

Because of the large wind turbine just behind the cabin, I could not help but think of William McDonough's piece in the SUDR, "Design, Ecology, Ethics and the Making of Things." I found the juxtaposition of this the wooden cabin, over 200 years old, with a tall, metal symbol of innovation and conservation spoke to his message. It demonstrates how much architecture has changed over the past 200 years, and how environmentally beneficial designs can be incorporated into new buildings and structures without taking anything a great deal away from the area's aesthetics. Unlike our other main energy sources, which tend to be polluting eyesores hidden away from the public eye, the Exhibition Place turbine is out in the open for all to see - a landmark in its own right. Therefore, while wind turbines are not a panacea for all of our environmental woes, they do help reduce some of our dependence on fossil fuels in addition to serving as a constant reminder to be more mindful of our energy consumption.

5. Again, I feel like historic buildings such as Scadding Cabin help the modern city dweller re-connect to their "country" roots, in turn creating a human/nature relationship in a few distinct ways. Judging by the name and their continued interest in maintaining sites such as Scadding Cabin, I would have to assume that the York Pioneer and Historical Society also believe this is a worthwhile endeavour. As we have discussed many times this semester, it is impossible for the city to exist without the country and vice versa. Similar to Montgomery's Inn, places like this serve as reminders of that connection.

In this picture, I find the position of the park benches on the lawn, just west of the cabin, to be significant. Instead of pointing towards some of the less attractive features of the immediate area, they are positioned so the person sitting on them can only (comfortably) face one way - the way the designers of the area obviously felt was the most "view-worthy." In this case, they must have felt that it was Lake Ontario, not surprisingly the most "natural" feature in he area as well. The paths which lead visitors around the cabin take them to the north and east sides of the building, but not the south or west, and when you visit the cabin, it is easy to understand why. When you look at the cabin from the north or east side, Lake Ontario becomes a picturesque backdrop; looking at it from the south or west gives the visitor a much more industrialized view. Like many of the other sites I have observed, once again nature is framed in a very specific way to evoke certain emotions and feelings for the visitor.

The site's close proximity to Lake Ontario would make a human/nature connection seem almost inevitable. And in some ways it does manage to achieve this with its tall trees and pretty views. However, the site is completely almost separated from the lake by Lakeshore Boulevard - which was not especially busy during my visit, but during weekday rush hour it is often filled with bumper-to-bumper traffic. Similar to how the nearby Gardiner Expressway cut off existing west-end neighbourhoods from the lake after its construction, this high-volume and high-traffic roadway creates a visible, noisy, and polluting barrier that limits access for local residents and visitors.

At the same time, while it has its problems and features which interfere with the connection visitors can make with their natural surroundings, it is still a large green space that is open to the public and free for them to access for the majority of the year. Because of this, it can not be written off as a place for people to create a connection with nature. The surrounding trees grow naturally and attract local wildlife, and thanks to the maintenance provided by the York Pioneer and Historical Society to the cabin and the surrounding property, it is a beautiful place to spend an afternoon.

Site 5: Costco on The Queensway

1. The last site I examined this day was the complete and total antithesis of all the other spaces I had been to so far. As can be seen in the above picture, the Costco warehouse on The Queensway is an absolutely immense building on an even larger property that probably takes up the same space as a few city blocks. The two major features on the property are the large parking lot and the building itself, but there are many other smaller structures that catch my eye. The first are the many shopping cart corrals (I count 12, but the property is so big that I can not be certain I got them all) and bright red plastic garbage cans that are placed together throughout the parking lot. On the east side of the building is an area that I assume has been set up for employees who are on their breaks because of the table and benches and nearby cigarette disposal. Another cigarette disposal is mounted at the entrance of the store, behind another of the many red garbage cans that dot the premises. I notice an empty bicycle rack on the side of the building with room for at least four bikes to park, and I wonder who would ever take their bike to Costco (where even the smallest purchase would be quite a handful), until I realized that it was more likely for the employees. Obviously, none of them chose that option when I was visiting. The area is well lit with tall industrial lampposts throughout the entire parking lot, and a few lights are also mounted on the side of the building.

It is the start of rush hour so the area is fairly busy and I can hear a lot of different noises, although the majority of them are car-related; trunks and doors being slammed shut and engines being turned over. I can also hear the hum of the Gardiner Expressway faintly in the background. I hear someone cough in the distance, but otherwise, the only other noise I hear from the people is the sound of their shopping carts as they wheel them to their cars and the shopping cart corrals. A few seagulls have set up camp in the area and once or twice I can hear them cry out.

2. Also in contrast to the other sites I visited this Monday, Costco is one place where there were a lot of people for me to observe. Unfortunately, all of the people outside of the building are either walking from their cars to entrance, or leaving the store with a shopping cart full of purchases that they are bringing back to their car. The only other people I see are store employees, taking lines of empty shopping carts from one of the many shopping cart corrals back to the store for the next batch of shoppers to use.

3. Unlike the clubhouse at the St. George's Golf Club or the Humber Bay Butterfly Habitat, I could not wait to leave the Costco property. It was cold and sterile and noisy and busy, and about 95 percent grey. It seemed like the only colour allowed on the premises was the red colour used for the sign that was also used for the bike racks and garbage cans; if it wasn't for the sea of cars in the parking lot, there would be almost no colour at all. The small amount of "nature" the developers did return to the site (after paving over it completely) is so pitiful that I find it more depressing than anything else. The spindly little trees that look sadly out of place do little to lift my spirits. As I look back on my visit I realise that the relationship I had with this site had absolutely nothing to do with nature, and everything to do with capitalist consumption.

4. There are many readings in the SUDR that came to mind after I visited this site, mainly as an example of what most of the authors said that urban planners should NOT do when designing a new development or neighbourhood. I immediately thought of Eisenberg and Yost's piece about the excessive nature of modern building codes when I looked at the vast parking lot that takes up a large portion of the property. I imagined what must have once been a natural landscape that had now been flattened out and paved over with a thick layer of concrete, ensuring that anything that once lived there would be destroyed. Of course, a parking lot brings cars, which in turn bring with them the air and noise pollution that are part of their very essence. As I stood on the edge of this immense parking lot and stared out into the sea of concrete and cars, feeling very small, the damage the creation of this site has done to its environment was obvious.

I also realized that the site was pretty much exactly the kind of thing that Jane Jacobs was critiquing her article: a sterile, automobile-oriented urban landscape dominated by a multi-national corporation. It does nothing to encourage pedestrian traffic in the area, since a vehicle is almost a requirement to make it from one end of the gargantuan parking lot to the other, never mind getting to the actual neighbourhood in which it is located. In addition, big box businesses like Costco quickly drive local vendors and storeowners, unable to compete with the selection and price these huge warehouse stores can offer, out of the area (which also ties in to Michael Shuman's piece on import replacement). Naturally, the more people have to leave their community to work and shop, the more people will be burning fossil fuels by driving, creating a continuous cycle of environmental damage that becomes almost impossible to repair.

5. The only evidence of nature on this site were the narrow strips of dirt (with the occasional tree) that separated some of the parking lot rows, and the few trees that lined the property which somehow got spared from the clear cutting that otherwise occurred in the area, so it is hard to say that it is constitutive of a human/nature relationship in any way. Everything about the site is industrial, from the neighbourhood in which it is located to the building itself, which is essentially one big box. The area on the south side of the building is the only one where it looks like any thought was put into the landscaping, but the majority of people who get to appreciate it are passing by at 120 kilometres an hour on the Gardiner. Most visitors to this site never make it that far around the building.

The problem (one of many) with a site like Costco is that its very composition encourages its continued destruction, ensuring that a connection to the natural environment will continue to be ignored and eventually causing potentially irreparable damage. It is located far away from residential areas and on an unpopular (i.e. slow and infrequent) bus route, so anyone who wants to go there must take a car. In fact, a car is almost mandatory to shop at Costco, considering almost everything they sell is in bulk and any more than one or two items would be incredibly awkward or difficult to carry on a bus. While they did provide a bike rack for their employees, it is interesting to note that it only has space for about four-six bicycles (at a place that must employ dozens, if not hundreds, of people), and is empty, even though it was a beautiful day. Not that I can say I fault any of the employees for not riding their bikes to work. Not only is it much easier to get to the location by car, as it is next to both the Gardiner and 427 Highway, but it is not bike-friendly at all, located on an extremely busy six-lane street with no bike lanes.

We have often been taught that buying products in bulk is the more environmentally friendly choice when shopping for household items, but this potential benefit is often negated at Costco thanks to their excessive wrapping. Instead of buying one large box of 300 garbage bags, they will put together three boxes of 100, and then wrap all of that together with plastic. I suspect this is why they have put so many garbage cans in their parking lot - shoppers got annoyed with having to dispose of or having to find room in their recycling boxes for all of the excessive packaging when they got home, so they just started unwrapping it all in the store parking lot and leaving it for them to deal with. Instead of addressing the problem of excessive packaging, their solution was to put out more garbage bins.

While this one specific site will not be the reason nearby residents lose touch with their natural surroundings, the fact that such sites are now the norm rather than the exception in this neighbourhood is a definite problem if one is concerned about the loss of green space in favour of parking lots and local businesses being choked out of existence. A community may be able to handle one warehouse store in its backyard, but even if they do, such stores never seem to stand alone for long. Within a few kilometres of the Costco, there is also a Walmart, Canadian Tire, Ikea, Home Depot, Staples, and several franchise restaurants, just to name a few. If the growth and development in this area follow the same trends they have been for the past decade or two, it won't be long before that section of The Queensway is little more than a giant stripmall.