I SPY fairies on the Danny (Danforth)

As I was browsing along the alphabet trail left by the sidewalk artist Victor Fraser along Danforth Avenue, I noticed a flyer on the counter of Wheels & Wings Hobbies about the Danny's Urban Fairies. I thought maybe they had some cute model kit to create tiny fairies.

One of the letters of the alphabet by Victor Fraser

  

Opening the flyer, I found a map marking some 50 local shops, who agreed to create little fairy doors inside their premises or in their window, some simple, others quite elaborate, for the visitors to find out. Like a fun little I-SPY game!  Of course, Wheels and Wings had their own fairy door.

Cool initiative!
Danny's Urban Fairies is the initiative of a whimsical local woman Natalie Coulter who saw such doors in the city of Ann Arbor in Michigan and convinced local shops to hop on the wagon! Everyone I spoke with in the participating stores said that throughout the summer, they saw families coming in, flyer in hand, to find the little doors.

Bad news: I discovered it too late in the summer. The event was officially planned to go on from mid-July to August 30. Good news: On my visit on August 31st, every shop I entered still had their fairy doors and none knew when they would take them down. Considering the massive interest, I will not be surprised if the event becomes a tradition and catches on in other neighbourhoods.

Mini DoorsOpen Toronto
I suspect many merchants will keep their little door for a while and you could probably still see some while you do the Alphabet Walk. Participating stores could be found north and south of Danforth from Jones Avenue (east of Pape Subway Station) to Westlake Avenue (east of Woodbine Subway Station). You can print a PDF version of the map on www.dannysurbanfairies.ca.

Some were easy to find, such as the little Doctor Who-like door at the cashier of Red Rocket Coffee. Some are much difficult to find, such as the one in the arts supplies DeSerres (where someone discreetly pointed me in the right direction). 

 

I really hope they haven't put down yet the cutest ones at Quack Quack Animation (1847 Danforth). It's a Hobbit-like round door on the ceiling by the entrance. And next door, in the window filled with robots made out of recycled objects, look for a little door made out of stone.

    

 

BIAs, take note!
Shops involved with the event each found their own way to benefit from the increased traffic. DeSerres, for example, created little $5 craft kits to create one's own fairy door at home. Clever.

Once again, here's a cool example of how we can improve our city's walkability. With the support of Toronto's 81 Business Improvement Areas (BIA),  every neighbourhood could enjoy the free fun of discovering fairy doors along an Alphabet Walk. 

Everybody wins with that kind of project. Not only do you discover local restaurants and businesses, but that's how you make kids walk 2 kms without even noticing! 

During my stroll, a few places caught my attention.
What's in your neighbourhood?

  

  

The ABC of walking... with kids (Take 2)

What's Victor up to?

In June 2012, I noticed a large ornate letter R painted on the sidewalk in front of Red Rocket Coffee (1364 Danforth). I asked the owner if he had hired someone to do this.

Turned out a sidewalk artist, Victor Fraser, had taken on him to paint the alphabet over 2 kms along the north side of Danforth. He called them "Love Letters", hence the little hearts on some of the letters. According to the artist, the painted letters would last at least a year.

Fast forward to February 2014, we could still see the fading outline of some of his letters. It really saddened me because I had spoken with the artist in 2012 and knew that Victor was dealing with a form of severe arthritis (A.S. or ankalosing spondalitis) which makes every effort painful and for which, much like multiple sclerosis, there's a time limit...

He does it again!
This week, I was dropping boots at my favourite shoe repair shop (FYI: Fine Shoe Sales and Repair at 845 Danforth) when I noticed a large blue letter A on the north side of the sidewalk, painted in Victor's trademark Celtic style! I followed the trail and went through the whole alphabet, up to Woodbine Subway Station. 

His letters are even prettier than before, with the addition of a 3D effect and sparkling paint shining under the sun. (The photo on the left was the letter O as he painted it in 2012 and the one you can see now.)

   

Social media at the service of street art

This time, the artist got more marketing savvy! He created the hashtag #WhatsVictorUpTo (which many people already put to good use on Twitter)... 


Then he created a page on www.gofundme.com/whatsvictorupto, a user-friendly (and secure) donation platform which allows anyone to create a fundraising campaign. On his page, I found a cool YouTube link to Victor in action.

Let's encourage artists like Victor Fraser to enhance our urban walks! I really think all the Business Improvement Associations (BIAs) should promote this kind of fundraising to support an Alphabet Walk in their neighbourhood and create cool family walks throughout Toronto.  

That's one af the good ways to improve a city's walkability! 
Another cool way it Danny's Urban Fairies, also along Danforth.
 

 

I Spy the letter A

When standing by the letter A (just east of Eaton Street), I counted no less than 25 capital letter As! 

Here's your chance to take the kids on a fun I-Spy game which could make them walk 4 km without even realizing it as you walk your way up and down the alphabet. 

I suggest you stop at some letters (such as the first letter of their name) and ask your kids to spy all the signs bearing that specific letter. When he had the option, the artist chose to match a letter with the first letter of a business name: O by the One and Only café, R by Red Rocket café, S by the restaurant Sauce...

While you're there
Use the excuse of the Alphabet Walk to check out a few places along the Danforth!

Reaching the end of the alphabet is very rewarding! Between the letters Y and Z, you'll find: Carter's Ice Cream (a favourite among the locals at 3 Woodmount, just north of Danforth), across the street, just south of Danforth, you'll find East Lynn Park, the cutest little park nested in a pit, with original playground structure and a lovely wading pool (open until Labour Day Sunday), and the super art supplies store DeSerres (2056 Danforth, just west of Woodbine Subway Station). 

Other points of interest:
Around O: the One and Only Café (972 Danforth), so whimsical outside and so funky inside. 
Around R: the Red Rocket Coffee (1364 Danforth) usually feature fun sidewalk signs (indoor fireplace to warm up the cold days). 
Around T: the hidden little Danforth Bowling (1554 Danforth)
Around U: the Bus Terminal Diner (1606 Danforth) set in the 50s and filled with fun things to look at. 
Around W: on the south side of Danforth, check out the very cool little robots (1847 Danforth). 
Around X: Wheels & Wings Hobbies, a very well stocked reduced model shop (1880 Danforth).

 

Cool walk for teenagers: Graffiti lane at Keele Station

Teens will love this Toronto walk!

Take them just east of Keele Subway Station to see one serious graffiti lane. Better yet, let them go by themselves, with friends. A great outing in great company, now that's the way to explore a city! 

Read the full post with photos on 
Toronto Urban Strolls blog.

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Toronto walks families will enjoy

As the author of Toronto Fun Places, I never loose sight of what would be fun for kids in an outing.

In my new guide Toronto Urban Strolls 2 (with 24 walks, in the bookstores next month), I've added a series of TOP-3 STROLLS suggestions to help readers select a stroll according to their current needs.

Here's my TOP-3 STROLLS to explore with kids:

Visit the author's website torontofunplaces.com

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Christmas lights at Downsview Park

Note for 2015: For the last three years, Downsview Park has posted no info about their Christmas lights on their website or Facebook page. The nice staff at True North Climbing located within the park confirmed to us that the lights are up for 2015. (The following post was written in 2012. I visited it again in 2013, see the photo gallery.)

On my way back from Creative Bag (super place for stocking on wrapping paper, ribbons, bags and boxes) I stopped at Downsview Park, attracted by flashing Christmas lights.

Last week, I had noticed on Downsview Park's website that there was no mention of their big Christmas trail presented (for a fee) in the last few years so the Christmas lights surprised me. I had to see if the website had mislead me.

It turns out this year we can walk for free around Downsview Park, adorned with some lights (don't go expecting Niagara Falls). I saw six flashing displays and some Christmas trees. The paved trail is lit by lamp posts reflecting on the large pond but the rest of the park remains in the dark, which makes for a fun and kind of mysterious walk. (The larger loop is 2.7 km long).

It is a good way to get introduced to the new landscape of this urban park. The park's entrance is east of Keele, off Sheppard. Follow John Drury Drive the fastest you can once in the park.

Hot chocolate, someone?

There's a Country Style open until 11 p.m. every night at 3372 Keele Street, Unit F (on the west side of Keel, north of the park)

More Christmas-related posts from Nathalie Prezeau.

Fun walk in High Park

This week, I was at High Park and was so pleased to see that there were still plenty of yellow leaves on the trees, especially on the majestic willow trees brushing the blue waters of Grenadier Pond. It offered the perfect background for the contrasting dark branches.

Now, that's my kind of family outing: beautiful sights to admire while the kids have plenty to explore!

Did you know about the labyrinth?

Park behind the Grenadier Restaurant (quite affordable, by the way) and start the adventure with a peek at the labyrinth! (Yes there's a labyrinth! Based on the 11-circuit in Chartres Cathedral in France.). It is located over the hill behind the restaurant's big parking lot. 

Then, walk straight down the hill facing the restaurant to access the gardens. Quite lovely in the summer with a stream, it remains a fun place to run through, with little bridges and sinuous paths, and it leads you to Grenadier Pond. (Check the giant maple leaf on the way.)

Don't mess with me!

Chances are you'll see ducks and white swans by the banks. When visiting, I saw a foolish dog run into the water towards a couple of them and heard them hiss aggressively back at him. You don't mess with a swan!

A walk with a goal

If you want encourage your kids to walk, promise them a go at the newly renovated playground on the east part of High Park (a 20-minute walk). Keep walking along the pond towards the lake, the trail will take you along The Queensway then back into the park, past Colborne Lodge Drive.

 

Past a little bridge, you'll see a smaller pond. Walk along the fence to access the east side of that pond then keep going until you see Jamie Bell Adventure Playground to your right. (Following an act of vandalism which burned a part of the castle, Mike Holmes, the construction guy with a TV program, took on him to rebuilt it and did an amazing job. More about Jamie Bell Playground in my blog Mike Holmes was here!)

(This article continues below the photos.)

Once the kids are done playing, take Deer Pen Road. It will get you back to the restaurant's parking lot in 15 minutes and, as a bonus, you'll see High Park Zoo's animals along the way. (It's still there but needs our support to remain operational. See this link for more information and donations.)

Another option: the marsh

If you walk north along the pond instead of towards the lake, you'll reach a more secluded part of High Park, with a marsh. Fewer people explore this part of the park. (Bloor West is less than 20 minutes away.)