Thursday Doors – April 5, 2018

….just before the winds really started to blow yesterday

Thanks to Norm for hosting

Yesterday was an incredibly windy day here in southern Ontario. There was a lot of wind damage across the province. I had a late morning appointment in Mississauga and I decided to venture down to the lake to check out the waves. Incredibly much of the clouds were blown away and the sun and some blue sky managed to peak through the remaining clouds.IMG_1332

One of the unexpected pluses of journeying down to the lake was coming across this beautiful old mansion that has since become a historical site and campus for the Royal Conservatory of Music.

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According to Wikipedia:

The land on which the property is built was acquired by Joseph Cawthra in 1809. The farmland, which came to be known as the Grove Farm, was granted to Agar Adamson and Mabel Cawthra as a wedding gift.[2]

Agar Adamson, born on Christmas Day 1865, was the grandson of William Agar Adamson an influential Toronto clergyman. He married into the Cawthra family whose legacy in Peel lives on through the Cawthra Estate located near the intersection of the Cawthra Road and the Queen Elizabeth Way. Their legacy comes from supplying eastern white pine logs for ship masts in the British Royal Navy.[3][4] by Sandra Gwyn. He served under General Arthur Currie. Insights into his time at war may be seen in the CBC series The Great War[2] which features Talbot Papineau, another of the four Canadians featured in the book.

Agar Adamson designed and built the Belgian-style mansion on this land in 1919, after returning from the wartime service in France. In 1943, his son Anthony Adamson added a home for himself on the property. 

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In 1975 the estate was sold to the Credit Valley Conservation Authority and is now part of a public park on the Waterfront Trail.

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Is Spring Just Around the Corner?

…..don’t get your hopes up

This past weekend we’ve seen warmer temperatures, thawing snow, rain and grey skies. Certainly signs that spring can’t be too far off but I’m sure winter is not finished with us just yet. Here are a few photos that might give you hope that spring is just around the corner.

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WPC – Tour Guide of Toronto

….thanks to Word Press  for a theme close to my heart

People always ask me if I’ll move away from Toronto when I retire. I can’t imagine living anywhere else right now. I live in the southwestern area of Toronto more commonly known as New Toronto or South Etobicoke. I love being 15 minutes from downtown (depending on the time of day) and being able to take advantage of all the city has to offer. On the other hand, I feel blessed to live where I do. A century ago people used to travel to this neighbourhood from downtown because they had cottages here on the lake. A few of those old structures still stand today but they are quickly being eaten up by renovators who appreciate the value of the land.

My father recently moved back here after living in Oshawa for 20 years. He feels like he’s come back home. Nothing beats the view of the city skyline that I see everyday at the bottom of the street where I’ve lived for 39 years.

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I love the nature trails and beautiful parks that you can find all over the city. The big one in my neighbourhood has wonderful hiking and biking paths that wind through Colonel Samuel Smith Park and the Humber College grounds. Part of it is a naturalized area with a pond in the middle and Lake Ontario at the south end. We have more wildlife here than we do at my cottage. It’s not unusual to see coyotes, foxes, beavers, turtles, o’possums, racoons, skunks and the occasional deer. We have birds and waterfowl galore. In the summer many people come to the park to take advantage of the beaches that line the eastern side of the extension to get relief from the heat or to paddle or kite surf.

If you’re not into nature the city offers the best in museums, art galleries, aquariums, recreational sports and the best restaurants.