Live, Work, Play, Learn

In 1970, I moved to Toronto and lived in the same building on Maitland St., between Yonge and Church, for the next 16 years. From my balcony and my windows I could see the sights of Yonge St. and what was happening there. I had an unfettered view of the St. Charles Tavern, which was particularly lively on Halloween. Parades used to march down Yonge St – the Grey Cup Parade, the Santa Claus Parade, and more. On weekend mornings, from the direction of Church and Wellesley, came the sounds of bagpipes as the 48th Highlanders marshaled in front of their building – now the 519 Community Centre. Farther west on Wellesley, when one of the lights went out on a letter of the Sutton Place Hotel, I used to call them up to tell them – they were very grateful. Dinner parties had to take into account the Leafs playing schedule and other big events as the traffic around Maple Leaf Gardens dominated the neighbourhood! Food shopping was usually accomplished on Church St., but bigger shopping took me to Eaton’s College – a 5 minute walk away! A few blocks farther south were the jazz clubs- the Colonial Tavern and others. And one year, when there was a particularly heavy snowfall, I joined others in snowshoeing down Yonge Street. The pedestrian mall on Yonge was an interesting idea, but perhaps not sufficiently well thought out to avoid the problems which eventually ended it. Life intervened, and I moved twice more to other parts of the city. But as luck would have it, my office moved to Yonge and Carlton so I stayed near the old neighbhourhood. Other activities brought me back as well. And then, two years ago, I moved back into the area – near Jarvis and Carlton, and I am happy to be closer to Yonge St. again!