Hybrid Inhabitor

Urban Sights at the CONTACT Photography Festival

The CONTACT Photography Festival is a gallery event across Toronto all May, and most of it’s free! 

Above is the opening of an exhibit on Cambodian modernization at a little gallery called Art Square. I love it, they have a cafe that makes organic chocolates and a comfortable atmosphere among all the art on the walls. In contrast, the gallery sits directly across the street from the gi-normous Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO). The photos were very cool: black and white scenes of Cambodian high-rise construction. Take my breathe away! Health and safety regulations are practically non-existent there. Imagine dangling thousands of feet in the air on planks with no safety harnesses.

The other 2 pics are from an exhibit called Full Frontal T.O. The photographer took pics of everyday city locations and chronicled them through the decades so you could compare a building in the ’80s, ’90s and ’00s. What I love about these images is they show the gritty but energetic colour and character of Toronto’s urban environment. That’s something to love about this city. Extraordinary features in everyday life, awesome.

The only hoop to jump through to enjoy this festival is you need to plot out the different locations you want to check out. What a great excuse to meander the streets on beautiful, sunny days and check out new neighbourhoods though! Plus, see some inspiring images. If you’ve seen any of the CONTACT exhibits this year, let me know, I’ll reblog them here.

Owl Steals the Show at Spring Bird Festival

I could not have been more ecstatic to see a real, live Great Horned Owl at the Tommy Thompson Park Spring Bird Festival. My family has had a taxidermied Great Horned Owl in our home ever since I was little, and I remember trying to play ‘Barbie’ with it even. The nail in the top of its’ head was a little sharp though. When the real thing turned its’ head and batted its’ luscious lashes at me this weekend, I practically hooted with delight.

Meet Einstein, she is 18 years old and lives with Wild Ontario. She thinks she’s a human, a phenomenon they call ‘imprinting’. Einstein, vous êtes magnifique.

* The Tommy Thompson Park is on the east side of the city along the water on a piece of land called Leslie Spit. It’s a remarkable example of city land transformation. The spit was created over 40 years ago and is slowly being converted from a dumpsite to a wildlife refuge. In 2 years, the dumpsite may close for good, fingers crossed.

The Bruce is Warming Up

A recent road trip about 3 hours north of the city led to a spectacular natural setting. The Bruce Peninsula National Park has a reputation for being one of the most beautiful spots in Ontario. I was dying to get out of the city and be with the trees, so naturally this is where I headed.

Looking over the water of Georgian Bay (that’s Lake Huron), there were times when it could have doubled as the west coast. Odd because 20 minutes down the highway, I could have mistaken it for the prairies.

Anyways, the peninsula has a seasonal tourism industry, meaning most shops shut down for the cold months and only open in late May for the summer. Late May! Such are the cycles that come with distinctive seasons.

I’m waiting for May long-weekend, when the ‘cottage’ (not cabin) and patio season starts with a vengeance in Ontario! This trip happened almost 2 months prior to that, and already there were quite a few people site-seeing. I can’t imagine how many people will be crawling all over the peninsula soon, eager to glimpse breathtaking testaments to nature.

(Source: pc.gc.ca)