Across the road from the CN Tower is the Toronto Railway Museum, the extant remnant of the Toronto Railway lands based around the Canadian Pacific’s (CP) John Street Roundhouse.
Toronto Railway Museum from the CN Tower 15 September 2015
Strictly speaking the museum is in stall 17, with a furniture store in the lower numbered stalls and the Steam Whistle brewery in the higher number stalls. As we were visiting on a Tuesday, the museum was closed so only the external exhibits were visible, and the miniature railway was not operating. Despite this there was quite a bit to see.
The Toronto Railway Historical Association was established in 2001 with the aim of creating a museum based around the John Street Roundhouse. Working with the City of Toronto this aim was achieved with the opening of the museum on 2010.
The first thing to catch your eye when crossing the road from the CN Tower is Canadin National Railway 4-8-4-steam locomotive 6213 next to the coaling stage.
CNR 4-8-4 6213 at the coaling stage. 15 September 2015
Although most of the roundhouse is now devoted to commercial purposes, some of the tracks are still in position, and the major feature of a roundhouse, a turntable in is position. The turntable has been in position since 2007, having been removed in the 1990s during development in the area.
Originally the Railway Lands were crossed by roads. These rail and road crossing were control by watchman based in shanty huts. These were normally located on top of poles to give the occupant a clear view. The shanty in the museum grounds is a at a lower level enabling a glimpse inside.
Watchman’s Shanty 15 September 2015
As road traffic increase grade separated crossings (bridges) were built and ultimately these huts were dispensed with, culminating with the viaduct into Union Station in the 1930s.
A feature of all roundhouses is a water tower. The John Street tower still exists, painted in the colours of the Steam Whistle brewery. As well as providing water for the steam locomotives, the tower also supplied the carriage washing plant.
After doing one circuit of Toronto on the City Sightseeing Tour, we then used the open topped bus to get us to Casa Loma, the most northerly point on the sightseeing route.
Between 1911 and 1914, Sir Henry Pellatt built Casa Loma in midtown Toronto. Within ten years he was declared bankrupt and he had to sell the stately mansion. The City of Toronto now own Casa Loma and it is open to the public.
The Main Entrance of Casa Loma 14 September 2015
Entering Casa Loma from the Main Entrance, we elected to buy the Toronto Pass, as we intended to visit several of the other attractions covered during our stay, including the CN Tower and the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM).
Once through the entrance lobby, the first room is the Great Hall, featuring a Wurlitzer Organ.
Console of the Wurlitzer Organ 14 September 2015
The organ was built in 1923 for Shea’s Hippodrome Theatre. When the theatre was demolished in 1957 the organ was moved to the Maple Leaf Gardens until 1964. Through the good offices of the Toronto Theatre Organ Society is was saved from destruction and installed in Casa Loma. The inaugural concert in Casa Loma took place in February 1974.
Passing through the Library and the Dining Room, the Conservatory is reached which features a stained glass dome.
Dome of the Conservatory 14 September 2015
The Conservatory features a niche contained a classic candle stick telephone. 59 were installed throughout the building which also included its own switchboard.
The Conservatory Telephone 14 September 2015
From the Conservatory, the suggested tour took us past the Serving Room (were the food came up from the kitchens) to Sir Henry’s Study. Sir Henry had a hidden stairway up to the next floor to take him to his suite.
Four poster in Sir Henry’s Suite 14 September 2015
This led us onto to his bathroom with all modern (early 20th century) conveniences and a telephone.
Next is the suite of Lady Pellatt, whilst her bedroom is main blue and white, the sitting room (in the Scottish Tower) is brighter.
Lady Pellatt’s Sitting Room 14 September 2015
The wardrobe room of the suite is now used to display memorabilia of the Canadian Guide Movement and Lady Pellatt’s involvement. Across the corridor is a guest suite including bedroom, bathroom and sitting room, not forgetting the telephone in its niche.
Sitting Room in the Guest Suite, 14 September 2015
Leaving the Guest Suite, behind a door are the stairs to the servants quarters on the third floor. Also on the third floor is access to the roof space and the towers.
The Servant’s Room 14 September 2015
At the west end of the third floor, some of the organ pipes can be seen. Down another staircase to the second floor, the next room is the Windsor Room, so called as Sir Henry always hoped that the Royal Family would visit Toronto and stay at Casa Loma. As with many other rooms, it was provided with a telephone.
Bed in the Windsor Room 14 September 2015
Across from the Windsor Room is a corridor leading to another bedroom/suite and the Round Room, opposite which more pipes of the organ are visible.
Piano in the Round Room 14 September 2015
Down the main stairs to the Great Hall, and the western end of the ground floor is the Smoking and Billiard Room. The ceiling of the Smoking Room is provided with a landscape decoration.
Ceiling of the Smoking Room 14 September 2015
From the lower floor, access is afforded to the Potting Shed, Stables and Garage/Coach House located in Walmer Road via a tunnel to the north under Austin Road. In the Garage several vintage cars are on display, including a Maxwell Model Q Standard.
The Potting Shed 14 September 2015
Maxwell Model Q Standard 14 September 2015
Back to the main building, the gardens surround the house, which the main displays to the south.
The Scottish Tower from the south gardens. 14 September 2015
Casa Loma is well worth a visit, and with a restaurant on the lower floor, it is easy to make a day of it.
When visiting a city, there is no better way to get your bearings and an initial view than taking a City Tour. In Toronto, there are several ways, however we elected to use City Sightseeing Toronto. Using a fleet of open topped double-decker buses, and a 20 minute frequency, this was a great way to great around. As with the previous evening, we used the GO Transit trains to get into Toronto from Mississauga and the TTC Metro to reach the starting point at Yonge-Dundas Square. Our ticket was valid for three days, and having previously been on the City Sightseeing Tour in Glasgow (to show friends round my own city), we were eligible for a discount on our tickets.
Leaving Yonge-Dundas Square, the tour heads north up Yonge Street to Yorkville Avenue. This is part of the developed and developing part of the city with high rise buildings. Entering Yorkville Avenue, one of the first sights is one of the oldest buildings in the street, namely Toronto Fire Station 312.
Toronto Fire Station 312 14 September 2015
The stops along the route are numbered, and by this point we were heading towards stop 6 on Avenue Road approaching Bloor Street at the Royal Ontario Musuem (ROM).
Bloor Street West Lights 14 September 2015
Passing the ROM, stop 7 on Kendal Avenue was reached by passing up Spadina Road, passing under the CN railway tracks and turning onto Davenport Road on the southern boundary of the Casa Loma gardens. This is the stop for Casa Loma (of which more in a later post). At the top of the hill there was a view of the CN tower and downtown Toronto in the autumn sunshine.
CN Tower and downtown Toronto 14 September 2015
The route then retraced our steps to stop 8 at the south end of Spadina and then onto stop 9 at the Bata Shoe Museum on Bloor Street W, before reaching the ROM at stop 10.
Royal Ontario Museum 14 September 2015
Turning south onto Queens Park, we were now in the University area as the road curved round the park, past the Ontario Legislative Building, and onto University Avenue. In the next few blocks are several hospitals, including the Gynecologic Oncology Clinic, Toronto General Hospital, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto Rehab Foundation and the Sick Kids Foundation.
Leaving University Avenue, head reached McCaul Street and the Pencil Case, otherwise known as OCAD University. The top of the building is a long rectangular box, supported by pillars that have tapered ends in the shape of giant pencils.
At stop 14, listed as CN Tower north, the tour stops for 15 minutes for a comfort break, before heading along Front Street West towards Union Station (and stop 15).
Front Street frontage of Union Station 14 September 2015
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Passing underneath Union Station, the tour reached the base of the CN Tower and the Toronto Railway Museum. Once having passed under the Gardner Expressway, we reached the Toronto Waterfront. This is were the Harbour Cruises are based, leaving the Waterfront, we noted that there was a Beaver Tails concession, of which more later.
Heading east in the Old Town Toronto and the Distillery district, we got back onto Front Street at the Hockey Hall of Fame (stop 18) and onto St Lawrence Market (stop 19). The eastern extremity of the tour is at stop 20 in the distillery.
Toronto Skyscrapers of the Financial District 14 September 2015
Once up Trinity Street, it was west along King Street E passing St James Cathedral and reaching the final stop (stop 21). Crossing Yonge Street, we entered the Financial District and after passing the Old Town Hall turned east for the final time onto Queen Street W, becoming Queen Street E on crossing Yonge Street.
Two more left turns took us back onto Yonge Street, we had returned to Stop 1. As a result of using the City Sightseeing Tour, we decided on the following attractions over the remainder of our time in Toronto:
Casa Loma (stop 7) – 14 September 2015
CN Tower (stops 14 & 16) – 15 September 2015
Toronto Railway Museum (stop 16) – 15 September 2015
Toronto Harbour Cruise (stop 17) – 15 September 2015
Royal Ontario Museum (stop 10) – 16 September 2015
Although we had orginally thought of driving to Casa Loma, what better way than staying on the bus and following our journey from two hours previously to stop 7.
After our visit to Casa Loma, we got were lucky to get a ex-London Transport Routemaster (which had also spent time in Glasgow) to take us to Toronto Harbour. Unfortunately, due to traffic congestion as a result of a bus crash in Union Station resulting in a diversion to the route, the bus stalled as a junction and was unable to restart without the aid of a mechanic. We were close to stop 14 so we were walked to the bus that was waiting there – the newest bus in the fleet having only been built and delivered in the summer of 2015.
We stayed on the bus to Toronto Harbour, were we decided to have something to eat before heading back to Port Credit on the GO train, having the added advantage of waiting until the rush hour had died down.
At Toronto Harbour, the broken down Routemaster was there having received the attention of a mechanic and been started.
Ex-London Transport Routemaster at Toronto Harbour. 14 September 2015
As the harbour there is a Pet Shop called Paws Way with some sculptures outside.
Boxing cat outside Paws Way, Toronto Harbour 14 September 2015
After an evening meal at Williams Cafe, next to Paws Way, we walked over the Amsterdam Bridge and along the waterfront towards Union Station, were we found the Beaver Tails concession that we had spied earlier from the bus.
Smoors Beavertail 14 September 2015
Having eaten our Beaver Tails we walked back to Union Station and an evening train west.
Our first full day in Ontario, and the heavy rain that greeted us had gone, although it was still wet in the morning clearing in the afternoon.
Being Sunday, we decided that going to church would be part of our first day, and having researched the various churches, local to our hotel in Mississauga and in Toronto, an entry on the facebook group [Choral Evensong Appreciation Society] regarding a service at St Thomas’s Anglican Church on Huron Street in Toronto caught our attention.
This gave us the late morning and early afternoon to decide what to do, whilst adjusting to the five hour time difference, so we visited the local shopping mall. One of the things we wanted to do was get a canadian SIM card for the mobile phone. Given the cost of using a UK mobile phone in Canada, this was the much cheaper option. After getting lack of co-operation from the Rogers store and two other mobile phone shops, Walmart turned out to be the best bet. We got a SIM card from Fido (part of the Rogers group). After lunch in the food court and a few more purchases, including up-to-date road atlas for Ontario and the Golden Horseshoe, we headed back to our hotel.
Before leaving the UK we had considered driving into Toronto each day, however when considering our trip to St Thomas’s Church we realised that taking the train would be a better idea. Go Transit trains normally consist of 10 coach double deck carriages operated in push-pull mode with the locomotive at the east end of the train. However, we observed a few formations with locomotives at both ends.
GO Trains at Port Credit 13 September 2015
On arrival at Toronto Union station we changed on the the TTC Metro system getting a train to Spadina, the nearest to St Thomas’s.
The parish of St Thomas was established in 1874 in what was a village called Seaton, north of Bloor Street. The 1874 building was cut in two and moved to the current Huron Street site a year later. The extant building was constructed in late 1892, being consecrated in January 1893. In 1917 the chancel was extended by 24 feet and between 1919 and 1922 the current baptistry was constructed. There are several pieces of wood carving from Oberammergau in 1911.
Chancel and High Altar from the Nave. 13 September 2015
Choral Evensong was at 19:00 (7pm). The music was:
Voluntary: Prelude on Rhosymedre (R. Vaughan Williams)
Motet (sung from the west end): O taste and See (R. Vaughan Williams)
Processional Hymn: All People that on Earth do dwell [Tune: Old 100th]
Canticles: Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis in A (H. Sumsion)
Offertory Hymn: Praise the Lord, the Almighty, the King of Creation [Tune: Lobe Den Herren]
Anthem: I was Glad (C.H.H. Parry)
Canticle: Te Deum in G (R. Vaughan Williams)
Voluntary: Crown Imperial March (W. Walton)
The service was from the Canadian Book of Common Prayer and was celebrated as Solemn Evensong. We noted some parts of the liturgy that were were unusual to us. Firstly, there was no psalm. During the sensing of the altar and people with the thurble during the Magnificat, a thurifer presented the the officiant at the High Altar, however a second thurifer censed the three vested in copes in the Sanctury. When the original thurifer got to the choir, they turned away from conductor and bowed to the thurifer, firstly cantoris and secondly decani. Also during the Te Deum, towards the end everyone, including the choir, knelt for several verses. Finally, although choir and clergy entered in one procession with cross and lights. The altar party left via a door in the chancel with the cross and lights. A different crucifer, not previously seen during the service, then appeared with a plain processional cross to lead the choir out through a door at the south side by the organ.
High Altar and Reredos 13 September 2015
The Reredos was first installed in 1906/07. In the 1940s it was enhanced with the addition of nine statues, with St Thomas in the centre.
Lady Chapel 13 September 2015
Canopy over the altar of the Lady Chapel. 13 September 2015
On the north side there is the Lady Chapel, which had the canopy added in the early 1920s.
Baptistry 13 September 2015
The baptistry was added between 1919 and 1922 as a memorial to the parishioners who had died in World War I.
Finally we found our way to St Thomas’s using detail from their web site. Once inside, apart from being given an order of service, we were not welcomed by anyone. No-one asked us if it was our first time at the church or did anything to make us welcome. There was a supper being held in the hall after the service for those who had attended, and there was no invitation to join the gathering.
We left and headed back to Port Credit and our car via the TTC and GO Transit.
Our holiday began wet. Leaving home and travel to the airport was in typical rain for the west of Scotland. Following checkin, with the hold baggage checked through to Toronto, we headed through security and collected our pre-ordered currency (Canadian dollars and Icelandic Krona). As we were travelling Saga Class with Icelandair we were entitled to use the priority lounge, which is located above the Beardmore restuarant in the main departure lounge.
At around 13:20, the departure monitors identified that our flight was about to board at Gate 34.
Icelandair B757 TF-FIU (Helka Aurora) at Glasgow Airport. 12 September 2015
Our aircraft from Glasgow to Keflavik was Icelandair Boeing 757 named Helka Aurora. This aircraft recently had Aurora Borealis vinyls applied.
Although the flight was scheduled for 2 hours 20 minutes, our airborne time to Keflavik airport was 1 hour 46 minutes. Whilst on board we where served a fish dish (white fish with a seed coating).
Arriving on remote stand 20 at Keflavik meant that bus transfer to the terminal building was required.
Helka Aurora (TF-FIU) on stand 20 at Kefvalik. 12 September 2015
Fortunately, it was slightly overcast on arrival whilst descending the steps and walk to the bus that was to take us to the terminal building. Icelandair operate Keflavik as a hub airport. Around 12 flights from European airports land at Keflavik within around 30 minutes and then around 2 hours later a similar number of flights leave for North American destinations. Icelandair promote stopovers in Iceland to see some of the sights of the island as an option to direct changing of flights. Keflavik is undergoing major redevelopment, so around 90 minutes after entering the terminal building we followed temporary signs to gate 35E and a bus transfer to stand 22.
Our aircraft for the flight to Toronto was Icelandair Boeing 757 named Eyjafjallajökull (the Icelandic volcano that erupted a few years ago resulting in disruption to European Air Travel). On the flight to Toronto a hot meal was served. We selected the beef option. The dessert was a chocolate creation on a pastry base.
Main course (beef) 12 September 2015
Chocolate dessert 12 September 2015
The first part of the flight was a relatively low altitude at 29,000 ft. This did give clear views whilst travelling over the southern tip of Greenland.
Glacier on the south east of Greenland. 12 September 2015
Whilst on board, I had been posting pictures on facebook using the Wifi fitted on the plane. One of my friends responded to a posting as was surprised that I was in-flight whilst posting. Giving him the flight info, he was able to find our aircraft on a web tracker and followed us for a bit from the UK.
Once over the Canadian mainland, cloud cover meant there was no views to be seen until coming out of the clouds at Toronto into torrential rain. Landing on the northerly runway in an easterly direction, it was a short taxi to the stand at Terminal 3.
Icelandair B757 TF-FII (Eyjafjallajökull) at Toronto Pearson airport, Terminal 3, Stand C27. 12 September 2015
Although it was not far, and we did not have to queue long, to clear Canadian immigration. Our bags had already been delivered to carousel 9 and we found our way to the Car Rental desk, to pick up our car. At around 20:00 (01:00 Sunday UK time) we were driving out onto Highway 427 in the rain. The spray and surface water made it difficult to see the road markings, however we negotiated our way onto the 401 and then 403 on our way to Mississauga and our hotel for the next five nights.
Random thoughts from Pencefn 