Below zero in temperature but still above average in sights

Standing on Dundas Square, I take a deep breath. Wrapping my scarf tightly around my neck, I contemplate taking the streetcar as I watch a long line of bodies climb in -- faceless people hidden under multiple layers of fabric. I think to myself how little Torontonians seem to care about the beauty of the city when it’s cold outside. Too occupied trying to determine the fastest route to any given location or otherwise buried under clothing, we scurry off to our destinations with ours eyes shut. Rarely do we stop to actually look around, take note of what’s around us or even think about how each location compliments other places in its vicinity. Exhaling at last and watching the burst of steamy air surround me, I clutch my notepad and pen firmly inside my coat pocket and begin my westward trek.

I decide to keep my hood off and instead brave the icy temperature to avoid the risk of missing any worthy sights caught by my peripheral vision. Walking along, immediately I am struck by the rhythm of this stretch of the city. Moments before, I stood at the core of downtown, footsteps away from the landmarks of a fast-paced and heavily commercialized modern environment. But now, the 360-store shopping mall, Toronto Eaton Centre and Ryerson University’s media-driven sense of urgency and business spirit take a backseat to the more relaxed and soothing atmosphere of an artist’s world.


It is still a part of Toronto’s urban culture but at a relatively slower speed and heightened sense of comfort to outsiders like myself. Banners blow above my head advertising concerts and art shows while a string of restaurants, convenient stores and coffee shops greet me. Among these sits St. Patrick's Roman Catholic Church on McCaul St. and tucked away in a tiny corner, I catch a glimpse of a small space that separates the church from surrounding buildings. The strong intimidating grey stone of the church is set next to the modest brick house and divided by a barely visible fence enveloped by opposite sets of stairs leading to completely different locations. These two juxtaposed structures balance each other to illustrate the artistic individuality that lies spread out before me across this portion of Dundas West, aptly referred to as the Discovery District.

Between McCaul Street and Beverley Street, The Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO) is being mended with a prominent sign informing people of its opening later this year. The sun splashing off the reflection of the glass blinds me in one eye and in that moment I can only see one side of thee transitioning building: the finished half. As I stand with construction worker Brad Givokue, we both observe the meticulously planned masterpiece developing before us. Givokue is one of several hundred workers involved in the project that aims to increase art viewing space by about 47 per cent and create expansions not only structurally but also throughout the various programs the gallery offers. “Everything has been going well. The inside is being dry-walled now and we’re mostly concerned about the cosmetic portion of (the construction),” he said. “It should be ready for opening in late fall or early winter."

The Ontario College of Art and Design (OCAD) and the Anne Tanenbaum Gallery School, located steps from the AGO, follow this pattern of art captured in a tightly-knitted space. I crane my neck to peer at the towering crayons outside OCAD and wonder if these colourful surroundings manage to subconsciously ignite creative sparks in all the aspiring artists who attend classes there. Some of the students at OCAD, such as advertising majors Scott Smirnoff and Elaine Yiannakoulias, like the AGO’s new design and look forward to the opening. Others like drawing and painting student Julii McMillan find the constructio

n inconvenient at times: “I haven’t been able to walk on the left side of the street for a while.”

Finished my walk and thoroughly pink in the cheeks, I’m happy to have been able to add a bit of colour to my day. It’s easy to smell the roses in the summer but I felt more fulfilled choosing to take in the outdoors while others were taking the first entrance inside to escape it.