Today we go to the Canadian city of Toronto to see a beautiful piece of artwork by artists Dai Skuse and Kim Kozzi who work under the name of Fastwurms. The artwork installed in 1997 is called the Woodpecker Column and is built from fiberglass and steel. The column is 30 metres tall and has an amazing pileated woodpecker hanging off it. ther is another piece closeby with a yellow bellied sap sucker which is also quiet beautiful. The artwork is infront of teh Toronto Convention Centre and is beautifuly set amongst the trees expecially in the Fall when we took this photo with amazing orange follage.
Last year the Canadian city of Vancouver hosted the Winter Olympic Games and had a pretty impressive Olympic Cauldron which held the flame. Ten metre high flame was made of steel and glass resembled huge ice pillars. After the games the city decided to put the beautiful sculpture on display in the city for all to see as a legacy of a fine Winter Olympics. The cauldron has been installed in downtown Vancouver at Jack Poole Plaza not far from the convention centre and international cruise liner terminal, so it is in very easy reach of tourists wanting a photo. Read the rest of this entry »
The Bonsecours Market can be found in the French speaking city of Montreal in Canada and is a beautiful domed building dating back to 1847. The market is the central point of Old Montreal which features some of the city’s most beautiful and historic buildings. Designed by architect William Footner the market was home to the City Hall and also briefly housed the Parliament of United Canada back in 1949. The building today is home to a variety of specialty stores, cafes, and quaint boutiques offering some beautiful 17th century splendour. The market houses huge exhibition spaces which are booked for fairs, and other events, there are also some wonderful art exhibitions which are well worthy of a visit.
The Stade Olympique or Montreal Olympic Stadium was built for the 1976 Montreal Olympic Games and still today is the world’s tallest inclined tower measuring 175 metres. The tower is recognised as one of the World Federation of Great Towers which includes some of the world’s most impressive buildings. The structure today is used for special events, concerts and the odd sporting event. The stadium has had a fairly chequered life, with a huge blow out in original cost . It was expected the stadium would cost in the vicinity of $770 million Canadian to pay off but some much needed modifications and repairs took the final cost to nearly 1.5 billion dollars, and took over 30 years to repay. Read the rest of this entry »
Until the company’s bankruptcy in 1999 Eaton’s was a beloved Canadian institution in retail stores and catalog stores. But today the name remains as Toronto’s premier shopping mall. the amazing centre features over 300 stores with just about everything imaginable on sale and also houses some pretty good restaurants cafes and hours of enjoyment for all. The focal point of the centre is a magnificent fountain which shoots water over 30 metres into the air, and the 265 metre long glass galleria gives the centre a airy and spacious feeling all year round. The Bay or Hudson Bay is the centre’s largest department store and has floors and floors of merchandise- they even have a gallery where you can see 400 of the finest examples of Canadian Art a must for any art lover. Be sure to visit the Labyrinth- here the paths of the Chartes Cathedral in France have been reproduced- they are quiet stunning. The centre is so huge there are colour coded signs so you know what direction you are heading- red sends you south, orange to the west, Blue to the north and yellow heads you easterly- a great idea for those direction challenged. Read the rest of this entry »
The CN Tower in Toronto is the tallest structure in North America standing at a huge 553 metres, and was the tallest structure in the world for 31 years until the monstrous Burj Dubai building went higher last year. The tower is basically a communications tower used for broadcasting TV and the like and opened to the public as a the world’s highest lookout in 1976. The tower has two visitor levels one at 346 metres and another one 100 metres higher at 446 metres offering amazing views of the surrounding city and lake, and on a good day you can even see into the USA and Niagara Falls. One highlight of the tower is a glass bottom floor where brave people can see nothing below their feet- it really is a weird feeling. The tower is a member of the Federation of Great Towers and was declared one of the Seven Wonders of the World by the American Society of Civil Engineers.
The Distillery District in Toronto is the hippest and most happening place in the city. Jam packed with boutique shopping, galleries, artist studios, some of the city’s best dining and plenty of entertainment this place is really going off. The pedestrian only village is a huge collection of preserved Victorian era industrial buildings including the Gooderham & Worts Distillery which was founded way back in 1832 by James Worts and William Gooderham. The distillery ceased producing alcohol in 1990 development of the 15 acre area began in 2003. When visiting make sure you go on an empty stomach, there are some amazing dining experiences to try including Pure Spirits Oyster and the best pastries you have ever tried from Grand Piano Pastries, they are mouth watering. Read the rest of this entry »
Imagine a shopping mall as big as a small country, well the West Edmonton Mall in Canada is bigger than Vatican City- hows that. It’s huge with over 350,000 square metres of shopping and entertainment. The huge complex employs around 23,000 people and has anything up to 150,000 people shopping, dining or having fun there every day. Along with over 800 shops the centre has a monstrous entertainment zone which would rival any theme park with an icerink, waterpark with wave pool and huge waterslides. An aquarium which is home to sea lions, and a submarine ride which had more submarines than the Canadian Navy until recently. Roller coasters, golf, theatres, a casino and even a replica of Christopher Columbus’s ship the Santa Maria. There even a huge nightclub and restaurant district called Bourbon street which has comedy clubs, rib houses, bars and some great pizza. There’s a China town and even a flash new Europa Boulevard which sells the latest European fashion- and I must mention the flock of pink flamingos, the shooting range and the cinemas. The place is just amazing. You need at least 2 days if not an entire week to really absorb the place and you probably need just as long to find your car in the 20,000 car carpark. There are plans to make the place even bigger, they are not to happy about being knocked off as the biggest by a new centre in Dubai and another huge place being built in Beijing. Read the rest of this entry »
Imagine a beaver 15 ft tall, 18 feet long and 10 feet wide weighing in at 3000 points well next to highway 43 in Beaverlodge Alberta you might just see one. But don’t be too alarmed he is not going to eat you alive he is made of foam, steel and polyurethane. The beaver was built in 2004 as part of the towns 75th anniversary celebrations and had become the town’s favorite attraction. The areas around Beaverlodge as you would expect by the name are homes to the beaver which is the world’s largest rodent. These busy little fellows build dams in the waters out of mud, stones and branches. Read the rest of this entry »
The Vancouver Aquarium in Canada has had a You Tube hit on its hands with 2 of their furry little otters. The video has been You Tube’s biggest animal video for a few weeks now and over 1.5 million people have viewed it each week. It shows a video which was actually taken about five years ago of two otters holding hands and looking very cute. The aquarium is hoping for bumper traffic for people rushing to see this little critters live and hopes that the touching story about Nyac the female, who survived the horrific Exxon Valdez Oil spill will help educate people about the importance of the coastal environment. Read the rest of this entry »
