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05/22/2006: "3 Walks by Todd"
There was a Globe and Mail artical about the Toronto Psychogeography Society last saturday. Todd Irvine remembered a few walks, two of which were excerpted for the article. Here are all three full length.
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High Park in winter
It was minus 20 and there were only 5-6 of us that braved the cold. It had recently snowed, and everything was still and silent. We began at Keele station and then made our way into the Park. It was a bright moon that night I recall because the shadows of the trees on the snow were so pronounced. We came to Grenadier pond and there was a moment of debate whether the ice was frozen enough to hold us, I argued that it was and we proceeded onto it. To be in the middle of a pond in the dark of night without any other humans around was really remarkable. We felt so isolated and alone in a city of 2.5 million people. We slid on a open patch of ice for some time, something most of us had likely not done for 10-15 years, and then left the park, crossed under the DVP and went down to the wind-swept shore of Lake Ontario.
CNE
I don’t recall where this walk began, but there was a fairly large group of us (10-12) and we ventured onto the grounds of the CNE. The exhibition had completed only a couple days before so there was much detritus. It was striking how unimpeded our travels were, which is often the case on our walks, we found ourselves walking through areas that we would have expected to be kept out of. Most memorable that night was being able to walk right up beside the “Double Looper” rollercoaster (or whatever it is called) when it was half dismantled. Also, we walked through an area of parking lot that was obviously where all the Carnies’ (workers who travel with the carnival) living trailers had been. I say obviously because you could almost make out outlines of each trailer due to the garbage strewn around. There were many interesting artifacts that attested to the life of a carnie (used condoms, stuffed animals, CD’s, lots of fast food containers, clothes, etc.), you could almost feel their presence lingering. To be wandering completely alone in a place that days before would have been teeming with tens of thousands of people was a very satisfying experience. It had a post-apocalyptic feel, but it was also so calm. I felt that we had a backstage pass, that we were able to look behind the glitz and lights of the big show and see the apparatus behind the scenes that holds it all together.
Portlands
One of our most ambitious walks was one that started at Union Station. We met in the main hall of Union and spent a long time staring up at the ceiling and the names of cities that ring the walls of the vast chamber. I imagine it was the first time in a long time that each of us had spent a concerted amount of energy appreciation the grandeur of that building. We then set out and made our way along Queen’s Quay and then to Cherry beach. This was back when Tent City was still there (at cherry and lakeshore) and we looked in at the makeshift homes through the fence trying to imagine what there lives of the squatters be like. We crossed the mechanical draw-bridge on cherry st. and noticed a group of 5 people gathered under the light to the entrance of an old industrial structure. It was a strange sight considering the time of night so we went closer to investigate. It turned out to be a fashion photo shoot, and there was an attractive scantily clad women (girl) posing in numerous ways against a brick wall. We carried on a few blocks and then came upon an actual movie shoot (no relation to the photo shoot) in an empty parking lot surrounded by chain link fence. There had to be over 100 people involved. At the moment we arrived they were about to drag a car upside down with people inside, sparks flying etc. We watched that for a while and the continued on to cherry beach proper. The beach was nearly abandon of course and we walked slowly under the large poplars along that stretch of land. We went out to the western tip of land and looked back at the city lights, an interesting perspective. As we made our way back to cherry road to home a member of the group, whom had never joined us before, suggested that we walk a little further east along the water to see an interesting sight. As it was still fairly early the rest of us agreed. We walked by the rows of cars with people making out, which must have been a surprise for the unsuspecting couples. Once passed the parking lot we soon came upon an old chain link fence and beyond an industrial yard populated with enormous abandoned oil storage drums. We made our way onto the property through a hole in the fence and soon were climbing atop (3 story's high, what a view) and inside (dark, but remarkable acoustics) the rusty structures. It was like being adolescents again, exploring. I remember everyone being excited and inquisitive, nobody made motions to leave or expressed concern that we were trespassing, what we were doing was simply too much fun to worry about that. After spending a good amount of time clamoring inside and atop the drums we slipped back through the hole in the fence and continued east until we came to the “tree graveyard” as it has been named. The tree graveyard is a large depot in Unwynn where the city forestry department dumps all the trunks of the giant street and park trees that have died and been cut down. It is quite a moving sight, to see the piles of hulking logs that were not long ago living somewhere in forest hill or Roncessvale. After the tree graveyard we passed the empty power-plant and then took Leslie street back to civilization. We ended at the Tim Hortons at Leslie and Lakeshore (where our walk the other night passed) which was jarring to say the least considering what we had experienced in the hours previous. I remember looking at the other patrons in the restaurant and thinking “they have no idea where we have been”. It felt great to have secret like that.
