10th Annual PUG Awards - Celebrating the Best in Toronto Architecture and Planning

"The Annual Pug Awards debuted in 2004 and celebrate the best in Toronto Architecture and Planning. Founded by Anna Simone, principal of design firm Cecconi Simone, and Gary Berman, President of real estate financier Tricon Capital Group, the awards invite the public to vote on the best, the middling and worst of Toronto's newest real estate developments. Their goal is to inform the public about design excellence and ultimately contribute to the growth and prosperity of Toronto. The Awards are made possible by the generous support of numerous sponsors and the Pug Awards advisory board."
Visit http://www.pugawards.com/pug/awards/about to read more.

Torontonians cast their votes for the best and worst new buildings from a field of 43 Residential and Commercial / Institutional nominees through online voting which took place from May 1st to May 31st at www.pugawards.com.  They were also encouraged to vote online between June 1-7 for the “Best of the Best” architecture in Toronto spanning the last decade.

Here are the results, published June 19, 2014.
Voted Toronto's Best

2014 People’s Choice for Best Residential Building 

River City – Phase 1 

2014 People’s Choice for Best Commercial or Institutional Building:

Bridegepoint Active Healthcare 

Best of the Best Architecture in Toronto 

Best Residential Building of the Past Ten Years, 2004 – 2014 

500 Wellington 

Best of the Best Architecture in Toronto 

Best Commercial or Institutional Building of the Past Ten Years, 2004 – 2014 

Gardiner Museum 

FINAL RANKINGS FOR ALL NOMINEES 2014

Residential 

Positive Scores 

1. River City – Phase 1 

2. Market Wharf 

3. Clear Spirit at the Distillery 

4. The Ninety 

5. Toronto Community Housing Corporation, Block 32 

6. ThirtyTwo Camden 

7. The King East !

Negative Scores
8. Art Condos 

9. Charlie Condo

10. The Berczy 

11. Liberty Market Lofts 

12. Parade at Concord CityPlace 

13. The Florian 

14. Garrison at Fort York 

15. Sync Lofts 

16. The Rushton Residences 

17. Twenty One Clairtrell 

18. Couture The Condominium 

19. Fly Condominiums 

20. Minto775 King West 

21. Lofts 399 

22. Gramercy Park 

23. 300 Front 

24. Cinema Tower 

25. 8 Gladstone 

26. Ventus II at Metrogate 

27. The Palm Condominium Residences 

28. Liberty on the Park Condominiums 

29. King West Condominiums in Liberty Village 

30. The Avanti 

31. Bridge & Connect Condos 

32. Bravo Boutique Condominiums 

Commercial or Institutional 

Positive Scores 

1. Bridgepoint Active Healthcare 

2. Goldring Student Centre at Victoria University / Wymilwood Restoration 

3. The Peter Gilgan Centre for Research and Learning The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) 

4. The Sisters of St. Joseph Residence 

5. Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati Catholic School 

6. Forensics Services and Coroner's Complex (FSCC) 

7. MaRS Centre Phase 2, MaRS Discovery District 

8. Krembil Discovery Tower 

Negative Scores 

9. Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada 

10. St. Ambrose Catholic School 

11. St. Nicholas Catholic School

Complete information and photos at http://www.pugawards.com/pug/2014-nominees

The History of Toronto in Photos

Enjoy this terrific Blog Column from Blogto.com by +Derek Flack.

Absolutely wonderful photos and photo links to a Toronto of the past.

  

The history of Toronto in photos

Posted by Derek Flack / DECEMBER 5, 2011

The history of Toronto in photos is a post I've been toying with putting together for a while. Having spent considerable time digging through the digital holdings of the Toronto Archives, it just seemed to make sense to pull all of these various posts together into one place — hence the ambitious title. This is not, of course, an authoritative history of this city (far from from it), but the 90 some odd posts linked to below provide a thematically organized visual overview of Toronto that I hope will be worth a return visit or two for those interested in the city of yesteryear. I also have every intention of adding to this little archive as additional historical posts are published on the site.

The vast majority of the photographs featured below derive from the Toronto Archives, which means that should you see something that you really like, it's probably available for purchase from the source. For those interested in a less visually oriented take on Toronto history, there is also our Nostalgia Tripping series, which was designed to be a bit more about storytelling than just the photos.

After having scanned the links below, should you have ideas for other posts that you'd like us to pursue, I'd be grateful for the feedback/suggestions. Here is our ongoing history of Toronto in photos.

Lost Toronto

The top 10 buildings lost to demolition in Toronto
The lost trains stations of Toronto
The lost movie theatres of Toronto
The lost hotels of Toronto
The top 10 unbuilt projects in Toronto



The TTC

What TTC subway cars used to look like
What TTC buses used to look like in Toronto
A visual history of Toronto streetcars
The route the Toronto subway might have taken
Original renderings of TTC subway stations
What ever happened to the Queen Street subway line?
When the subway system was shiny and new
90 years of the TTC in photos and videos
A fond farewell to the TTC's fishbowl buses



Cityscape

What expressways used to look like in Toronto
What the suburbs used to look like around Toronto
What banks used to look like in Toronto
What the CNE used to look like
What Trinity Bellwoods Park used to look like
What sports stadiums used to look like in Toronto
What beaches used to look like in Toronto
What malls used to look like in Toronto
What grocery stores used to look like in Toronto
What gas stations used to look like in Toronto
What butcher shops used to look like in Toronto
What variety stores used to look like in Toronto



Streets and intersections

A visual history of Jarvis Street
A Visual history of Dupont Street
What King West looked like in the 1980s
What Yonge Street looked like in the 1970s
That time when Toronto widened the streets
A visual history of Queen and Bay
A visual history of Yonge and Queen
A visual history of Queen, King and Roncesvalles
A visual history of Yonge and Bloor
A visual history of Yonge and Dundas



Structures and buildings

The tragic fate of the Temple Building
A visual history of the Royal York Hotel
When Union Station was shiny and new
What City Hall might have looked like in Toronto
The CN Tower turns 35-years-old
The changing face of First Canadian Place
The birth of the Queen Street Subway (no, not that one)
The birth of the Bloor Viaduct
The birth of the Gardiner Expressway
When the Toronto skyline got its jolt of modernism
A look back at the birth of the SkyDome
The Eaton Centre turns 35 years old
A lesson in heritage restoration at Queen & Bathurst
How to research the history of your house or apartment



Non-TTC transportation


A visual history of the Railway Lands
A visual history of Toronto ferries
A visual history of Toronto taxicabs



Places / Neighbourhoods

A visual history of Kensington Market
A visual history of the Toronto Islands
When the Distillery District produced booze and bombs
That time Toronto filled in the harbour
What Queen's Quay looked like before the condos
What the Port Lands used to look like
What Liberty Village looked like before the condos



Vintage Toronto

Vintage signage in Toronto
Vintage signage in Toronto redux
Vintage photographs of Toronto at night
Vintage computers and technology in Toronto
Vintage photographs of snow in Toronto
Vintage photographs of winter in Toronto



Photographers

The Toronto of William James, the city's most prolific early photographer
The Toronto photographs of Ellis Wiley
The TTC photographs of Eric Trussler
The Toronto photographs of Arthur Goss



Art, maps and other documents

Toronto in art from the 1830s to the 1980s
The Detroit Publishing Company's Toronto photos
The 1856 panorama of Toronto
The Bird's Eye View of Toronto map
Goad's Fire Atlas of Toronto
Nostalgia tripping via vintage postcards
Vintage postcards redux
If you like historical maps of Toronto, go here



It wasn't always so rosy...

A look back at when Toronto was a city run on coal
A look back at when Toronto was kind of filthy
That time when Toronto was a city of parking lots
The great Toronto fire of 1904



Overviews

Aerial photographs of Toronto from the 1920s to the 1980s
The transformation of Toronto's skyline from 1880 to today



By decade

Toronto of the 1990s
Toronto of the 1980s
Toronto of the 1970s
Toronto of the 1960s
Toronto of the 1950s
Toronto of the 1940s
Toronto of the 1930s
Toronto of the 1920s
Toronto of the 1910s
Toronto of the 1900s
Toronto of the 1890s
Toronto of the 1880s
Toronto of the 1870s
Toronto of the 1860s
Toronto of the 1850s
Toronto prior to the 1850s



Other Toronto history resources

Toronto Archives
Ontario Archives
National Archives
Toronto Public Library
Toronto History on Flickr
The History of Toronto: An 11,000 Year Journey



Sites worth visiting for historical content
Heritage Toronto
Silent Toronto
Torontoist's Historicist series
Lost Toronto
Urban Toronto
Toronto Dreams Historical Ephemera Blog

Photos in this post derive from the Toronto Archives with the exception of the painting of a streetcar on Dundas, which is by Michel Binette ("Brush Strokes on Dundas Street" 1979).

http://www.blogto.com/city/2011/12/the_history_of_toronto_in_photos/

'THIRD ROUND' OF FIGHT TO END CANCER

MEDIA CONTACT: David Kelly, Public Relations Director Fight To End Cancer david@fighttoendcancer.com 905-616-0113 For Immediate Release Thursday June 10, 2014 'THIRD ROUND' OF FIGHT TO END CANCER A KNOCKOUT SUCCESS! 3RD ANNUAL BLACK-TIE GALA DELIVERS OVER $85K IN COMMUNITY SUPPORT Fight To End Cancer Official Fight Team and Coaches on the Red Carpet at the 2014 Gala on May 31 at the Old Mill Inn Toronto. Photo Credit: Rebecca Freeman Tuesday, June 10, 2014 -TORONTO, ON - The minute you stepped onto the red carpet you knew you were in for an evening like no other. Fight To End Cancer's (FTEC) Third Annual black-tie gala was the biggest and most successful year yet! The sold out event hosted by the luxurious Old Mill Inn Toronto, brought together some of the city's top executives and influencers who banded together and cheered on the 2014 Official Fight Team, as they stepped into the boxing ring to literally fight to end cancer; all in support of the Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation. Andrew Young (red trunks) of Geek Oracle versus Derek Van Doorn (black trunks) of Loopstra Nixon LLP - Much anticipated Heavyweight bout won by Van Doorn. Over 600 guests packed into the Old Mill Inn filling the venue with energy that could be felt across Toronto. Mitch Krystantos, FTEC2014 Main Event opponent to Simon Miller - Both fighters raised over $13,000.00 individually. Eagle - FTEC Title Event Parter Left to Right: Janis Grantham and Kevin Dee of Eagle Professional Resources, Jennifer Huggins Founder of Fight To End Cancer. Five sanctioned Olympic Style Boxing matches were the perfect celebration for the commitment and hard work of the 2014 fighters. After over six months of intense training and fundraising; all ten fighters are true champions. FTEC's motto 'Defeat Is Not An Option' is the reality for this team as they rallied together and raised an astounding $50,000.00 within their personal networks. Coupled with the night's additional fundraising efforts at the gala, over $85,000.00 will be donated to the Princess Margaret in 2014! After three strong years of fundraising efforts, the Fight To End Cancer has now successfully raised $150,000.00 in direct donations to the hospital's foundation. Eagle Professional Resources, joined the team as FTEC's first ever Title Partner. Having Eagle in the corner gave way for this years event to become a Knockout Success! Kevin Dee, Eagle's CEO, had this to say about his company's involvement for the year: "At Eagle we will always support the communities in which we operate, that is our responsibility. When we are able to bring value to a first class event like the Fight To End Cancer, while supporting a fantastic cause, it just makes the giving that much more enjoyable. Great job by the organizers, unbelievable commitment and courage demonstrated by the fighters and a great night had by all." Through the hard work and dedication of Fight To End Cancer's founder, Jennifer Huggins, and the entire executive planning team and volunteers, this fundraiser continues to grow each year. As they look to start planning for 2015, Jennifer took a moment to share her thoughts on this year's successes: "This years experience has been comparable to none. Each team involved in this years event have made it their personal mission Fight To End Cancer. What started as a personal vision, has now evolved into a journey shared by the fighters, volunteers, sponsors and guests." With incredibly strong interest from corporate executives who are already looking to join our 2015 fight team and companies approaching us to come on board as sponsors for next year and beyond; it appears as though Fight To End Cancer will be 'lacing up' for even greater future success. Our core mission to knock-out cancer in our lifetime, will be fulfilled. Believe it! -30- Photos available upon request and at http://www.fighttoendcancer.com Interview Opportunities: Interview Opportunities in studio, at boxing gym location or, via phone, email, Twitter, Facebook with: FTEC 2014 Fight Team participants (contacts available upon request) Jennifer Huggins (Executive Director and Founder, Fight To End Cancer) Virgil Barrow (FTEC Fight Team Captain, Kingsway Boxing Club) Kelly Dickinson (Special Event Manager,The Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation) Kevin Dee (FTEC Title Partner, Eagle Professional Resources) About The Fight To End Cancer The Fight To End Cancer Gala is an annual black-tie fundraiser founded in 2011 by Jennifer Huggins. We have chosen to partner with the Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation due to their direct support within the community. Our goal is to raise funds for cancer research year-round with the support of the local community and business owners. Let's make a difference now in the fight to end cancer for a long and successful future for everyone. This is an event like no other and has quickly become one of the most anticipated events in Toronto. http://www.fighttoendcancer.com About The Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation The Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation at University Health Network raises funds for breakthrough research, exemplary teaching and compassionate care at Princess Margaret Hospital and its research arm, the Ontario Cancer Institute, which now includes The Campbell Family Cancer Research Institute and The Campbell Family Breast Cancer Research Institute. More information about the Foundation can be found at http://www.thepmcf.ca About The Kingsway Boxing Club You are not in this alone! This is how Kingsway Boxing feels about the battle against cancer. The Fight To End Cancer Fight Team proves to those who are fighting, have fought or have been in some way affected by cancer, that they are not fighting alone! We are proudly working with the Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation to help Fight To End Cancer. It is an honor to be fighting for such a worthy cause!http://www.kingswayboxingclub.com

86,400

www.thethingswesay.com

The Little Red Schoolhouse

ETOBICOKE HISTORY CORNER: Remembering the lessons learned in the ‘little red schoolhouse’

School class Photo/COURTESY
The students of School Section No. 6 in Highfield, Etobicoke, located on east side of Highway 27, south of Rexdale Blvd., in 1939. Nelson Moody is in the front row, fifth from the right. Teacher Dorothy Moody at rear left is Nelson’s aunt.
Etobicoke Guardian
By Denise Harris

The iconic ‘little red schoolhouse’ has all but disappeared from Ontario’s landscape, but once upon a time, those stalwart brick buildings with one room and one teacher were the mainstay of our educational system.

Highfield was a village in Etobicoke at the western end of today’s Rexdale Boulevard. John Moody settled in the area in 1831 and three years later married Sarah Gardhouse. Their great-great-grandson, Nelson Moody, attended Highfield’s school, as did many members of his family before him. Recently, Nelson got in touch with me and kindly shared pictures and stories of his ‘little red schoolhouse’.

In 1845, School Section No. 6 was organized in Highfield and a log schoolhouse was built at Rexdale and Martin Grove. School attendance was made compulsory in Ontario the next year. Parents initially paid 25 cents a month per child, but in 1858 all fees were eliminated. The school year was 11 months and seven days long, until 1909 when a September to June school year was implemented. Highfield’s first teachers were members of the community, but in 1853 the trustees hired their first certified teacher, James Srigbey.

By 1874, the village had outgrown the log school, and a new one-room brick schoolhouse was built on a one acre lot the east side of Hwy. 27, just south of Rexdale, on land purchased from James and Ann Gardhouse for $150. The new school required 31,000 red bricks at a cost of $6.75 for 1,000, and 1,360 white bricks at a cost of $10 for 1,000, and the total cost of the building was $1,789. It was heated with a cast-iron wood stove, water was supplied by an outdoor hand pump, and the bathrooms were outhouses. Over the front entrance a plaque proclaimed “School Section No. 6 - Erected A.D. 1874.”

Miss C. Buchanan, the first teacher in the new school, earned $100 a year. In 1941, the students were delighted when indoor bathrooms were installed – one on each side of the front door. However the school never had any plumbing, so the toilets emptied directly into pipes leading underground. Many a hat was lost down those pipes, thanks to student pranksters.

Etobicoke’s population increased rapidly during the post-war boom and in 1949 the Etobicoke Board of Education was formed. The board built new, larger schools across the township, making the little red schoolhouses redundant. Highfield’s school closed in 1954 and the children were then bussed to Thistletown. The school was demolished to widen Hwy. 27 in 1957. In 1964, a new Highfield Junior School opened on Mount Olive Drive, and the old “School Section No. 6” stone is now mounted in that school’s lobby.

Denise Harris is the Heritage Officer of the Etobicoke Historical Society, and she has been researching, writing, leading walking tours and giving lectures on local history for over 15 years. She can be reached at denise.harris@sympatico.ca . Her column appears every second week in The Etobicoke Guardian.