Open Wide!

Every year, the Toronto Star sponsors a "Doors Open" program on the third weekend of May. Hundreds of interesting buildings open their doors to the public. We have always wanted to go but it has usually been the case that Kelly works on that weekend. Not this year! We checked out a couple of sites.

The first was the kitchen of the new restaurant at George Brown College's culinary school. Shiny, pristine stainless steel. Counters, cupboards, coolers, fridges, freezers, even the walls and ceiling: all spotless.


It occurs to me, as a regular viewer of Restaurant Makeover where it seems many commercial kitchens rely on a Coleman stove and a beer fridge, that students who cut their teeth in this beautiful, functional space are going to have their souls destroyed when they get their first job.

The gas stoves are beautiful, and powerful. One of these burners could probably melt our little Kenmore.

Continuing along the gas theme, we moved up the road to St. Lawrence Hall, the City of Toronto's first public meeting space, built in 1850. Much historic hot air, and a main reception room that is still gaslit. This huge chandelier and a host of wall sconces were burning brightly in the afternoon sun.


The room was being set for a wedding reception. The DJ was running a soundcheck, and the beat of Madonna's "Justify My Love" combined with the smell of gas from the lamps made for an interesting juxtaposition.

We visited St. James Cathedral, where I saw Desmond Tutu give the homily at Archbishop Ted Scott's funeral a few years ago. I can still see this tiny man, in his gold bishop's mitre, processing in a sea of people.


We also visited a mosque that has been established in an old bank building downtown.


And on the way home, stopped to look at the newly redecorated Museum subway station. The background of the signage is heiroglyphics, highlighting the Royal Ontario Museum's enormous Egyptian collection.


The structural pillars in the station have been refitted with casts of iconic pieces of the Musems key collections. There are Doric columns from Greece, and Osiris, the Egyptian God of the Dead (although budget restrictions meant that he had to be white, not green). This recreation of a temple entrance honours the ancient Chinese collections.


Mesoamerica has its say with a Toltec warrior:


And the Native Canadian gallery is represented by this Haida housepost -- a bear.


Here comes the train ... watch out.