When Peter and I first explored the neighbourhood of our new city home, we were surprised to discover an area called Baby Point. Aside from imagining little crying bodies in diapers, we were stumped. What was this area? Last Sunday we went on a Heritage Toronto tour and found out.

The area above the east banks of the Humber River north of Bloor Street West was first explored by the Seneca tribe as they navigated the Carrying Place trail. The trail led the Indigenous and their furs from northern Ontraio into the waters of the great lake. A big part of the trip was on the Humber River. This river was called lots of other names, including “Leave the Canoe and Go Back” river. The route was treacherous indeed.

In the 1670’s, according to archaeological finds, a village sprang up, likely the result of tired Seneca voyagers leaving their canoes behind and climbing the banks of the river. They built longhouses and settled down. Their village was safe due to the vantage point, and there was lots of food below. Salmon swam down the river in the spring and back up to spawn in the fall. The Seneca tribe named their village Teiaiagon which means “crossing the river.” The village stood until 1805 when the British bought the land from the Mississaugas Of the Credit as part of the Toronto Purchase.

A few years later the British gave 1500 acres of the land to James Baby (pronounced Babby) in a pretty sweet real estate deal. Baby was a member of parliament as a result of his influence in the Family Compact. He called his new estate Baby Point. He and his descendants lived there for almost 100 years. Eventually the home was demolished and the land sold. There are 2 reminders of that era: Baby’s reputation as a slave owner, and a black oak tree believed to be about 200 years old.

The 200-year-old black oak tree stands behind this more recent house

Robert Home Smith bought the land in the early 1900’s and began to develop it into a new concept – a subdivision! He envisioned a neighbourhood of elegance: winding streets surrounded by stately trees, single detached homes, made of stone or brick, set back from the streets. The entrance to this neighbourhood was marked by gates, still standing at the corner of Baby Point Road and Jane Street. Smith also dedicated 100 acres of the land along the river to be developed as a public park. And he began building what is now known as the Old Mill Hotel and Restaurant.

Baby Point Gates

Some of the edicts of the Home Smith subdivision have become bylaws and the area is still filled with mature trees and winding streets. The community is grounded at the centre by a social athletic club for residents. The only question about the future of this lovely community is the name: Baby Point. Just like Egerton Ryerson and Henry Dundas, James Baby’s history (as a slave owner) is following him. It may not be long before the name Baby Point is eradicated. Home Smith Point might be a good replacement.

Sue

The Home Smith Estate still standing on Jane St.

On Friday Peter and I discovered the perfect activity for a summer day. We suffered great hardship to get this story. OK, it wasn’t quite as bad as the explorers of the 1500’s, but it was close: we forgot our water bottles and our umbrellas.

The venue is at the CNE grounds, accessible by car, off the Lakeshore Road across from Ontario Place. Or, like us, you can take public transit. The GO train has a stop at the exhibition grounds. There is construction on the platform, so the only exit is at the west end of the station, which is of course the opposite end from where we exited the train. And there were ominous dark clouds gathering overhead.

We had some clues as to the actual spot we wanted to visit, The Garden Of the Greek Gods, near the bandshell and the rose garden. After asking several groundskeepers, we found the place. It’s a lovely park, across from the lake and near a fountain surrounded by fragrant roses in all shades of pinks and reds. There are benches too!

The park is filled with 20 limestone sculptures by E. B. Cox, 1914-2003, an internationally-known sculptor. He created these figures in the 1960’s and they were on display at the CNE for several years, until their location unfortunately became the back yard of the MuZik Nightclub, a somewhat sleazy club where even shootings have taken place. Cox’s daughter battled with CNE personnel to have the sculptures relocated. Finally, in 2022, they were moved.

The stately Greek Gods seem to enjoy their new location; there are smiles on many of their limestone faces. We were met by Hercules, the tallest of the figures. Following the path, we found the snake-headed Medusa, Pan with his reed pipes, the bird-women Harpies and many other famous Gods and Goddesses. I especially loved the irony of Narcissus because how could anybody so misshapen contine to admire his reflection?

About this time the dark clouds let loose and we ran for any covered space we could find. It was a hidden service door behind a restaurant, and it had a bench. And a cardboard box! We chatted about the sculptures and their lovely setting as we waited for the rain to let up. Then we checked out the restaurant. It was not open, not even for drinks.

By this time we were wet and thirsty. The Gods didn’t seem to be smiling on us, so we headed back towards the GO station, splashing through deep puddles and hopping over muddy ditches. And we found the grounds of the CNE strange, almost eerie, without crowds of people eating cotton candy, carrying their prize stuffies, and lining up for rides.

But we might go back. It would be nice to smell the roses on a sunny day. The godly statues deserve a closer look. And the restaurant serves Italian food.

Sue

Just over a week ago we got an exciting notice in our mailbox. Instead of the usual flyers and bills, there was something interesting to read. It was a notification of a filming that was going to happen on our street.

Peter’s first thoughts were of Sophia Loren, but I reminded him that she is 88 and not likely to be travelling this far for work. Then he focused on action-packed chases through our back yard, the actors nearly stepping on his zucchini and tomato plants. Or maybe a moose snorting along the sidewalk. A Hollywood aura; the perfect topic for a blog post. Yea!

On Monday when we looked out the window, there were no moose, but the street was lined with orange cones. Then, in the pouring rain, the trucks began to arrive. There were hundreds, well at least 25. I grabbed my phone and tried to saunter down the street, looking disinterested. I noticed a truck set up as an office, another one for wardrobe changes, and a food truck with a serving table, for food breaks. But I didn’t see much action.

The next day I decided that I needed to act more like a reporter so I could dig up the story for you, dear readers. I saw a guy standing at the food truck having a coffee. He was quite sexy and movie star-ish. I approached him, my hand on a pen in my pocket, ready for autographs. In my best reporter voice I asked him what his role was. He told me he was with wardrobe. Darn.

The next people I saw were a young couple – maybe the romantic leads in the movie? No. They said they were “gophers.”Undaunted, I asked what the movie was about. They replied, “Oh, it’s just a commercial.” Double Darn! But wait… who was the commercial’s sponsor? Maybe a big name like Molson’s or Tim Horton’s … with free samples? Actually the couple wasn’t sure. It might be a wellness product like a Fitbit or something.

I moved on to 2 business-looking men. Could they be discussing million-dollar contracts? No, they weren’t. They were discussing the number of complaints they had already had from our neighbours about the nuisance the filming was causing. The only real nuisance I could see was the occasional car driving down our street, which had to slow down. Did these neighbours have no sense of adventure?

I was getting annoyed. Where was the story here? What was I going to write about for the next blog post?

I went home and started researching on my laptop. First I discovered that this film company, radioaktivefilm, is based in Kyiv, Ukraine. Since their beginning in 1993 they have done business in Poland, Lithuania, and Georgia, and so far the original studio has not been bombed by Russia. They have produced commercials for Aleve, VRBO, Jack Daniels, and been involved in the production of one feature film, Chernobyl, 2019. Then Toronto’s “Hollywood North” reputation led them here for this commercial.

But what was the commercial? I discovered the word ‘oura’ at the bottom of the mailbox flyer. Maybe this was a clue. After more searching, I found it – a ring. It comes in several styles. And it has a purpose: as a “smart ring.” It keeps track of more than 20 biometrics: heart rate, calories, stress levels, activity, sleep habits and more. The best feature seems to be that you can wear it 24/7. No need to take it off when you sleep or shower.

As older adults we might like to have a health device that we didn’t misplace on a regular basis, like we do with our cell phone or keys. But I have to tell you that the buttons the ring uses for setting or changing screens are Tiny. We definitely need our glasses to manipulate them. And no arthritis in our fingers either. Besides, the ring style is very modern. Somehow the Oura does not create the right aura for older folks.

Meanwhile, we are still waiting for the blockbuster movie to set up on our street.

Sue

For a short time I was thinking about going back to work. This job as writer is very low-paying. And these days, with high inflation…well you know how it is.

It started a few weeks ago when a friend asked me to dog-sit for her while she and her husband went to an appointment. I have spent time with this small dog on a few occasions and he is a cute little guy, and very playful. His name is Dash, and he loves to cuddle. So I said yes.

Dash met me at the door and began dashing around, jumping up and down, licking my glasses, stealing my outdoor shoes before I was able to hide them. After the parents left we spent some time playing with Mr. Squishy, (who is a toy – just to clarify), and snuggling on the couch. Pretty soon Dash yawned and flopped down beside me, asleep in seconds. I checked my email messages. I started to read a novel I had brought. I drank my coffee. Dash snored on happily. And I thought – this could be a pretty good second career for an old person.

Dash

As readers know, I have had lots of experience with dogs. I look after Venus quite often when her parents go on vacation. She is old and obliging, and Peter even lets her sleep in our bedroom. I have looked after another son’s dog, Tobie, a few times. He is old too and crawls under the couch to sleep, realizing whe he wakes up, that he can’t crawl back out. Fortunately, I have enough arm muscles left to hoist up one end of the couch and let him out.

Venus. (Tobie was under the couch, unavailable for photos).

So I decided to research my new possible career. First of all, I would need some new toys. Our old dog balls and chew toys are beyond repair. A visit to Petsmart revealed that dog toys are not cheap these days. And there are lots of health warnings. Certain kinds of plastic are toxic if chewed. The popular squeaky toys are a choking hazard if the squeaker is swallowed. And of course there is the decor. Any toys must be turquoise to match my new sun room.

I’d need to get some new dog treats too. Our leftover treats are stale. I know this because Peter tried one by mistake, thinking it was a new kind of cookie for him, and he spat it out in the garbage – not even good enough for the worms in his compost bin! In my dog-treat research I discovered homemade dog-treat recipes. Well for heavens sake, I don’t even bake treats for people! I was starting to get cold feet. This new job might be more than I could handle.

Then a third son asked if I would look after their family dog, Finn, for a week while the family went on vacation. I wanted to help. But I hesitated. Finn is not old. He is not even middle-aged. He has passed the stage of eating kitchen tables, but he is still full of energy. And he is big. Twice a day he goes for long walks with his owner. Sometimes the owner rides a bike as Finn trots alongside. Sometimes Finn races ahead while the biker tries to keep up.

I hesitated some more. I began to imagine myself being pulled, dragged along the road, into ditches, through potholes, over speed bumps, whimpering “Stop! please!!. stop!!!” OK maybe I am exaggerating just a bit. Sorry Finn.

But I am definitely giving up my plans for a second career. If you are looking for a dog-sitter, you might consider Oro Dog Companion, a robot that throws balls all morning, opens up a food tray at lunch, and sings little lullabies so doggie can have an afternoon nap. Just like me.

Sue

Finn, catching a few winks when he thinks nobody’s looking.

Today, Tuesday May 14, marks the 5th anniversary of my first post on Seventy In the City. So I thught I would write about some highlights and experiences that we have had together.

Looking back over those last 250 or so posts, I see a few tupos, I mean typos. I must explain that I am a fast reader and tend to skip ahead, reading only what I think should be on the page. Readers have been very kind not to point out all these errors. And I have found a way to correct most of them before they get published, by reading word for word, with a magnifying glass. There have also been some errors in content. The most obvious was when I wrote that the Blue Jays won the World Series in the 1970’s. Of course, the Rogers Centre wasn’t even built then!

Reading back through the posts, I notice a definite change in tone during the pandemic. The topics I wrote about were pretty banal – countless stories about decorating the garage for parties, and walking walking walking. I made enough mentions of Sunnyland, Peter’s favourite fruit and vegetable market, that one reader actually drove to our neighbourhood to see it.

Over the years I have tried my best not to be too political, but I did write 2 posts; one about Trump and another about Ford. It was the least I could do. Recently Peter and I ran into another politician working the room at a Liberal party event. There was only hand-shaking and photos, no political message to pass on, but it was fun to meet him in person.

Most places that Peter and I have visited on our Friday adventures have been worthwhile, but about a year ago I wrote about The Well, an up-and-coming lifestye village near Spadina and Wellington, and I told readers it was not worth visiting. Well, we did go back recently and found a big change. There is now a large shopping area surrounded by buildings, (but no roof) where a number of interesting boutique stores and restaurants are popping up. The big draw is Arcadia Earth, an “immersive multi-sensory journey” about our planet. It’s very high tech and you need to take somebody young with you to help navigate.

One of the posts that got a big response was the one about losing my wedding ring. Several people wrote to ask what I was wishing for my ring if I could not have it back. I hoped for a special person to find it: a single mom with 2 kids and no job, an immigrant unable to find housing, a disabled person living on government subsidy. I just hope that an addict didn’t smoke or drink it. There are so many needy people in this large metropolis.

Another widely-read post was the one about the book club meeting in my house, where a guest fell on a tiny step and sprained her ankle badly. I am glad to say she has recovered, although it did take time. We had a family council meeting afterwards, where we heard suggestions about dealing with this nasty step: installing a hospital ramp, ripping up the entire floor and laying a new one, 3 centimeters higher, or the most practical: just close the da– door and direct guests to enter the sun room through the dining room, where the step is visible.

The most common question I hear by far is “Where do you get your ideas?” I read the Toronto Star, I follow Blog TO, and I browse through local magazines. But most of my ideas come from wandering about, going on adventures with Peter, taking strolls in the neighbourhood. In short – just by being out in the world where things are always happening.

As for carrying on with this blog, one thing is sure: when I turn 80, then I definitely can’t be writing Seventy In the City. Unitl then, I sincerely thank you, dear readers, for your ongoing support.

Sue

PS The photo under the title was taken on May 14, 2019