Each Monday, Spacing will bring you some of the popular posts from our sister blog, Spacing Montréal. We’ll keep an eye open for topics and discussions that are pertinent to current public space issues in Toronto.
• At the new Pine/Park interchange, two parcels of land lie vacant. Last year Montréalers were asked to share their visions for the space, but nothing was done following the discussion. Frustrated with the long delay Mile End artist Glen Lemesurier decided to take matters into his own hands, erecting an abrstract statue of the Greek goddess Calliope, muse of epic poetry, in the space. Hopefully Calliope will inspire greater things.
• The stretch of Ste. Catherine St. that runs through Montréal’s Gay Village is car-free for the summer. Although the seasonal pedestrian mall has become a popular destination, the mall’s sponsorship has been controversial. Labatt, in exchange for sponsorship money, has demanded that all Village restaurants, cafés, and bars serve only Labatt’s products on their patios, raising issues around street closure financing, reasonable limits of sponsorship deals, and the interference of private enterprise in public space.
• Spacing Montréal is pleased to introduce a new weekly feature by writer and tree enthusiast Bronwyn Chester. Tree Tuesday, inspired by Spacing Toronto’s feature of the same name, will introduce Montréalers to their silent, woody neighbours, starting this past Tuesday with a profile of the Amur maple.