McMichael, Roncesvalles and the Tarragon

View from inside the McMichael

What a treat I had on Wednesday! My friend, Lynn Saunders, took me to the McMichael Canadian Art Collection in Kleinberg, about an hour north of Toronto.

This gallery is set in beautiful woodlands with winding trails and a scupture garden we may have been tempted to visit had it not been raining. The setting reminds me of the Audain Museum in Whistler which is also nestled in forested grounds.

The McMichael houses a good selection of Group of Seven paintings and an entire room full of G of S studies. It also houses a work that really stood out for its colour, its design and its message: “Indian Residential School, Leaving the Shallow Graves and Going Home” by Lawrence Paul Yuxweluptun, a survivor of the Kamloops Residential School. He was commissioned to create this work of art to commemorate the 2021 National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. I don’t usually take photographs of other people’s art, preferring to create my own, but this stunning painting deserves to be widely viewed.

Indian Residential School, Leaving the Shallow Graves and Going Home

On Thursday in sunnier weather, I took my first neighbourhood walk. I happened upon a blog post called “Step It Up: The Best Urban Walks in Toronto.” The first walk is not far from where I am staying and, as promised, Roncesvalles village, curiously named after a battle site in Spain (not even the Roncesvalles Business Improvement Association knows why), did not disappoint. It is a neighbourhood of small independent shops and restaurants, lots flowers for sale, plenty of pedestrian traffic and pretty nice looking homes. (You can click on any image to see the full uncropped version.)

I did not check to ensure Chopin was actually played in this Polish/Ukranian restaurant but I must assume it is. The header of this post shows a couple having drinks outside, something not advisable for the past several days.

Flowers for sale and just hanging about…

And lots of pedestrians enjoying the clement weather with a happy crossing guard to keep them safe. The baby clocked what I was doing. 😋

There are several churches, at least one of which makes a great place to eat ice cream…

And lovely old neighbourhood homes.

Roncevalles provides interesting reading for the pedestrian. Not being a cat owner, I am intrigued by the cat service sign.

Finally at the south end of Roncevalles Village you’ll find Sam the Chandelier Man. From a blog dated November 25, 2018:

Sam The Chandelier Man is a longtime antique store specializing in old lighting fixtures and chandelier repairs. It’s an absolute mess in here, but Sam is a pro, and real magpies will be able to find their shiny prize in this disaster zone. 

A Facebook post from the following day says Sam would be closing after 40 years of busienss. If you click on the photo, you will see a sign in the window that says “Closing sale.” From the look of the front windows, I’d say he still has some way to go.

Last evening, after a meal at Chadwick’s Craft Kitchen and Bar, I went to Paint Me This House of Love at the Tarragon Theatre. The script was quite funny at times, the dialogue moved along at a rapid pace, and the actors were very good. But I was not particularly taken with the show, perhaps because the theatre was warm and stuffy and it was easy to drift off for a moment or two – not that I did, of course. Nevertheless a theatrical performance at the end of a day is always a treat.