I have my very first solo photography exhibition running this month at the North York Central Library, 5120 Yonge St. entitled SLOW DOWN, LOOK CLOSER. Please check it out if you’re in the area and see Willowdale from a “bee’s eye view”.
Details over at http://slowdownlookcloser.chrisnolan.ca/
LoveTheRavines has their Fall4Ravines photography exhibit on display at Patagonia Toronto (500 King St W) until the first week of December, and four of my photos are on display. Please take a few minutes to consider signing their petition to add the Don and the Humber Rivers to the Ontario Greenbelt.
I wanted to give a shout out to the other photographers (in no particular order) who had their images selected. I look forward to meeting you Dec 3 at the evening reception at Patagonia.
Nicole Czorny nczorny , Jacquelyn Sloane Siklos (ig: @sloanesiklos), Joanna Johnston (ig: @joannacjohnston), Sammy T (ig: @sammytangir), Ashley Therriault (ig: @ashtario), @lisarobertsonpics, Jonathan Scott Duder (ig: @jonathanduder ), Jeff Coussin: aka The Life & Adventures of Lenny Dawg (ig: @luciditydesign), Gabriel Bizeau-Régis (ig: @atroutatemyhomework), Gary Wallenwein ig: @totemblaze, Dan Berman ig: @scriptdr.
Here is my collage of the images as arranged to match those hung and curated by Phil Anderson, Executive Director of Gallery 1313. I had excepted image titles and instagram ids at the exhibit, but there wasn’t any when I checked it out Nov 15 (update: the Official Facebook album had captions/titles for the images so I updated below (only 17 of the pics are there though)). I’ll included them as I searched around below.
Collage 1, top left to bottom right are:
Collage 2, top left to bottom right:
And the final collage are three by sammytangir:
Here is a link to all the #Fall4Ravine tags on instagram via iconosquare.
A photo I took of a neighbour’s magnolia tree won 3rd place in the SCB-Toronto Photo Contest.
The Society for Conservation Biology (SCB) is an international professional organization dedicated to advancing the science and practice of conserving the Earth’s biological diversity. SCB has local chapters across the globe that provide opportunities for members to engage in conservation at the local level.
SCB-TO is one of these local chapters, we strive to build a network of active conservation biologists from the three local academic research universities – University of Toronto, York University and Ryerson University, as well as government, non-government and private agencies operating within the Greater Toronto Area. Our goal is to facilitate the discussion of and solutions to urban conservation biology issues that threaten the function of Toronto’s local ecosystems.
Winning Magnolia Tree Photo
All the winning photos are being exhibited all week at Baka Gallery Cafe near Runnymede Subway Station in Bloor West area, and the award ceremony will take place Friday evening.
Thanks to Sheridan Nurseries for my prize.
You can also view a version on Instagram.
The kids & I thought it would be fun to revive the catapult exhibitions we attended a few years ago, when they were too little to build any themselves. So, here we go:
Catapult Exhibition
June 11, 2014 11AM
Location: TBA green space near North York Centre
Participants: Children educated at home in and around the Greater Toronto Area
Comment here or send me a message (iam at this domain) and I’ll build a roster of participants
Catapults go by many names: ballistae, trebuchets, onagers, hsuan feng, mangonels, petraries, scorpions, tormenta, and others. What we’re looking for here is a ballistic device used to launch a projectile a great distance without the aid of explosive devices. Put your thinking caps on, get your tools out, work out the maths and angles, and build away.
We are thinking of setting up a system to measure the distance the objects are thrown, and also an accuracy/target course. Two categories: kid made only, and then the models which the adults helped with. Ammo wise, plan to use something similar to an orange — we’ll update this after we’ve had a chance to test a few things out. Depending on numbers we will either give everyone a chance to talk about their build in front of the group, or a set time where spectators can go from build to build and ask questions about it.
Ideally the space we pick in addition to the missile range will have some playground equipment for families with younger siblings, area to picnic for lunch, and generally hang out to make a day of it for those so inclined. I have a great spot in mind, I just want to test out the range of our builds to get a sense of how much space we’ll need before I settle on it. Don’t want any windows broken or near by roadways interfered with.
Not everyone is as handy with tools and building as they once were, so I hope to see some collaborations between different groups, maybe even some teaming up to share resources and expertise, or some grandparents pitching in. It could be just the opportunity you’ve been looking for to try a maker project? Alternatively you might want to start small and build a simple one out of craft sticks, or marshmallows.
A place you might want to check out in the course of your project is the Toronto Tool Library, they have a variety of tools available, and at their East End location a makerspace. Another makerspace in town that has woodworking capability is Site3 co-laboratory. Let me know if you are aware of others. Maybe we’ll see some 3D printed designs, in which case maybe check out the Digital Innovation Hub at the Toronto Reference Library?
A site we like is DIY.org, and they have a Catapult or Trebuchet challenge you can submit your project to, or review some of the devices other kids have made.
Some books we’ve found at the library that have designs and plans and ideas on how to get started are:
Speaking of the library, maybe you’ll join us at our Wednesday afternoon homeschooler group at North York Central library (1:30-3pm in the storyroom). We plan to cover a few topics in the next couple of months applicable to catapults (levers & fulcrums for example is set for April 9th’s session for example).
Follow-up to previous post from last year, 5 options are on the market at the moment if you’d like to be my neighbour.
Many options on the block at the moment. 2 new builds, 2 existing homes and one for lease. On Ellerslie Ave between Tamworth and Senlac (one is two houses the other side of Senlac).
From east to west:
Tanefer Lumukanda is a hospital-based Lactation Consultant who wanted to explore new ways in educating and encouraging new moms all over on how to breastfeed. She came up with a Rap Video: Teach Me How to Breastfeed (also on Youtube).
She writes about the experience at the MomsRising blog.
For more information on Breastfeeding see Jack Newman’s resources and the Government of Canada’s top reasons to breastfeed, or contact your local La Leche League.
I’m organizing swim lessons for homeschoolers. The pool is Douglas Snow Aquatic Centre, the City’s large 50m pool in Willowdale at 5100 Yonge behind the North York Civic Centre, and next to North York Central Library at the North York Center Subway stop on the Yonge line.
Friday mornings starting Sept 27 2013, at 10:30 for a half hour lesson, and then I’ve arranged a half hour of leisure time immediately after from 11 to 11:30 so the kids can stay in the pool, and the adults and young siblings can join in too. During the lessons the adults can observe from the upper level open gallery. For the final lesson, they will probably open up the water slide for the kids to use too, but normally it won’t be available for use.
Pricing is the City’s standard lesson fee, which is $68 for a nine week session (about $7.50 a class) (might be more expensive if you aren’t a Toronto resident). For the extra half hour, we pay a ‘Guard Fee’ which is $15/week for the group.
They are willing to accommodate a variety of ages and a variety of levels, with a maximum of 15 kids (which would be 3 groups of 5 kids each). If you have taken the city’s lessons before, they have their system of “Ultra Levels” in their “Learn to Swim” program, so please let me know which level your child(ren) is in and the pool will try to spread them out so those in similar levels will be in a group, if we have multiple groups. If there is too large of a gap between levels it might not work out (e.g. four kids at levels 3-5 and one at level 9, or 3 at levels 1-2 and one at level 5). Caveat: Since it’s during the day, the instructor won’t have the extra “Deck Attendants” you might be familiar with from evening or weekend lessons.
The upstairs space is fine for eating lunch in, and the library is right next door so you can make a day of it if you are traveling for the lessons too.
We’d like to have numbers finalized by end of next week, September 13. Contact me directly if you are interested or have more questions.
Douglas Snow Aquatic Centre in North York has been closed for “state of good repairs” since the beginning of September. They were scheduled to have all work complete by “Dec 31 2012”. We stopped in today with high-hopes that our long missed Wednesday morning pre-school swim time would be operational and it wasn’t. Work-men were still in the pool area. Equipment could be seen being moved around. The work fence and signage was still up outside. The pool was empty.
The recreation assistant we spoke to could only say it’ll be “soon”. Lessons are set to start on Saturday, and it’s my understanding it takes two and a half days to fill the pool… if I were you I’d expect phone calls from Parks & Rec telling you your first week of lessons (at least) will be postponed 😦
Update: Jan 3 — we received our phone call today tell us swim lessons would be postponed a week with a credit given to our parks & rec account (they can’t extend the lessons due to March Break schedules). For me information call Mrs Bain @ 416-395-7593.
Honestly, I had near zero expectation that a construction project for a government entity would ever be completed on time. Here’s hoping it was at least done on budget.
If you’re interested in being entertained, surprised, and/or delighted this month in Toronto, check out the following options.
Marvel Entertainment is teaming up with New York City Comicon this coming weekend to help celebrate Spider-man’s birthday and has invited the Mayor of New York City to participate. Amazing Spider-man #700 (the “last” Amazing Spider-man comic?) is just around the corner too (see cover image above and lead-up video below).
Update: Oct 19. So many people contributed to a giant Spider-man birthday card at the NYCC that they’ve won a Guinness World Record!
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