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Gordon Is 25

The Barenaked Ladies | Karim Kanji

Happy birthday Gordon!

Yesterday was the 25th birthday of The Barenaked Ladies’ first studio album, Gordon. Formed in 1988, a few years prior to the release of Gordon, The Barenaked Ladies formed in Scarborough with Ed Robertson, Steven Page, Andy Creeggan, Jim Creeggan, and Tyler Stewart.

In 1991, thanks to the massive success of the band’s independently released cassette The Yellow Tape, Barenaked Ladies won the “Discovery To Disc” contest hosted by a Toronto radio station. The Canadian quintet used the prize money to record Gordon with producer Michael Phillip Wojewoda. Following its release on July 28, 1992, the Diamond certified album topped the Canadian charts for eight weeks. (AMAZON)

Front Side:

  • Hello City
  • Enid
  • Grade 9
  • Brian Wilson
  • Be My Yoko Ono
  • Wrap Your Arms Around Me
  • What a Good Boy
  • The King Of Bedside Manor

Back Side:

  • Box Set
  • I Love You
  • New Kid (On The Block)
  • Blame It On Me
  • The Flag
  • If I Had $1000000
  • Crazy

 

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Said The Whale in Scarborough

said the whale

This past weekend, Juno-award winning band from British Columbia, Said The Whale played an intimate gig at Scarborough’s Albert Campbell Square just outside of the Scarborough Town Centre.

said the whale

said the whale

said the whale

said the whale

said the whale

said the whale

Then the power went out:

Setlist:

said the whale

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Historical Scarborough: Thomson Park

thomson park | scarborough

Yes. Scarborough is historical. The Thomson Settlement (a precursor of Thomson Park) was the first permanent settlement in Scarborough (then a township). Brothers David and Andrew came here in 1796 via Scotland.

thomson park | scarborough

The first library in Scarborough was first organized on April 7th, 1834. It had 46 original members who paid a five shilling membership fee.

Scarborough Library | Thomson Park

Scarborough Library | Thomson Park

The Thomson memorial in the nearby cemetery which happens to be close to the Scarborough Library:

Thomson Family memorial

 

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Scarborough Bluffs Erosion

Doris McCarthy Trail | Scarborough

I walked down the Doris McCarthy Trail this afternoon with some friends. When we reached Lake Ontario we headed west along the shore. We came upon the results of one of our more recent rain storms. As many of you know the Bluffs have always been eroding. However, I have never seen a part of the cliffs that have recently broken off. Until today.

Scarborough Bluffs

While it looks like hard rock it is in fact a clay like substance that is densely packed.

 

 

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Sylvan Park in Scarborough

Sylvan Park | Scarborough

Sylvan Park is not one of the largest parks in Toronto. But the view of Lake Ontario and the Scarborough Bluffs is outstanding. It’s also a great place to go with your dog for a walk. Here are some photos of my recent visit.

Screen Shot 2015-11-13 at 8.21.35 PM Screen Shot 2015-11-13 at 8.21.46 PM Screen Shot 2015-11-13 at 8.21.56 PM Screen Shot 2015-11-13 at 8.22.06 PM Screen Shot 2015-11-13 at 8.22.16 PM

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McCowan and Hague Parks

McCowan + Hague Park | Scarborough + Toronto | karim kanji

Last week we hiked through the McCowan and Hague Park corridor in Scarborough. I think the ravine is the Pringdale Ravine. The Pringdale become buried and re-emerges further south in Gates Gully before emptying into Lake Ontario.

Pringdale Ravine | Scarborough - Toronto | karim kanji

To the north and east is the popular Cedarbrook Park.

The walk featured the ravine and a dense forest. It’s very accessible even during the winter.  I hope you enjoy the photos below.


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Rouge Park

rouge park toronto | karim kanji

On a Wednesday afternoon I ventured out to the farthest ends of east Toronto. Close to the Toronto Zoo is the world-renowned Rouge Park. The Rouge Park is the only national (soon) park situated within an urban centre.

Rouge Park is over 40 km2, protecting two National Historic Sites and a variety of ecosystems joining the post-glacial Oak Ridges Moraine, roughly 50 km north of Toronto, and the City’s biggest wetland, where the Rouge River empties into Lake Ontario (Source)

map of rouge park in toronto | karim kanji

 
See my photos of Rouge Park in Toronto, below.
 

 

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Skating in Morningside Park

Ice Rink | Morningside Park | Toronto | Karim Kanji

Michael Gauthier must have been proud. This past weekend the natural ice rink that Professor Gauthier and his environmental science students built (with the help of volunteers, community members and Home Depot, among others) finally officially opened.

We first came across Gauthier and his rink in the fall during one of our weekend city hikes.

Here’s a great write up of the birth of this 100% community initiative.

And here’s some photos from this weekend’s skating festivities. Can you tell it was the coldest weekend of the year?

 

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Hiking in Birkdale Ravine

Birkdale Ravine in Toronto | Karim Kanji

Hiking in Toronto is fun.

I recently wrote about a portion of Highland Creek on the University of Toronto’s (Scarborough Campus) property. This weekend we visited Birkdale Ravine which is located in the watershed of Highland Creek. As we recently had snow and rain, the ravine was not only higher than normal but moving very fast.

Here are some photos I took of our visit.

If you’re interested in my hikes you can see them all here. So far.