“Gayborhoods” are falling victim to Rents and Social Change. Cultural leader Cleve Jones, graduate from Phoenix and hitchhiked to California. He created the nationally recognized AIDS Memorial Quilt. He swept The Castro in 1978 after the assasination of Harvey Milk, was elected to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors; helped define The Castro community – and much more. The monthly cost of his one-bedroom apartment soared from $2,400 to $5,200 – priced out of a gentrifying housing market. And that’s where “Gayborhoods” came in. LGBTQ couples are starting traditional features – public schools, parks and larger homes – while deciding where they want to live. Looking to escape discrimination and harassment, reflecting acceptance of gay and lesbian people. Gay bars leading to relationships or sexual encounters. There are few places where a transformation is more on display than in The Castro over the past 25 years. Mr. Jones said “I just can’t help but think that soon there will be a time when people walking up and down the street will have no clue what this is all about.”
As a school usher I remember being certain that visitors managed to find a convenient place to sit down and behave themselves. One of the youngsters got very sick and I brought in the cleanup brigade. I remember several movies that played in Loew’s – “Hush, Hush Sweet Charlotte”, “Days of Wine and Roses”, “Teacher’s Pet” starring Doris Day and “Gypsy”, a famous musical. I haven’t forgotten any of them. They’ve all become classics, and they were all at LOEW’S once upon a time.
The Yorkville Public Library Branch, a classical building with pediment on the right in the Background, opened in 1907 as a philanthropic venture of Andrew Carnegie and is one of the hundreds of Carnegie libraries built across North America in the early part of the century. The Yorkville branch is the oldest library in Toronto and an official Heritage Site. <PHOTO BY ROSS WINTER>
From The Globe and Mail – There’ll be a temporary suspension of COVID-19 bottlenecks for travellers as the federal government announced it will stop mandating random testing of fully vaccinated travellers.
The suspension will be in place until July 1, when the random testing will resume outside of airports.
EAST CHINATOWN is one of several Chinatowns in and around the city. 
It was formed during the early 1970’s and is centered on Gerrard Street East between Broadview Avenue and Carlaw Avenue. East Chinatown is smaller than the one running along Dundas Street West and Spadina Avenue. 
But it’s always a hub of activity and a great source for cheaper dim sum, pho, fresh vegetables and an assortment of Chinese baked treats.
The 2021 Royal Agricultural Winter Fair will not take place in person this year. Instead the organization is looking forward to welcoming guests to its 100th anniversary celebration in 2022. The Royal’s Board of Directors made the decision to cancel the 2021 in favour of returning to an education focused online experience this year — in NOVEMBER 2022, 
The Royal will mark its 100th Anniversary then. Plans are to make it bigger and stronger than ever, and looking forward to celebrating with one-and-all. 
“As uncertainty surrounds COVID-19 it became clear we weren’t going to be able to host The Royal in its traditional way,” stated Charlie Johnstone, Chief Executive Officer at The Royal. 
But don’t forget NOVEMBER 2022!
Underpass Park transformed derelict, unused space beneath a series of overpasses into a unique community park. The area is located under and around the Eastern Avenue, Richmond and Adelaide overpasses. It’s the most extensive park ever built under a Canadian overpass, and the first ever in Toronto. 
“torontosavvy” presented the early version of The Park, but it was quite different then from the one we saw yesterday. New murals and painted figures have changed from 2012 – many are for children, and there are several others for adults. 
Around the edge are spectacular high-rise buildings, which turn the area into another city altogether. Get yourself to River Street and head South.
Once you reach the West Donland, you’re there. You’ll find the Park is laden with greenery, sculptures, city bus service, dogs everywhere, kids playing – all having a great time.
I’ve tried many times to take photos of HummingBirds, but failed always. They came close, but in a split second they were flying away. One attempt was in Arizona and another in Mexico City, but I missed them both. These little birds with long, slender bills are native to the Americas. With about 360 species they occur from Alaska to Tierra del Fuego, but the vast majority of the species are found in the tropics. Many have brightly coloured, glittery feathers. Often the males are more colorful than the females. They’re named for the humming sound made by the rapid beating of their wings. < From Wikipedia.>
Toronto Savvy 