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March 2021 lockdown continues – events, travel and old photographs

January1974, the Band performs at Maple Leaf Gardens. Toronto
Think it was 22 February 1974 Maple Leaf Gardens. Toronto. Six word review. Was it a mind-blowing concert?
Innocence Canada confirmed today that a confidential financial settlement was recently reached between the Nova Scotia and federal governments and Glen Assoun, a 64-year-old Nova Scotia man who was exonerated in 2019 in the 1995 murder of Brenda LeAnne Way.
Birthday time. August 1975.
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February 2021 – Photographs, new and old (cleaning out files)

Picture of the Toronto Star’s front page of the Arts Section. Used it in a tweet
PR photo from 1973-ish. Wrote a story for Ryerson papers about the band’s performance at Massey Hall
not sure this is mine. used on my website and facebook for carnival. mas camp launch for Jaamal Magloire’s Revellers.
Those were the days. Early 80s probably. Porch of the Kaileo’s cottage on Lake Clear, Robbie and Maria in front, My parents on leftside
Mas camp launch from 2015. Richmond Hill near the 404. sweir photo

my invite to CF18

Maria took this picture. Me in front Dad and Mom beside me. Lake Clear, Kalieo cottact porch. early 80s or late 70s
2019 – cab driver said this street art was called Ape Shit Mural
Those were the days my friend. 1975 – I was the editor of two papers in Lakefield / Bridgenorth. One day I drove into Toronto to sit in on a Hollywood presser at (as I recall) the Sutton Place Hotel. Red Hot director Peter Bogdanovich and equally Red Hot actress Cybill Shepherd were in town to promote their new musical comedy At Long Last Love. Was suppose to be her Bofo follow-up to her 4 star film, Daisy Miller. At Long Last Love was a flop even before it hit theatres. Movie plotline self described it as the story of “four socialite old friends unexpectedly clash, and switch partners during a party and attempt to make each other jealous.”
Bogdanovich was a great interview, even put up with one dumb question from me. Cybill Shepherd came down from her room late, looked at the half filled room from the elevator and promptly returned to her suite! A no show. I went back to Lakefield with half a page of notes and theis (now badly faded) picture in my camera. btw – At Long Last Love starred Cybill Shepherd, Burt Reynolds, Madeline Kahn and Duilio Del Prete.
Still cleaning out my old school files. Ryerson Eyeopener, probably fall 1975 Roxy Music at Massey Hall. Andy Mackay – Sax, Oboe & Keyboards. I developed my own pictures back in the day, Now 46 years later the print is showing how badly I screwed up mixing the fixer. I wrote “Roxy Music” on the bottom of the picture for the paste up of the paper before it got sent to the printer
Dancing in the Tweets – cleaning out my arts and entertainment files from my days with the Ryerson Eyeopener. 45+ years ago – Martha Reeves performing in Toronto, Picture probably taken at the late great Yonge Street’s Colonial Tavern.
Ipad picture of the front page of the Globe Arts Section for twitter post
Story about a radio station for Pickering and Ajax. Not happening because of CRTC
mashup of pictures of the Kars glider club and a screen grab from the movie Greenland. Used in Weir Here post

 

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january 2021

JANUARY 05: Reverend Jesse Jackson gets Covid-19 Vaccine administered by Dr. Kiran Chekka Co-Chair of Covid Task Force
The Penalty Box bar and restaurant in Windsor (Walkerville/Tecumseh) is a fav watering hole and take out stop for medical types from the nearby hospital. Penalty Box recently had a mural painted on its parking lot wall. Mural in support of the hospital workers during this Covid pandemic. Across river from Detroit.
Banned by Facebook – Important painting exhibition in Toronto
Over 2 million views of sweirsweir Flickr collection
This picture taken first week of January 2020 in the French Quarter – New Orleans
Official picture for Order of Ontario Award
Sign right here
Sun cartoonist buys his book at Ben McNally launch. Picture by sweir for Order of Ontario story
Neighbour’s waste between houses. Pile started in early December. Hauled away January 11. 2021
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Santa Claus Came to Town But Didn’t Make it Out Alive …. part 2

I was walking late at night near the John Ross School when I heard a hissing. Santa bleeding out. Tried to save him. Knife hole too big. This is a 10second mash-up of Santas last breath of air.
Santa aired out just before he could reach the safety of the porch. Leaside, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Pain by the Drain. Willowdale Santa aired out with a knife wound. Extension cord left behind but Claus’s lights taken.
All that is left is a pot full of dead santa
Leaside – Toronto. Extension cords and lights missing, so said the distraught owner
All ill-wind blew through Moore Park, Toronto
… and someone cut Santa’s guy wires.
Guest Sleuth Mary-Ell found Santa under a pile of snow
Etobicoke vandals took down Santa but couldn’t bleed out his air – This Claus a tough old bird
Guest sleuth Wendy Robbins took this picture
Mass murder, only the penguins left standing. Uhmm. East York, Ontario
Santa Fire Avoided when I chased off perps
Owner and I chased away a killer just after he created a pyre of aired out Santa Claus and helpers. Had gasoline ready to melt them down. Blower and lights taken. I left duct tape with the owner
mass murder of masked raccoon reindeer and this East York Santa
Santa and the dead raccoon reindeer Wendy Robbins.
Chinese factory who make lawn blow-ups sent me giant shark lawn thingee
Suggested I put it on my front lawn come summer
Ass Up For Dead Santa. Oriole Park district, Midtown Toronto. Last days of the XMAS holiday
Oriole Park district, Midtown Toronto. Last days of the XMAS holiday
No one in Forest Hill heard to this tree-tall giant santa fall (except me). With a bang Christmas ended on this quiet street. Blower, lights and extension cords stolen (along with the spirit of Xmas). Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Didn’t see Santa’s remains in the bush till the wind ruffled his red cap. Shived. Midtown Toronto.
But no sticking Santa’s head back on his deflated body. Chainsaw massacre in Forrest Hill, Toronto
Massive pile of slain santas in Leaside. Deflation hits midtown Toronto,
Many Santas taken out, but somehow snowman survived. Hmmm suspected we have an accomplice. Leaside.
Streetside view of the mass murder scene. Snowman somehow escaped knife attack
I walked by just as Santa was airing out on the front lawn (St Clair and Bayview). No cops on the scene and I was without my yellow crime scene tape. Luckily there were Candy Canes nearby, so I put them to good use to preserve the murder scene.
Santa Yoda lost! knife beats light sabre. Mill St and Mount Pleasant
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Who is killing Santa (and his elves and his buddies)? December 2020

thaw finds another frozen santa corpse in the snow
Agent Anna took this picture of an Etobicoke Mass killing. Only the snowman in the flowerbed escaped.
Late night vigil near Lawrence Avenue. Reindeer watch over a sleign Santa Snowman
Not only did santa get his throat slit, the light inside his bum, was stolen. Horrors
Santa aired out within feet of the safety of the front porch St Clair / Yonge Street district
Evil santa cheers as his next door santa airs out in the flower bed
Sudan and Bayview. Toronto.
Lytton Park, North Toronto
Not likely. Santa Snowman missing his head.
Kildare Road, Windsor, Ontario, Canada, December 2020
Owner patching stabbed giant santa blow-up. Says he will put away once it dries. See you in 2021. Davisville Park district, Toronto, Ontario Canada
One stab wound takes down a whole train of Xmas mascots
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South of Eglinton, this orange assed Santa had his guy lines snipped by vandals.
6 ft tall headless Xmas snowman lies in the bushes and snow. Owner said that after it is patched it will be put away until next year
Davisville area. as the snow melt on December 27, the dead began to be found. Santa under a bush
It’s an ill wind that blows no one any good, at least not in Leaside. Walked past the house this morning and the owners had righted Santa’s gift train and tightened up the guy wires. Midtown Toronto
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Ongoing collection of murals, graffiti and street art around the world

Downtown on Ouellette St. Picture taken with cell. Spring 20
Deep in the bowels of Toronto City Hall parking lot. Long neglected sticker car! Cell phone 2019
Get you haircut by a shark! Ouellette Street barber shop. cell photo. Spring 2020
Jeff the mural guy – daily tour in downtown Bogota, Colombia
Downtown Windsor Canada. Radio station mural, Ouellette Street. Cell phone picture spring 2020
Face and back of Jeff’s head – Bogota mural
back alley tour by Jeff in Bogota Colombia
fishing village in Iceland. Mural on side of fish processing plant
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icelandic street art
6 years on as a Yonge Street alley north of Lawrence. Toronto
Murder Mural – Port Hope Ontario. Downtown back alley mural was painted for the filming of the Stephen King movie IF 2. (or maybe IF). Pix taken fall 2020
Fake backdoor to fake butcher store in downtown Port Hope, Ontario. Used in film of IF (or maybe IF 2)
Harsh Canadian weather is hard on murals. 3-years in, this Toronto back alley art is on its way out
O stickers are from the art gallery in down New Orleans – picture by M Nenadovich
cell photo near lawrence and bathurst – covus related. But like the late Hoyt Axton sang, “My Griffin is gone” – only up for a week or so in early 2020
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The Fall of 2020 Sept 1 to Dec 31 – shutdown continues

November. 2020. Outside the windows of the North Toronto Swimming Pool. cell phone photograph
Families out in force on Xmas morning at the Eglinton Park hill
Back in the 90s Maria and I and a lone male diver signed on to a six-pack dive boat to do a drift dive on a reef off St Croix.
Amazing reef, hundreds of thousands of schooling fish, healthy corals and terrific viz. Pre-climate change days. We were at 60 ft and were planning a dive of 50 minutes. Boat was to follow our bubbles. We whizzed above the corals barely having to kick.
When we came to the surface after a 5 minute stop at 15 feet, we found ourselves alone a fair distance offshore and a long way from our boat. Unbeknownst to us the current had changed and we drifted one way while the boat went in another pushed by a different surface current.
Pictured is Maria and an American CIA agent who signed on for the dive. We pumped up our BCs and waited and waited and waited. Talked ourselves out.
Weren’t particularly worried, since we weren’t far from shore, but we were concerned the nanny we hired to look after our sons back at the hotel might freak out. Also thought about the reef sharks we had seen below. After taking this picture were able to flag down the boat that was searching for us!
Actress Dawn Wells best known for her role as Mary Ann Summers on the Gilligan’s Island sitcom (1964 until 1967) has passed away due to the Covid virus. She was in Toronto five years ago to help open the Toronto International Boat Show. I got her to pose for this picture in a very expensive Sea Ray, a far cry from the Minnow. Very knowledgeable about boats and fishing and Toronto. A joy to photograph.
Those were the Days
Actress Dawn Wells best known for her role as Mary Ann Summers on the Gilligan’s Island sitcom (1964 until 1967) has passed away due to the Covid virus. She was in Toronto five years ago to help open the Toronto International Boat Show. I got her to pose for this picture in a very expensive Sea Ray, a far cry from the Minnow. Very knowledgeable about boats and fishing and Toronto. A joy to photograph.

Photographs – In focus and also the best of  sweirsweir’s Art of the Blur.  Fall 2020. Taken with various Olympus cameras,  Iphones, Ipads and pictures supplied by associates (where noted). Contact me if you wish to use any of the photographs (usually no cost). stephen@stephenweir.com

fake door sign. Back alley of Port Hope
Used in the filming of It2
Covid shutdown brings out the worst in dog owners
frequent sight on street corners and in the parks of Toronto
IT2 mural
Port Hope, downtown used for filming of It and It2
last time I went to church 2016
closing service for Caribana downtown at St Stephens on King St East. Anglican with members of the FMC
walk of excellence
Jane Finch May 2020
Guess Where?  Beside Niagara Falls. Only place that has a recycle bin for ponchos!
yonge st alley mural
Still surviving Covid after 10 years Sept 2020
Pandemic season is also Construction season
Castlefield Avenue
Suiting up beside the St Lawrence River
what to eat after a dive - Poutine
Highway 2 chipwagon opened shop in August across from shore dive site just east of Prescott. St Lawrence river
Divers in Prescott. 40-50 divers every Saturday and Sunday at the wrecksite. No charge. No boat needed! Crowds dropped off by mid-October
Young Karin
Photo from Airwaves 2016- Young Karin, an Icelandic singer still in her pajama phase. Was often called Young Karen but that has changed with because of the new meaning of Karen. Iceland music festival November 2016
Tom Sawyer style dogwash
you wash the dog. you buy our soap. you pay us for the water. you open the front door – it is covid time at Yonge and St Clair in Toronto. October 2020
Rolls Royces at the Ontario Place Drive Inn
Media night at the Italian Film Festival. August 202o
mash-up of blue mean statues
in front of Roehampton condos. Public art. Yonge and Eg – Toronto
Waiting for our food at Port Hope’s Schnitzel drive-in
Twin Lions prowl parking lot in Port Hope
Twin Lion plate
the fresh water salmon running in Ganaraski River upstream from Lake Ontario
PORT CREDIT – fishing for salmon
Every gift bought after December 2nd was purchased online.
Had to find watermain shutoff for plumbers on Boxing Day – sprung a leak (and the furnace broke down)
Andrew, Mike and Donna talk to the family in Ottawa and Osgoode, Ontario Christmas Day. Dining Room has become the Zoom Room
Doggy Mural and Christmas stickers on the window – Gerrard and River
Christmas afternoon. Donna, Mike and Andrew
Weir Here Zoom screen

 

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August 2020 Covid events, happenings and observations

Shellfish roasting in the warm August sun
Robot Broil House, Yonge Street, north of Bloor. Maria took picture with her cell phone
Chimney on next door neighbours house is all I see
Public art in front of apartment/condo complex. Davisville Avenue, Toronto, ONT
Silly Pigeons. Photo taken on Sunday. Bank doesn’t open till Monday
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Gotta get one of those signs
Weir Team. Popular mid-town Toronto real estate company. No relation.
Marilyn and Jamar poster annoys North Toronto residents
Popular CHUM FM morning hosts aren’t popular these days thanks to their maskless picture. Defaced. Broadway and Yonge, Mid-town Toronto.
Closed up of defaced face poster
someone used two homemade stickers to point out that the two CHUM radio morning hosts are wearing anti-covid masks!
Leaside pony left out for the garbage truck. Toronto
Back alley butcher shop, set for IF
Monster’s lair, sewer pipe, If movie(s). Port Hope
Mural painted for the making of the movies, If. Back alley downtown Port Hope
Gina, Donna, Andrew, Mik, Maria and Peter, Schnitzel House patio
Port Hope’s Roadside Schnitzel House
On the banks of the mighty Ganaraski River, Port Hope
PORT CREDIT Fishing for Salmon in the Ganaraski River
PHONE BREAK FOR THE YOUNGUNs Schnitzel House Patio, Port Hope
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July 2020 work and personal

Gas Station Holy Water – sanitizing your hands anyway you can

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Leap into Summer - 42 years ago
It was 42-years ago that I took this picture for the editorial page of the Lakefield Leader. Editorial all about the joys of summer in the Kawarthas. Nothin’ changed, except the bait shop boat house fell over a few weeks after I took this black and white picture. Lakefield, Ontario, Canada.
Mondo Condo
Public Art yonge/eg

BLM at city hall Toronto July 4th
view from the Niagara Falls Canada train
maid of the mist
Mostly empty (because of virus rules) Cdn Hornblower ship
deck crowded, US’s Maid of the Mist – under the Canadian falls
Niagara Falls Canada – their version of the Lock Bridge
Empty OnDuty 24 antiperspirant serves as a glasses holder on my desk
Only in Niagara Falls Canada will you find a recycle bin for ponchos
Flying the Atlantic Mas colours
Sign of the times, July 4th city hall toronto blm protest by atlantic mas
sign of the times BLM at city hall
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more city hall blm interviews
BLM city hall
BLM city hall Atlantic Mas

Akil interviewed by Global TV and CBC about BLM at city hall in Toronto

tent city at city hall 2-days before it will be torn down
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June photographs personal and work related

Virus regulations won’t let a Bloor Street W shop owner take the plastic off Buzz Lightyear.
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