Toronto Pride Parade 2024

 As we gathered along Yonge Street, anticipation buzzed in the air. The long wait only seemed to heighten the excitement. Finally, the distant roar of motorcycles signaled the parade’s approach. Just as the first riders came into view, the skies opened up and a brief, gentle rain began to fall.

It was as if the heavens themselves were heralding the parade’s arrival. The rain, however, was short-lived, and its timing felt almost symbolic—a nod to the hardships faced by the LGBTQ+ community and the resilience that has seen them through.

 A Day to Remember: Toronto Pride Parade 2024

This past Sunday, June 30th, the streets of Toronto came alive with vibrant colors, joyful music, and an overwhelming sense of unity and celebration. The annual Pride Parade, a staple of the city’s cultural calendar, once again took over Yonge Street, drawing thousands of participants and spectators alike. 

This year’s parade was not just a spectacle; it was a poignant reminder of the progress the movement has made and the challenges that still lie ahead.

The parade itself was nothing short of spectacular. It was bigger and better than anything I had ever seen before, touching the lives of everyone in attendance. The diversity and inclusivity on display were truly inspiring. There were contingents representing gay fathers, Seniors Pride, Two-Spirit people, HIV support groups, and organizations working to stop AIDS and end religious-based homophobia. 

There were also powerful messages of solidarity with the Iranian and Jewish LGBTQ+ communities.

Among the many highlights was the presence of Toronto’s Mayor, Olivia Chow, who proudly showed her support for Pride. Her participation underscored the city's commitment to embracing and celebrating diversity in all its forms.

For over two hours, the parade captivated us with its vibrant floats, energetic performances, and the palpable sense of community spirit. Although there was a brief delay
towards the end due to demonstrations, the police presence ensured that everything ran smoothly. Their efforts were greatly appreciated and allowed the celebration to continue without major disruption.

#Pride2024 #TorontoPride #LoveIsLove

17th Annual Woofstock!

 Every year in early summer, Toronto, Ontario Canada holds it's Annual Woofstock Festival.  Into it's 17th year in North America it has earned it's place in show as North America's Largest Dog Festival!

My husband and I don't own a dog (we have always had a least 2 cats), but I still couldn't resist to come to the event to take a peek at all the canine breeds attached by leash to their beloved owners.

Woofstock® (the registered name lol), has already set up tents of vendors selling all kinds of diffent goods and services for your pooch .  Now if you're a dog owner, you might know Benny Bully's Pet Treats - they have placed themselves as the Official Dog treat of  Woofstock.  This year in 2024, they landed (via space ship?) for a weekend celebration that goes beyond the ordinary on June 22 & 23, 2024 from 10am-7pm, Sun: 10am-5pm.

Much to our dismay, it costs $20 per person, even if you don't come with a dog, and just want to blog the dogs :)  I couldn't see any point in that, so we stuck around for an hour or so to watch others entering the Woodbine Park (located at the corner of Queen Street East, and Northern Dancer Blvd).  This is not to be confused with Woodbine Beach on the other side of the Lakeshore Blvd near Lake Ontario.  I say that because my husband insisted he knew where he was going and after 30 minutes of his stubbornness, he finally realized he was indeed in the wrong spot

By not paying $20 I kick myself now of course, but at the time it was early and not much was happening - but if you do want to check this out in 2025, be sure to bring your furry friend (s) for later in the day where they can engage in active sports like Benny Bully’s Bark 'n' Dash Lure Course and off-leash playtime. 

There are several contests as well - The Stupid Dog Trick, Paws and Personalities, Best Costume, and Mr. & Ms. Canine Canada Pageant (which I heard the beginning of).  

I took some photos of some of the contestants!

There were fashion shows on the agenda, yoga sessions, races like Puppy Prowl, Frenchie Flash, Weiner Dogs, Running of the Pugs, Rescue Run, and Chihuahua Chase. Engage in Woofstock Talks, including the much-anticipated Doggy Dating – Single Mingle Mixer with Toronto Dating Hub LOL!

I overheard some people talking about an obstacle course that was set up which will entail <-- okay that was bad, obstacle courses which let your dog sniff out treats!  Sort of like an Easter Egg Hunt, Barn style.

Something adorable as well, even if you are not into alcohol, you can indulge in delicious food yourself from Food Truck culture and relax at the Woofstock® Licensed Lounge" with BarDog wine, Tito’s Hand-made Vodka, and Wooftinis.  

So for $20, you get a pretty busy schedule of memory-making experiences included in the ticket price, there’s no better way to celebrate the bond between you and your pooch. I suggest you check this event next year, bring your own pooch or borrow a pooch for the day. 

www.woofstock.ca.

Bird Kingdom

 I’ve been to Niagara Falls since I was kid, and then many times with my own kids – there are always different tourists attractions to see that are interesting to keep the crowds coming.

The White Water Walk was established as a safe yet exhilarating way to enjoy the wild rapids which have been clocked as the most ferocious in the world with a class 6 (according to the White Water Rapids Classification Guide).  Class 1 being gentle waves; 2- you might get splashed.  Class 3 – You’ll get wet Class 4 – you’ll get soaked; Class 5 – high adrenaline and Class 6 – non-navigable!  That in itself is scary enough.  For more on that trip – check out the White Water link here: https://mishylainescorneroftheworld.blogspot.com/search/label/White%20Water%20Walk%20in%20Niagara%20Falls

 This summer, we decided to go to Niagara on the GO train, which was inexpensive ($10/return trip!) and painless.  In fact we spent the trip talking, listening to music, reading, and watching the city go from Toronto to Niagara in about 2 hours at a clip of about 150/km per hour.

We agreed to check out the ‘Bird Kingdom” when we were there.  It’s located about a 20 minute walk from the GO Train terminal at 5651 River Road.  From the outside, it promised to be the World’s Largest Indoor Free Flying  Aviary and was a 4x Winner of Niagara’s “Attraction of the Year”!  How could we possibly miss on this?  Though I have to admit after paying $17 to enter through the darkened hallway I wasn’t really expecting much…boy was I wrong!

 

There are 4 levels in the building – the Main Aviary encompasses all 4 levels towards the back.  It opens up to a magical oasis much like a scene in Avatar.  A tropical paradise with a 40 foot waterfall filled with exotic birds of all different species and bright colours.  Rare ones like the Silvery-cheeked hornbill (which is you see it, you would almost feel sorry for it as it looks like half the beak is broken off – but in fact it isn’t.

Everyday in the Lorikeet Landing - there are daily feeding of sugar water to the Rainbow Lorikeets (which they love).  You will be the belle of the ball while they huddle around you and drink the nectar from your hands which is in a cup the attendants will give you.  My husband was able to attract half a dozen all over him.  I got the remaining 2 birds that peed on my arm and bit my hand (I tried to pet it , but apparently that’s not what you’re supposed to do).

In other attractions you’ll see hanging Egyptian fruit bats, talking cockatoos, parrots, Myna birds…all within metres of you.  There’s reptiles, and poisonous frogs and very large turtles!
We spent hours in there – something else that surprised me as I expected to be in and out in an hour.  Take some time and have some tea in the Javanese Tea House in the ‘Main Aviary’
It’s worth a visit, in fact since the lineups can be long in the summer time during peak season, the attendant at the Lorikeet Landing said that if you come in the Fall/Winter months you can spend more time with the birds as the traffic goes down dramatically.

One final thought as you debate the price of entry at the gate, all of these birds have been brought here by over-zealous previous owners that could not care for them, or brought in illegally or sick/injured through abuse or neglect.  So your money goes to help to support in the health and well-being in all these creatures in this well-maintained sanctuary.

We are going back again!

Happy travels!
 

The Power Plant (@Harbourfront centre)

We finally got around to checking out The Power Plant in the HarbourFront Centre.  The HarbourFront Centre's Power Plant was originally built in 1926 known as the 'Powerhouse"  The Powerhouse interestingly enough contained heating and refrigeration equipment for the Toronto Terminal Warehouse (which is now known as the Queen's Quay Terminal) and the 'Ice House" which is known today as the Habourfront Centre Theatre.

 In 1976, the site was renovated into an Art Gallery at the Bill Boyle ArtPort. and further construction years later formed "The PowerPlant" which opened it's doors officially in 1987.  

It's a Canadian charitable organization and completely free to enter at set hours.  It contains Contemporary Art, which I don't mind tell you I am not a fan.  There's a historical component to the artwork and for some, you may find displays to be interesting and for others not so much.

The site hosts major solo shows and group exhibitions as well as free public programs, educational events and workshops.  It has produced several artists books and have released more than 140 publications to date!

You can easily spot the Power Plant Contemporary Art Gallery from Queens Quay by the prominent smoke stack which stands out from the Harbour off of Queens Quay in Toronto.  As I mentioned earlier it is a Canadian Contemporary public art gallery mandated exclusively to a diverse and advanced artistic culture.  It is supported by and to a diverse group of living artists while engaging equally diverse audiences in their work. 

Keep your eyes and ears out for exhibitions, lectures and symposia that encourage debate and further understanding; invitations to visitors to question, explore and reflect upon their experiences.  

Since 25th anniversary in 2012, the gallery introduced ALL YEAR, ALL FREE, offering free admission and open access to the public to all exhibitions. 

In 2022, The Power Plant Contemporary Art Gallery is celebrating its 35th anniversary by introducing new ways to engage with diverse audiences through a brand new website, new communications channels, and the return of Power Ball in 2023.

Today, general admission to the PowerPlant is still FREE.

Don't wait as long as I have if you live in Toronto or visiting.  The Harbourfront Centre's PowerPlant is a unique experience.  You may find yourself coming with a little more understanding and a lot more cultured in Contemporary Art!

Ripley's Aquarium - Toronto Canada

Just down by the water of Lake Ontario at 288 Bremner Blvd which has become quite the hub of Toronto's tourism is the Ripleys Aquarium.

It situates itself somewhere between Toronto's iconic CN Tower and the Rogers Centre home of the NBA champions and has always been the least intriguing attraction to me since it's opening in  October of 2013.

Particularly because I have a strong belief like most of us that aquatic animals should not be held in captivity (or any animals for that matter, unless of course they are already domesticated).  This belief was about to change though -- well not for Marineland but for at least here.

This evening all started because recently my husband received a gift card from family for the COPA (Copacabana Ridizio) so we enjoyed a dinner of an all you can eat meat from bacon wrapped filet mignon to parmesan infused prime rib to top sirloin, lamb, shrimp and chicken.

Afterwards he wanted to make it a date night out of it, so we went to the Ripley's Aquarium which was about a 10 minute walk away (since it was his birthday, I was obliged to go).

I absolutely loved it! I totally felt like a kid again.  At Ripley's, you will see everything from sharks to swimming green sea turtles and jelly fishes to eels and the most beautiful colourful tropical fishes and marine life you'll ever get a chance to see otherwise unless of course you have thousands to spend visiting the tropics.
 
Although they are in fact in captivity, I can't imagine a more beautiful home than here.  Designers and engineers have painstaking designed every aquatic aquarium tailored to the marine life here.  Either fresh water or ocean floors making sure the surrounding were like home to the animals right down to the temperature of the water as well as the water's content.

The aquariums are spotless clear and cleaned and are monitored by computers and high-compression drums and gauges by skilled employees in marine biology.  There is even a section where you are able to view this for yourself.

Here swims, floats and flutters any species of the underground world you can imagine and they all get along perfectly respecting one another space.  They clearly are all being fed well or you would see a much different picture in the water.

Highlights for me were the blue lobster (which incidentally I never knew were rarely blue).  In fact in a BBC news article, dated may 26, 2016 (cited: https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-36369687, BBC News: How rare are bright blue lobsters?) notes how rare they really are.

  I also loved the touch and feel tanks where you can immerse your hand in shrimp tanks where little shrimps will crawl over to take little pieces of dead skin from your hand (you might not know they are there, but they do!) and I found it so cute and it tickles!  The other highlight was to put your hand in a very large tank of stingrays and they will sense your heart beat and swim by you so you can pet them.  As you might have thought they feel very slippery and smooth.  I also petted the top of a baby shark and a giant eel.  

I was so happy to see how well they are living and looked after, although it was very costly getting indoors, we went after 7:00 at night, which is called 'Sharks After Dark',  you can stay as long as you like up until 11:00.  It is $7 cheaper than the usual price but you can still see all the exhibits so it's worth it.

I won't be going back again only because I have seen it already, but I highly recommend this place to go at least.  Costs are steep at $39/each for adults, but check their website for up to date prices for kids and seniors and discounts.