Citytv Viewer Appreciation Day in the Square

Citytv was broadcasting out of Yonge-Dundas Square on Thursday, July 14, 2011 as part of Citytv Viewer Appreciation Day. The early morning started with Breakfast Television and hosts Kevin Frankish and Dina Pugliese continued the hosting duties for the event after BT wrapped up. If you were lucky you could look up to the large broadcast building they have across the street and see yourself up on their huge screen.

There were a few booths set up with contests and games and they had an ice cream truck giving out free ice cream cones. The Square was so crowded that it was hard to tell which lineup was for what.

Kevin and Dina introduced Canadian singer Suzie McNeil, above, during the City in the Square celebrations running from noon to 1pm. Suzie entertained the crowds that were standing at the stage and those in line ups. CityNews is scheduled for 6-7pm and they promise games, free food and lots of entertainment.

Dina Pugliese

It was a great weekend

The weather was perfect, the events and festivals were excellent - what a great weekend it was in Toronto. Celebrities were jetting into the Big Smoke, bodybuilders, fitness and bikini models were taking over the downtown core, bus tours and hippos filled the roads and there was music everywhere. I had a lot of hair earlier in the day at the NXNE venue, above, and later it was gone after photographing the Pro SuperShow and some Luminato.

etalk at MMVAs

etalk's host Tanya Kim reports from the site of the 2011 MMVAs at the Much Music building on Queen Street West, I was lucky as Ben Mulroney wasn't around. She was doing a report during sound checks on the MMVA stages. I think this was before Lady Gaga landed into Toronto.

Throughout the universe, forever

You could live on forever, throughout the universe if you wandered past the cameras at Yonge and Dundas today during the filming of a Government of Ontario tourism production. Throughout the universe - man, I didn't realize the government could plan so well for the future when we travel between planets and solar systems watching a Toronto tourism film for the early turn of the century in 2011! At least the rights are for something public and fairly innocent - I believe the title was 'Down and dirty in the streets of TO - the Yonge Street Strip'.

Of course this will expire when the revised Judgement Day strikes this October. See the writing on the poster after the jump.


"A camera crew is taping footage in this area for inclusion in a tourism video being produced on behalf of The Government of Ontario. By entering this area you consent to being photographed and/or recorded by the Producer, and, at the Producer's sole discretion, you may be included in the Video, without compensation to you, for unlimited use, throughout the universe forever, in all media (including but not limited to TV, DVD, INTERNET and WIRELESS DEVICES). Thank you for joining us! Ontario, CANADA.

Caution at 33 Dundas East

I think a group of buildings got into a fight. It started with words, harsh words. Violence progresses quickly and soon a dance fight breaks out. Then someone pulled a knife and the next thing you know a building has been stabbed and it's lifeblood leaks onto the street, although it might have been rain water discharge because we have got a lot of rain lately. Police are called, yellow caution tape goes up saying 'Crime Scene - do not cross' and the coroner makes the call. Northing remains except the horror and the investigation - a nearby building might be going away for a long, long time.

The TV studios at 33 Dundas Street East (CityTV and the OMNI twins) are having some work done and caution tape and a police officer keep the area around the man lift clear and safe.

CityTV News - Kathryn Humphreys

Kathryn Humphreys sports anchor and reporter of the CityTV show CityNEWS was in the Square reporting on Piazza Italia.

Bick's Grill and Give BBQ

The Yonge-Dundas Square was filled with smoke as a BBQ lunch was being cooked for people helping to support Food Banks Canada on May 19, 2011. There were also celebrity challenges, live entertainment and a Raptor’s basketball team mascot dancing up a storm - all put on by Bicks, the pickle (and many other things) people.

Host Canadian Idol Judge Farley Flex (below, left) was joined by Celebrity Chef Rob Rainford (pictured at top).

Media challenge participant Alex Pierson from the Roundtable

See more pictures after the jump.

Alex and the media challenge winner

Bick's girl with the Raptors' mascot

Watching the entertainment in the Square

Condo Newspaper Boxes

The City of Toronto has introduced a new, sexy type of newspaper box - a community type of box with multiple newspapers living together in harmony, a sort of hippie newspaper commune or a condo-box for a condominium city. The grey structure I found at Queen Street West and Bay Street is branded with the City of Toronto Logo, holds eight different papers with up to four paid editions possible (yeah, like that will be necessary in the near future). Maybe they can remove the coin slot area and stick in more free editions as necessary. This design was actually released to the media in 2008 and shown in this Torontoist article but this is the first time that I have seen it in the wild.

The other newspaper boxes are scared of the beautiful lines of the new box and fearful of a future where they may have to go to for recycling. You can see the City's logo on the side of the box.

This sleek new baby replaces the long line of multi-coloured newspaper boxes that fill many street-corners and which many people consider an eyesore. I didn't mind the old individual boxes because they were sometimes the most colourfull objects on a downtown street. You can see that they must have just taken the wrapping off the installation as the dull grey finish is yet untouched by stickers, graffiti or posters. I will check back later this week to see if the finish remains virgin.

The old boxes in front of the Starbucks wait for the transfer of the paying editions to the new box. They are remarkably clean with very little marks added by artistic citizens. Both the Star and the Sun boxes have small stickers which mention agendas and lies.

CityTV News - They are everywhere

They might have lost well loved Mark Dailey but they are still everywhere. Here is a gorgeous CityNews reporter Cynthia Mulligan on Bay Street in the middle of doing a story.

Come On Star; crisis in the Yonge-Dundas Square?

There is a crisis in the square - there is stuff there. OMG, wtf! The Toronto Star has run out of crap to think about. "There are more garbages there than an army can use", "a ticket selling booth over there", "the main stage is fenced off"; what the hell is Christopher Hume talking about? He also claims that the Yonge-Dundas Square stage canopy is never used - well here are the hash protesters huddling, pictured above, under that mysterious canopy.

It's f*cking winter out and no one hangs in the square!

PS Another crisis: there is some snow on the sidewalk!

YouTube: I passed a million views of my videos!

I was happy to see that I going into 2011 with over a million views of my YouTube videos. Speaking as a media giant I am eagerly awaiting a call from CNN as I slowly take over the internet. I figure if I hit the next Toronto World Naked Bike Ride and film it I will be on my way to two million YouTube views.

By the way the next Toronto World Naked Bike Ride is scheduled for Saturday, June 11, 2011 - join in at 12 noon and leave Coronation Park at 1pm. For the 2010 pictures just check out the link to the top right of this page.

Early morning fire at Yonge and Gould

An early morning fire on Monday, January 3rd closes down the Yonge and Dundas area as the Toronto Fire Department battled with a major fire in the empty heritage building at the intersection of Yonge and Gould streets. The building, across from the Ryerson University campus, has been sitting empty after a wall collapse in early 2010 which resulted in the partial closure of both the Yonge and Gould roadways adjacent to the heritage structure (http://torontogp.blogspot.com/2010/04/bricks-on-gould-impact-on-yonge-street.html). The Toronto Fire Services reported that today’s fire was a 6 alarm level with 61 units deployed with the initial dispatch at 4:05:19 am (http://www.toronto.ca/fire/cadinfo/livecad.htm).

See part of the walls collapse under the pressure of the water on my YouTube video here.

Crews were still pouring water into the destroyed shell of a building, which is just one block north of Dundas and the Eaton Centre, during the lunch hour as clouds of steam and smoke continued to rise from the rubble. Reports were that two firefighters had fallen through the roof and were rescued later after suffering minor injuries. Ryerson remains empty of most students during the Christmas break. Over 100 firefighters were involved in trying to get the fire under control which was difficult as the roof of the structure collapsed.

Only streetcars on Dundas Street are being allowed to cross the area as the emergency crews and equipment continue to fill the streets. Luckily the vehicular and pedestrian traffic in Toronto is very light today as the bank and other holidays have a lot of stores and businesses closed and no injuries besides to the firefighters have been reported.

Mist from the fire freezes on the Ryerson University signs.

See more photos of the dramatic event after the jump.

Smoke rises from the wreckage.

CP24's reporter Sue Sgambati reports from Yonge and Dundas.

Mark Dailey signs off for the last time

It is hard to believe that Mark Dailey's long fight against cancer has ended sadly today as he passed away at age 57. I ran into Mark several times as he raised awareness about prostate cancer which he also combined with his love of motorsports. He beat prostate cancer only to fall to kidney cancer which spread into his lungs.

Mark with some NASCAR Canadian Tire Drivers (and one fan, front row middle)

He was always an extremely friendly gentleman that you feel you know so well as you grow up listening to his unique voice on CityTV. If he had survived I am sure he would have been out working harder to raise awareness and funds to continue the fight against cancer. Goodbye Mark Dailey.