Runnymede Public Library - Toronto

Early in July I paused outside the Runnymede Public Library, at Bloor St West and Glendonwynne, where the art deco around the front door caught my eye. Inside one of the librarians was kind enough to assist me in locating information about the architect, one, John M. Lyle.

Mr. Lyle was born in Ireland in 1872, came to Canada at an early age. He was the first architect to use Canadian style, designing the high pitched French Canadian type of roof tiled with the ordinary small black slats used in France. The walls of the library were constructed from the local Credit Valley limestone, grey stone with hints of yellow and red in its texture. Construction began in 1929 and was completed in 1930.

The art deco around the front door was done in a First Nations totem motif: the raven, the beaver and the bear on the bottom.

On the west side of the library is a door that once led into the children’s portion of the library where special spaces (club rooms) were allocated for their activities.

A few of Mr. Lyle’s other creative works in Toronto are the Royal Alexandra Theatre and Union Station which share the similar style of the Runnymede Public Library.


References:

John M. Lyle: Toward A Canadian Architecture by Geoffrey Hunt, Publisher Agnes Etherington Art Centre, Queen’s University, Kingston, Ontario 1982: pp.6, 10.

A Progressive Traditionalist John M. Lyle, Architect by Glenn McArthur, Coach House Books, Toronto, 2009. pp. 152.

Photo Credit: B E Martin All Rights Reserved.

Mount Sir Donald

This is a view of Mount Sir Donald taken from the Abbott Ridge Trail in Glacier National Park, B.C. This hike will be posted soon for those enthusiasts of craggy heights.

Mount Sir Donald is 10,816 feet / 3297 metres tall. Sir Donald A. Smith, the Canadian Pacific Railway director, drove the last spike on the CPR at Craigellachie in 1885. Sir Donald Smith was also Governor of the Hudson's Bay Company and Chancellor of the Canadian High Commission in London.  For other information on Mount Sir Donald visit Summitpost.org.



 Photo Credit: bglogging CC=nc-flickr. CLICK TO ENLARGE

My Town Monday - Going in Style - Part 3

Browns’ Limited Catalogue of 1906 covered all the usual items any settler or towns person wished to purchase:ladies’ and mens’ clothing, furniture, wall paper, floor oilcloth and linoleum, carpets and various sundry goods.



I particularly liked the different styles of rugs which are quite similar to those today. There were different types: runners of 27” and 36” wide included Axminister, Wilton and velvet, Brussels and English Tapestry, Wool and Union, Japanese Straw Matting, Cocoa Matting; parlor rugs with or without fringes, lining, reversible wool Smyrna rugs (with attestation of the wearing quality of two rungs, never curl an dlie perfectly flat on the floor), hearth rugs.











Other floor coverings popular at the time were oilcloth and linoleum used in kitchens.













Wallpaper all had upper borders illustrating a different design or pastoral scene. One particular listing states: “High class, gold tinted wall paper, the colorings are not loud but have a character that cannot but be appreciated,” and “Baronial wall paper is a high grade paper in a rich ground color of red, cannot fail to embellish libraries, dining rooms and halls.”

Window shades came in coloured cloth often with lace trim or fringe.






















Many accoutrements necessary for running the household included: piano drapes, pillow cords, cushion girdles, linen collars, foundation collars, dress shields, black valenciennes and net lace, torchon laces and insertions, elastic, hari brushes, dressing combs, hose supporters, notions, shirt waist sets, ruchings and frillings, various styles of gloves, steels, spools and feather bone,corset clasps, table oilcloths and American leathers, flannelettes.

These particular furnishings and those in the earlier sections were the main stay of households throughout Canada.

Other participants to My Town Monday can be found here.

Click to enlarge any of the photos.

My Town Monday - Going In Style - Part 2

Last week Part 1 focused on ladies clothing in 1906, available through Browns' Limited catalogue in Portage La Prairie, Manitoba. Today’s post covers sturdy oak furniture in styles that might suit some tastes to differ from modern contemporary styles .The furniture was touted as being stylish, best quality, well made while some pieces were massive others sported a more dainty appearance as not to appear cumbersome. Most were solid pieces of furniture. My grandfather had purchased six dining room chairs, a round oak table that had two leaves to extend it and a buffet cabinet from a similar company which he used as “settler’s effects”. These items he took by rail from Toronto to central Alberta in 1904.




1906 Hall Furniture






















This furniture was more suited for a house in town or a larger municipality, or a large prosperous land holder. Most farmers or settlers in western parts of Canada had more modest living arrangements, often a two room house which additions were added later.




Parlor Furniture with Morris Chairs






















The Parlor furniture consisted of a settee or loveseat with four variables in armchairs and chairs, some with rockers and couches. The Morris Chairs were obviously meant for the “man of the household”—nothing dainty about those massive chairs.


I have always liked the “couches” of this era: quaint pieces of furniture with embroidered velvet coverings on neat little legs with roller feet.


.





Parlor Cabinets






















Intriguing pieces of furniture to display one’s collectibles with “British plate mirror”.


Book Cases and Musi Cabinets






















Most of the music cabinets were made from mahogany.






Parlor and Dining Room Chairs




















The better chairs were sturdy made from oak while kitchen chairs tended to be from another hardwood or pine.






Parlor Tables




















Those necessities in every home for plants or tea services.

I really liked some of the designs of the cabinets and hall furniture while wondering if there were manufacturers today who were able to make replicas or fashion their stock after these.

Next week is Part 3.

For other participants of My Town Monday go here.

My Town Monday - Going In Style

Raincoat for Ladies. This coat is made of rubberized Covert Cloth;…double stiched seams velvet collar, half belt; colors, grey and fawn. Sizes 32 to 42 5.00

As most of my past posts for My Town Monday have been in various historical periods of Canada, today I am covering the fashions and furniture of 1906 from the Browns’ Limited Spring Catalogue, Portage La Prairie, Manitoba. Unfortunately I do not have the men’s portion of the catalogue, however, I’m certain the ladies section will suffice. This portion of catalogue is from my Grandmother Edith who immigrated to Canada in 1906, picking this up in Winnpeg en route to Alberta. I scanned what pages remain in the hopes of salvaging the contents before it disintegrates. Thus, here are some excepts accompanied by illustrations.



Ladies – “How to Dress Well

“This is a matter of considerable importance to women. If you want to be well dressed you must select those garments which combine all that is new and up-to-date in Style, Fit and Workmanship; you want all this in a moderate cost. In this catalogue you will find a number of Northway Garments that are designed to meet this demand.

“They are always in the forefront with the new styles for each season. They are honestly made, shape-keeping garments. The fit is everthing that can be desired. The value you can judge from the garment here displayed. The materials are always the best quality possible, consistent with the price of each garment…”




















Ladies and Misses’ Jackets and Cravenette Coats

An example of a listing: “618. LADIES’ CRAVENTTE RAINCOAT. 45 inches long, fly front, two clusters of pleats on each side, tacked down in centre, surmounted by strappings of self, collarless style, pleated back, pleats surmounted by self-strappings. Made in Fawns and Greys, and also similar styles in Fawn Covert Cloths. 15.00, 17.50 and 20.00”


Ladies’ Wrappers, made of strong print, 8-in flounce on skirt, tight-fitting back, with fullness from waist line; frill around yoke; large sleeves made to button at cuff; colors, navy and white, black and white, red and white. Sizes 32 to 44 1.50















Child’s Dress






















Ladies' High Grade Style Skirts






















These wool skirts come with pleats, some trimmed with tabs and buttons; in various colours of black, fawn, tweeds. Prices: 5.50, 7.75, 8.50


And those fashionable undergarments ladies wore: the underskirts made in black staeen with various rows of gathered flounce trimmed in ruffles.






















Luckily togay women don't have to wear those form fitting, cinched up corsets made with whale bone staves.

Part Two next week. Click to enlarge any of the photos.


For other participants in My Town Monday please go here.

Reflections (8)

The Skeena River belongs to the Skeena Watershed in northwestern central British Columbia and has long been known as the “River of Mists”. From 1864 to 1912 it was used as a major waterway for steamboats.

The Skeena is well known for sport-fishing, particularly salmon of very large size such as a world record Chinook salmon of 92 and one-half pounds, a record Coho salmon weighing 25 and one-half pounds and a 36-pound steelhead. The types of pacific salmon that can be found in this river are: Chinook, Chum, Coho, Pink, Sockeye and Steelhead.



Photo Credit: DreamEchos CC=nc-flickr. Click to enlarge.

Hiking Trails - Wilcox Pass

The hiking trail over Wilcox Pass was used frequently before the Icefields Parkway opened in 1940. It is best in late June through to mid-August, although snow can remain in Wilcox Pass until late July. Wilcox Pass is in Jasper National Park, Alberta and accessed just off the Icefields Parkway (Highway 93).




[1- Indian Paintbrush near the Icefields Parkway - click to enlarge]







The trailhead begins at the Wilcox Creek Campground with the distance to Wilcox pass is 4.0 km (2.5mi) one way. To take the full hike one-way from the Wilcox Creek Campground to Tangle Falls is 11.2km (7.0mi).



Half day to day trip
Allow 1.5 to 2 hours to Wilcox Pass
Elevation gain: 335m (1,100ft)
Maximum elevation: 2375m (7800ft)

To reach the trailhead take the Icefields Parkway Hwy 93 to the Wilcox Creek Campground on the east side of the highway 2.8km (1.7mi) south of the Icefields Centre or 1.9km (1.2mi) north of the Banff-Jasper boundary at Sunwapta Pass.

This hike is considered one of the best day hikes in Jasper National Park.



[2- Golden Mantle Ground squirrel aka Chipmunks - click to enlarge]

These little guys seem to populate the wood piles near campgrounds wherever one travels in the mountains.



The Wilcox Campground road is at an elevation of 2040m with a steep climb through alpine forest.



At approximately the 1.7km mark the trail emerges above the treeline gaining 120m in less than a kilometre.

In another 2.5km there is a steep climb to flat alpine meadows and the viewpoint for the Athabasca Glacier.



[3- Viewpoint of Columbia Icefield, Mt. Athabasca to left with Mt. Andromeda behind, the Athabasca Glacier in the middle and Mt. Kitchener and the Snow Dome on the right - from the Wilcox Pass Trail - click to enlarge]


Only a small portion of the Columbia Icefield is visible from the Icefield Parkway. The Athabasca Glacier is the most accessible and visible of the glaciers which flow from the Icefield, but there are numerous others. Over three hundred square kilometres in area, the depth of the icefield varies from 100 to 365 metres. The average annual snowfall on the upper reaches is seven metres.

From the viewpoint the trail moderates, opening out onto a ridge overlooking the Icefields Parkway and the Athabasca Glacier. The hiker can feast his/her eyes upon the massive ice-covered Mount Athabasca (3491m) (11454ft), Mount Andromeda (3450m) (11,319ft), the Snow Dome (3460m) (11,399ft) and Mount Kitchener (3511m) (11,500ft).

Mt Kitchener was named in 1916 after Horatio Herbert Kitchener (Viscount Kitchener), a British Field Marshall who organized the British armies at the beginning of WWI. He was lost when HMS Hampshire struck a mine in 1916.



[4 - Snow Dome and Mt. Kitchener from the Wilcox Pass trail - click to enlarge]



Norman Collie and Hermann Woolley completed the first ascent of Mount Athabasca on August 18, 1898. Collie described a vast icefield that stretched westward and surrounded by unknown peaks.




[5 - Snow Dome Glacier above Mt. Kitchener - click to enlarge]



The Snow Dome was named in 1898 by J. Norman Collie . This dome-shaped mountain is covered by the Columbia Icefield. The water produced from this mountain flows into three oceans through the Saskatchewan and Nelson rivers to the Atlantic, though the Columbia to the Pacific, and through the Athabasca and Mackenzie Rivers to the Arctic.



[6 - View from Wilcox Pass trail toward Mt. Andromeda, the Athabasca Glacier and Mt. Kitchener on right - click to enlarge]




Past the viewpoint the trail climbs along the edge of a creek, then levels out across alpine tundra and heads northwest into the long U-shaped pass between Wilcox and Nigel peaks.




[7 - Looking back to Mt. Athabasca and Mt. Andromeda from the Wilcox Pass Trail - click to enlarge]


Here the wildflowers grow close to the ground.





[8 - Wilcox Pass trail - click to enlarge - Mt. Wilcox is above horizon of hill on left side]





At 4.0km is the summit of Wilcox Pass (2374m). Wilcox Pass and peak are named after Walter Wilcox, whose party first crossed the pass in 1896 on horseback. The pass became the usual route north as it avoided the Sunwapta Gorge and the Athabasca Glacier, which nearly blocked the valley below.





[9 - on Wilcox Pass trail - click to enlarge]


It is here and at the other end of the pass that the hiker will find Bighorn Sheep.




[10 - Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep at Wilcox Pass - click to enlarge]







[11 - Wilcox Pass trail with Rocky Mountain Sheep - click to enlarge]




Here the hiker can often find small herds of Rocky Mountain Sheep grazing.



[12 - Wilcox Pass - click to enlarge]






[13 - NW on Wilcox Pass trail with Mt. Wilcox in background - click to enlarge]









[14 - Wilcox Pass - click to enlarge]







[15 - Wilcox Pass - click to enlarge]



To continue on to Tangle Falls the route continues north across the pass to trail makers or cairns at the 7.1km mark, where there is a steep descent into the forest. Stick to the left side below Mount Wilcox. At about 8.6km, the trail crosses to the left of the creek where it becomes more defined. Here the slope goes from moderate to steep on the descent south of Tangle Creek.

At 11.2km is the Tangle Creek trailhead (1860m) with the Icefields Parkway 200m south of Tangle Falls and 10km north of the Wilcox Creek trailhead.

Otherwise, at the rock cairn the hiker can begin to backtrack the way they came to return to the Wilcox Creek Campground.


[16 - Wilcox Pass - click to enlarge]







[17 - Coming down from Wilcox Pass - click to enlarge]







[18 - Mt. Athabasca with glacier - click to enlarge]








[19 - On Wilcox Pass Trail looking toward the Athabasca Glacier]






[20 -Mt. Kitchener beneath the Snow Dome]



Photo Credits: [1]-jdww CC=nc-nd-flickr, [2]-karenwithak CC=nc-nd-flickr, [3][16]-richd777 CC=nc-sa-flickr, [4][6][7]-A tea but no e CC=flickr, [5][9][13]-Alaskan Dude CC=flickr,[8][19]-BinoCanada CC=nc-sa-flickr, [10][11][12][14][17]-Feffef CC=nc-sa-flickr, [15]-canoe too CC=nc-nd-flickr, [18]-gordmckenna CC=nc-nd-flickr, [20]-DavidQuick CC=nc-nd-flickr,

Tangle Falls

[1-click to enlarge]












Tangle Falls are located in Jasper National Park, 200m from the Icefields Parkway. They are 10km north of the Wilcox Creek trailhead.

There is a trail that leads from Tangle Falls which is not well marked, but leads up to Wilcox Pass. The hike to Wilcox Pass from the Wilcox Creek campground will be covered in a future post.




[2-click to enlarge]











When Mary Schaffer and her group were coming down from Wilcox Pass to navigate their way past the Sunwapta Gorge, they took the right side of the stream urging their pack horses to find their way down the dense underbrush to the bottom. When they did manage to reach the bottom and crossed the stream they noted other horse tracks had descended at the same location. Later they learned that Bill Peyto, an early outfitter, had found the easiest way was to take the left side of the stream. They named the crooked stream “Tangle Creek” after their descent.


[3-lower section of Tangle Falls - click to enlarge]











Research: Old Indian Trails of the Canadian Rockies by Mary Schaffer (1911), p.56

Photo Credits: [1]-listentoreason CC=nc-sa-flickr, [2][3]-Alaskan Dude CC=flickr.

Hiking Trails - Stanley Glacier

Stanley Glacier is located in Kootenay National Park in British Columbia.

This trail is classified as being moderate, consisting of 9 km (5.6 miles) roundtrip. This is a relatively short and moderately steep hike of a half-day taking the hiker up to a hanging valley with a glacier behind it.

Elevation gain: 395m (1296 ft).

The trail head is on Hwy 93, 3.2 km west of the Banff and Kootenay National Parks borders at a parking area on the east side of the highway.



[1- please click to enlarge]













[2 - please click to enlarge]

When walking through an old burn it is advisable to pay attention to the direction of the wind and its speed. The dead trees pose a hazard to the unwary hiker: by falling down or branches snapping off.





[3 - please click to enlarge]







[4 - please click to enlarge]













[5 - Indian paintbrush - please click to enlarge]







[6 - please click to enlarge]














[7 - Hawk on trail - click to enlarge]






[8 - Pika - please click to enlarge]

These little critters are also known as 'rock rabbits', resembling chinchillas. They have a sharp whistle when danger approaches their nesting area, often tucked between rocks, and in meadows will burrow into the ground to produce their young.






[9 - please click to enlarge]



At 1 km up the trail Stanley Creek drains into a waterfall.







[10 - please click to enlarge]


At the 2 km mark, the hiker crosses over Stanley Creek on a log bridge which is the first opportunity to see the Stanley Glacier.





[11 - Stanley Creek - please click to enlarge]















[12 - Stanley Creek drainage - click to enlarge]



From here the creek is mainly underground. Continue along the east side of the trail bed to the tree line.





[13 - Wolf in meadow - please click to enlarge]

The photographer took a chance in taking this photo, as this wolf with its head lowered is feeling threatened.







[14 - please click to enlarge]






[15 - please click to enlarge]







[16 - Stanley Glacier waterfall over wall - please click to enlarge]






[17 - Stanley Glacier and waterfall - please click to enlarge]






[18 - Another view of the Stanley Creek drainage - please click to enlarge]






[19 - Head of the Valley - please click to enlarge]









[20 - Looking back]















[21 - Stanley Glacier - please click to enlarge]


Mount Stanley [3,090m (10,138ft.)] was named in 1927 by J. Monroe Thorington after Henry Morton Stanley. Henry Stanley’s most famous expedition was to Africa where he searched for and found David Livingstone near Lake Tanganika where he had been recovering from an illness contracted during his quest to find the source of the Nile River. Lord Stanley’s name is best known as the hockey prize, the Stanley Cup.

At the 4.2km mark follow the trail up the stone stairs crossing the talus scree slope.




[22 - please click to enlarge. Note on right side of photo the trail winds over the scree. Here the hiker has to watch out for possible falling rocks.]






[23 - Scree needs care in crossing - please click to enlarge]









[24 - Looking back down Stanley Glacier valley - please click to enlarge]






[25 - Stanley Glacier - please click to enlarge]





[26 - What remains of Stanley Glacier - please click to enlarge]


At 4.5km the trail ends at the marker.



[27 - please click to enlarge]

On the other side of Mount Stanley is Mount Ball which was posted in a previous hike here.




[28 - Looking down the Stanley Glacier valley with Mount Whymper in background - please click to enlarge]



Mount Whymper is 2845m (9334ft.) tall and is located in the upper Vermilion River Valley between Tokumm River and Chickadee Valley. It was named in 1901 after Edmund Whymper, made famous following his ascent of the Matterhorn in the Alps.





[29 - Another view of the Stanley Glacier valley - please click to enlarge]






[30 - Hiking out from Stanley Glacier - please click to enlarge]




Before venturing out on any trail in Kootenay National Park it is best to check the trail conditions first. The current conditions for Stanley Glacier are: “Snowbound and icy. Be very careful. Slippery sections! Avalanche danger.”

Also check for a Bear Update as in early May they have just crawled out of their winter dens and are HUNGRY.


Research: ParksCanada
Peakfinder.com

Photo Credits: [1][29]-openq CC=nc-flickr, [2]-anastaz1a CC=nc-sa-flickr, [3][4][6][7][8][9][10][13][23][24][25][27]-jtbradford CC=nc-flickr, [5][11][19][20][26]-A tea but no e CC=flickr, [12][17][18]-Steve Corbato CC=nc-sa-flickr,[14][15][16][21][22][28][30]-brilang CC=nc-sa-flickr.