2023 Spring Reception!

Ryerson Planning Alumni Association Blog

We are excited to announce that the School of Urban and Regional Planning Alumni Association (SURPA) will be hosting the 2023 Spring Reception in person!

Over the years, we’ve been able to expand our endowment funding for student scholarships and have supported numerous alumni and student initiatives. The past two years, we expanded our lens, recognizing our role to support social equity, forming an Anti Systemic Racism & Discrimination Working Group and creating two equity based endowments for students which were awarded for the first time in 2021/2022. These achievements have been realized through the generous support of our sponsors.

Join us and take a tour of Canada’s landscapes and cities in impressive detail just steps away from the TMU campus. This year the Reception will be hosted on Thursday, May 25, 2023 from 6:00pm – 9:00pm at Little Canada.

To make this event possible, we are kicking off…

View original post 33 more words

The Alumni Association has a new name!

Ryerson Planning Alumni Association Blog

In June 2021, following the University’s decision to change the institution’s name, our alumni association voted
to be known as the X University Planning Alumni Association while we awaited updates on the university’s re-naming process.

Now that the university has announced its new name, the association has chosen a new name: The School of Urban and Regional Planning Alumni or SURPA.

While are name has changed from RPAA to XPAA and now SURPA, our mission remains the same: To support undergraduate and graduate students of TMU’s School of Urban and Regional Planning (SURP), provide alumni with meaningful opportunities for engagement, and promote and advance the planning profession.

We have updated our social media handles and you can reach us both on Twitter and Instagram @ SURPA_TMU.

View original post

The History of College Street and University Avenue

Scenes From Toronto

University Avenue and College Street have obvious scholarly connotations. Although the main landmark where these two streets intersect is a political institution, what once stood at the site gives us a fascinating insight into their history, including the lost streets within them.

Aerial of University Avenue and College Street, 2020. Credit: Google Maps.

A New University

In 1827, John Strachan, the archdeacon of the Town of York, was looking for a university for the new colonial settlement. After visiting England, he received a charter for a new school, naming it King’s College, in honour of the monarch of the time. About 150 acres of land was acquired, consisting of park lots 13, 12, and 11 of Lieutenant-Governor John Graves Simcoe’s land division system.

1827 Chewett Plan of the Town of York. Credit: Historical Maps of Toronto.

The assembled land came via three prominent men of early colonial…

View original post 2,608 more words

Toronto Mike kicking out the jams, with my cousin making a cameo

Many thanks to my cousin Kevin Martindale for the kind shout out on this podcast:

https://play.google.com/music/m/Dmbxfhhw4sifl24tuoc4owcnw5u?t=FOTM_KOTJ_Vol_1_Toronto_Miked_603-Toronto_Miked_Podcast

It happens just after the 5 min 30 second mark, but I encourage you to listen right the beginning and to the entire podcast to hear all of the music. Mike took suggestions from his listeners for the songs. He blogged about it here. Kevin explains why he picked his song, and you’ll have to listen to hear which one it is.
Mike is one of my favourite podcasters. He lives in New Toronto (Mimico/Long Branch) and is a fellow cyclist. I’ve actually haven’t met him in person yet.

CN Rail in Algonquin Park, 1980s

Saw this post in the Classic Canadian National Facebook group and wanted to share it here. I’ve camped many times in Algonquin Park and always find it interesting to see pictures of the former active rail lines through the Park.

Posted with permission. Caption with the photos:

“Summer in the 1980s. Two families with a total of four children would load up our vehicles and head to Achray in Algonquin Park. At that time the CNR line from Brent to Ottawa had no passenger service but usually two freight trains a day passed through, It was a most beautiful sight to see an evening train snaking along the north shore of Grand Lake. We were so lucky. Thanks Lou Anne for these pictures. Line has been ripped up and is now a hiking trail.”

Photo credit: Lou Anne Moon. Thanks to Bob Meldrum.

CN 1CN 2

The above images were the original ones received. Here they are levelled out.

Construction walls come down – New access route from Toronto’s Union Station now open

Happy to have contributed some photos for this @Metrolinx post by Nitish Bissonauth. Great to see the new Bay Concourse and get a preview of what it will look like when it’s fully open. The new access route will be helpful for PATH/TTC and GO Transit connections.

All the photos I took today here: https://photos.app.goo.gl/He4zhyAq7GyyMNFw9