This is the 15th and final of a series of posts dealing
with my 2016 trip to Toronto, Montreal, and vicinity. I’ve made minor
corrections to these reports (typos, bits I don’t feel like making public).
Also, I’ve added additional thoughts with the hindsight of two years later or
to add further clarification. These are
indicated by “NOW”.
I got up, deposited the linen in the bin, did some last
minute packing and left Backpackers on Dundas for the usual 24 hour McDonald's,
which was open this breakfast. I walked south to King St and Canada's Walk of
Fame. "Honest" Ed Mirvish has a square likely because he contributed
to the arts in various ways such as restoring key buildings like the big music
place whose name escapes me. Curiously though Canada's Walk of Fame has a
square on Canada's Walk of Fame. After wandering through the stretch of Queen
St where construction was happening, I returned to Denison Square/Bellevue
Square, correctly guessing that the bench by the al Waxman statue would be
unoccupied. Graffiti still there. I walked to Bloor St and headed west, getting
a photo of myself with Honest Ed's in the background. I continued west to
Lansdowne and then returned east, trying to figure out how to kill time until Honest
Ed's opened. I visited Metro (a grocery store) and got a Slurpee at the 7-11
diagonally across from University of Toronto. I wandered through Yorkville
Village, mostly for the first time except for one or two stretches.
[NOW: Backpackers on Dundas has closed.]
I returned to Honest Ed's just before they opened, noticing
that the sign saying they were remaining open until Dec 31, 2016 was gone. I'm
guessing the sign simply fell down but it does add a question mark. I made my
final purchase there, fittingly an autobiography of founder Ed Mirvish. A shame
that such an amazing cultural icon is being replaced buy a complex with condos.
for all its outward tackiness, Honest Ed's was built with love, and you can't
really replaced something like that.
[NOW: Honest Ed’s is indeed now closed.]
Heading east on Bloor I bought a trade at BMV Books. I
decided to give Willow Books, which I rarely visit another chance but they hadn’t
opened yet. In one construction area I could see empty ground where Sunrise
Records on Yonge near Bloor used to be. I visited Game Centre. Heading south on
Yonge I was going to get a book I was considering from ABC Books but they
didn't open for another 15 minutes. I considered going back later but as I
continued south I felt myself psychologically letting go of the area already
passed. I visited Edward St.'s BMV Books and stopped briefly at Yonge-Dundas
Square. In Toronto Eaton Centre I had KFC's Tuesday special and explored a bit
of the mall before returning to the hostel.
[NOW: That Game Centre has closed.]
Grabbing my stuff, I took the 1/Yonge-University-Spadina
line train to St. George Station where I took the 2/Bloor-Danforth train west
to Kipling Station. There I took the 192 Rocket bus to Toronto Pearson airport
in Mississauga. All transportation this paragraph TTC/Toronto Transit
Commission.
[NOW: The 192 Rocket is now the 900 airport Express.]
I checked in. My two non-carry on bags actually cost me $63
after tax to fly to Victoria! Next time I do a flight to Toronto I'll check if
Air Canada is any cheaper with baggage because I'm not impressed. I rode the
train that goes between terminals for free (TTC?) but mesh hindered the photos
so I just went from Terminal 3 to 1 and back.
A woman at security seemed exasperated that everyone seemed confused by
the system (maybe it needs to be more clear?) but I made it through okay. They
had free public iPad terminals from which I concluded that if I ever get one
I'll have a bit of a learning curve ahead.
[NOW: The above train is the LINK train. I forgot to compare prices for my 2019 trip. I think I might have managed to make it only one non-carry on next trip there.]
On the Westjet plane to Calgary there was no map screen and
there was a cranky baby. Through the window I got photos of my luggage being
loaded onto the plane (ditto while waiting to get off). Mostly clear during the
flight. The plane arrived early in Calgary. With my map gone due to the earlier
Kitchener mishap I knew finding any specific place would be tricky, plus I
didn't think I could safely go *too* far. I did wander I little ways north of
the airport, carefully noting most of my path so I could return easily enough.
That worked out and I had dinner at A&W. Just before heading through
security I noticed a split in my backpack where my spare camera was. Don't
think I lost anything.
Near my gate there were two cylinders with model planes
that spun (three per cylinder). I wasn't impressed with my seat on the flight
home. No map again plus the window was filthy with dust, hindering picture
taking. Westjet has in certain ways gone downhill. Still we made good time getting
to Victoria. I decided to take the YYJ Airporter home because after 9 the rates
are cheaper, and if I had taken the public transit I'd just be getting home
down. To save time i paid for my ticket before the suitcases arrived. In one
case the zipper had split at the top. Hope I didn't lose anything. The YYJ
Airporter got me home in good time. I decided just this once to take the
elevator instead of stairs which moved to be a good thing because just after I
pressed the button the one suitcase split open completely and things starting
spilling out. Hopefully other than stuff like the soap that was lost
previously, nothing was lost today.
[NOW: I did lose a cell charger, but managed to work things
out with Westjet.]
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