Harborfront Revisited
Yeah, this harborfront. My favorite harborfront!
On my winter return to Toronto, it was choppy and windy and snowy. The tall ships Pathfinder and Playfair sit in winter rest waiting for warmer weather.
M.R. Kane sits through the weather as ice forms on her stern.
Toronto’s classy fireboat, the Wm. Lyon MacKenzie, sits at the fire station with crews working around her.
Through her equipment I catch the carferry Marilyn Bell I making the 30 second crossing to the mainland from the Island Airport.
New to the harbor since my last visit in June is the big tall ship Caledonia. She is out of service and for sale.
Caledonia has been a sailing ship for fewer than ten years of her career. Previously she had been a research vessel and was built in 1947.
As usual, I didn’t go up the tall CN Tower, but it was just as photogenic as usual even when shrouded by clouds.
Someday, however, I will go up there again.
Oh those Toronto sidewalks…
Tall ship Challenge is looking nice. I’ve never seen her out and about.
The second Pathfinder in the harbor is this private yacht, a former U.S. Army T-Boat.
Now how about that… the mighty tall ship Kajama in her normal winter spot.
I took the opportunity to get a shot looking down the Kajama toward the Empire Sandy (homely excusrion vessel Obsession III is ahead of the Kajama).
The majority of the Maripose fleet sits in their slip; from front to back are the Oriole, Klancy II, Mariposa Belle, and Capt. Matthew Flinders.
My personal favorite, the Shipsands, sits alone at the head of the slip.
Jadran sits forlornly at the head of the Yonge Street Slip.
The tattered seafood ship is being evicted by the City of Toronto due to new construction around her dock. This might be the last time I see her in Toronto Harbor.
And unfortunately, the next stop for this unique ship might be the scrapyard.
The 103-year-old sidewheeler Trillium is in winter lay-up with carferry Ongiara departing to her right. The Parks and Recreation tug Ned Hanlan II rests in the foreground.
As I backtrack across the harbor, I make sure to frame the CN Tower among new construction. This entire city seems to be under construction right now. It’s a great city with a great future.
A snow and hailstorm hits as I walk around a few piers, and the harbor gets rough. Luckily, Empire Sandy has her anchor in the water.
Out in the middle of the harbor, the fireboat Wm. Lyon MacKenzie is now out and about, although I’m not totally sure why. My guess is icebreaking, since she’s the harbor’s only real icebreaker. I’m sure her crew had a blast out there!
But that’s how they do things in this city! Just a typical winter day for the local Torontonians.
I’ll have another Toronto post coming tomorrow. Stay tuned!
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