The roots of Toronto

“Here I sit broken-hearted, went to shit, but only farted.”
-The public toilet poet.

Yes, that does sound crass because it is, but metaphorically it has a modicum of truth associated with it.

As a travel writer, one of the worst things that can happen is being grounded. A ship in a harbour. What could be worse, having your passport revoked, or expired? Being in an exotic land with only a dollar in your pocket, and hoping that no one realizes that your credit card is about to expire? None of these compares to being sedentary.

So here I sit, as I am trying to regale you with factual segments of information that may inspire you to see the world for what it is. A fantastic place that is yours to discover and arouse your senses to its majesty.

No More fake news

As a pseudo-journalist, I could use my imagination and try to create a fictitious event that may or may not have occurred without research, who would be the wiser? Today this is something that many scrolls  with a word processor seem to pass off as news – the old fake news if you will. Sensationalized because your editor demands it of you and hell, you need a paycheck. Is that lack of integrity or survival? I will leave that up to you and their conscience. Not that I can be a beacon for integrity, I would choose to encourage truth and honesty over sensationalism and lies.

Grounded

I am grounded, as so many of us are. A self-imposed exile from the things I love. The important things are here with me- my family. They make the unbearable bearable, although sometimes I wish they would go away, they are always welcome to return. But what does have to do with travel? After all, you have come to read about the mysteries of the world through the eyes of Me. How odd that sounds. Just writing that seems so egotistical that I should delete it. Still, unlike many things that are in the media today, that is the truth.

The streets have odd names

Today or yesterday, I walked the streets of the city in which I currently call home. It is a thriving metropolis with all the trapping that a large city has. Many bylaws, a bloated bureaucracy and all the amenities that one would expect-all. Yes, where the streets have names with little historical context that most people can’t pronounce, no, I am not talking about Hamilton- a city that is slowly making its way back into the center of culture in Ontario. I am going to chat about Toronto. Honestly, I think many Hamiltonian’s will like what I am about to say. Hopefully, they will not fall into the same trap. Or not.

Truth: The engagement ring on your ex-girlfriends finger

For those that may follow this blog, you may have noticed that I have become a Toronto expert/ advocated over that last few months. As I mentioned before-grounded. Stephen King said many times that what makes fiction great is the level of honesty that the writer has to share with the reader. Although this is not a fictitious piece, I believe the sentiment remains. Toronto: “A world-class city.”

The Dollar Bill

Ok. I will buy into that for, ok done. Not buying it. As I walk through the practically abandoned streets, the one powerful thing is that the city overall has no historical context. In a city with a broad diversity of people. You remove that, and you have a shell of newly erected skyscrapers that create taxation and incredible wealth for the developers. Here we have a city that is continuously relying on the diversity of its citizens for its identity. An ever-churning multicultural population. This diversity is the core of the city and allows it to thrive. Because of this, you will find it very difficult to find or recognize much of Toronto’s historical past. Some may argue that this is necessary for growth in a dynamic world. I would like to call this “paper growth.”

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A perpetual modern city, as it ebbs and flows with its times. Now, this would be fine if there were remnants of it past available for everyone to see. A flattened city with very few historical roots. Bulldozed is the past, as the next phase of civilization takes its place. Only to be lost forever until another “icon” resumes its place. I use the word “icon” very loosely. Then again, how many entities have become iconic over the years? Toronto does not seem to find it necessary to create a lineage to its past; it is more concerned with the bobble that shines. Attracting the newest group of citizens that have no time nor interest- for that matter for the history of the potentially great city on Lake Ontario.

“World Class city.”

So here I am walking through a rather mundane environment with no history to lean its hat on. It does not provoke analytical thought. Here we have a diluted climate that has enticed modernism, at the expense of its ancestry. Progress is the mantra without a soupcon of historical merit.

Have you ever wondered what makes a “world-class city?” Well, first of all, they do not use the term like it is something you have. “World-class” cities never use this term to explain themselves. They understand what they are and where they stand on the international community. By using this term, Toronto feels like a paper airplane riding every current that comes its way as it hopes for acceptance and recognition. Being large does not entitle you to international greatness. Being large is well just being large. In many ways it has always been the younger sibling to NYC hoping for recognition. But how does an exciting place like Toronto ride that crest to their perceived status?

A glorious past

Are there other cities that Toronto would like to be likened to and spoken of in the same sentence? What separates this city from many of the others? Antiquities. The great and ancient cities of the world preserve them, place them on the pantheon of pride and don’t shout for recognition! Their foundations have been created and built upon their ancestry. Here very little of that history exists, yes you can find it often hidden behind some glass tower. Or, if the architect had the foresight of context, would incorporate it into the design of another glass and ivory tower.

 By recognizing its history, a city becomes much more than a place. It becomes an international inspiration where no abject slogans or monikers are needed to propel it to potential greatness. A municipality without historical context is nothing more than an infertile womb, and void of any life.

Where have all the good times gone

Often the history is shrouded by the dynamic diversity of its citizens that creates this modern city. Many believe that there is no reason to facilitate the past. Perhaps facilitation would be incorrect. Recognizing, preserving, are essential to what builds a great metropolis—remembering the citizens that came before they were instrumental in the creation of the city. 

 What about their toil, perspirations, forethought and imagination? Has it all been forgotten? Has yesterday’s vision been destroyed for the hope of building a modern urban utopia? Exploration and appreciation for our antiquities is the only way to create a future of direction and integrity; without this, all we are creating are Leggo cities.

Exile on the main street

So here I am walking the empty streets of a city of 4 million people. A prisoner of urban modernization. The bones of the city on the banks of the great lake offer no solace from what is not here. 

The droves of inhabitants rushing from location to location, these are the entities that create the essence of the city and conceal its historical deficiencies. I long once again for the frenzy of the metropolis, where I can enjoy the city of Toronto for what it is, a gathering place of millions of people that establish a vibrant facade. 

Instead, I see my own reflection glistening off yet another polarized glass tower. Eventually, it will be exposed for what it is and replaced as the next wave of citizenry and architecture take the place of the old. A cornerstone of every “world-class” city is celebrating its past and those that were instrumental in creating it. In the same way, we should pay respect to those currently responsible for the character of the city. 

Hope will bloom eternally

Currently, we, you and I, the city, are dealing with an unprecedented situation, I implore you to stay safe and healthy. That is not to say you have to wait cooped up in your homes. Be cautious and let’s try to create a vibrant city once again. As I have been attempting to convey, it is the citizens of Toronto that will catapult it forward. We have become its sustenance, its bedrock its cornerstone. Its driving force. Somewhere it is writeen: “we the people,” are and what will continue to make the city great.

I would never ask something of you that I would not do myself. That is not a great endorsement. If you feel like you can, and comfortable enough to do so. Get outside and enjoy your Toronto.

Most importantly, follow the medical guidelines set out by the local health agencies, and we will never need to use that silly moniker again.

As always, it is our privilege to bring this to you. If you have any comments, thoughts or just want to chat online because you are feeling lonely, drop us a line, and we will try to get back to you.

Although this sounds inappropriate,

It is Your Vacation, Your Escape

VTE