Doors Open Toronto, 2012

One weekend, once a year City of Toronto will present this 'Doors Open Toronto' event, which close to 150 buildings or architectural, cultural, historic and social significance open their doors to the public for a city-wide celebration. This is my first year participating the event.  I didn't go to a lot of places since I didn't have a lot of time that Sunday....I only went to about 7 building that's it.  Perhaps next year I should do both Saturday and Sunday, this way I will have opportunities visiting more places~!  =D

 This is my first stop: Osgoode Hall, The Law Society of Upper Canada.

 Caen stone in the atrium.  It's like a maze inside, there are so many doors and rooms.  It surprise you each time when you open the door!  =D

 I think this is a stained glass window, at the roof/ceiling??!

 Queen Victoria's portrait, when she was young.  I was into English history a couple of years ago, especially stuff about The Tudors....  Crazy!!  @@

 One of the court room I guess, I think I always see something like this on the news~?!

 Lighting on the ceiling in the court room.

 Heat vent covers in the courtroom.

 Here is another shot at the court room.  These furniture look so old here~!!

 Stained glass windows that illustrate Canada's legal heritage.

 They have so many law books here through out the building!

 Quebec official gazette, these books are over 70 years old!!??

 There is a reason why I was trying to take pictures of these lights here, well, trying to be artistic actually...

 These must be the ornamental plaster ceiling.

 These books are more 'antique' and old!!  Gosh!!

 French....guess how much I understand here....

 Ever wonder what is he looking at??!!  I was trying to look up at the ceiling and see if there is anything special....  Mmm....

 This is how the what-ever hall looks like.  I think this is part of the law library.

 That's a lot of work to do here.... How long do you think it will take me to finish all these works here?!  =)

 Here is a closer shot at one of those books there.

 Here is another shot at the hall/library.  There is a second floor and I wish I can go up there~~

 Victorian style architecture.

 The American Room, great library.  It houses the largest private collection of legal material in Canada.

 Some of these books are over a hundred years old??!

 Distinguishing features of the library include the American Room with its Old World charm and the classical Main reading Room with its ornamental plaster ceiling.

 Rowe's reports of interesting cases~~!  Interesting!!  I wonder how interesting these cases will be!!  =D

 I wish I can read this!  =D

Done with the Osgoode Hall, here I moved on to my next stop:  The Canada Life Assurance Company.

I stopped by here 'coz it's part of the route.  I haven't been to these buildings anyway.  =)

Nothing much to see on the top floor of the Canada Life building, just this....  This is the west side of Toronto, close to Etobicoke I guess?!

This is another shot from the Canada Life building, top floor.  I don't know which part of the city this is....

This view is facing south for sure!!  See all those people on the street?!  They were doing a marathon walking (I think) on University Ave.

See that tall residential building on the left side of the picture?!  That's the newly built Shangri Laaaa.....

This is Osgoode Hall.  Interesting to see how packed these buildings are!!  I bet you I can spend days here!!  =D

Sir William Campbell House, right next to the Canada Life building.  There was a huge line up outside the house so I didn't bother going.

Toronto street cars.  Even wonder why this street car looks so long?!!  LOL!  There are 4 street cars here.  The marathon has blocked the road so these street cars have to wait 'til the road is clear first before moving on.

New City Hall, right next to Osgoode Hall.  It's pretty hard to get a full shot of the building here!!  Or maybe I was too close to the building that's why.  =)

Toronto city center model.

Once you walk into the new City Hall, you will see a 'picture' on the right side of the hall.  What so special about this 'picture' is that its all made up by nails.  =)

Right across from the new City Hall, here is the Old City Hall.

'Remembered and Forgotten'.  I like that!  =)

Very familiar with this chair huh??!  Yeah, 'coz we always see this on the News.  =D

Here is a stained glass window which you will see right when you walked into the City Hall.

A glance inside the hall.  It looks very simple...I guess most rooms here on the 1st and 2nd floor are court rooms.

'To our glorious dead'.  I took this picture outside the Old City Hall.

This must be Yonge Street.  I stood in the middle of the road and took this picture~  =D

Not too sure what kinda building this is but I took this shot at Yonge St./Dundas St.

Fill up your water bottle here, it's on the city.  =D

Omni TV center or whatever this is called.  This place is open to public during the Doors Open event but there is a huge line up as you can see....so I'm gonna pass though I really wanna go in and take a look.

Moved on, here I am at the Metropolitan United Church.

This over 150 years old church might have to be torn down since the city is proposing to build a new condo right on this spot!

Here is the main entrance.  This church is too tall and I can't take a full shot at it.

Carillon of bells, I wish I can see it...  The guide told us that visitors used to be able to go up the stairs and see the bells, but due to safety reason, no one is allowed to go up anymore...

These are the wooden beams that's bolted to the carillon bells.  Cool!!  This is just like playing the piano!

Inside the United Church.

Here is another shot.  When was the last time I attended mass in church....that's a good question...

This lady is playing the church organ.  She said she has been playing the organ since 1985.

This is the pedalboard.  This looks absolutely crazy!!  @@

These are the organ pipes.  Each of these pipes here connect to the organ!!

These control the 'bells' at the back of the church (on the 2nd floor).  Not too sure how it is connected exactly...

Some sort of bell which you don't get to see when you are sitting below the alter.

More stained glass windows.

'Rules for staff', found this in One King West hotel.  Can you read this??!  =)

This is not part of the Doors Open building but I find the architecture is nice so I took a picture of it.

I bet you these buildings must be over 100 years old??  Or perhaps close to it?!

Trump International Hotel and Tower.  The upper floors are still under construction or renovation and the lower floors are already in business!!  Do you think Donald Trump will ever visit his own property here?!

Walked by Adelaide St., saw these people shooting a movie here...  The city has to close a section of the street here for them to shoot.  Not too sure if this is a movie or only a TV drama...

Tons of equipments and staff.  We pedestrians can only stand across the street and watch them.

'Side kicks' (2 打 6).  They were resting and chatting at the side of the road before shooting.  Note that there are also 'side kicks' inside the building!

The forth guy from left with a red helmet is the actor...I can't recognize him and I don't know who he is at all!  The second guy from left in white shirt with a black thing in his hand is the director....is it?! He is the guy that cries 'ACTION!!'....  LOL!