The Junior School of Havergal College officially opened their Outdoor Learning PlaySpace today.
And… they have a Labyrinth!
Often we find connections between water and labyrinth locations, The Burke Brook Stewardship Project is no different.
A three lane circle design was placed beside Burke Brook.
It’s the second Labyrinth for this private all-girls school.
Their first one is indoors, located in Old Girls Legacy Theatre building.
Construction on our Junior School Outdoor Learning PlaySpace continues! Here's the new labyrinth: pic.twitter.com/LMinvRcnOr
— Havergal College (@HavergalCollege) October 18, 2013
Why did the Muslim go to Church on Sunday?
To walk a canvas labyrinth of course! 😉
Earlier today, I finally made my many-years-long overdue trek out to Timothy Eaton Memorial Church on St. Clair Avenue West in Forest Hill.
For many years, they have had an open invitation to walk their canvas labyrinth on the first Sunday morning of the month.
Climate change being what it is nowadays, it remained mild enough for me to enjoy a pleasant walk from home rather than the need to bike or transit to reach TEMC.
I’d never entered the Church before, and I was in time for Services having arrived before they started. A pleasant older gentleman named George guided me to the labyrinth table in a nearby space where a mini-Christmas market was set up.
The space was filled with people and surrounded with tables topped with wonderful colourful crafts and handmade presents. Prices ranged from a few toonies to many dozens of dollars. Towards one wall, a table doubled as the cash register and the labyrinth table.
A hand-carved wooden finger labyrinth caught my attention. I introduced myself, saying that I had come to walk their canvas labyrinth. A friendly lady who was just about to head upstairs to the Reception Room where it was placed, lead the way.
Strange as this may sound, this was the first time I had ever seen a canvas labyrinth up close. I hadn’t realized that fact until I was standing in the doorway to the Reception Room.
Flickering candles cornered each of the eight points of the white canvas. This was a purple seven circuit inner chartes design. Three pillow cushions alternated in the centre alcoves. The centre itself had a small clay sculpture of people circled arm to shoulder to arm to shoulder to arm.
Light labyrinth walking music was playing. As I entered the room, children were walking, not running, but walking the labyrinth very quickly.
As I awaited the traffic to clear until it was my turn to walk the canvas, I signed the guestbook. A few books, news clippings, and newsletters about labyrinths were spread on a table. The table with the CD player had labyrinth related materials aimed at kids. Natural light, as well as intermittent vehicle traffic sounds from St. Clair Avenue, found their way into the room via the slightly open windows.
It all added up to an unexpected ambiance. I have never, never experienced walking any labyrinth like I did this morning. I am still processing it all…
The Canvas Labyrinth upon the carpet is similar in meditative feeling to the Muslim prayer mat laid upon a carpet. The candles and natural light felt outdoorsy yet we were indoors. Car sounds competing with the soft instrumental music combined for a unique sound environment. Weird, strange, yet re-charging all at once.
Susan Howard is chair of the TEMC Labyrinth Committee.
We had a wonderful kindred conversation.
I learned that today was the first and only time TEMC had ever rented this smaller labyrinth. Turns out this particular canvas belongs to JoAnn Stevenson from the Labyrinth Community Network.
For just this one Sunday, the Flora McCrea Auditorium was unavailable. The Church’s larger 36 foot canvas labyrinth was too big for this smaller Reception Room. Hence, the rented labyrinth. Had I not visited TEMC today, I would have missed walking this smaller canvas seven lane labyrinth.
Susan invited me to attend their special year-end labyrinth walk. They will have their regular larger labyrinth laid out. After a year of phenomenal change in the World, what better way to reflect on it all than to walk a large Canvas Labyrinth?
The Eve of New Year’s Eve Labyrinth Walk: Friday, December 30, 2011 (1 pm to 3 pm)
Timothy Eaton Memorial Church, 230 St. Clair Avenue West, Toronto
It’s almost 24 hours since NuitBlanche 2011 began. It’s also almost 12 hours since it ended early this morning.
My body is still aching from hopscotching various art zones carrying my giant NuWe letters performing my own Independent mobile NuitBlanche Giant Outstallation Art, NuWeBlanche (@NuWeBlanche).
I did take a break somewhere in there and made a point of visiting the Toronto Public Labyrinth to experience Shannon’s Fireflies. This NuitBlanche installation by Seth Hardy (@thirdson), founder and executive director of Site 3 coLaboratory, was intentionally placed in the centre of the labyrinth…
The Toronto Public Labyrinth in Trinity Square Park will feature
by Seth Hardy, founder and executive director of Site 3 coLaboratory
during Nuit Blanche 2011
Toronto’s all night extravaganza of contemporary art
Saturday, October 1, 2011
6:59Â pm – 7am
All Welcome
Free of Charge
This installation piece will use a grid of suspended light nodes in a cube frame containing sensors, and will respond to the whispers of participants by converting their words into light, sound and movement.
By using whisper stations set up in the labyrinth, two people can talk to each other and subsequently see their words create light and be distorted as they pass through the air.
Please join the Labyrinth Community Network
for a group walk on the first day of Autumn
Friday, September 23
12:00 noon
Toronto Public Labyrinth
Trinity Square Park
(immediately west of the Eaton Centre and south of the Church of the Holy Trinity)
Medieval music will accompany us
Fully accessible
Braille Labyrinth on site
Free of charge
All are welcome!
Upcoming:
Winter Solstice, Thursday, December 22 at noon
Muslims in Toronto have been marking the end of the Holy Month of Ramadan with Eid al Fitr.
I attended GTA Eid at Metro Toronto Convention Centre hosted by Muslim Association of Canada.
After prayers, Muslim children, namely brothers Omar and Ammar and their big sister, helped create a Labyrinth using masking tape.
Come share in a celebration of Labyrinths in the world!
Starting at 3:00 pm, Saturday May 7th at the High Park Labyrinth.
Northwest of Grenadier Café in heart of High Park
For more information:
Please contact Lutia lutialausane@sympatico.ca (416) 588-3121
Toronto has become a City of Labyrinths.
Presently, we may have the greatest physical number of labyrinths of any City in The World. This Jane’s Walk will help us understand why.
Since 2002, the Toronto City of Labyrinths Project has been aiming to place a semi-permanent labyrinth within walking distance of every Torontonian.
This Jane’s Walk will follow a path into and around Christie Pits Park, where a number of the Project’s examples exist.
All four of the most popular labyrinth design patterns will be shown:
Background in-depth history of each of the four major designs will be provided:
Using chalk on paved open space, people will be instructed in how to make their own labyrinths, which we will then enjoy walking in to and out of.
Before returning to our starting point where this Jane’s Walk will end, we will see one bonus example of Giant Outstallation Art:
A limited number of printed materials will be available on a first come first served basis as keepsakes of this Jane’s Walk.
Meeting Place: Traffic Island in Front of Christie Subway Station Main Entrance
End Location: Like all Labyrinth journeys, we will return to our starting point to end the walk (Traffic Island in Front of Christie Subway Station Main Entrance).
Public Transit Directions: Christie Subway Station Main Entrance, Christie Street, North of Bloor Street West, Koreatown/Christie Pits Park
Accessible: Partially accessible – curbs, uneven terrain, busy sidewalks
Parking Available: Green P Parking behind Christie Subway Station
JanesWalk.net/walks/view/toronto_city_of_labyrinths_project_janes_walk/
Friends of the Labyrinth Community Network invite you to
“celebrate the vernal equinox, the spring equinox – the day exactly halfway between the solstices, the day that the sun shines directly on the equator and night and day are of equal length. It is the earth’s day of balance…Stand completely still for a moment and feel that balance.” – The Way of the Labyrinth, Helen Curry
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Noon – 1 pm
Toronto Public Labyrinth, Trinity Square Park
(West of the Eaton Centre, south of the Church of Holy Trinity)
Fully accessible
Michael Franklin will accompany us on hurdy-gurdy and flute
All are Welcome!
Winter Solstice Labyrinth Walk with Music – Tuesday December 21 2010
Toronto Public Labyrinth
12 noon – 1 p.m.
This walk took place in the early evening on the Summer Solstice, at the High Park Labyrinth on June 21, 2010.
This Drum is travelling The World bringing attention to Mother Earth by being part of numerous ceremonies.
Filmed and edited by Irma Haggith of Amaze Your Mind Labyrinths.
More Photos
By Thom Hamilton, Last 100 Days Photo Project
August 14th 2003 45 million people on the eastern seaboard of North America had their lives go dark. Everyone has a slightly different way to remember that day, I tend to have very fond memories.
Never in my life have I seen community come together like it did that night, neighbors talking on the street, hundreds of people in parks simply laying down looking up at the stars, giving strangers rides home, checking on elders. All of this with out instruction or the use of mass media, it came natural.
Last night there was a small celebration to mark the 5 year anniversary of the date on Ossington Ave.
” HiMY SYeD – Toronto City of Labyrinths Project ”
Sometimes I do wonder how much more we would connect if every once in a while the power did just go out?
As part of the ongoing Toronto City of Labyrinths Project, you are invited to walk a Giant Candlelight Luminaria Labyrinth slightly hidden somewhere along Ossington Avenue.
If you discover the secret location early enough, you can help light up the many many many many candles.
Blackout Party – Friday August 14, 2009
28 venues from Queen to Dundas on Ossington Avenue, 8 p.m. – 11 p.m.
No lights, no mics, no amps, no lack of good food, drink, music and conversation.
Re-live the great time Toronto had the night of the blackout of 2003. Share memories, make new ones. More Photos
