Toronto+Vancouver City of Labyrinths Project

Today is Day 26 of Ramadan 2020.

This video is from my journey to Madinah, Saudi Arabia in May/June of 2011.

I was walking from my youth hostel to visit Masjid Qiblatain.

Masjid Qiblatain is known for having two Mihrabs, or Prayer Niches.

Originally,

Muslims had faced north west from Madinah towards Masjid Al Aqsa in Jerusalem when praying.

A time came when the Direction of Prayer, the Qibla, was turned south east towards Makkah.

Hence,

The Masjid with Two Qibla.

En route,

A traffic island in the distance somehow caught my curiosity.

Alhumdulillah,

A Triangle Topiary Hedge Labyrinth !

Discovering this was a HUGE moment for me.

Muslims in The Holy City of Madinah were also making Labyrinths !

Afterwards,

I found a a small playground near Masjid Qiblatain.

In that park,

I outlined a simple three lane Classic Labyrinth in the sand and walked it.

Turning north and south and east and west.

Not unlike the Turn in Congregational Prayer Direction from Jerusalem to Makkah in the Masjid I was about to enter and visit.

“In Toronto, Ontario, Canada we have several beautiful Labyrinths.

I was in a foot cast for four months (achilles) and would sometimes go to one and sit there with my foot stretched out in the walkways or walk slowly.

I then looked up Labyrinths in Toronto on google and discovered there was one near where I work lo and behold and I could not believe I had not noticed it.

So I went there.

It is the saddest most poorly painted one ever on very uneven ground and almost impossible to walk.

The lines are wavy and confusing.

I sat there on the little wall nearby staring at it for half an hour.

Seriously, what if someone did this search too and only came to this Labyrinth, from afar!!!!!

What if they made a trek.

However, it was also a compelling site.

Over several days,

I would sit for a bit and commune with the little Labyrinth.

It is right outside a subway station on a blvd and people just walk all over it going to other places.

There is a drain in the middle of it!!!

I came to love that little Labyrinth.

It is a Charlie Brown Labyrinth, the littlest unloved and small Labyrinth lol.

It is much smaller than it appears in the photo and the lanes are much smaller as well, almost too small for feet.

Around it are many people walking and cars and buses circling around it.

It is right outside a subway station and donut shop.

One day I got up and walked it and the peeps from the nearby donut shop sitting all around me on the wall stopped talking to each other and watched me in confusion.

“Will you look at her, she looks like she is going backwards” someone said.

The short story is that this is a powerful and sweet Labyrinth.

But no,

I would not suggest you come on by on a plane or train or even the subway to visit this little one but do please send it a large Hello.

xo ❤”

— Jude Johnston

The First Saturday in May is World Labyrinth Day.

First Weekend in May is Jane’s Walk Festival.

Put them together, mix in Toronto City of Labyrinths Project, and ta da!

Toronto City of Labyrinths World Labyrinth Day Jane’s Walk 2015!

Kate Watanabe, Jane’s Walk City Organizer for Toronto, joined the walk.

Kate instagrammed this video from our meeting point, the Christie Street Traffic Island Labyrinth.

We had heard rumors.

Walking outside of Christie station on the TTC, we look down… suddenly we see it… artfully laid out on the ground…  The labyrinth.

No, this has absolutely nothing to do with David Bowie.

More Photos

Most days, I short-cut through this little park, Gwendolyn MacEwen Park, in The Annex neighbourhood in downtown Toronto.

People however, aren’t the only ones who enjoy the park…
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