Deep summer at Seneca's Eaton Hall

Photos by Barry Wallace

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Barry Wallace

End of August rose

Photo by Barry Wallace 

Autumn begins in 24 days

Weekend GO Trains end on Labour Day

Photo by Barry Wallace

Failing a last minute change of plans, weekend GO Train service on Saturdays, Sundays and holiday Mondays, comes to a halt on Labour Day Monday, in King City.   The summer-long trial service appears to have been lightly used.   The north-bound train pictured here, on Sunday afternoon, let one passenger off and took on one passenger, for points north.   There were six cars and one bicycle scattered across the three parking lots.   Local politicians recently posed for photos on the trains in an effort to inject some publicity and enthusiasm for the trial service.   We shall see what we shall see, in due course.

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Barry Wallace  

Old Thunderbird turns heads

Photo by Barry Wallace

This very old T-Bird certainly attracted some attention outside Rockford's Bar & Grill in King City on Sunday.   I remember fondly getting behind the wheel of a couple of different T-Birds back in the 1960s.   So cool!

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Barry Wallace    

One of my old swimming holes

Photos by Barry Wallace

The pond on South Summit Farms Road

East of Jane Street in King City

Between 1955 and 1960, this man-made lake was a favourite swimming spot for me and many of my teen-aged friends, including Dave and Joan Flucker, whose parents, Jim and Liz owned a sizeable chunk of the shoreline and a beautiful home.   While King City is booming with new, sprawling residential development, this part of the village is still an oasis.   One hopes it retains its pastoral landscape for a long time to come.

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Barry Wallace 

Steel goes up for new King City bank

Photo by Barry Wallace

Steel started going up this week giving an outline to the shape of the new Royal branch, at Banner Lane and the King Road, just west of the Township of King municipal offices.   The Royal will join the CIBC and the TD Bank already serving customers in the village. 

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Barry Wallace

First Hunt at Eaton Hall in King Township

                                                                                                                         Photo: City of Toronto Archives

Here is a photo I had not seen before this week.   I spotted it while stumbling about online at Google Photos.   It is described as picturing the first 'Hunt' at the newly constructed Eaton Hall in King Township.   There is no date and the riders are unidentified.   Meanwhile, below, is a photo that appeared in this blogsite back in April of this year.   It also seems to be a City of Toronto Archives photo and shows the Toronto Hunt Club amassed near the Eaton's first estate home, Villa Fiori, on their country property just north of King City.

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Barry Wallace

Views of Lloydtown ~ then and now

Image: Mayberry Fine Art website

"In Lloydtown, Ontario"  ~  Alfred Joseph Casson  ~  1932 ~ Oil on panel (9 x 11")

Main St., Lloydtown, 1895  ~  Photo (Elizabeth Gillham collection)  ~  King Library website 

Main St., Lloydtown, 1908  ~  Photo (Elizabeth Gillham collection)  ~  King Library photo

Photo taken this week in same spot as1908 photo above  ~  B. Wallace

In the Elizabeth Gillham collection photos above, the street in the photos is described as Main Street. Today the same street is now know as Rebellion Way.   A notable commonality in the top three images is the building with the dormer windows.   Sadly, it no longer exists.

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Barry Wallace

Dragon Boats at Seneca for United Way

Photos by Barry Wallace

The weather couldn't have been better for dragon boat racing, in support of York Region United Way, on Saturday, August 18, on Lake Jonda at Seneca College, in King Township.

West of Schomberg ~ Highway 9

Photo by Barry Wallace

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Our first Mandevillas

                                                                                                                     Photo by Barry Wallace

My wife Linda was quite taken by a flowering plant called Mandevilla (Dipladenia) at the Round the Bend Farm Market on Jane Street at Kettleby.   She bought two plants: a Mandevilla 'White Velvet' and a Mandevilla "Red Velvet".   As the two plants bloomed on our back patio, it appeared they were both going to have white blossoms.   But after a couple of weeks, one of the plants suddenly produced the beautiful pinky-red blossom above.   I have no idea if this is normal or extraordinary, but it is a delightful turn of events.

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Barry Wallace

The King City subdivision that's not in King

Photo by Barry Wallace

13 of the 15  manor homes in Greenpark's Churchill Estates, abutting King City's southern boundary, along the north side of the King-Vaughan Townline, between Keele and Jane Streets, are already sold.   You'd better hurry if you're interested in one of the two remaining sites.   This development looks, to all intents and purposes, like it is part of the village of King City.   Its new residents will no doubt avail themselves of all of King City's amenities, but the new home-owners will be living in the city of Vaughan.   This is because of municipal boundary realignments, years ago, when York County became the Region of York.   At that time, Vaughan's northern boundary with King Township was moved north by one rural lot width, to overcome who had jurisdiction of the complete roadway separating the municipalities.   All 15 of these houses, which range up to just under 8,000 sq. ft., and start at $2 million, are located on a single street named Stallions Court.   Even the street name sounds like it belongs in horsey King.   Welcome to the village, folks.

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Barry Wallace     

Dragon Boats at Seneca this Saturday

Dragon boat racing in support of the York Region United Way will be held this Saturday at the Eaton Hall Campus of Seneca College. on Dufferin Street in King Township.   Opening ceremonies of the Toromont CAT Dragon Boat Festival get underway at 8.30 a.m.   Races are from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and the closing and award ceremonies are 4 p.m.   In addition to the races, there will be families activities which include beach volleyball, tug-of-war tournament, children's village, kid's building workshop and BBQ throughout the day.   Parking is free.

St. Alban's flower beds blessed with rains

Photo by Barry Wallace

The flower beds in front of Nobleton's 123-year-old St. Alban's Anglican Church, on Hwy. 27  north, are one the prettiest spots in the village these days, after many days of much-needed rain.
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Barry Wallace

Paper Crane very enjoyable

My wife and I finally got to try the  food at the Paper Crane, the new sushi bar and bistro at King City's four corners, on the weekend.   We had a delicious meal that we thought was reasonably priced and left  looking forward to becoming regulars at this welcome addition to King City's dining scene.   Linda had a teriyaki dinner and I had a tempura dinner.   The appetizers were excellent and we each had a glass of white wine.   Our bill came to $58.00, which we agreed was quite reasonable.   The decor was a delightful surprise and the service was top-notch.   With Hogan's across the street and Locale's gourmet take-out next door about to open a full service dining room in the the old Crawford Wells store, and now the Paper Crane Sushi Bar, King City is taking some giant steps forward on the local York Region dining scene.   

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Barry Wallace

Tim & Brenda's Classic Car show in King Township in support of Prostrate Cancer research

Tim and Brenda Schmidt and ABC Group, plus its affiliated suppliers hosted a hugely successful car show at the family's King Township farm, on Weston Road, this past Sunday.   I couldn't resist taking my grandsons and they had a great time.   So did I, my wife wife, Linda, daughter Allison, and son-in-law, Rob.   Last year's inaugural event raised $50,000.   Global News 6 p.m. news reported that this year's proceeds were over $70,000.   If you love cars, make sure you catch this show next year.   It's fantastic!  

Photos by Barry Wallace

This Vipers (above) caught the eyes of my grandson William and my wife Linda 

Two of my grandsons, Spencer (above) and William (below) enjoyed the children's rides. 

Not only is the Schmidt car collection fantastic, but it may also house the world's biggest collection of Hot Wheels toy cars.

Motorcycles are also part of the Schmidt collection and they caught the eye of my son-in-law, Rob, and his boys.

Grandson William was blown away by all the chrome, above and below, under the hoods of the hundreds of cars competing for best in show.

What's a classic show without appropriate rock music?  It was great!

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Barry Wallace

Rosie ~ Our gold medal winner

Photo by Barry Wallace

Many King Township residents are eagerly awaiting the opportunity to welcome home our Olympic gold-medal-winner, Rosie MacLennan.   A spokeperson for Mayor Pellegrini has stated that plans for a community celebration are underway and an announcement is forthcoming. 

This Sunday, August 12...

I think I'll give this event a whirl, on Sunday, with my grandsons.

Gulls and geese moved in already

Photo by Barry Wallace

Over 400 Ring-billed Gulls and 100 Canada Geese have occupied a small rain-water pond in the new subdivision on King City's north-west side.   Dozens of dump-trucks and loaders surround the spot but the birds seem unperturbed.   One really wonders what the attraction is.

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Barry Wallace

Heronry pond ~ old Rumble Farm ~ King City

Photo by Barry Wallace

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Barry Wallace

Royal Bank, Subway, plus ?

Photo by Barry Wallace

An un-manned robotic tamping machine is remotely controlled by a worker at the site of the new Royal Bank building on the south-west corner of the King Road and Banner Lane, west of the Township of King offices, in King City.   The site will also house a Subway Sandwiches restaurant plus an as-yet unidentified third store.
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Barry Wallace

House with a view on the King Ridge

Photo by Barry Wallace

7th Concession & 15th Sideroad

Water ski championships in King Township

Photos by Barry Wallace

The Eastern Canadian Water Ski Championships were held at Summerski, on Keele Street north of Hwy. 9, in King Township, this past weekend.   The event also brought together qualifiers for the Canadian Championships in Calgary, later this month.   Three different styles , in 18 age categories, were displayed over the two days.   In the photos above, skills belie the ages of some competitiors.   Spectators were invited to attend the championships free of charge, at Summerski Park.

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Barry Wallace