New drycleaner opening in King's Ridge Marketplace

                                                                                                                            Photo by Barry Wallace

North Park Cleaners ~ opening soon

February adds an extra day of thawing

 Photos by Barry Wallace

Please comment if you wish.

Barry Wallace

Brown creeper suns itself in B.C.

Photo by Dave Kemp

My British Columbia friend and photographer, Dave Kemp's timing is excellent.   Here I am with two legs and a chest full of staples after some unexpected cardiac bypass surgery and wondering when I'm going to be regularly picking up my camera for pictures in my local  'Camera on King' blogsite, and Dave arrives!   Well, here's a very interesting photo by Dave, of a Brown Creeper (Certhia familiaris) on Canada's balmy west coast.   What's of particular interest in this shot is that the bird is seen in a very uncommon pose.   This is an inconspicuous bird (smaller than a sparrow).  It is slender, brown, streaked, and is usually seen creeping up tree trunks, looking for bugs, using its stiff tail for support.   Unlike a nuthatch, it only moves up a tree trunk and having reached the top, it will fly down to the base of a another tree and repeat its spiral ascent.   Dave's photo shows this bird in as resplendent a photo as you are apt to see.   I've seen many Brown Creepers in and around King, but do not have a photo of one in my own files.

Please comment if you wish.

Barry Wallace

Three days left in February...

 Photos by Barry Wallace

Trickle time

From the bathroom window...

                                                                                                                          Photo by Barry Wallace                                                                
february fades

three or four sunsets remain

a new month beckons

Considering I can't drive my car yet, and considering I can't seem to walk more than five minutes with out grabbing onto the nearest street sign, to catch my breath, this sunset shot over Bennet Drive will have to suffice.

Please comment if you wish.

Barry Wallace

Now, where were we?

A few days last week at Southlake Hospital in Newmarket interrupted my regular offerings in this blog space, but quintupal bypass heart surgery, some incredible TLC in the cardiac care unit and half a dozen tuna sandwiches have me itching to pick up my camera again and continue to reflect the ongoing task of keeping King Township green.   God speed to us all on our green journeys.

Barry Wallace   

New King City restaurant nears completion

 Photos by Barry Wallace

The one-time home of Crawford and Maud Wells, of Crawford Wells General Store fame (now known as Locale Restaurant), is well along with its transformation into a new King City restaurant.   The house is owned by Cathy Wellesley and is located on the west side of Keele Street and south of the King Road, opposite the All Saints Anglican Church.   The new dining venture will feature a major addition to the rear of the historic, 116-year-old house (see photo below).   Ms. Wellesley's property is designated under the Ontario Heritage Act which means future patrons will enjoy the charm and history of this turn-of-the-century Victorian/Gothic version of an old Ontario farmhouse.   I'm told that the new dining spot will be called The Roost and will be open sometime in the spring.   The venture has stirred up keen interest and anticipation in the village.      

Please comment if you wish.

Barry Wallace

Flanking cairns honour agricultural society

                                                                                                                    Photos by Barry Wallace

Finding myself alone momentarily on Schomberg's Main Street this past Sunday afternoon, I realized I was staring at the two gateway cairns between the Schomberg Community Hall and Emmanuel Presbyterian Church.   The two plaques embedded in the cairns recognize the Schomberg Agricultural Society's many contributions to the the community and note the society's formidable longevity.   The society celebrates its 164th anniversary in 2016.   Elizabeth McClure Gillham, in her King history book, states that a King Township Fall Fair was to be held throughout the township at different sites each year.   The fair rotated between Brownsville (Schomberg), Kettleby, King Village, Laskay, Nobleton and even Aurora.   The fair settled permanently in Schomberg in 1872.   The fall fair became a spring fair in 1956 and remains thus to this day.

Please comment if you wish.

Barry Wallace

New and improved Bathurst St. emerging

 Photos by Barry Wallace

Here are some recent photos of the Bathurst Street reconstruction on King Township's north-eastern flank, near to Newmarket and Holland Landing.   In the past couple years, the road been widened, massive culverts and monster ditches have been installed, and paving has been completed on the section between Miller's Sideroad/Green Lane West, in the south, and Morning Sideroad, in the north.   The push north over the top of the King Ridge and down into the Marsh, between Holland Landing and Bradford will likely last into 2017.   I imagine the cost of reconstructing this 5 kilometre, 2-lane, stretch of road has to be one of the highest cost road projects, on a dollars to kilometre basis, in the history of York region.   Looking at the pictures here, God forbid anyone goes through the guardrails in some of these spots. It will be like driving off the edge of the world.

Please comment if you wish.

Barry Wallace

-19C... but sunny... plus sundogs

                                                                                                                   Photo by Barry Wallace

Thursday morning dawned with a clear, chilly sky and a pair of sundogs flanking the rising sun for an hour or so.   The photo above of one of the flanking sundogs was taken just above the rooftops on Forde Crescent in King City, looking toward the south-eastern sky.   Sundogs, mock suns or phantom suns are an atmospheric phenomenon that consists of a pair of bright spots, on either side of the sun, during very cold weather.   Below is an excellent sundog photo taken by Chris Brennan, of lifeinlapland.com, showing a rising sun with sundogs.  

Please comment if you wish.

Barry Wallace

Laskay hall to relocate?

 Photos by Barry Wallace

A few times over the last several weeks, I've heard rumours that the venerable Laskay Hall could one day be moved to Kinghorn, to join the other historic buildings on the site of the new King Heritage and Cultural Centre ( the former museum).   A call to Chris Fasciano, King's Director of Parks, Recreation & Culture, confirmed that such a move is a possibility and a suggested use for the historic landmark might be as a theatre/performance centre.    

Excuse me...which way to the ... ?

Photo by Barry Wallace

The four corners in the centre of King City seem to feature a new addition to the streetscape every other day.   The latest item is the impressive array of facilities names and directions, mounted on the south-west corner of the busy intersection.   A stranger to the village, driving through the intersection, will have to have their wits about them given the distraction of so much traffic here during the day.   Visitors to the village will no doubt appreciate being sent in the right direction.   And it seems King City is no longer a village.   The top of the new signpost labels our village as a community.   The fact of the matter is that KING CITY will always be a 'CITY', won't it? 

Please comment if you wish.

Barry Wallace

Judges award Villanova artwork

 Photos by Barry Wallace

Golden Brush Reward for Natalie Rapallo

Renowned local artists, Helen Lucas and ErnestineTahedl, selected the painting (shown above) by Natalie Rapallo, as the best painting by students of King City's Villanova College, at the ongoing 'Celebrating Youth in Fine Art' show in the King Heritage and Cultural Centre, at Kinghorn.   The paintings are on display until the end of February.   Admission is free and the gallery is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesdays to Saturdays.   The artistry and eclectic subject matter are both surprising and entertaining.  Below is a painting by V. Hermanns that received one of the honourable mentions.

Please comment if you wish.

Barry Wallace

Narrowest sidewalks in King Township?

                                                                                                                       Photos by Barry Wallace

These three photos were taken up the narrow, historic, main street of...

...KETTLEBY

Please comment if you wish.

Barry Wallace

Keeping the cafe cozy

Photos by Barry Wallace

This is the Renfrew Acorn wood stove that warms up customers at Pine Farms Orchard Cafe each day during the winter months.   Below the stove pictures is a shot of some of the comestibles and crafts available in the store. At the bottom is one of the Muscovy Ducks that was tempted by recent warmer weather to come out from its pen for some fresh air.

Please

comment 

if you wish.

Barry Wallace

Another restaurant for King City?

 Photos by Barry Wallace

Zoning Amendment sought for King Road property

The Township of King has published an advertisement which outlines a development proposal by Jova Investments, at 1986 King Road in King City, which would allow a restaurant to be built on the 3/4-acre site, next to the King City Library and the King City Public School, and adjacent to the King City Secondary School.   The rezoning amendment proposes a number of changes to requirements including parking spaces, loading space, snow storage, buffer area, planting strips and front yard setback.   Interested parties are advised that written and/or oral submissions can be made prior to a public meeting concerning the application.   The meeting is to be held on February 23 at 6.30 p.m.   Great, but what kind of a restaurant?

Please comment if you wish.

Barry Wallace

Early February thaw on the 12th of King

    Photo and wishful haiku by Barry Wallace

see the rare power

in february's brave thaw

winter's back's broken

Please comment if you wish.

Barry Wallace

15 degrees celsius and sunny...

Photos by Barry Wallace

Cardinal decides to take a bath

Wednesday was an all-time high temperature record, in the Toronto area, as the mercury rose to 15.5 degrees celsius.   This male Cardinal in our backyard on Forde Crescent, seized the day and had an extended bath in the melted water.

Ahhhh, that feels better.

Please comment if you wish.

Barry Wallace

Villanova Art Show

ASK (Arts Society King) presents the students of King City's Villanova College in an art show entitled 'Celebrating Youth in Fine Art' at the King Heritage & Cultural Centre in Kinghorn.   The public is invited to attend an opening reception at 6.30 p.m., on Thursday February 4th., at which the artists will be in attendance.   The art exhibition will last until February 29.

Photos by Barry Wallace

Please comment if you wish.

Barry Wallace

Nestled on the north slope of the King Ridge

Photo by Barry Wallace

How is it that a small log cabin has only to try half as hard as a house, to evoke the the promise of a warm welcome and simple comforts?   This charmer nestles on the 6th Concession, south of the 17th Sideroad.

Please comment if you wish.

Barry Wallace

Stranded silos ~ faded farmyard

Photo by Barry Wallace

Empty drive-shed sinks into the past on 10th Concession

Please comment if you wish.

Barry Wallace