Toronto Nathan Phillips Square + Spirit Garden | ?m | ?s | City of Toronto

Armour said:
Can someone please explain the torching process? I've never heard of this.
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That new-fangled Google thingy says:

Another benefit of using bronze for casting sculpture is its ability to make varied patina. Bronze can react with other chemical easily to represent varies color. The commonly used technique for patina is torching approach and immersion approach, depending on the size of the sculpture.

The Torching approach is suitable for middle or large scale sculpture.
•The first step is to clean the bronze body completely, remove any grease. This is the key step which would make a difference on the final effect. The grease remains would prevent the bronze reacting with the chemicals and leave inconsistent color on sculpture.
• Then brush and polish the bronze surface. This purpose of this step is not only clean those tiny in and out of the sculpture but also make chemical work with bronze more easily.
•After that, heat the bronze with torch up, spraying chemical solution onto the bronze. The most used chemical are cupric sulphate, ammonia compounds, etc. The craftsman torch the bronze surface sprayed with chemical solution and make sure the chemical reaction happens. Usually the process would be done a couple of times.
• There are multiple options for patina. Basically, there are four major color group: Brown; red, green, black. There are quite a few gradual alternatives and combinations of these colors.
•After reaching the desired patina, the craftsman would brush a thin lay of wax or apply coating onto the bronze sculpture. This could protect the bronze patina last longer.
From: http://www.tanyfoundry.com/bronze-cast-sculpture-in-varied-patinas/
 
An unusually high number of workers appeared to be rushing to finish the Peace Garden today. The PanAm tent has been set up and the Peace Garden seems like the only remaining work.

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I like how the stone on the gazebo matches the stone on Osgoode Hall. It's almost identical. The Peace Garden has belonged here all along.

The reflecting pool tiling was being finished this afternoon and workers were flattening the terrain in preparation for paving.
 
Funny how there is a sudden rush to wrap this project up, due to the PanAm Games, yet it was perfectly acceptable to work as slow as molasses for the last several years? I guess spaces like this only a priority when they will be broadcast on International TV, for the world to see?
 
For what's it's worth, the Peace Garden won't be finished in time for the PanAm Games. The water pump and the eternal flame won't be complete until September. The new concrete seating throughout the square will also only arrive after the games. No work has been done on the walkways and there's not even a budget for that anymore. The depressing city we live in.
 
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You can plan all you want, but in the end it relies on the contractors to get done in time (good luck with that). Spadina Extension, Queen's Quay now this.
 
MetroMan said:
For what's it's worth, the Peace Garden won't be finished in time for the PanAm Games. The water pump and the eternal flame won't be complete until September. The new concrete seating throughout the square will also only arrive after the games. No work has been done on the walkways and there's not even a budget for that anymore. The depressing city we live in.
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If I think about it enough, MetroMan, then I will get depressed, as per your comment. It is really hard to fathom that this city - a city which is taking in so much revenue from new development - has to justify these beautification efforts. Such a paltry sum is provided for keeping things tidy at the very least, if not exactly spiffy. The attitude is just disgusting. More in the context of this project, it is even harder to understand how project management can slip so low on the ladder. This "revitalization" effort has been going on for so many years. I feel pretty certain that the original budget has been wasted to a large degree.

Oh, I know this is OT, but I don't expect "Mr. Toronto" aka John Tory to improve things in this respect. Tory has no use for beautification initiative, obviously.
 
Red October said:
You can plan all you want, but in the end it relies on the contractors to get done in time (good luck with that). Spadina Extension, Queen's Quay now this.
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TonyV said:
It is really hard to fathom that this city - a city which is taking in so much revenue from new development - has to justify these beautification efforts. Such a paltry sum is provided for keeping things tidy at the very least, if not exactly spiffy. The attitude is just disgusting.
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It's a combination of deep-seated corruption and public apathy. Labour unions and powerful construction gangs have got this city by the short and curlies. In the face of an apathetic and polarized public politicians have little leverage to confront these powerful lobbies, even if they wanted to (and most are in on the graft to start with). In this city the tail wags the dog.
 
Tewder said:
It's a combination of deep-seated corruption and public apathy. Labour unions and powerful construction gangs have got this city by the short and curlies. In the face of an apathetic and polarized public politicians have little leverage to confront these powerful lobbies, even if they wanted to (and most are in on the graft to start with). In this city the tail wags the dog.
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That sounds way, way too strong an accusation - do you have evidence to demonstrate that they are on the graft? Also, I think some councillors have publicly came out and said that the city procurement process is flawed.

AoD
 
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MetroMan said:
The depressing city we live in.
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People that say things like this really need to travel. Are there cities that do better? Yep. But Toronto is a rockstar by many standards and it always irks me when I read overly dramatic comments like this. Oh, forgot one more thing. There is nothing keeping you from picking up your tent pegs and moving on if Toronto is so depressing. Cheers!
 
Lyphe said:
People that say things like this really need to travel. Are there cities that do better? Yep. But Toronto is a rockstar by many standards and it always irks me when I read overly dramatic comments like this. Oh, forgot one more thing. There is nothing keeping you from picking up your tent pegs and moving on if Toronto is so depressing. Cheers!
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... but isn't apathy part of the problem? That Toronto has better economics than other places is sort of irrelevant, it shouldn't excuse public apathy and it doesn't mean we should be tolerating corruption or second rate standards or what have you. The 'get out if you think it's better somewhere else' attitude here is so dangerous. It leads to bizarre unethical practices that in other jurisdictions just wouldn't be tolerated, i.e. the LCBO, the beer cartel, the two-tier education system, and on and on... I know, I know, I should just leave if I don't like it, right?
 
Lyphe said:
People that say things like this really need to travel. Are there cities that do better? Yep. But Toronto is a rockstar by many standards and it always irks me when I read overly dramatic comments like this. Oh, forgot one more thing. There is nothing keeping you from picking up your tent pegs and moving on if Toronto is so depressing. Cheers!
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Agreed, provided the rock star is Spinal Tap.
 
Does Toronto really blunder along a la Spinal Tap? Sure it makes some missteps, but every city does. No, Toronto would not consistently rank in the top ten cities in the world to live in, survey after survey, and coming in at number 1 often enough.

I think Lyphe's point about pulling up tent pegs is not to get outta sight, don't come back here no more, so much as it's more of an invite to get to know other places better so you see that every city stumbles forward - they've all got problems, and we're not all that badly off.

Yes, we still have to do better (a vote that the Gardiner East gets Boulevarded would be a big step I'm not so sure will happen today), but I see the situation as nowhere near as dire as MetroMan and Tewder do.
 
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