Toronto, the beautiful?

Last week I went to Toronto for the "Dressy or Messy" event to honor Lee Melymick, the son of a dear friend of mine, Mark Melymick. Lee was in a nearly fatal accident at work two years ago and was left paraplegic. The Canadian Abilities Foundation honored Lee for his indomitable spirit at a gala event last Saturday in the luxurious CBC headquarters in Toronto. As well as sumptuous food, the event included a hot cast of musicians, comedians, and actors.

The weather outside, however, was much cooler, 8 degrees and raining on Friday. I walked from Mark's house in Etobicoke to the nearby subway, and was surprised at the plentiful spring blossoms on display. 

The subway is efficient and convenient, and reasonably priced, especially for me because I never did figure out where to deposit the token!

I then transferred to a tram, which arrived promptly.

I disembarked in Kensington, and the rain enhanced the colors of the character buildings.

Next, I strolled through Graffiti Alley, reminiscent of the murals I saw in Bogota.










As I said, the gala had an all-star cast, including Kim Coates of "Sons of Anarchy" fame.

Lee with some of his high school chums.

Lee and Kim, with Kim's "bounty." Kim was the "lucky" high bidder ($500) of this beautiful iconic carving.

After the fund-raiser, Mark and Terry hosted a party in their condo across the street from CBC, on the 42nd floor. What a view!

Looking down, way down!

CN Tower

Visiting Toronto sure altered my opinion of Canada's largest city: a vibrant downtown, an efficient transportation system, and some wonderful residential neighborhoods.