The Toronto Tourist Run (13.7km)

If you’re looking for a good run across Toronto, here’s one I did last Sunday that should function as our “Welcome to Toronto” invitation for the fit and visiting. It’s a loop run but start it wherever you want, I put pedal to pavement beginning at the foot of Queen and Roncesvalles.

In running across the nearly 14km, I count upwards to  17  different attractions/districts of Toronto west of Yonge mentioned blow and pictured above and even though I’ve lived here my whole life felt enriched by the amount of new stuff I noticed:

- starting over the Pedestrian bridge over the Gardiner, stop for a few brief seconds and peer at the cityscape and the speeding cars coming toward you below

- manage to get over the bridge, and you’ll see the famous Palais Royale - a refurbished dance hall and music house since 1932

- continue past the Boulevard Club and Argonaut Rowing Club on the somewhat improved Martin Goodman portion of the Waterfront Trail

- keep following past Ontario Place, the Molson Amphitheatre, The Exhibition and Windshare’s 91 metre high windmill

- continue to Battery Park past the 50 tonne granite Inukshuk dedicated by Pope John Paul II

- watch the slumbering ducks and boats in summer around Coronation Park and HMCS York

- sniff out for signs of civilization as you see some Porter airplanes take off from the controversial Island airport and the houses bordering Little Norway Park

- now you’re on Queen’s Quay - a beehive of activity in Summer (not so much in winter)  - peer out onto Lake Ontario sihouetted by Toronto’s Music Garden, HTO park, Power Plant, Harbourfront Centre and Queen Quay terminal - we’re finally getting this part of the city developed, beautified and people living down here

- make a sharp left turn at the foot of Bay St. at the west side of the Westin Harbour Castle and where the ferries shuttle passengers and tourists over to Ward Island, Centre Island and Hanlon’s Point

- continue up Bay under the Gardiner past the Air Canada Centre - home to professional sports teams - the Maple Leafs, Raptors and Rock  since 1999, a building framed by our previous post office art deco facades

- up Bay, you will find more money per square foot than anywhere else in Canada, for the narcissist like myself - watch your jogging stride in the gold plated windows of the Royal Bank plaza, take in the history of Union Station and continue up Wellington

- make a left and lumber down Wellington Street and stroll past our glassed in music hall - The Roy Thomson Centre and the back of CBC’s massive building

- glimpse a quick left down John St. and peek at the Rogers Centre (formerly Skydome) then veer right and head up John St. to spot the centre of Toronto’s night life and music culture at Queen - personified by the CityTV building at Queen St.

- make a left and feel like you’re doing an aerobic shopping trip through the chains and occasional independents of Queen West - as well as my favourite musci venue The Horseshoe and The Rivoli

- keep moving along Queen to the gentrifying artsy part Queen West West and stride past the magnificently renovated Drake and Gladstone hotels as well as fitness outposts Downward Dog Yoga, fresh for Life, the CAMH sprawling grounds and Trinity Bellwoods park

- keep pushing it under the Queen and Dufferin bridge to a more earthy crustier Parkdale - and spot the occasional new gallery, household/art studio and antique place that dots itself along the improving strip

- finish up at what once the southern outpost of the heartland of Polish and Ukrainian Toronto at Queen & Roncesvalles - take your choice of brunch/coffee meccas of the west end - Mitzi’s, Easy or Cherry Bomb and relax in the small parkette Beaty park overlooking Sunnyside Beach and across from the TTC stockyards…you deserve it.

Here’s  a mapped out description of the run - best to complete over the weekend and off peak season (summer days) - given the fight with pedestrians for space across half the run, enjoy:

Top 9s - Future Outdoor Classics

Now that another successful NHL Outdoor Classic is in the books, our thoughts turn to where else could this game be played? More than the Stanley Cup or All-Star game - nothing galvanizes interest in hockey across North America on a one-day basis like this game (my lord, it was even trending well on twitter yesterday).

Let’s take inventory - they’ve done Pittsburgh vs. Buffalo in Rich Stadium, Montreal vs. Edmonton in Commonwealth Stadium, Detroit vs. Chicago in Wrigley Field and now Philadelphia vs. Boston in Fenway Park.   So where to next? Here’s are our top 9 suggestions:

1. The Big Apple Game - Central Park, New York City - The Rangers vs. The Islanders

Forget Yankee Stadium and its $30 hot dogs, why not have a game in the freshest air of New York smack dab in Central Park. If  1.7 million people are willing to see a Garth Brooks concert here, surely hockey could establish a similarly large beachhead on the media capital of the world.

2. Old Time Pond Hockey - The Rideau Canal, Ottawa - The Senators vs. The Leafs

The Battle of Ontario is back on and this time on the world’s longest ice rink and UNESCO Heritage Site. Ottawa is also the historical home to Lord Stanley - whose donated cup from 1892 is the most recognizable trophy in sports and given to the NHL champions each year.

3. The Cheesehead Legends Game - Lambeau Field, Green Bay - The Wild vs. The Black Hawks

If you are going to have something called the Heritage Classic each year, don’t you have to doff a cap to your football cousins and host a game at Bart Lombardi’s shrine. Imagine the same guys going shirtless at wintry Packer games coming out for hockey - pure tailgating magic.

4. The Michigan/Ohio Grudge Match - Michigan Stadium, Ann Arbor - The Red Wings vs. The Columbus Blue Jackets

9 years ago, the Michigan State Spartans hosted the largest outdoor hockey match ever played until then with their cross-state rivals - the dreaded Michigan Wolverines. Result -  they overfilled the stadium with over 74,000 puckheads for a college hockey game . This time, we would bring back the ghosts of Woody Hayes and Bo Schembechler and have Ohio square off against Michigan in the much bigger 107,000 seat “Big Hosue” Michigan Stadium.

5. The Hammer & Sickle Game - Red Square, Moscow - Ovechkin’s Washington Capitals vs. Kovalchuk’s Atlanta Thrashers

What better way to provide international detente then to host a game in the middle of Moscow with two of NHL’s most exciting players. Check out the sitelines here too. Plus, you know Putin would want to put on a good show.

6. The Olympic Game - Whistler Village, British Columbia - Vancouver Canucks vs.Calgary Flames

1988 Olympic host meet 2010 Olympic host in one of the most idyllic winter settings on the planet.

7. The Obama Game - Washington Monument, D.C. - Washington Capitals vs. Philadelphia Flyers

The pool in front of Washington Mounment is a perfect venue for the ice classic - having Lincoln preside over the game provide a distinctive US stamp of approval on the game south of the border.

8. Hockey Goes Hollywood -  L.A. Coliseum, Los Angeles - Los Angeles Kings vs. The Anaheim Ducks

Believe or not, there was an outdoor exhibition game held between the Kings and Rangers back in1991 at Caesar’s Palace in Vegas. Have a read on the hijinx they had to overcome.  Where there is a will there is a way-plus with 18 years of additional technology- there has to be a way to do it.  Just imagine Hollywood’s reigning elite (Nicholson, the Baldwins, Cruise, Denzel, and that annoying cast from Twilight) coming out to watch a game of shinny in LA Kings classic colours.

9. The Roch Carrier Home and Home Rivalry - Rogers Centre, Toronto  and Olympic Stadium, Montreal, Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Montreal Canadiens

The cradle of hockey in the civilized world  - these two have been sparring for the last 80 + years against each other with a very popular NFB cartoon “The Sweater” speaking about hockey as religion in these parts. It’s shame that the sheen off the “Heritage” idea is taken off by holding these in semi-domed stadiums - but imagine a Friday night game in one city followed by a Sunday afternoon game in the other. The most patriotic Canadian event since our new flag in 1967.

Polar Bear Swim Toronto

Photo courtesy Rick Bogasz

Get your mid-winter swim gear on and prepare to watch all your parts shrink and puff up as you ring in the new year by a “dash of insanity”.

For the brave of heart, here’s where to ring in no, rather take the plunge into a new decade just a little bit differently:

The Polar Bear Swim Club (in support of Habitat for Humanity) Sunnyside Park - 11:30am registration and 12:00pm dip - free blanket for all participants

Polar Bear Dip (in support of World Visions) Coronation Park, Oakville - 12:30pm-3pm - dip at 2pm sharp - the 25th anniversary of Canada’s biggest

Clarington Polar Bear Swim (in support of Sick Kids) - Newcastle Waterfront - 2pm dip - 10th anniversary - first 80 pledgers get a prize pack

If you start to like this a lot, there is a slightly insane group who likes to do this winter round too.

Forecast calls for scattered flurries and -2 degrees Celsius, although with a slight wind and few clothes on, who knows what that will really feel like.

Some smart advice ahead of time:

• Footwear you can wear in the water
• Towel(s)
• Blanket(s)
• Warm clothes to wear before and after the dip
• A friend to help should you require assistance
• A good place to shower and scrub off Lake Ontario afterwards
• if any medical condition puts you in doubt, consult a doctor or merely gawk and donate

Gen Go Picks - Canadian Olympic Hockey Teams #1, #2 and #3

Every 4 years, it’s a ritual rite of passage for every Canadian to second guess the Olympic Canadian brass for their picks of the Olympic men’s hockey team.

When the baseline expectation is that Canada will win the gold medal - it does leave a glass empty feeling about who should have made the team and who should have been left off.

Well, at Generation GO - we have not only complied the stats and stated our thoughts on the Yzerman’s first team but also that of our own second and third.

Seeting some of the intangibles aside, the real misses I see are not tapping Washington’s Mike Green vs. the chosen Brent Seabrook,  Brad Richards or Mike Cammalleri vs. the chosen Patrice Bergeron and Dustin Penner vs. Brendan Morrow. However, it’s splitting hairs and even if you did choose differently, at most these players are going to see 12-14 minutes per game if not just sit in the press box.

Based on our rosters below, Canada could easily field three gold medal teams in the Olympics, here are there cumulative year-to-date stats and rosters:

Canada’s Players. G…. A ..PTS..+/-..Shots..GW..Ave Minutes Per Game
Team Canada #1 246 422 668 110 2107 36 22:18
Team Canada #2 199 362 561 94 2063 31 20:55
Team Canada #3 181 309 480 17 1503 20 20:00

Canada’s Goalies W Save% GAA SO
Team Canada #1 66 0.917 2.28 6
Team Canada #2 28 0.900 3.00 4
Team Canada #3 35 0.910 2.74 0

Read more… »

The Generation Go High Park Scamper 7.14km

A misty Christmas day and suffering from some cabin fever between two Christmas parties - what better time for a run.

Thank goodness for John Howard, Toronto’s first city planner, who protected High Park, Toronto’s 400 acre urban green oasis from the developer’s crane rising up around the city’s west end- it’s full of scenic and undiscovered spots. And it’s also one of my fave runs. Even on a damp miserable Christmas day, I was accompanied by more than a few, cheery joggers, itinerant walkers, adventuresome dog walkers, shinny players and families sneaking out for a fresh air break.

In an attempt to retrace the Harry’s Spring Run (scheduled for Saturday, April 3rd, 2010) , we trailblazed our own quick jaunt into High Park that we’ll now break up into 9 parts for your convenience:

The Downhill Start - start at the top of Spring Road hill near the main north entrance to High Park - enjoy the road that snakes through the east side of the park, plenty of dog lovers here just don’t jog alone here late at night

The Deerpen Climb - thighs aching, breath getting short…this is one of two big climbs you’ll be making today - admire the yaks, bison,llamas, goats and sheep as they watch with idle amusement - it smells like a farm too - weird I know, but I love that hay-tinged dung smell

The Loop East Side - catch a breath and travel along High Park’s main artery road and wonder about the hordes of people that descend on the park’s theatre, baseball diamonds, swimming pool, concessions stands and tennis courts and chuckle as parents take their kids out for their very first skate

The Loop West Side - this one is a quickie downhill, just watch for cars who zoom into the park not realizing the 20km per hour speed limit, in summer, be prepared to be gawked at as the park tram guides tourists, families and more sedentary people

Grenadier Pond - easily the most scenic part of the park - admire the biggest floral Maple Leaf this side of Ottawa, the grizzled fishers casting lines from the outcropping deck and romantic strollers, oblivious to the history and the nature conservancy of this beautiful area

The Southern Queensway Bend - listen to the din of cars from the Gardiner Expressway and Lakeshore Boulevard to the south as Canada Geese fly overhead, dutifully obey or astutely ignore your only traffic light on this entire run and proceed back onto a path that brings you back into the bucolic charm of the park

The Playground Garden Trail - travel along the winding path as its enveloped on both sides by big trees, spot the ducks in the reclaimed pools to the right and ponder the usually busy Adventure Playground and it’s gothic turrets, swings, slides and apparati. Note, in a pinch - grab a water from the hot dog vendor that usually birddogs outside of the playground entrance

The Sprng Road Climb - a gradually undulating climb followed by a mean hill to finish off. This is usually the ending of most organized runs in the park and usually espouses cheers. This time, only chriping dogs greet me. Oh well, I know I accompished somethingf.

The Sprint Bloor West Finale - you may be breathless from the hill or surrounding, but civilization and Bloor West awaits only a couple of hundred metres ahead, say hi to the police cars that usually perch at the front entrance of the park , usually waiting their next emergency call and feel guilt-free about the fresh air and scenery you’ve just stolen from the Toronto’s top park.

And for the Apres Run - here are our top 5 choices for after-run fun…

- two Starbucks situate just 5-10 minute walk or a 1-2 minute drive west of the park. Latte it up! or this time of year, a hot chocolate or cider might do!

- Bloor West is filled with great neighbourhood bars, grab a pint at the Swan and Firkin, a burger and ale at the English Griffin or a lager and chat at Mackenzies. Sure it’s two steps forwards, 1 step back fitness wise - but you have to have fun sometime.

- Shoes are down to a threadbare sole? Need a gear pick me up? Both Running Room and New Balance are along Bloor West as well..thankfully, Running Room also has outlined 38 runs that their club treks through year round

- Cross training is your thing - stroll past Wheels of Bloor for the sick looking Cervelos in the window, or RPM Spinning and Gravity Studio for a boutique gym and community of Bloor West activities.

- The refurbished Grenadier Cafe offers up good breakfast, lunch and snack fare situated right in the middle of the park (on the southern loop of the main road), to the west of the park - Sunset Grill offers up a hearty breakfast, Cobb’s Bread and Bread and Roses have great pastries and Dr. Generosity and Villa have a great dinner menu for the showered up and redressed - grab a book from the theatre-now-turned local Chapters and settle back for the rest of the day west end style.

From time-to-time, we’ll be documenting our runs, rides, paddles, hikes and urban adventures, let us know if you’d be interested in submitted your own traipses through the city at chiefsherpa@gengo.ca

The Genesis of the Toronto Maple Leafs - Opening Day 1960-2010

Records

1960 -  35-26-9  1970 - 29-34-13  1980 - 35-40-5  1990 - 38-38-4  2000 - 45-27-7-3  2010 - TBD

Goals Scored/Against

1960 - 199-195   1970 222-242   1980 304-327 1990  337-358  2000  246-242  2010 - TBD

Coaches

1960/1980 - Punch Imlach 1970 - John MacLellan 1990 - Doug Carpenter 2000 - Pat Quinn 2010 - Ron Wilson

Prospects

1960 - Carl Brewer 1970 - Ernie Moser 1980 - Laurie Boschman 1990 - Scott Thornton 2000 - Luca Cereda  2010 - Nazem Kadri

Goalies

1960 - Johnnie Bower  1970 - Bruce Gamble 1980 - Mike Palmateer 1990 - Allan Bester 2000 - Curtis Joseph 2010 - Vesa Toskala

Defence

1960 - Stanley, Horton, Brewer, Baun, Kelly, Rheaume

1970 - McKenney, Horton, Quinn, Glennie, Ley, Dorey

1980 - Salming, Turnbull, Burrows, Hotham, Quennville, Mulhern

1990 - Iafrate, Kurvers, Ramage, Richardson, Marsh, Curran

2000 - Kaberle, Burrard, Yushkevich, Cross, Karpotsev, Markov

2010 - Kaberle, Komisarek, Beuchemin, Schenn, Exelby, Van Ryn

Centres

1960 - 1st line - Pulford, Armstrong, Duff   2nd Line - Mahovlich, Harris, Olmstead  3rd Line - Stewart, Wilson, Ehman 4th Line - Regan, James, Hampson

1970 - 1st Line - Keon, Ellis, Pulford 2nd Line - Ullman, Henderson, Selby 3rd Line - Walton, Armstorng, Harrison 4th Line - Oliver, Smith, Clancy

1980 - 1st Line - Sittler, Anderson, Williams 2nd Line - Boschman, Paiement, Hickey 3rd Line - McKechnie, Saganiuk, Maloney 4th Line - Gardner, Ellis, Martin

1990 - 1st Line - Damphousse, Leeman, Osborne 2nd Line - Olczyk, Marois, Clark 3rd Line - Fergus, Franceschetti, Reid 4th Line - Daoust, Kordic, Pearson

2000 - 1st Line - Sundin, Thomas, Hogland 2nd Line - Perrault, Korolev, Berezin 3rd Line - Antropov, Johnson, Valk 4th Line - Adams, Domi,  McCauley

2010 - 1st Line-Grabovski, Ponikarovsky, Hagman  2nd Line - Stajan, Kulemin, Blake  3rd Line -Mitchell, Stempniak,  Hanson 4th Line - Primeau, Mayers, Orr

GO Experience : A bit of Urban Infiltration with Keri, The Canadian Explorer

While the city is abuzz with activity to the North and West, there is a piece of industrial-meets-green in the Portlands of Toronto along Unwin Avenue that’s just waiting to be discovered.

A half century ago, the Hearn Generation Station teamed with energy, pounding out 1200MW of brute coal-and gas-induced force in its three football field-long building. Strange fact, it was suggested before it’s later conversion to natural gas, that the building was largely responsible for smog during the 1962 Grey Cup.

Well time has moved on and my good friend, Jacqueline Kerouac-esque video blogger  and intrepid adventurer Keri, The Canadian Explorer asked me to join her on a surprise  revisit to “the land that time forgot” on the eastern waterfront.

Walking into the decaying hulk of a building, conjures up images of History Channel’s “Life AfterPeople” - this industrial landmark has truly not been untouched except for us wayward trespassing souls since 1983. Inspired by Toronto’s pioneering Ninjalicious (who succumbed to cancer in 2005) and his storied site Infiltration.org,  it seems silly for such wonderful buildings to go to waste, so we decided to infiltrate. Read more… »

Generation Go Profile: Michelle Di Rocco

Who are you and what makes you tick?
I am an avid cyclist, adventure traveler and thrill seeker.
I am inspired by the journey and discovery that comes with travel to distant, exotic, little-trodden places. Adventures are best when they push physical and emotional limits - some of mine include jungle-trekking in Malaysia, ziplining in Costa Rica, snowshoeing in Yosemite and hiking the Adirondacks among others.

Your motto: Pain is weakness leaving the body.

What parts of active life do you participate in? Cycling, hiking, camping.

What is your favourite ride near the city? Leslie Spit is a great reprieve from the bustle of many of the city trails. It’s close to where I live, and I can go full-out without worrying about running anyone down!

Your favourite place: I have experienced too many great places to choose just one….so I’ll answer by saying that my favourite place to cycle so far would be the Cabot Trail. It’s very scenic and a good challenge!

Your favourite time (season, day, week, event): Autumn. Fall colour is unbeatable and the cool crisp air makes for great cycling and hiking without the smog

Your favourite website/magazine: VeloNews

Your active role models/heroes: Lance Armstrong of course!

Your guilty pleasure: Cupcakes - any and all flavours

Your cause: Multiple Sclerosis

Your next active goal or commitment: The MS Bike Tour. On August 15/16, I will join in the fight against multiple sclerosis and cycle 200km riding from Brampton to Waterloo return.

What would you like us to do:

Please post a link to my webpage where people can make a donation to the Bike Tour. http://www.urlzen.com/q8c  . Together we can conquer this disease. Anything you can spare makes a difference.

Generation Go - Looking for a Few Passionate Active-ites

Beyond our current editorial, writing and photographer team of 25, we are looking for some passionate active-ites that are up for the random interesting experiences. In short, we are looking for male and female George Plimptons.

Who’s George Plimpton you ask?

Back in the 60s and 70s, the witty Plimpton was an acclaimed novelist. Despite his urbane Harvard upbringing, he was attracted like a magnet to a range of professional sports.

Despite gangly frame and physical shortfalls, Plimpton documented his weekend enthusiast-turned -pro exploits in books Paper Lion (as a backup Detroit Lions quarterback),  Open Net (as a fill-in Boston Bruins goalie),  The Bogey Man (trying to sty alive on the PGA tour), Out of My League (pitching to an all-star squad of major league baseball players)  and Shadow Box (sparring three rounds with Archie Moore and Sugar Ray Robinson). He also tried his hand as circus tightrope performer, bridge player and petrified tennis player.

Interestingly, he was a good friend of Robert Kennedy and was credited with wrestling his assassin Sirhan Sirhan to the ground.

In short, he was one of the very first participatory journalists, many decades before blogging became in vogue.

Well, Generation Go now wants you oh budding Plimptonians. In Toronto (and soon to be Vancouver), we are looking for some fledgling bloggers, participating activie-ites who have a “try anything once attitude”.

We have already setup some of our early George Plimptons as:

- whitewater rafters
- skydiving thrillseekers
- pole dancing savants
- mixed martial arts masters

So what’s your about to be discovered passion?

Let us know your interests, commit to writing a few photo-essay posts, interview the key players and participants and we’ll set you up with the best in and and around the city.

Get in touch with us here with your interest, schedule and ability to write, photograph, participate and interview.

Generation Go Photo of The Day - Cherry Beach in Blazing Summer