Twister emerges

Here's the twister emerging from the clouds. Great picture.

TAGS:tornado, clouds, Fergus

Birth of a Tornado

Earlier I posted an observation that one reason the Toronto storm went generally unreported was because of the tornado in Fergus. Fergus is smaller town, an hour or so northwest of Toronto. A friend of mine just passed along a couple of photos showing the twister in Fergus taking shape. Very impressive.

TAGS:tornado, Fergus, clouds

Toronto Old City Hall

Toronto's Old City Hall behind the fountains/skating rink at Nathan Phillips Square. Crazy, out of place tropical island in foreground. Old City Hall was built for $2.5 million back in 1899. Over the past couple of years a lot of work has being going on to clean up the outside of the building. It looks good. The front of the building which fronts onto Dundas Street is still covered in green tarps and scaffolding. Nathan Phillips Square is a public gathering place. The fountain/pool becomes a skating rink in the winter. Toronto's new city hall is just to the left of this picture.

TAGS:Toronto, Travel, Tropical Island

Toronto Storm Picture

The storm that blew through Toronto last Friday went surprisingly under-reported given its severity. Because there was an actual (actual!) tornado in a small town called Fergus, most of the attention went there (note to Canada watchers - anything that makes us remotely American is reported by the press and gobbled up by the public; it's part of our national inferiority and love/hate relationship with the US - tornados would be one of those things... as would the opening of a Pro Bass Shop). Picture above is from Donalda Golf Club just after the storm. The Club will be lucky to reopen by the end of the golf season. Given the impact on so many people in the city, it feels a little awkward only showing pictures that affect the country club crowd. Ultimately...they'll be OK! Meanwhile scores of people lost cars, basements, yards etc. What's amazing is that no one died.

TAGS: Toronto, Travel, Flood