Walk The Line

I headed down to Fort York for the grand opening of the new $24M Visitor Centre. Surrounded by arterial roads and rail tracks, this historical site has been cut off from the city. Although in recent years, with a number of summer musical festivals taking place here, it has become more popular. In any case, it was hoped that this new addition would increase visits.

The new centre felt underwhelming given its cost. The outside was composed of large metal slabs, either to invoke fortress bunkers or the banks of the lake, now receded hundreds of metres away. It was interesting architecture, especially in contrast to the elevated Gardiner Express towering above it. But the inside felt empty, possibly because work is not fully completed. Unlike the fort which concentrated on the early military history of Toronto, the centre also included stories and collections from World War I. There was also room for contemporary art installations.

A number of free performances were happening both at the centre and within Fort York itself. The stage in front of the centre felt more dramatic, with the concrete columns and car lanes of the Gardiner as backdrop. I stayed for the 1st act, Indo-jazz outfit Autorickshaw. It was too bad that there weren't more people there to enjoy their complex but playful compositions including Trouble With Hari and Snake Charmer. Luckily given their shorter time slot, they limited the sometimes overly long solos to Kapi-Wallah. They also did unique covers of Big Yellow Taxi and Me and Julio Down By the School Yard.