Those who know me well will recall that my apartment is exceptional in that it is designed to wrap around a stairwell. This gives me two south facing windows from which I can see several parks and Lake Ontario. I also get a north facing window from which I can see two highways, abandoned industrial land, a dozen or more train tracks, parts of three housing coops, several streets and two buildings under construction.
Now you may well imagine that I and my various visitors spend as much time as possible looking at the gorgeous waterfront vista. Not! Almost to a person folks admire the south view for about thirty seconds, walk through to my bedroom, lean on my bed (it’s set to its highest position) and start pointing out the curious things they see – from joggers proceeding along the lonely stretch of road beside the abandoned fields to planes landing at the Lester B. Pearson Airport more than fifteen miles away to massive construction cranes in motion putting up high rise condos.
I am reminded again and again that humans love to watch. My north bedroom is replete with watchable entertainment, and – better than TV – it’s all real.
When I moved in 15 months ago I somewhat reluctantly chose the north facing bedroom because it is much closer to the bathroom and gives my assistants more privacy with the activities around my personal care. With some awkwardness we placed my bed right under the window so I could look out during those frequent hours when I am not sleeping. I knew the first night here that I had made one of the best decisions of my life in coming to the Robert Cooke Housing Coop and in taking the north bedroom.
Night or day there is always something going on. For three days this weekend there were seven GO trains, stationary side-by-side, positioned one car ahead of the next. GO trains are green and white, and the engine car has a flying wing design. The seven side by side but spread out so all were visible at once was quite a sight. I imagine it was done to take advertising photographs!
About three weeks ago I began to notice that the area between the train tracks and North Toronto Street had about half a dozen curious boxy structures, two windows each, seemingly dropped down helter skelter. Of course for a few days I wasn’t sure if they really were newly arrived, or if I simply hadn’t noticed them before. By the third or fourth day it was clear each morning that there were a few more than had been there the night before.
Then began to arrive different boxes, similar but with clear differences. About a dozen are slightly larger and a somewhat darker, more greyish hue. Another dozen have doors as well as two windows.
For a few nights last week something projected an intense light - bright enough to make me squint - and I had to cover part of my window and give up some of my view so I could sleep! The light would come on around 11:00pm and was gone by 6:00am. Now it’s gone. Also the forty or so boxes are neatly stacked in two layers and in straight rows instead of scattered about.
What are they building so close to the train tracks? Do they intend to lift each box over the road into the abandoned field? Will this be an industrial condo or rental prefab? Is this merely a way station, and someday soon I will awaken at 4:00am to dimly view a train made up of flatbed cars being loaded to take this nascent building away?
Of course I could do some research, probably quite easily, and get answers. I could have stepped back into the advocate role and complained to my City Councillor about the night light disturbance. But I didn’t and I don’t.
I am simply loving to watch.
No comments:
Post a Comment