Thursday 11 August 2016

Dundas Square, Toronto: Busking or begging?

These are photos from our first two days, in downtown Toronto.
The people in Dundas Square in Toronto were quite the sight. From snappy business people, and tourists, to stage people, to street people. It breaks my heart that I could not support all those who do not have money, but how does one tell if they are simply supplementing an income? Living in downtown Toronto (Yonge & Walker Ave.) from 1956 -  1977, I would often buy a homeless person a meal. It was a much less developed area in those days. We had many hard-working neighbours, hard-working blue collar workers like mom and dad.

Toronto is amazing for people-watching! The first woman, in amazing on-trend black high heels and the classic little black dress, was gorgeous! She looks great, even from the back! I felt dowdy much of the time!



As we trotted back and forth between Dundas and Yonge St., we saw so many people. Some took up space at the corner and tried to tell us that Jesus is the Way, some begging for donations for a children's charity, selling jewelry, or dancing. Some busking.

There were people showing their boa constrictors off, and a man showing off his cat, begging for rent money. Those who ask for money, they call themselves buskers. I find this interesting!
I found out about the cat from someone who knows the snake people! Others think busking involves a talent or skill. I would agree. Those trying to educate people on snakes, that is a different scenario.

I was lambasted by Tish Fannon on Facebook, for not asking permission to take her photo, as she mingled with people. It isn't illegal to take a photo of someone in a public. She wanted to explain that she was not begging but educating people. I was concerned about having a snake on the street like this, and wanted to ask the experts in the Ontario Reptiles & Amphibians group about the ethics of having a snake in a noisy public situation. What I found is is that these three, the two snake owners and the cat owner, are pretty negative towards one another when speaking to a third party!

Don't you love the fashion statement of the guy in the red shoes?!

the.bruce.wayne


I found some more out about the cat!

Leslie Noel is the kind of guy who stands out on the subway. Not because of what he wears or what he does, but because he’s invariably traveling with a fluffy ginger tabby cat called McLovin’. The cat, named for the hapless, fake-ID-wielding Superbad character, is an underground Toronto legend and a big deal on social media. Regular subway riders know him as the “subway cat,” whose protective owner is always close.

dancing in the street
Tish Fannon

13 comments:

Anvilcloud said...

Yes, people can go pretty snake over cameras.

Phil Slade said...

It's a long time since I was in Toronto and I don't remember it being like that. How times change Jennifer. I'm not so sure the first picture is a female? But hey you took the picture and we don't want to upset anyone else do we.

Francisco Manuel Carrajola Oliveira said...

Excelentes e belas fotografias urbanas, gostei de ver.
Um abraço e continuação de uma boa semana.
Andarilhar

Sallie (FullTime-Life) said...

Street people watching is a fun hobby! Toronto's are definitely better looking than Eugene's (I haven't shown the downside of living downtown yet -- maybe I will get brave someday and do that). I don't actually mind ours if they even pretended to be buskers -- playing music or whatever... and I feel sorry for people who are homeless through bad circumstances. The ones I don't like are those who call themselves "travelers" -- they are young people who hop trains and live on the streets of friendly towns with no intention of working or looking for work ... just hoping for handouts.

Yamini MacLean said...

Hari OM
don't think there's a city in the world now which doesn't have its version of the snake people and the cat people... and let's add in the dog peeps too. Cities here have organised begging gangs - East Europeans - many of them using dogs as 'props'; afraid I harden my heart to such as that. Especially as we are in an age where many different charities are at work. Giving to a shelter or soup kitchen is a more effective and direct-assistance form of charity. YAM xx

Red said...

So when us country bumpkins go to the big city our eyes are wide open with some many different things to see.

DUTA said...

City centers and downtowns are always an interesting sight because of the variety of people and fashions one can watch. I don't like the use of animals : snakes, cats or dogs, on streets for money purposes.

Great captures of Dundas square sights!

William Kendall said...

I'm not the only one who doesn't like the use of animals for raising money on the streets.

Ms. Fannon should appreciate that the world doesn't always revolve around her.

Christine said...

nice to see Toronto from your eyes! I didn't know it wasn't illegal to take a photo of a person in a public place, guess it depends which public place. Interesting the lady found herself on your blog.

Jenn Jilks said...

@Christine, Tish was tagged in my photo by someone in Toronto who was on the Ontario Reptiles and Amphibians FB page. I was posing the question to the group about the efficacy of taking a large constrictor to Yonge & Dundas! She then posted a 750 word bitch slap message telling me off for taking her photo without permission.
I clarified what I'd posted, and she roared and ranted again. I just deleted it!

Maggie said...

To whomever wrote this, you're a real piece of work. Tagging someone's Facebook profile to your blog? Defamation of character, and slander? You can be sued for these things. I've taken screen shots of this whole page. Now we know why poor Tish was being harassed, it's because of you. Maybe instead of jumping down her throat, you could have listened to her that she agrees with you that it's not a brilliant idea for the man bringing out the boa to be doing so. But instead, you decided you know everything about her without even taking to her, and have not own caused her to be harassed! I hope you get charged! Karma will get you for being so cruel to someone whosend trying to make a change in this world, you monster.

Maggie said...

"Your comment will be visible after approval", of course you approve them... I wonder how many comments were made that were not seeing here, instead of just the ones agreeing with you. You're disgusting. If I were you, I'd take this whole page down while you're ahead, cause once I show this to the right people, you could be facing some fun charges

Jenn Jilks said...

Maggie, my dear. I've been thinking about your troll-like vitriol. You threaten me. I cannot understand your rage. I took a day to think it over.
When you point your finger at me, you are bringing Karma upon yourself. Defamation of character? Seriously? Was that not her point, standing there in the street with the TPS cars screaming around her, and the ambulances and traffic?

Tish stands at Dundas and Yonge, and she is begging for attention. Why else would she stand there with a huge snake? It is incongruous. The noise assaults my ears. As you wish, I have removed her FB hyperlink. She is featured on many chat room pages, however. She's called this upon herself. When I asked about someone standing there in the busy city like this, she was ID'd by someone on Facebook. I Googled her name and there she was.

Yours is the only such comment I've had on this post. I do not understand your problem. Tish's Facebook page is there for anyone to find. Many know her, and know of her, and I was simply putting the question to the wider reptile and amphibian community. If she is being harassed, perhaps she should stop standing downtown in the middle of the street, with a constrictor wrapped around herself.
Have a lovely day.