The hardest working tree in Toronto is back at Cumberland Terrace in a show of resilient festive defiance in the face of darkness. A sentinel of joy. Long live this 14/10 tree! 🎄 #EveryCorporateChristmasTreeInToronto is back for 2020, but different this year. A few notes:
To reflect WFH it’s going to be #EveryCorporateAndDomesticChristmasDisplayInToronto. My MO has always been trees I see in passing while oot & aboot in the city. My roaming is dramatically curtailed now SO for the first time I will be accepting corporate tree submissions.
DM’s are open (yikes) & you may send snaps of corporate trees for possible rating. A few notes: I may not be able to answer or include all (I have nominal real jobs) & I’m picky about photo quality.
1> Straight on angle preferred, tho including context architecture is good
2> No flash ever (in life too)
3> Landscape is preferred tho portrait if necessary to fit the tree
4> Tell me where photo was taken - must be this year, no archive. I will attribute it to you if used unless you want to remain 🎄anon
(All photos will be by me unless noted). OK!
CityTV Tree. This tree is EVERYWHERE. Tree has ability to point a camcorder at itself while holding a full size news camera too. One of the biggest real trees in city, it can’t keep track of its ever changing corporate overlords. News truck adds ratings drama. Full tableau. 13/10 – bei MuchMusic HQ
Village of Yorkville park tree by @BloorYorkville. Park created in 1991 after yrs as prkng lot & echoes former row house lots demolished for subway. Nice golden tree but points lost for @BloorYorkville’s disingenuous hostility to Bloor bike lane. 11/10 Submitted by @DebraAMcKenna
College Park Tree. Silver-crusted & fills the central space of the former Eaton’s department store flagship. Not a catalogue tree but rather a custom job. Tree’s descendants will likely squander its mighty retail display dominance but for now 12/10.
Submitted by @DianaYoonTO – bei College Park
Queens Park government tree. Gov’t spox says ball distribution - fewer than usual due to cuts at time when people are desperate for merriment - were decided on by a table of Xmas 🎄excerpts. Who are the experts? Fence prevents closer inspection. 11/10
Submitted by @epagliarello – bei Queens Park Stage - Pride Toronto
The Abbot on Eglinton tree. Strategically located above new crosstown rail line, an indoor tree brought outdoors & kept safe behind plexiglass. A pandemic tree you won’t find at big boxes; even Santa is shopping local this year. Support this tree. 15/10
Submitted by @WilliJF – bei The Abbot
Atrium on Bay tree. Silver balls & silver reindeer + lush sparkly snow in one of the city’s grandest late-modernist atriums (upcoming expansion may alter this tho). A tree fit for 1970s sci fi. 13/10
#EveryCorporateAndDomesticChristmasDisplayInToronto
Submitted by @DianaYoonTO – bei Atrium On Bay
Yonge Eglinton Centre trees. Controversial trees as area residents object to double tree density. Trees “too high” & “one short tree per lot”, they shout. Trees like this have few places to go. Local councillor plays both sides, says for trees, but not here. 13.5/10
Via @WilliJF – bei RioCan Yonge Eglinton Centre
Downhill on Brock in Brockton Village / Little Portugal. Perennial favourite. They say it can been seen from the space station. The anti-Mies display: more is more. Sacred + secular. Also: kinda looks like an owl. 15/10

#EveryCorporateAndDomesticChristmasDisplayInToronto
Lansdowne yard display, towards Seaforth. A real blue Christmas / Halloween crossover vibe. Some Tim Burton / Stranger Things homages too, perhaps. A tin man? Porch lights array eschews right angle orthodoxy. 14.5/10

#EveryCorporateAndDomesticChristmasDisplayInToronto – bei West Lodge Park
Gerard Square Santa tree grove. Circular, yet defies symmetry. Solid colour scheme. Controversial “Velvet Covid Cone” elves say keeps the virus away (elves also complain of wifi rays from nearby Absolute Dollar). A warm nest of joy in abandoned mall. 13/10
Via @DaveLikesBikes – bei Gerrard Square
Bionic Travel, window display, Dundas West. A dynamic, kinaesthetic, bionic if-you-will, display. Santa in action, a travel tableau for a lost Xmas. Added points for dogs. 12/10

#EveryCorporateAndDomesticChristmasDisplayInToronto – bei Bionic Tours
North York Centre tree. A well-proportioned tree that fills its postmodern space - plentiful presents, the bounty of expansionist North York. The star is certainly a nod to the razzmatazz of legendary local city builder Mel Lastman. Understated topper. 11/10
Via @rawnifty – bei North York Centre
Inflatable Christ Child on wee (Montrealish) Mitchell Street - more of the secular & sacred mix - may the manger remain electrified & may the fans never stop till revelations. A definitive statement for modernity. Halo of blue light took some effort. 13/10 – bei Beast Restaurant
Another Little Portugal display on Brock south of Dundas. Sweet umbrella interlocking brick tree, mix of all the colours. Hot straight triangular eaves high peak. Somebody was on a precarious ladder, extra points. Is that an old incandescent glow? â˜șïžđŸŽ„14.5/10
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