The Elephant on the Street

Breton Stripes and my
favourite jens

Brrrr...it was COLD this morning. Like, frosted grass, mittens and hat, see-your-breath kind of cold. I definitely put my hat on before I had even opened the door...and then I was reminded how cold jeans are in cold weather. Oops. Next week I might have to dig out my long underwear.

The White Elephant
with fantastic crafts

But as much as I complain, it's an amazing time of year now, in the days before the snow when the fall rain is over, when the days are sunny and and the air is crisp, the wind is low and the morning and afternoon light is beautiful.  I met a classmate downtown for a study date this morning and then rewarded myself for good behaviour by starting my Christmas shopping downtown on James St. North.

James Street North
Supercrawl September 2010

"art is the new steel"

 This street is slowly undergoing a transformation, lead by local artists and artisans and home to some amazing craft and vintage shoppes. Every second Friday of the month the stores and studios are open late for an "art crawl" where the public is invited to explore (for free!) the various exhibitions on display in shops along the street, to sip a glass of wine (for a small fee) with the artists and shopowners and see what kind of art is being made in the city and around the province. For the past two years, for a Saturday in September, the city has closed the street to traffic and opened it to pedestrians, artists and vendors for a big street festival - the "Supercrawl." The changes are not without opposition, as the gradual takeover by artists is often a signal of gentrification, something both antipoverty activists and long-time store owners would rather not see happen. Our city has been a boom town, a steel town, a crumbling city, a university locale and now a place buzzing with rumours about cultural rejuvenation. Things come in cycles and right now, our city is working through the end of industrial manufacturing in North America and all of the job loss and poverty that comes with that, and slowly embracing other forms of economic development.  I played a small part today, voting with my wallet and wheels, coming downtown as I do a few days of the week to study and shop, and enjoy the atmosphere of a changing city.