Best of August

Rick Madonik, Staff Photographer

A look back at the month of August. Generally, a slower month as summer winds down, but this year weather related events and Jack Layton's death - and State Funeral - dominated the news. Here's a look back and both published, and unpublished, photos from The Toronto Star photo department.

JACK LAYTON - 1950-2011

08/25/11 - Olivia Chow, with her hands on her husband's casket, after it is placed in the rotunda of Toronto City Hall. (RICK MADONIK)

08/22/11 - Mourners of NDP leader Jack Layton gather in Toronto's Nathan Phillips Square Monday August 22, 2011 after learning that Layton lost his battle with cancer early Monday morning surrounded by family in his Toronto home.  (TARA WALTON)

08/26/11 - Orange Crush, a Patti Smith album and an image of Einston Churchill are part of a tribute to Jack Layton at Toronto City Hall. (JIM RANKIN)

08/27/11 - A woman sporting a fake white moustache, watches giant screens at David Pecaut Square as the funeral for Jack Layton takes place in Roy Thomson Hall. (CARLOS OSORIO)

08/23/11 - A woman looks down at some of the chalk messages on the wall of the ramp that leads to Toronto City Hall. Thousands of messages were written in Nathan Phillips Square after the news of Layton's death became public. (RICHARD LAUTENS)

08/26/11 - Members of the public pay their respects before the casket bearing Jack Layton who lay in repose at City Hall prior to the funeral on Saturday. (RICHARD LAUTENS)

08/26/11 - Olivia Chow (bottom) has a final hug with Layton's children, Sarah (left) and Michael. (RICHARD LAUTENS)

08/26/11 - The seat of a "ghost bike" is covered in messages to NDP leader Jack Layton, outside  his Broadview Avenue office. (RICK EGLINTON)

08/27/11 - Former Prime Minister Jean Chretien takes the direct route, up and over a media barrier, on his way to a television interviewer after the funeral of Jack Layton at Roy Thomson Hall. (GALIT RODAN)

08/27/11 - Toronto Police Services officers carry the casket of NDP leader Jack Layton out of Toronto City Hall to the hearse which will ferry Layton to Roy Thomson Hall. (TARA WALTON)

 

WEATHER

08/22/11 - Goderich, Ontario - Goderich's main square shows the damage after a tornado touched down the previous day (COLIN MCCONNELL)

08/24/11 - Lightning branches across the sky with the DVP in foreground, seen from Don Mills Road. This is the end of the storm as it passed through. (RICK MADONIK)

08/09/11 - A woman covered her head with a plastic bag to protect herself from the rain while crossing Front Street during Tuesday morning's torrential downpour in Toronto. (LUCAS OLENIUK)

 08/09/11 - A ball gets trapped by a drain just off center court at the Rexall Centre where the Roger's Cup was underway. The bad weather caused morning matches to be postponed. (RENE JOHNSTON)

 

08/09/11 - A man walks in the rain near Sunnyside Pavillion. (CARLOS OSORIO)

08/04/11 - Three year old Gabe Doerr could not get enough of the wave action on top of the bridge over Timberwolf falls. Big Picture, It has to be the coolest place in the GTA, every two minutes relief from the heat arrives onto the bridge at the end of the drop of Timberwolf Falls. Park guests brace themselves for a wave that gets those on the bridge wetter than people on the actual ride at Canada's Wonderland. For more CLICK HERE (STEVE RUSSELL)

SPORTS

08/01/11 - The Blue Jays honored Roberto Alomar, who made his way to the field from the 100 level area, with a special Hall of Fame Day at Rogers Centre prior to the Blue Jays squaring off against the Texas Rangers. (DAVID COOPER)

08/29/11 - Dan Winnik, of the Phoenix Coyotes, celebrates hitting a ball out of the park at Rogers Centre. Several NHLers were invited to take some batting practice. The hockey players are in Toronto prepping for the upcoming season. (RICK MADONIK)

08/28/11 - Fans wave the white flag in the 8th inning from their hotel room overlooking the field.The Toronto Blue Jays were beaten up by the Tampa Bay Rays 12-0 at the Rogers Centre. (RICHARD LAUTENS)

08/11/11 - Serena Williams (USA) celebrates a point from the ground in the last set before defeating SHENG, Jie (CHN) in 3 sets  during Rogers Cup action. (RICK MADONIK)

08/16/11 - Hassaan Abdel Khalek is an aspiring Olympic swimmer specializing in the 200 and 400 freestyle events. He is Muslim and talks about the challenges training and competing during Ramadan fasts. A true challenge because the 2012 Olympics will fall during Ramadan. (STEVE RUSSELL)

NEWS AND FEATURES

08/30/11 - A young boy watches as men pray during the Muslim Association of Canada's Eid celebration at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre.  Eid Al-Fitr marks an end the holy month of Ramadan. (ANDREW FRANCIS WALLACE)

 08/23/11 -- Paramedics and Peel police load an injured suspect into an ambulance, one of four men arrested after a man was shot during a robbery at a Mississauga home on Deer Run in the Erindale neighbourhood. (JIM WILKES)

08/19/11 - TTC streetcar derailed Friday morning at the intersection at College St. and Spadina Ave. The TTC worked for hours geting the southbound streetcar back on rails to resume traffic flow.  (ANDREW FRANCIS WALLACE)

08/25/11 - TRIPOLI, LIBYA - A freedom figher rests as the revolution enters a critical juncture as Rebels have entered Tripoli. (STEVE RUSSELL)

8/25/11 - A grass hopper sits almost in the barrel of a freedom fighter's rifle as the revolution enters a critical juncture as Rebels have entered Tripoli in Tripoli.  (STEVE RUSSELL)

08/25/11 - Freedom fighters fire on three possible sniper locations near the Corinthia Hotel, which is full of the world's media as the revolution enters a critical juncture as Rebels have entered Tripoli. (STEVE RUSSELL)

08/24/11 -  Mark Ellis, who runs a business finding metal treasures for clients - from wedding rings to silver coins buried in the backyard - using a metal detector.  Pix taken at Woodbine Beach. (KEITH BEATY)

08/03/11 - Carly Weiner, 32, and David Chisolm, 35, both discouraged and feel in the dark and don't know what to do next, have undergone three rounds of IVF since March, spending over $20,000, on the treatment. (VINCE TALOTTA)

08/12/11 - Tre Armstrong, choreographer, charity worker and judge, on So You Think You Can Dance Canada, with her dog Diamond, at home. (VINCE TALOTTA)

08/17/11 - Grace Billings from the busker group FlameOz balances flaming pole on her head at the launch for 12th Annual Scotiabank BuskerFest. (STEVE RUSSELL)

08/25/11 - Brant Matthews, also known as the Fire Guy, jumps through a flaming star on a skateboard during the 1st day of the Busker Festival in Toronto. (CARLOS OSORIO)

08/28/11 - Bendy Em, a contortionist, squeezes herself and a basketball inside a box 16 inches high and wide during the final day of BuskerFest. (RICK MADONIK)

08/10/11 - The Russian bars team performed the last act during Wednesday night's opening of Cirque du Soleil's Totem in Toronto. (LUCAS OLENIUK)

08/19/11 - Nella Brown, 16, and her sister Anna, 18, get an upside down bird's eye view of the CNE grounds during opening day on the Banzai, a pendulum-style ride that swings riders in increasingly larger arcs. (BERNARD WEIL)

08/19/11 - Steve Yandon and Stephanie Pappas, both from Toronto, get a bird's eye view of the CNE grounds with the city in the background during on the Swing Tower, during opening day.

08/25/11 - Kenneth Fall of the Tumble Circus perfoms high above the crowds during the 1st day of the Busker Festival in Toronto. (CARLOS OSORIO)

08/19/11 - Riders on the Swing Tower are silhouetted against the sun as they get a bird's eye view of the CNE grounds during opening day. (BERNARD WEIL)

08/05/11 - Amanda Mizen's Desmond & Beatrice cupcake shop on Queen Street is the newest store front in what is quickly becoming the cupcake district on a two kilometre stretch that is saturated with cupcake shops. (STEVE RUSSELL)

08/11/11 - Friends Alyssa and Sydney concentrate on their social media apps while the fire roars on Pigeon Lake, north of Peterborough ON.  Photographer Bernard Weil's flashlight made the white streak during the 15 second camera exposure as he walked onto the deck to admire the evening sky and Big Dipper constellation at the upper right of the photo. (BERNARD WEIL/TORONTO STAR)

08/17/11 - Toronto Mayor Rob Ford talks to the media outside the Premier's office after he met with Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty. {BERNARD WEIL/TORONTO STAR)