Best of July

 

        Richard Lautens              

 When it came to finding this month's collection of work, I couldn't resist offering up Richard Lauten's portrait taken on the last day of the month - today! At first, I thought it was an illustration (a picture designed, or conceived, or art directed, and a paid model) and pleasantly surprised to find a portrait (a picture which depicts something about the person). I'll let Lauten's caption speak for itself" Trish is one of more than 186,000 women in the US and Canada have logged on to find their own version of Christian Grey, the character from the book Fifty Shades of Grey. By mid-July 4,931 women from Toronto had altered their profiles on the site seakingarrangements.com indicating they were looking for a Mr. Grey, in other words, a dominant/submissive relationship with BDSM.

What follows is a more day-to-day representation of the types of assignments the staff find themselves up against. Steve Russell is only 4 days in the London 2012 Games, but already working around the clock getting to numerous events, so this is just a tease to the Best of August, when he will be featured prominently.

12-07-16 - TORONTO, ONTARIO - A man is attended to on the scene and loaded onto a gurney for transport. Several people, including one reported dead, were shot in the Morningside and Danzig area late Monday, July 16, 2012. Toronto ambulance responded with numerous vehicles including on ambulance bus. Dozens of police vehicles as well as ETF were on scene. (Rick Madonik)

 

TORONTO, ONTARIO - Funeral attendes cry as they pass a photo of Shyanne Charles, killed during a mass shooting on Danzig Avenue. During the ceremony there was a call for the end of gunplay in the city. The funeral was held at the Highland Funeral Home in Scarborough. (Rene Johnston)

 

18-07-12 - TORONTO, ONTARIO - Devontae Thomas, 22 months, is lucky to be alive after a bullet grazed his head during monday night's Davzig Avenue gunfire - which killed two and injured 25. (Vince Talotta)

 

20-07-12 - TORONTO, ONTARIO - People gather prior to the start of the walk for Shyanne and Joshua, two victims of the Danzig Avenue shootings who were killed. (Pawel Dwulit)

 

17-07-12 - TORONTO, ONTARIO - Yvette Gidden holds a sign in memory of Shyanne Charles as her daughter Fantasia, 6 holds a flower during a vigil held near Shyannes home in Scarborough Ontario on Tuesday July 17, 2012. Shyanne was one of two victims of monday nights shooting at a community barbeque. (Pawel Dwulit)

 

12-07-16 - TORONTO, ONTARIO - A woman is emotional as she speaks with police on the scene. Several people, including one reported dead, were shot in the Morningside and Danzig area late Monday, July 16, 2012. Dozens of police vehicles as well as ETF were on scene. (Rick Madonik)

 

AJAX, ONTARIO - A pallbearer hangs his head as the casket of Joshua Yasay, 23-year-old victim in Danzig Avenue shooting, arrives at thefuneral. (Rene Johnston)

 

12-07-15 - TORONTO, ONTARIO - A brave soul on a small motor bike traverses the swamped underpass on Windermere Ave, which passes under the Gardiner Expressway. Parts of Toronto were hit by severe rain storms in the afternoon, Sunday, July 15, 2012, causing a number of flooded underpasses and roadways. (Rick Madonik)

 

12-07-15 - TORONTO, ONTARIO - A driver braves the swelling waters as the car is swamped in the underpass on Windermere Ave, which passes under the Gardiner Expressway. (Rick Madonik)

 

12-07-15 - TORONTO, ONTARIO - A man, covered by garbage bags and duct taped boots, navigates the sidewalk of Windermere Ave underpass. (Rick Madonik)

 

23-07-12 - TORONTO, ONTARIO - Lead singer of Coldplay Chris Martin sings as confetti rains down around him during a performance at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto on Monday July 23,, 2012. (Pawel Dwulit)

 

25-07-12 - TORONTO, ONTARIO - Yeabsra has told the staff at Sick Children's Hospital, where she is being treated, she wants to be a surgeon when she grows up. The hospital had a set of surgical attire engraved with her name. (Carlos Osorio)

 

12-07-12 - TORONTO, ONTARIO - Michael Snow, 82, might be the most famous artist Canada has ever produced. As the winner of the Gershon Iksowiz Prize, Snow has been given a solo exhibition at the AGO (Art Gallery of Ontario). (Keith Beaty)

 

12-07-25 - TORONTO, ONTARIO - Famed designers Colin McAllistr and Justin Ryan (Colin and Justin) are seen on their top floor condo balcony beside the Rogers Centre.  They talk about their tips on keeping cool in the scorching summer heat. (Richard Lautens)

 

27-07-12 - LONDON, ENGLAND - Canadian diver Alexandre Despatie resurfaces after a dive off the one metre springboard during a training session at the Aquatic Centre  before the London 2012 Olympic Games in London.  (Steve Russell)

 

31-07-12 - LONDON, ENGLAND - Canadian gymnast Kristina Vaculik competes on the uneven bars as Canada earns a fifth place finish, their best all time, in the Artistic Gymnastics team competition at the London 2012 Olympic Games at the North Greenwich Arena, in London. (Steve Russell)

 

25-07-12 - LONDON, ENGLAND - Canada's Christine Sinclair strips the ball from Japan's Mizuho Sakaguchi as Canada loses 2-1 to Japan in the Olympic Soccer tournament during the London 2012 Olympic Games in Coventry. (Steve Russell)

 

28-07-12 - LONDON, ENGLAND - Tamara Tatham has patriotic nails as Team Canada nearly upsets heavily favoured Russia before losing 58-53 in the London 2012 Olympic Games. (Steve Russell)

 

28-07-12 - LONDON, ENGLAND - The Canadian swimmers react to Scott Dickens time. Dickens had a terrible swim in the 100 metre Breastroke semi-final and failed to qualify for the final during the first evening session of swimming in the London 2012 Olympic Games at the Aquatic Centre in London. (Steve Russell)

 

28-12-07 - LONDON, ENGLAND - Scott Dickens reacts to his terrible swim in the 100 metre Breastroke semi-final failing to qualify for the final. Dicken's competed on the first evening session of swimming in the London 2012 Olympic Games at the Aquatic Centre in London. (Steve Russell)

 

30-07-12 - LONDON, ENDGLAND - Canada listens to the anthems as Canada defeats Great Britain 73-65 in the women's basketball tournament at the London 2012 Olympic Games at the Basketball Arena in London. (Steve Russell)

 

31-07-12 - LONDON, ENGLAND - Scott Dickens, of Canada, qualifies for the semi-final in the 200 metre breaststroke in the morning swim session at the London 2012 Olympic Games at the Aquatic Centre in London. (Steve Russell)

 

31-07-12 - LONDON, ENGLAND - Tobias Oriwal swims his leg of the  800 metre freestyle relay in the morning swim session. The team failed to make the final  at the London 2012 Olympic Games at the Aquatic Centre in London. (Steve Russell)

 

27-07-12 - ANCASTER, ONTARIO - Miguel Angel Carballo (-1) hit out of a green side bunker at the 17th green during the 2012 Canadian Open, Round Two, at Hamilton Golf and Country Club. (David Cooper)

 

TORONTO, ONTARIO - Toronto Blue Jay outfielders Colby Rasmus and Anthony Gose go for the same ball against the Detroit Tigers in the first inning in Toronto on Friday.  (Rene Johnston)

 

02-07-12 - TORONTO, ONTARIO - Toronto Blue Jays catcher J.P. Arencibia (9) chases down a ball that got away as Jason Bourgeois scores in the fourth inning as the Toronto Blue Jays play the Kansas City Royals at Rogers Centre in Toronto. (Steve Russell)

 

29-07-12 - ANCASTER, ONTARIO - American golfer  William McGirt taps his chin with his putter on the 18th green after failing to make a putt to tie - to force a play-off during the final round of the 2012 Canadian Open at Hamilton Golf and Country Club. (David Cooper)

 

12-07-06 - TORONTO, ONTARIO - While pitting after one lap of practice, Justin Wilson stoped late and hit four people and the car in the pit ahead of him. One man was injured in the incident and lay on the ground waiting medical help. (Rick Madonik)

 

12-07-14 - SIMCOE, ONTARIO - Dr. Mark Miller has his measurements recorded prior to a charity boxing event raising funds for Norfolk General Hospital. The featured bout, along with a number of undercard events, was held at Greens of Renton Golf Course. (Rick Madonik)

 

12-07-14 - SIMCOE, ONTARIO - Dr Mark Miller grabs a rest on a couch prior to a charity boxing event raising funds for Norfolk General Hospital. (Rick Madonik)

 

12-07-18 - TORONTO, ONTARIO - Winnipeg's Chris Matthews comes up empty on a pass into the end zone when the defense came to the rescue during CFL season matchup between Toronto Argonauts and Winnipeg Blue Bombers at Rogers Centre. (Rick Madonik)

 

12-07-18 - TORONTO, ONTARIO - After a sack, Argo QB Ricky Ray reaches for the ball to retain control during game between Toronto Argonauts and Winnipeg Blue Bombers at Rogers Centre. (Rick Madonik)

 

08-07-12 - TORONTO, ONTARIO - IZOD Indycar rookie Simon Pagenaud drives in the final laps of the Toronto Honda Indy on Sunday July 8, 2012. Hunter-Reay won the race. (Pawel Dwulit)

 

11-07-12 - TORONTO, ONTARIO - Alicia Smith of Canada kicks up sand as she competes in long jump during the Toronto International Track and Field Meet in Toronto on Wednesday July 11, 2012. (Pawel Dwulit)

 

15-07-12 - TORONTO, ONTARIO - Ten-year-old Ethan Caplan gets some some swings in at Beach Fairway driving range. The east end property is owned by the city which is ending the business lease so the land can be redeveloped. (Colin McConnell)

 

12-07-12 - TORONTO, ONTARIO - Children in the Recognize the Real summer day camp program participate in the fitness camp's drill session Thursday morning. (Tara Walton)

 

09-07-12 - TORONTO, ONTARIO - Ben Wood suffered a spinal cord injury three years ago at age 14, jumping from a trampoline into a swimming pool. Ben was left paralyzed from the chest down but now takes steps with a walker, thanks to intense, specialized physiotherapy with Julie Vaughan. Ben and his mother Sandy drive in from Cobourg for these sessions. Julie Vaughan and mother Sandy help him adjust to the speed of a harnassed treadmill. (Steve Russell)

 

18-07-12 - TORONTO, ONTARIO - Dr. Chris Mazza, former CEO of ORNGE, the publicly funded air ambulance service, was emotional during his testimony before the Standing Committee on Public Accounts at Queen's Park. Mazza had avoided testifying due to health issues. (Rene Johnston)

 

18-07-12 - TORONTO, ONTARIO - Chris Mazza, former head of Ornge (right), huddles with his lawyer Roger Yachetti (left), when Mazza testified before the Standing Committee on Public Funds at Queens Park. (Bernard Weil)

 

28-07-12 - TORONTO, ONTARIO - Star reporter Shree Paradkar participates in a Hindu ceremony called vastu shanti, a blessing of  the house and calming of the spirit. It involves a priest, some fire and the homeowners. (Tara Walton)

 

16-07-12 - HALL BEACH, NUNAVUT - A man walks along the Foxe Basin in the middle of July looking for signs of fish and the break-up of the ice. The community of Hall Beach in Nunavut grew because of the DEW line station built here in 1957. The series of Distant Early Warning (DEW line) stations across Canada's arctic were built in the 1950s to warn of a Soviet threat.  The stations became obsolete with the fall of the Soviet Union and the advent of Satellite technology.  They are now almost completely dismantled but the massive clean up continues. (Richard Lautens)

 

15-07-12 - HALL BEACH, NUNAVUT - Mary Qanatsiaq (left) with her partner John Pialaq and their daughter Jolene, 6, walk past the old DEW (Distant Early Warning) line receiver dishes.  Mary hopes to get the existing buildings and structures declared an historic site. The community of Hall Beach in Nunavut grew because of the DEW line station built here in 1957.  The station is now cleaned up but the residents asked that several buildings and two large radar dishes be left as landmarks here. (Richard Lautens)

 

12-07-12 - CAPE DYER, BAFFIN ISLAND - Monitors are seen taking a tour of the state of the clean-up.
The DEW line site at Cape Dyer, along the eastern edge of Baffin Island, was the largest of the stations and one of the remaining two to be cleaned up. (Richard Lautens)

 

12-07-01 - TORONTO, ONTARIO - All types of groups were represented along the route, of the 2012 edition of the Pride Parade, as it winds its way from the Village and down Yonge Street to Gerrard and ending back at the Village. The parade, this year, coincided with Canada Day. Hundreds of thousands line the parade route to watch the 2 hour long procession of people, bands and floats. (Rick Madonik)

 

12-07-01 - TORONTO, ONTARIO - One of the various fetish groups passes along Yonge Street, complete with hooded man on leash during the 2012 edition of the Pride Parade. (Rick Madonik)

 

07-07-12 - TORONTO, ONTARIO - Kids and the community were working hard getting Jamie Bell Playground, in High Park, ready for reopening on Tuesday. The playground was burned down by vandals  and is being rebuilt with the help of Canadian builder Mike Holmes. The kids could cool off in a sprinkler made by a firemens hose after putting some sweat equity into the build project. (Colin McConnell)

 

25-07-12 - TORONTO, ONTARIO - The Underpass Park on River St ,on both sides just south of King St, is being used by skateboarders on the east, and children on the west. (Vince Talotta)

 

Earthship Biotecture is a construction company and home builder with several projects being built on the site near Taos. The recycled cans in the walls hold no structural integrity but act as spacers to reduce the amount of material used to build the walls. (Randy Risling)