We begin with a look back at Jack...
RANDY RISLING - Olivia Chow works on the Jack Layton Memorial sculpture titled "Jack's Got Your Back" at MST Bronze in Etobicoke. The sculpture was unveiled on the second anniversary of Jack's death, August 22 at the Toronto Island Ferry Terminal. Olivia holds a Fine Arts degree and is a trained sculptor.
Steve Russell - Staff Photographer - @RussellPhotos
Bitchy is a working Harris hawk.
Rob Wernaart cares for Bitchy at his home outside of Toronto. Bitchy is a working Harris hawk in Toronto whose mere presence is enough to scare away gulls at BMO Field and the Molson Ampitheatre.Wernaart, is a wildlife management specialist.
Rob Wernaart gives Bitchy's beak a caress. Bitchy is also the unofficial mascot for Toronto FC.
Bitchy sits on Rob Wernaart's glove.
Bitchy has been working at BMO field since the opening season, he added the Molson Amphitheatre this year.
Rob Wernaart, loads Bitchy into her travelling box for the drive into the city for a gig at the Molson Amphitheatre for the John Mayer concert. Her box has air holes below her sightlines so she does not get motion sick.
Rob Wernaart and Bitchy cross the bridge for a gig at the Molson Amphitheatre.
Rob Wernaart hauls a boxed Bitchy through the ceiling on the way to her perch on the roof of the Molson Amphitheatre.
Rob Wernaart hauls a boxed Bitchy to the top of the stage enroute to her perch on the roof of the Molson Amphitheatre.
Rob Wernaart walks across the stage towards her perch on the roof of the Molson Amphitheatre.
Rob Wernaart takes Bitchy out of her box on top of the roof of the Molson Amphitheatre.
Rob Wernaart pats Bitchy after placing her on her perch on the roof for the John Mayer concert.
Gulls might fly by once or twice but never lower than the roof once they catch sight of Bitchy.
A fan that lost an entire slice of pizza to a gull was the catalyst for the Amphitheatre to hire Bitchy.
Rob Wernaart checks Bitchy on her perch before the concert starts. Bitchy doesn't have to fly to keep gulls at bay.
Birds give Bitchy a wide berth as they fly by.
Phillip Phillips performs as Bitchy keeps the gulls away.
Bitchy walks along the edge of the roof.
Rob Wernaart picks up Bitchy at twilight, by the time the sun goes down most gulls are back on Leslie Spit and Bitchy might fall prey to an owl.
Steve Russell - Staff Photographer - @RussellPhotos
Late June was prom season across North America, not all the kids out their could attend.
The Hospital for Sick Children offers an event for those that could not make their proms because of medical reasons.
The event at Sick Kids brings in hair stylists and makeup artists to treat the kids and their friends to an evening of fun.
Ambika Paul has her make-up done before the annual Prom Night at the Hospital for Sick Children.
Continue reading "The Prom, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto" »
RANDY RISLING - Cyclists get a rare opportunity to ride traffic-free along the Gardiner Expressway and Don Valley Parkway for the Becel Heart & Stroke Ride for Heart. June 2, 2013.
Continue reading "Our Best of June, Super Moon, Rob Ford, Blue Jays, MMVA, etc." »
Steve Russell - Staff Photographer - @RussellPhotos
Retired Toronto Star photographer Boris Spremo, his career spanned four decades,will be inducted into the Canadian News Hall of Fame in October.
Here is just a very small sample of his images over the years.
We included a couple from Boris' favourite subjects, Trudeau and the CN Tower!
Also Chris So interviewed Boris after the announcement, see it here.
Boris Spremo with his 1959 Cadillac outside Queen's Park Monday afternoon. - David Cooper
Private David Juliusson cleans his Liverpool Musket at Fort York. Juliusson is dressed in the 8th Regiment uniform from the 1813 Battle of York.
Boris loved to get the high angle, construction of the Toronto Dominion Centre.
Angelo Tramonti polishes the statue of Queen Victoria, the nine bronze statues at Queens Park get an annual cleanup.
Snow Birds fly over Niagara Falls.
Sir John A. Macdonald monument in Queen's Park.
Expo 67 Montreal.
In an emotional outpouring of joy that even heavy rain could not dampen, Toronto fans went wild at the return home of Team Canada after winning the Summit Series in 1972. Here, as they festoon themselves along the concrete arcs over City Hall pool in Nathan Phillips Square last night, they cheered themselves hoarse for their hockey heroes, who beat Soviet national team by four games to three after a disastrous start to the eight-game series that made many experts fear possible defeat and humiliation.
Johnny Bower. September 11, 1968.
Harold Ballard on ice, March 29, 1984.
Harold Ballard and wife Yolanda, June 27, 1989.
Harry Rosen flashes a new line of coats at his Bloor Street location.
Stompin' Tom Conners in procession on his way to Convocation Hall to be hooded.
Alfred Hitchcock. July 9, 1970.
Garth Drabinsky back at centre stage -``I've been involved in the varied facets of the arts for the last 25 years, and I expect to be involved for at least the next 25,'' Former LIVENT boss Garth Drabinsky tells very few media representatives at the Bluma Appel Theatre. Drabinsky confirmed he will mount Athol Fugard's "The Island".
Robbie Robertson, December 3, 1987.
John Lennon and Yoko Ono at Press Conference at the Ontario Science Centre. December 17, 1969.
Alice Cooper at Varsity Stadium September 2, 1972.
Toronto Star photographer Boris Spremo's NNA award winning picture of John Diefenbaker in Barbados. Diefenbaker is pictured in silhouette reading in a lounge chair during this period when he was writing his memoirs.
Mel Lastman debates at Metro Council, March 29, 1988.
Mel Lastman dresses as a Matador for the running of the moose on Bay Street.
David Crombie on the Polson Street Pier.
Trudeau
Pierre Trudeau in his office.
Margaret Trudeau balances trays of sandwiches as she hops a fence, April 12, 1977. She was staying at her sister's house in Winchester, a suburb of Boston.
Trudeaumania: During his first term as Prime Minister, Pierre Trudeau draws a crowd as he approaches Toronto City Hall for a rally.
Pierre Trudeau plays frisbee.
The young Princess of Wales was charming and glamorous at a state dinner in Halifax hosted by the Prime Minister. She and Prince Charles were making their first official visit as a couple in 1983.
Pierre Trudeau hams it up with media on an airplane.
The Queens Park riot.
Spremo got knocked over and his pants ripped in the riot.
Sam Kank studies the sculpture "Draped Reclining Figure" made by Henry Moore-1953, at the Henry Moore sculpture centre at Art Gallery of Ontario.
Spremo and the Pope, or as the Pope.
Pope John Paul II - Quebec City: Sept. 10, 1984 - The Pope kisses a young boy on the forehead during a walkabout.
A quick story about Boris on this Papal tour...
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World Youth Day Cross, entrusted to the young people of Canada by Pope John Paul II made the journey across the Canada in preparation for World Youth Day which will was held in Toronto.
George Chuvalo. Spremo and the Champ were quite close. Boris even gave the heaveyweight some lessons and George loved to take pictures.
George Chuvalo fights Muhammad Ali at Maple Leaf Gardens.
Terry Fox
March 17, 1984.
Boris and the CN Tower.
Perched 440 meters above Toronto and 9 meters out from the growing CN Tower iron worker Larry Porter pulls at the hook of giant crane as he installs the outriggers that will be used to lift the restaurant.
CN Tower construction with the Flatiron in the foreground.
Spremo on assignment May 1965.
Other Retired Toronto Star Photographers
RICK MADONIK - Mick Jagger, of The Rolling Stones, on tour in their 50th year of playing as a band. More on the Rolling Stones!
Continue reading "Our Favourites from May 2013: Jays, Leafs, Ford" »
Rick Madonik, Staff Photographer - @Rmadonik
The Rolling Stones, from left, Ron Wood, Charlie Watts, Keith Richards and Mick Jagger. On bass, is tour bassist Darryl Jones.
Ok, I have to declare, off the top, I have a bias.
The Rolling Stones, circa 1975, was the first concert I ever went to. Maple Leaf Gardens in the 70s, for a concert, well you could easily be corrupted by the contact "high" of the cloud of smoke. With centre ice floor seating, it was a wide, almost rude, awakening for a 15-year-old who was still a virgin to certain corruptions.
Richard Lautens - Staff Photographer - @rlautens
It's funny how assignments can work out. I hadn't shot a lot of sports this year so far and last week I shot the TFC one day, the Raptors the next shift and the Jays home opener the next day.
This week I shot the band Muse at the ACC one night and my next shift was Green Day. Muse had a much cooler stage but Green Day had way more energy and fun about them.
Typically the photogs get the first three songs to shoot with no flash from a pit at the foot of the stage and then the security guys kick us out although for Green Day we only got 2 songs. It's amazing how many frames you can shoot in just a couple of songs.
Here's a couple of pix from Muse:
Cool stage
Classic rock pose from Matthew Bellamy
It's hard to get the whole band in one frame when they don't get together
Matthew Bellamy under the spotlight
Now a couple from Green Day:
Drunk Bunny comes out to warm up the crowd before the band
The crowd loves the bunny. The quality is a little rough as I had to shoot at about 50,000 iso and still only got 1/60 sec at f2.8.
It used to be that there would be 4 or 5 photogs at these things and now
occasionally you get up to 20 or 30 (as we had for Green Day)-I guess they're bloggers.
Lead singer Billie Joe Armstrong does his thing on stage.
Billie Joe with the crowd.
Billie Joe-I loved the Green behind him.
Lead singer Billie Joe Armstrong (left) poses for a photo with a fan who he brought on stage, to the right is bassist Mike Dirnt running in for the photo.
Rock On Toronto!
Richard Lautens-Toronto Star
DAVID COOPER - Leafs Frazer McLaren decks Senators Dave Dizurzynski during the game between the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Ottawa Senators at the Air Canada Centre.
Steve Russell - Staff Photographer - @RussellPhotos
Glow sticks was on the fashion list as the Swedish House Mafia plays at the Rogers Centre.