Toronto Pearson International Airport

Airports in Reno, Toronto and Dusseldorf pay tribute to Winter Olympics

Air Travel, Art, History, Sports, , ,


(Eddie ‘The Eagle’ Edwards at the world’s largest ski jump inside an airport)

Airports around the world are marking this year’s Winter Olympics in Vancouver with special exhibits.

Yesterday, the Reno Tahoe International Airport (RNO) opened an Olympics museum inside the terminal.

This past weekend, Düsseldorf  International Airport trucked in tons of snow to make the world’s largest indoor ski jump at an airport.

And now the Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ) has a new exhibit, Champions on Ice and Snow, that pays tribute to athletes who have represented Canada at the Winter Olympics.

The exhibit includes skates worn by Kurt Browning, a four-time World Champion figure skater, skis that belonged to alpine skier Anne Heggtveit, and a reproduction of a sweater, hat and mittens worn by “Canada’s Sweetheart” Barbara Ann Scott, who won a gold medal in figure skating in 1948.  Life-size action photos of athletes such as a speed-skatering Gaétan Boucher, who won three medals at the 1984 Winter Olympics, are also included.

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Look for Champions on Ice and Snow at Toronto’s Pearson Interational Airport in Terminal 1, near Gate 120, domestic departures, through June, 2010,

New exhibit at Toronto Pearson Int’l Airport

Art, ,

The newest exhibit at Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ) is an installation of eight 40” x 30” reflective lenticulars and two 60” x 40” backlit lenticular light boxes titled White NOise, by award-winning fine art and fashion photographer Barbara Cole.

The photographs were taken underwater.

toronto duet

[Lenticulars? Lenticulars are made by combining two or more images with special software. The interlaced images are then mounted behind a lenticular lens screen (a sheet of plastic ribbed with narrow cylindrical lenses) and results in an image that appears to move as the viewer changes position.]

Here’s some more information about the photos:

The dual nature of water is reinforced by two types of subjects in the photographs. There are “the swimmers” in Rondo and Pantomime, or subjects in bathing suits who seem to belong in the water. And there are “the others” in Duet and Sonia’s Suite: fully clothed subjects who seem accidentally inserted into the water. The effect is that of an elegant, ghostly shipwreck, whose passengers dance, rather than struggle, in the water.

White NOise will be on display until January 10, 2010 in the Airspace Gallery located in Terminal 1 at Toronto Pearson. The gallery is directly above the Domestic Arrivals Hall.

Hoop dancing at Toronto International Airport

Art, Entertainment

Toronto - hoop dancing

Toronto bound?  If you’re lucky you’ll get to see two-time World Champion hoop dancer Lisa Odjig, who will be performing Aboriginal hoop dancing at Toronto Pearson International Airport several times this month.

The hoop dance, which originated in New Mexico and gained widespread popularity across North America at powwows and festivals, is a traditional Aboriginal dance symbolic of the circle of life. A hoop dancer must exercise precision, showmanship, timing, rhythm, creativity and speed as he or she weaves her body in and out of the hoops in time with the fast beat of the drum, all the while creating depictions of animals, birds and the earth.

The performances are part of Planet IndigenUs, a multi-disciplinary arts festival taking place in Toronto that features the work of Canadian Aboriginal artists.  Ms. Odjig will be performing in Terminal 1 on:

Thursday, August 13, in the International Arrivals hall, from 3:30 – 4:30 p.m.
Monday, August 17, in the, the International Arrivals hall from 4 – 5 p.m.
Thursday August 20, in the International Arrivals hall, from 6:30 – 7:30 p.m.

Toronto Curtain of Beavers

An exhibition by Frank Shebageget, Curtain of Beavers, made from 238 models of the deHavilland Beaver float plane, is across from Gate 120 in the domestic departures area of Terminal 1.  This is also part of airport’s partnership with Planet IndigenUs.

The Beaver was put into production in 1947, and is still one of Canada’s most successful and long-lived designs.  The installation consists of suspended airplanes, which take the shape of a curtain. The curtain spans west to east, symbolizing their exploration into the Canadian north. Curtain of Beavers reveals the subtle relationship between Native communities and the deHavillandBeaver float plane. While the Beaver is a highly recognizable piece of Canadiana, the planes were also a vital part of Native culture.

Toronto curtain of beavers close up

Curtain of Beavers will at Toronto Pearson International Airport through November, 2009.

(Photos courtesy Toronto International Airport)


And you think your feet hurt…

Art, Exhibits,

A new exhibit at Toronto Pearson International Airport offers a glimpse inside the world of ballet.

toronto-ballettwo

Behind the Scenes brings together photos, costumes and other items from The National Ballet of Canada’s current productions as well as historical items from the archives of the National Ballet.  Look for it pre-security in Terminal 1’s Malton Airport Gallery on Level 2, above the Canada Arrivals Hall.

toronto-ballet

Photos by Bruce Zinger,Courtesy the National Ballet of Canada.

1. Putting on pointe shoes  2. Rebekah Rimsay preparing for the role of Carabosse from The Sleeping Beauty

Lights out at airports during Earth Hour

Energy, Environment, , ,

In my column about tourist destinations and travel spots planning to turn out lights for this Saturday’s Earth Day event, there are two (so far) airports.

But don’t be alarmed – there is no plan to put anyone in harm’s way by turning off important runway or tower lights.

Toronto’s Pearson International Airport, which participated in the event last year, will turn off many of the indoor and outdoor signs, some lights in the terminals and many of the moving walkways.

At Los Angeles International Airport, the focus will be on the iconic 100-foot tall colorful light pylons that illuminate the airport entrance and serve as a backdrop for many film and TV scenes. The pylons will be lit solid green for 60 minutes before Earth Hour and then be turned off completely for the event.

Gateway-2000/improvements/lightpylons/Glamour/LAX-sign

Here’s a link to the full story, which has a description of how all the lights will go out on the Las Vegas Strip including, for the first time ever, the “Welcome to Las Vegas” sign.

vegas-panda-showgirls

Photo courtesy The Firm Public Relations & Marketing.