Amazing Mimico

Our 5th annual Mimico Sand Project, Amazing Mimico, took place on Saturday, July 23, 2005, on Mimico Beach, at the foot of Amos Waites park in south Etobicoke. Participants joined professional artist Cynara Mori in the creation of a maze made from bamboo poles and Kraft paper along the sunny shores of Lake Ontario. Other activities included sand and plaster casting, sand-painting, sandcastle-building, kite-making, and henna body-painting.

Unfortunately, Amazing Mimico may have been the last in a series of wonderful community art events held at this location. The Toronto Regional Conservation Authority, in association with the City of Toronto, has decided to fill in our historic local beach and put a marshland in its place. Our Mimico art and sand events have been suspended for the time being.

Walking in our Footsteps

In August 2004, Lakeshore residents enjoyed Walking in our Footsteps, a community art project and celebration of Mimico's history conceived by professional artist Talia Erlich. Participants had their feet cast in plaster at regular intervals along a forty- by four-foot figure-eight in the sand. Many visitors decorated their feet with found objects and paint as well.

Flags commemorating notable people and events from Mimico's past were placed along the path, and seven of our guests, distinguished by having been born in Mimico, were honored with flags bearing their names. Also on hand were Lakeshore artists Shirley Kleber, who directed a kite-making workshop, and Molly Mandal, who offered henna body tattoos.

Mimico Sand Mandala

In August 2003, Lakeshore community members joined Cynara Mori to create a sand mandala on the beach. The mandala was designed by the artist to include representations of fish as well as references to Mimico's past, such as the passenger pigeon (for which Mimico was named). Opening and closing ceremonies were at 10:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m.

Upon completing the project, participants gathered small samples of the image's coloured sand to keep for themselves, returning the rest to Lake Ontario.

Previous years' projects have included the construction of a giant sandcastle based on a local architectural landmark, and kite-making workshops on the beach.

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