Atlas Crane, 1999 & 2026

The Atlas Crane in Toronto's Biidaasige Park as seen in twilight with the downtown skyline in the background. Venus at the moon are lined up along one of the structure's legs.
Atlas Crane in Toronto’s Biidaasige Park (née the Port Lands) in August 2026, framing Venus above a waxing crescent moon.
The Atlas Crane in Toronto's port lands as seen in 1999, lit up at night with the downtown skyline in the background
Atlas Crane in Toronto’s Port Lands (later, Biidaasige Park) in 1999. Look at that lens flare!

I’ve always had a real soft spot for this crane, especially back when it was still putting in an honest day’s work every day and I was pretty much the only person tootling around the Port Lands on my bike at night. I rarely resisted taking a picture if I happened to have a camera with me. Fast forward 27 years from when I took the picture above (on Kodak Royal Gold, if anyone’s interested in that part) and the Atlas Crane is now one of the centrepieces of the newly opened section of Biidaasige Park. Of course, when the park opened last month, I made a beeline straight for the crane to see it up close. I’m very glad that it was retained and restored.

Atlas crane at night in 1999.
Another view of the crane in 1999.
Standing at the foot of the crane after the new phase of Biidaasige Park opened.
Atlas Crane, up close and personal