April 7, 2015

This time of the year comes filled with memory. As we move toward warmer days, we recall the frigid, snowy winter that’s just passed. Here I recall a 1971 album cover by Bruce Cockburn, titled “High Winds White Sky“. The stark black and white photo captures the spirit of the Canadian singer’s musical journey. I’d recently learned that a Toronto Island bridge inspired the cover.

Bruce Cockburn album cover

Bruce Cockburn 1971 album cover

Many Toronto landmarks appear in the 1964 National Film Board feature “Nobody Waved Good-bye” starring Peter Kastner. In an early scene, a young couple relax on Ward’s Island and canoe toward the bridge leading to Algonquin Island. The same bridge pictured on Cockburn’s record can be seen in the background. A bridge for all seasons.

Screen shot from "Nobody Waved Good-bye", 1964

Screen Shot from “Nobody Waved Good-bye”, 1964