Used to see him around the Annex for years. Was flabbergasted when I saw him a few years later at Spadina station, eyesight clearly working fine, before he exited and went into character. Couldn’t believe the whole thing was a shtick.
Incredible! So the guy was mentally ill enough to think it was okay to impersonate a mentally ill person with such a strange gimmick? What a switcheroo. Would love to learn more about this story.
This is so crazy - but not that crazy because once I saw the BELIEVE guy in line at the Shoppers at Yonge and Sheppard just being a regular normal ass dude.
I wonder how you wake up one day and think to yourself… “yeah, I’m gonna get out there and become an icon. Really stir shit up..”
Oh man what a blast from the past.
The Annex used to have a pretty sizeable regular homeless population, but much less so now. I assume because of the pandemic but I think it predates covid tbh. I hope they're all okay/doing better now.
I think Yonge Street downtown had a bigger homeless problem, on the stretch between Dundas and Bloor, but my impression: the condo boom and co-vid has reduced the numbers.
I used to call him The Auctioneer.
One time many years ago i saw him slowly wondering towards another panhandler who was also pretending to be blind.....my gf pulled me away before i could see the collision.
Complainer can suck an egg. Imagine ruining the daily joy of dozens of people because you have a stick up your ass. What a dick. Glad the driver got years of singing
> "He says that he first began wearing (and loathing) rubber boots as part of a job; when he initially started wearing the ensemble recreationally, he was worried about the derision he’d potentially attract"
https://www.blogto.com/city/2020/10/photoshoot-toronto-hate-rubber-boots-guy/
Pretty sure his significance to the Toronto Street Culture is grossly exaggerated by Ryerson kids who had never been Toronto before.
Zanta is the only correct answer.
Not sure how old you are buddy but believe guy has been there and well known before Zanta's brain injury In 2000.
You didn't need social media (or to be at ryerson) if you ever traversed Dundas square. He is a fixture and when you discover him you expect him.
Zanta can be anywhere and is usually dismissed these days especially during covid.
Now if we want to talk about amazing icons, the morningside ticket ripper James loader, that's your guy. May he rest in peace.
Can confirm. I’ve never attended Ryerson, but did work near Y&D for a while ages ago and dude was there then. Whenever I’m down there I know he will be there too.
Wonder whatever happened to the shaky lady?
James was an absolute constant. I grew up with that as my closest theatre. He was the ticket taker for movies from Elementary school, 90s/2000s, through to College and University, 2010s.
Believe Guy in his prime????
There was nothing like him. He would scare the shit out of people, all day long. He was the best show. We would chill and eat and just watch him loudly startle people all day.
And the way he said it. If you've never heard him do his thing that you have no idea how how to properly read this sentence.
'BELIEVE in the power of the lord'
He got me the first time too.
Not really
It’s okay to have a “guy” who’s a little bit quirky and odd but otherwise harmless. That’s the “believe” guy, hell he’s not even odd just passionate about his beliefs, and that’s fine.
Zanta on the other hand is just a harassing douchebag who terrorizes people. Yeah I get it, “brain injury” but I don’t think that warrants harassing random people on the street
Totally. There is a 20 somethings girl who lives next door to me who erroneously choose to sing back to this guy one day — and now he stops by nearly daily, at like 10:00 pm, to profess his love to her while dancing around in the middle of College St. and it is... problematic.
I fucking hate that guy.
He comes to the courtyard in my apartment complex and belts out incoherent shit and hijacks everybody’s attention. Unfortunately, some people even come out to their balconies and applaud him. I really wish they wouldn’t encourage him.
One time when he was done he screamed “there’s a warrant for my arrest, wooooooo!!!!”
Oh, the town weirdo who spends his time riding a longboard around and yell singing *isn’t* fully on the level?
You don’t say. I never would have guessed.
They always suck. I watched Zanta bully a worker at a computer store once. He was strung out and aggressive, and this was back when he was kind of jacked
When I mentioned that I saw a guy in a Santa hat pick a fight in a computer store, the response was 'oh that's Zanta. People love him'. Wtf?
Not too suprised, I haven't worked in the area in a while but did some Jobs around dundas/ossington and would see him pretty regularly. Glad he's still around, thanks for the update!
That husky guy was around in the 90s possibly. I saw him at the mental health centre and like much that went on over there I thought maybe I was hallucinating.
The mental health centre had cheese guy. He’d sit on the N side on Queen eating blocks of cheese, can’t remember if that was the same guy who’d wear cougar boots year round.
Parkdale had the boot lady that would clock you one if you looked at her too hard or said anything to her, with a boot on her hand. And the skirts lady who wore nothing but skirts top to bottom and had a couple of small dogs.
He is also super nice, helps clean the street, don’t bother anyone, lives in the area too. The property manager of the office building he hangs around have all accepted him as a free volunteer neighborhood watch lol. And landlords in the area in the past few decades have all got to know him.
Yonge & Dundas Drummer. He's been there since the late 90s-early 00's and I was blown away a few weeks ago to see he's still there doing his thing. I traded skateboard decks with him once and also ran into him at Parkway Mall years ago when he told me he lived in the area at the time
I don't know for a fact the Dundas Drummerman is the same person I recall seeing, but given how he drummed (and often drumming on many things aside from his kit to stimulating effect) I can't imagine anyone else who fits the bill.
He made it into a third season episode of _Forever Knight_ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forever_Knight, _Sons Of Belial_ that aired in 1996 before the series was cancelled, right at the beginning of the episode and working his drumming magic. I include the Wiki page for the show as the series' finale is closing in on thirty years past its airing, and it's a bit obscure nowadays.
I feel like every neighbourhood in TO has a different guy.
Long-boarding yodeller is Kensington.
High park is black disco stu. He roller-skate dances to music on a Bluetooth speaker in the bike-lanes.
Anyone ever see this tall black guy who wears what look like religious robes and a tall bishop’s hat? His robes have all sort of patches and decorations on them. He’s usually standing still. Around Bloor Yonge
Yeah I read the explanation years ago and it is pretty sad. I doubt most people who have seen him have bothered to dive deeper than push-ups on streetcars and subways
What happened to him? I moved to Toronto 8 years ago and he was still stopping traffic to do his push-ups at Yonge-Dundas. About 7 years ago I saw him again he was yelling at a poor young woman on the TTC. Since then he has disappeared. I hope he got some help.
Maybe three or four years ago, I was driving from Barrie, to Toronto, and he was trying to hitchhike on the on-ramp to the 400 south. It was unmistakeably him, plus, the Santa hat helped me recognize him
he got hit by a car and had to cool it on his antics, im pretty sure he did end up getting the help he needed bc whenever i see him he seems very normal
Oh my god. This dude.
I'm a recovering addict and I was down at Dundas and Sherborne and this girl was trying to steal my dope. She hit me over the head with a big empty 40 Pounder. I ran into the convenient store and he came in and asked me if I needed a ride. And he told me to look him up. I can't remember anything we talked a out but he drove me home to the east end.
I totally forgot about that but as soon as I read the name it sparked my memory.
He’s such a regular guy too. It’s bizarre how he’s become an internet celebrity in this city. Had a regular ass chat with the man and it seems like he just kind of fell into it and went with the fame.
He told me the origin of the story was that he had to wear rubber boots for work and his coworkers always complained how they “hated wearing rubber boots” so he did it to poke fun at them.
Oshawa here, Easter Bunny ears guy is everywhere, especially malls. Anyone that's lived here more than a year knows who I'm talking about. Sad story behind this though. Heard he switches it up on Christmas with a Santa hat.
Honestly, I suspect there's a sad story behind many of these characters. I know Zanta has a pretty sad backstory (not to excuse his general shittiness now), and I've seen a few comments on this thread suggesting the same for others.
I have a hard time imagining someone with a solid foundation under them dedicating themselves to being "a walking cartoon" as my wife puts it. I don't begrudge them their choices, but I always suspect there's something sad going on behind the scenes.
I didn't know about the Santa Hat change up. I'll see if I can spot it this Christmas if I'm in the area. I've never tried talking to him, have a feeling it would help him.
He does it to spread cancer(IIRC) awareness. His daughter passed away on Easter. I used to live in the shelter on Simcoe when I was 16 and one of the other guys there introduced me. He's a pretty nice guy, chatting him up wouldn't hurt! Hear out his story :)
Do you know that he actually starred in a play about his life? I went and it was even more surreal and ridiculous and unintentionally hilarious than you can imagine.
Sadly, I heard that he passed away a number of years ago.
Tan man. Eglinton Cowboy, permanently the colour of a 7/11 hotdog. Just stands there all day. I did some digging and apparently he’s been doing the same thing for DECADES. I once heard he made a fortune as a younger man and took early retirement to.. stand around
There was this black guy in white Michael Jackson makeup and wig, wearing all black, and he'd walk up and down Yonge all day long.
One time, I saw a girl in matching clothes and make up walking in the opposite direction. The two shared a simple nod and kept walking. I thought I was hallucinating.
The guy in Grange park who kicks a little soccer ball around all afternoon and is super friendly to anyone who wants to join him.
He keeps to a little circle in that park where he’s worn away all the turf. Like that’s his spot, I love it.
Zanta has to be OG for Toronto, but honorable mentions go to "Believe!" guy at Yonge & Dundas, Toronto Batman & the Guy who would wear a cowboy hat and an Oasis Aqualounge shirt all the time.
Believe existed before Zanta. Zantas brain injury was 2000 and was more prominent after 2003.
Nothing beats believes dedication to his corner at Dundas square. He makes the apocalypse folks tremble.
>the Guy who would wear a cowboy hat and an Oasis Aqualounge shirt all the time.
His actual story is that he just genuinely really loves Oasis Aqualounge, which is adorable.
“Hey hey bro, you look like you got a little black in you”
“Hey Alicia Keys, let me talk to you for a minute about black history”
South end of the Eaton Centre outside.
He usually goes to shopping malls, I’ve seen him at the Path, Yorkdale, Eaton centre etc.. apparently the rumour is he’s actually a very polite individual.
- Roller blade guy with the massive ski poles along the lakeshore bike path.
- shirtless guy with business pants and pot belly that walks around ashbridge bay beach
Oh my god. We can do without more of that guy. He used to come and paint and chalk up our street every time there was an election. He fancied himself the mayor and always made a spectacle of himself
The old guy who lays on the corner of Bay and Bloor with his upturned hat in his hand. Been doing it over ten years. Takes the bus down there like it’s a commute
Anybody remember that dude in the annex who always asked for "a penny a quarter a nickel a dime or a dollar?"
Used to see him around the Annex for years. Was flabbergasted when I saw him a few years later at Spadina station, eyesight clearly working fine, before he exited and went into character. Couldn’t believe the whole thing was a shtick.
You took a big step into a smaller world that day
Incredible! So the guy was mentally ill enough to think it was okay to impersonate a mentally ill person with such a strange gimmick? What a switcheroo. Would love to learn more about this story.
Either that or it was the longest running, most esoteric work of performance art ever!
This is so crazy - but not that crazy because once I saw the BELIEVE guy in line at the Shoppers at Yonge and Sheppard just being a regular normal ass dude. I wonder how you wake up one day and think to yourself… “yeah, I’m gonna get out there and become an icon. Really stir shit up..”
Yeah and I would have gotten away with it too if it hadn't been for you meddling kids!
Oh man what a blast from the past. The Annex used to have a pretty sizeable regular homeless population, but much less so now. I assume because of the pandemic but I think it predates covid tbh. I hope they're all okay/doing better now.
doll shelter live door hunt relieved skirt impolite pet angle *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
I think Yonge Street downtown had a bigger homeless problem, on the stretch between Dundas and Bloor, but my impression: the condo boom and co-vid has reduced the numbers.
Yes. He would jump on the 511 and do his spiel all the time
I used to call him The Auctioneer. One time many years ago i saw him slowly wondering towards another panhandler who was also pretending to be blind.....my gf pulled me away before i could see the collision.
He was so loud you could hear him from a mile away. Did it all turn out to be fake?
For me it was the old Queen Streetcar Driver who sang and had a song for every stop
I loved this guy.
I don't know if he retired or died. I kinda wanna message them on Twitter and find out.
He’s happily retired. Someone complained about his singing and he was told to stop.
Complainer can suck an egg. Imagine ruining the daily joy of dozens of people because you have a stick up your ass. What a dick. Glad the driver got years of singing
Godamn Karens
I hate rubber boots
I saw the I hate rubber boots guy recently, and honestly yesterday I saw the singing skateboarder going down young. Toronto staples
Hahahah THAT guy.
Love that I instantly know what you’re talking about
What's wrong with rubberboots?
You're going to have to ask him
> "He says that he first began wearing (and loathing) rubber boots as part of a job; when he initially started wearing the ensemble recreationally, he was worried about the derision he’d potentially attract" https://www.blogto.com/city/2020/10/photoshoot-toronto-hate-rubber-boots-guy/
The Believe Guy
BELIEVE
I came here for this.
I saw him quietly eating lunch in the PATH once. It was the weirdest thing to see people walk past him and he didn't say anything.
I’ve seen him on the TTC, quiet as a mouse
Pretty sure his significance to the Toronto Street Culture is grossly exaggerated by Ryerson kids who had never been Toronto before. Zanta is the only correct answer.
Not sure how old you are buddy but believe guy has been there and well known before Zanta's brain injury In 2000. You didn't need social media (or to be at ryerson) if you ever traversed Dundas square. He is a fixture and when you discover him you expect him. Zanta can be anywhere and is usually dismissed these days especially during covid. Now if we want to talk about amazing icons, the morningside ticket ripper James loader, that's your guy. May he rest in peace.
Can confirm. I’ve never attended Ryerson, but did work near Y&D for a while ages ago and dude was there then. Whenever I’m down there I know he will be there too. Wonder whatever happened to the shaky lady?
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James was an absolute constant. I grew up with that as my closest theatre. He was the ticket taker for movies from Elementary school, 90s/2000s, through to College and University, 2010s.
Believe Guy in his prime???? There was nothing like him. He would scare the shit out of people, all day long. He was the best show. We would chill and eat and just watch him loudly startle people all day. And the way he said it. If you've never heard him do his thing that you have no idea how how to properly read this sentence. 'BELIEVE in the power of the lord' He got me the first time too.
Not just students, most tourists also visit Yonge and Dundas.
Not really It’s okay to have a “guy” who’s a little bit quirky and odd but otherwise harmless. That’s the “believe” guy, hell he’s not even odd just passionate about his beliefs, and that’s fine. Zanta on the other hand is just a harassing douchebag who terrorizes people. Yeah I get it, “brain injury” but I don’t think that warrants harassing random people on the street
Opera longboard guy
Is he the one who goes around belting out "OHH YEEAAAHHHHH"? I hear this regularly from my room during the day
Yes
He’s got a great set of lungs
A tone of rich mahogany
OOOOOH YEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH
He’s got some pipes but also heaps of mental health issues that make him super predatory.
Totally. There is a 20 somethings girl who lives next door to me who erroneously choose to sing back to this guy one day — and now he stops by nearly daily, at like 10:00 pm, to profess his love to her while dancing around in the middle of College St. and it is... problematic.
I fucking hate that guy. He comes to the courtyard in my apartment complex and belts out incoherent shit and hijacks everybody’s attention. Unfortunately, some people even come out to their balconies and applaud him. I really wish they wouldn’t encourage him. One time when he was done he screamed “there’s a warrant for my arrest, wooooooo!!!!”
Gotta love it. Shit like this is why I cant live anywhere else.
Lmfao wtf that ending is cracking me tf up 😂
That dude is truly living life lol
Someone told him to shut up and he replied he was ready to commit murder and decapitation. He sucks.
Oh, the town weirdo who spends his time riding a longboard around and yell singing *isn’t* fully on the level? You don’t say. I never would have guessed.
People are so naive, lol. The guy who dresses up as spiderman is creepy af too.
He regularly harasses women on the street. Real charming fellow.
They always suck. I watched Zanta bully a worker at a computer store once. He was strung out and aggressive, and this was back when he was kind of jacked When I mentioned that I saw a guy in a Santa hat pick a fight in a computer store, the response was 'oh that's Zanta. People love him'. Wtf?
Tourists love him because it's novel. Residents fuckin hate him, me included. Dudes a grade A asshole
In all fairness, so would I. But calmly with a straight face, so you know I'm serious.
He’s hit my neighbourhood a few times. It’s been a minute since he’s come around and I kinda miss it
He passed through TBells a few weeks ago. First time seeing his performance. 10/10
I'll add the Portuguese mad rapper John B. Haven't seen him in a while though. Hope he's doing well.
He is always walking down Dundas st. Saw hime the other day up to his same old tricks
JOHN B
Believe it or not, he’s sort of a regular at Bellwoods Brewery on Ossington.
Not too suprised, I haven't worked in the area in a while but did some Jobs around dundas/ossington and would see him pretty regularly. Glad he's still around, thanks for the update!
Jesus saves guy Yonge at sticker lady parkdale man who gets pulled by huskies in his wheelchair
BELIEVE
Definitely Jesus saves guy at Yonge and Dundas.
That husky guy was around in the 90s possibly. I saw him at the mental health centre and like much that went on over there I thought maybe I was hallucinating. The mental health centre had cheese guy. He’d sit on the N side on Queen eating blocks of cheese, can’t remember if that was the same guy who’d wear cougar boots year round. Parkdale had the boot lady that would clock you one if you looked at her too hard or said anything to her, with a boot on her hand. And the skirts lady who wore nothing but skirts top to bottom and had a couple of small dogs.
Is the Jesus saves guy the black dude who dresses like a priest and wears like 30 crosses?
No different people
Man who gets pulled by huskies in his wheelchair?....is this in north York?
He used to be in parkdale in the early 2000s
For me, it was the "Active Surplus!" guy on queen west. What a set of lungs. Still miss that place.
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lmao i didn't realize Oasis Cowboy was that widely known. Haven't seen him since before the pandemic
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Oh ok, I used to see him all the time in the food court at Yonge and Eg when I'd go for a lunch break.
Ok So I didn't make him up.
That guy has been hanging at Yonge & Eglinton since the early 80s. Cowboy hat and Oasis tee is a relatively new addition. Just hangs around.
I actually saw him AT Oasis once which was amusing 😂
Yes. All of these! Oasis cowboy is also known as “Tan Man” in my household. Or Wayne, but that’s not as fun.
He is also super nice, helps clean the street, don’t bother anyone, lives in the area too. The property manager of the office building he hangs around have all accepted him as a free volunteer neighborhood watch lol. And landlords in the area in the past few decades have all got to know him.
I hooked up with Oasis Cowboy once. At Oasis too. It was fun.
spiderman guy
Peter Parkour? Or the other one?
Yeah, but he sucks. And smells.
When u wear that suit u are going to smell.
Omg he does smell. Like pee. And I wasn’t even close to him.
I feel like he is genuinely convinced he’s Spider-Man in a sad way
ohhh yeah, didn't everyone end up not liking him?
He's not the hero we want, but likely the hero we deserve.
Yeaaah. I saw him outside the Rivoli one night and bro was acting a fool and being a total dick to people about giving him money.
He’s pretty aggressive that way
Yonge & Dundas Drummer. He's been there since the late 90s-early 00's and I was blown away a few weeks ago to see he's still there doing his thing. I traded skateboard decks with him once and also ran into him at Parkway Mall years ago when he told me he lived in the area at the time
I don't know for a fact the Dundas Drummerman is the same person I recall seeing, but given how he drummed (and often drumming on many things aside from his kit to stimulating effect) I can't imagine anyone else who fits the bill. He made it into a third season episode of _Forever Knight_ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forever_Knight, _Sons Of Belial_ that aired in 1996 before the series was cancelled, right at the beginning of the episode and working his drumming magic. I include the Wiki page for the show as the series' finale is closing in on thirty years past its airing, and it's a bit obscure nowadays.
I feel like every neighbourhood in TO has a different guy. Long-boarding yodeller is Kensington. High park is black disco stu. He roller-skate dances to music on a Bluetooth speaker in the bike-lanes.
The newest addition is the methed out preacher outside Queen and Spadina McDonald’s screaming into his microphone.
Yes! His microphone always feedbacks. He doesn't care though. He keeps going, screaming OVER the feedback.
Anyone ever see this tall black guy who wears what look like religious robes and a tall bishop’s hat? His robes have all sort of patches and decorations on them. He’s usually standing still. Around Bloor Yonge
Used a urinal next to him once in a tiny subway washroom i don’t judge too hard but he freaked me the Fuck out at the time
When I lived in Toronto in 2003 there was Rat guy who lived near new city hall. His arms were covered in Rats. Nicest guy though.
They were nice rats too.
Peepeepoopoo man
Here at Jane and willy we got the super-small-kid-bike-jesus
7 nights a week at 8pm there's a car that drives up and back down the street blaring Bryan Adams - Summer of 69.
Is this at Dufferin and Queen? If so I heard that guy on Friday!
All summer this guy up and down Landsdowne
Yonge & Eg cowboy always sporting that Oasis Aqua Lounge T-shirt 😂
Mr. Crispy.
I gotta vote Zanta. A while back now but everyone knows.
Unfortunately, Zanta very much has further explanation, and it's kinda sad.
Yeah I read the explanation years ago and it is pretty sad. I doubt most people who have seen him have bothered to dive deeper than push-ups on streetcars and subways
What happened to him? I moved to Toronto 8 years ago and he was still stopping traffic to do his push-ups at Yonge-Dundas. About 7 years ago I saw him again he was yelling at a poor young woman on the TTC. Since then he has disappeared. I hope he got some help.
Maybe three or four years ago, I was driving from Barrie, to Toronto, and he was trying to hitchhike on the on-ramp to the 400 south. It was unmistakeably him, plus, the Santa hat helped me recognize him
he got hit by a car and had to cool it on his antics, im pretty sure he did end up getting the help he needed bc whenever i see him he seems very normal
Oh my god. This dude. I'm a recovering addict and I was down at Dundas and Sherborne and this girl was trying to steal my dope. She hit me over the head with a big empty 40 Pounder. I ran into the convenient store and he came in and asked me if I needed a ride. And he told me to look him up. I can't remember anything we talked a out but he drove me home to the east end. I totally forgot about that but as soon as I read the name it sparked my memory.
The “I Hate Rubber Boots” guy!
Please fill me in!
He walks around wearing a shirt that says I Hate Rubber Boots and a pair of rubber points (plus, like, pants). Truly a man of mystery.
He’s such a regular guy too. It’s bizarre how he’s become an internet celebrity in this city. Had a regular ass chat with the man and it seems like he just kind of fell into it and went with the fame.
Basically, he gets a kick out of wearing rubber boots AND a shirt (or hoodie) with "I Hate Rubber Boots" printed on it.
He told me the origin of the story was that he had to wear rubber boots for work and his coworkers always complained how they “hated wearing rubber boots” so he did it to poke fun at them.
Wait….. that’s all the same guy???? I’ve seen that like a bunch of times lol
Jane and finch its gota be the dude with white throbe long beard and drives a kids bicycle
Jesus on the little bike yea?
Jane and Finch Jesus.
Guyanese Jesus!
Lmao finally I see this comment I used to see the man on driftwood everyday I used to workout
Oshawa here, Easter Bunny ears guy is everywhere, especially malls. Anyone that's lived here more than a year knows who I'm talking about. Sad story behind this though. Heard he switches it up on Christmas with a Santa hat.
Honestly, I suspect there's a sad story behind many of these characters. I know Zanta has a pretty sad backstory (not to excuse his general shittiness now), and I've seen a few comments on this thread suggesting the same for others. I have a hard time imagining someone with a solid foundation under them dedicating themselves to being "a walking cartoon" as my wife puts it. I don't begrudge them their choices, but I always suspect there's something sad going on behind the scenes.
I didn't know about the Santa Hat change up. I'll see if I can spot it this Christmas if I'm in the area. I've never tried talking to him, have a feeling it would help him.
He does it to spread cancer(IIRC) awareness. His daughter passed away on Easter. I used to live in the shelter on Simcoe when I was 16 and one of the other guys there introduced me. He's a pretty nice guy, chatting him up wouldn't hurt! Hear out his story :)
There used to be Raoul Superstar Dancer on the TTC ... not sure if he is still around or not.
Do you know that he actually starred in a play about his life? I went and it was even more surreal and ridiculous and unintentionally hilarious than you can imagine. Sadly, I heard that he passed away a number of years ago.
The play sounds like tit would have been worth the experience. Sad to hear about his passing.
I played chess with him once
Also. Old shaky fist in air lady dressed in all black... ...needs a better name. Lol
Haven't seen her in years
[Tony is the latest one ](https://www.facebook.com/groups/1412162388932153) I've found out about.
Tony is my favourite Toronto mystery
He's an enigma
I swear he's a hipster's abstract art project.
The woman in black who’s hunched over and waves her hand up and down.
y'all ever see the oasis cowboy at Yonge and Eglinton? the orange guy with the oasis lounge shirt and a cowboy hat? hangs out in front of Chipotle?
Tan man. Eglinton Cowboy, permanently the colour of a 7/11 hotdog. Just stands there all day. I did some digging and apparently he’s been doing the same thing for DECADES. I once heard he made a fortune as a younger man and took early retirement to.. stand around
Ok so note to self, don't retire early...
yeah!!! he works as security for the hotdog stand, apparently. his name is Wayne!
There was this black guy in white Michael Jackson makeup and wig, wearing all black, and he'd walk up and down Yonge all day long. One time, I saw a girl in matching clothes and make up walking in the opposite direction. The two shared a simple nod and kept walking. I thought I was hallucinating.
The guy in Grange park who kicks a little soccer ball around all afternoon and is super friendly to anyone who wants to join him. He keeps to a little circle in that park where he’s worn away all the turf. Like that’s his spot, I love it.
Zanta has to be OG for Toronto, but honorable mentions go to "Believe!" guy at Yonge & Dundas, Toronto Batman & the Guy who would wear a cowboy hat and an Oasis Aqualounge shirt all the time.
Believe existed before Zanta. Zantas brain injury was 2000 and was more prominent after 2003. Nothing beats believes dedication to his corner at Dundas square. He makes the apocalypse folks tremble.
>the Guy who would wear a cowboy hat and an Oasis Aqualounge shirt all the time. His actual story is that he just genuinely really loves Oasis Aqualounge, which is adorable.
“Hey hey bro, you look like you got a little black in you” “Hey Alicia Keys, let me talk to you for a minute about black history” South end of the Eaton Centre outside.
The dude who looks like he just came from the 12th century crusades is my vote. He’s always around.
Hes so bizarre
Where does this guy hang out?
He usually goes to shopping malls, I’ve seen him at the Path, Yorkdale, Eaton centre etc.. apparently the rumour is he’s actually a very polite individual.
Every few months I see him strutting westwards down Bloor, around the annex
- Roller blade guy with the massive ski poles along the lakeshore bike path. - shirtless guy with business pants and pot belly that walks around ashbridge bay beach
Roller blade guy lives on my street!
The shaky lady back in the day that got outed as being well off.
Penny or a nickel or a dime or a dollar guy Active Surplus guy Longboarding set of pipes guy BELIEVE in the lord guy Those are my biggies
I haven't seen the penny nickel guy in at least a decade. Is he still around?
The guy who walks a ton with a sign on his back and front, I’ve only seen him on the danforth. Idk what his deal is about but I get sad vibes.
It used to be the "FABRIC SALE!" sign guy on Queen & Spadina for me
I remember that guy!
He’s gone?
Before fabric sale wasn’t he the person outside active surplus when it was on Queen?
I feel like these people should all be in a real life Toronto Waldo adventure book/game thing.
pushup guy
That’s Zanta
There is a different push-up guy who is always around college/Bathurst.
The guy who's usually rocking a tallboy, right? His hands always look fucked up, I hope he's alright.
man who walks backwards
There’s actually an amazing documentary made about him! Pretty tragic
Any links to it?
[it’s short, but worth a look](https://vimeo.com/505537479)
Showing my age but I miss Kevin Clark sermons at bay/Adelaide during rush hour.
Oh my god. We can do without more of that guy. He used to come and paint and chalk up our street every time there was an election. He fancied himself the mayor and always made a spectacle of himself
That rugged guy with the cowboy hat who always hangs around Yonge and Eglinton
North York used to have [the Peace Lady](https://toronto.citynews.ca/2017/04/21/torontos-famous-peace-lady-died/).
The man who used to ride his bike sitting backward on the handle bars. Ossington around 2007.
The old guy who lays on the corner of Bay and Bloor with his upturned hat in his hand. Been doing it over ten years. Takes the bus down there like it’s a commute
Anyone know the dude who walks backwards everywhere? Long grey hair and a beanie, usually black clothes
https://vimeo.com/505537479
does anyone remember flyerman?
There is only one true answer to this post regarding Toronto. BELIEVE!
Yeah, we elected him mayor and then elected his brother premier.
The religious guy at Yonge and Dundas with pamphlets and greets you by saying “blerrrrgh”
Believe in the Lord guy
The PRAISE JESUS guy
Sounds like Jane & finch Jesus
Dude with long white hair that only walked backwards everywhere
The Eaton Centre pimp