Episode 11: Street Photography in Toronto
When I tell people I grew up in Toronto, sometimes they are very surprised. “Toronto? Not the surrounding areas? Downtown?” “Yes” I usually have to confirm, “Really. Downtown”.
The thing is, Toronto has changed a lot. As a kid, it wasn’t as big of a city as it is today. We are talking pre-Drake. Pre-the Weekend. Pre-the comeback and win of the Raptors. Toronto as a city is made up of largely polite Canadians and multicultural immigrants just trying to make a living. As a child, I remember the city being cleaner and more about the various cultures in the city than about what possessions or social class.
Today, with the soaring prices of real estate and the rising cost of living, the class differences seem to be widening and the city seems to be more consumed by what you have rather than who you are. I don’t meant to be bleak, and pockets of genuine culture still remain, but largely it is a more materialistic landscape.
Because of the increase in rent and real estate prices, many Torontonians looking to live downtown affordably have opted for the Little Portugal neighborhood, along Dundas St. West. Little Portugal, as the name suggests, has historically been occupied by Portuguese and Brazilian immigrants to Canada. Due to gentrification, the area has been changing a lot.
In this video, armed with my Nikon F3 from Downtown Camera, I shoot some film and share with you what this gentrification actually looks like. It’s interesting because the gentrification is ongoing, and so there is still some of the old Portuguese grocery stores and bake shops (like Caldense Bakery) alongside the trendy boutique home goods and vintage shopping spots that have popped up along Dundas.
The purpose of the video isn’t to say one is right or wrong, but simply to capture the change through photography. I even got to check out a great photography exhibit at Stephen Bulgur Gallery, which is a wonderful space for photo exhibits. I really enjoyed experimenting with the self-timer on my camera to capture pictures of myself. I like how they turned out.
What did you think of the photos? Have you ever been to Little Portugal?
I’d love to know! Let me know in the video comments and be sure to subscribe to the channel and my newsletter below so you never miss a video!
