Story and Photos by John Cairns

TORONTO, Canada – Leaving the Air Canada Jazz aircraft, I marched into the Lester B. Pearson International Airport before glancing at my wristwatch.

Moments later, I’d engaged a taxi. “Take me to the Eaton Centre on Yonge Street,” I told the dark-skinned driver before sinking into the backseat.

The Eaton Centre qualified as the best-known shopping centre on the most-famous street in Toronto. What better place to start? My assignment called for shooting photos of typical scenes on a random afternoon at the heart of Canada’s largest city.

While peering out a side-window, I touched the camera holstered at my waist. The clouds overhead looked ominous. I’d need to work fast.

After paying the cabbie, I stood on a busy sidewalk below murky skies. Point, shoot! I began to snap photos.

To change the scenery, I marched down the street. Point, shoot! Turn, point, shoot!

What a diverse city! I noticed a rainbow of skin tones at an intersection opposite me. Point, shoot! Toronto deserves its reputation for ethnic diversity.

Sam, the Record Man, once Canada’s best music store, looked abandoned. But thankfully, the World’s Biggest Bookstore remained open and active.

Near an intersection, an unusual musician busked for loonies (Cdn $1 coins) and toonies ($2 coins). Click! I shot him too.

Near many buildings, groups of smokers, also ethnically diverse, loitered to puff on cigarettes. Their workplaces had banned smoking.

Above everything loomed the CN Tower, listed by Guinness World Records as the world’s “tallest freestanding tower”.

Suddenly, bulky raindrops splashed my scalp. More followed. My camera went back into its holster. “Hey, taxi.” I yelled, waving at a passing vehicle.

“The airport, Cathay Pacific desk,” I told my new driver, a Chinese man.

“Yes, sir.” He tugged at a gearshift.

Whump, whump! The noise of busy windshield wipers dominated our journey.

Again, I consulted my wristwatch. I hadn’t shot an afternoon in downtown Toronto. At best, I’d captured an hour.

Whump, whump.

“Not the best weather, eh?”

“No, sir,” agreed the driver. “Where are you from?”

“Hong Kong,” I said.

“Ah, my old hometown.”

“At least, you still live in an interesting city.”

“I always have,” he agreed.


Folks of many backgrounds cover a corner.


An unusual musician busks for 'toonies'.


Ryerson University, Canadian Tire, Dundas
Street: familiar names in downtown Toronto.


Turn, point, shoot. Capture the city on camera.

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