spiritual vs. material : souvenirs from toronto
This morning, I woke up to the devastating spread of photos from the demolition of Ontario Place’s West Island (along with its forests), and it made me reconsider my motivation to create a “love letter” to this city. Countless things had driven me to move out West- the steady decline of preserving our limited green-spaces, the over saturated sterile, commercialized businesses lining their pockets by marginalizing communities that previously inhabited them, and less and less authentic spaces to engage in our heritage beyond the gimmicks and novelties recognized from the outside world. My heart is broken watching representatives of Toronto tear it down from its core, but they do not represent us.
My choice to return was a daunting one after my mom passed away, but taking off the rose coloured lenses tainted by the escapist mindset of the West Coast reintroduced me in a magical way. Despite these failures and changes, a Torontonian pursues the human experience with love and persistence. When another storefront is gentrified, a new community initiative takes shape. When the wealth gap stretches further beyond belief, that exploitation is combatted with public resistance and protest. We are active in nature, and are restless when our treasured spirit is continuously robbed.
Toronto has me wrapped around its finger and I’ll be damned to let it go. Thank you @monadnyc ❤️🤍❤️
