Views of the Port Lands: through a camera and from an observation tower

See construction of a renaturalized mouth for the Don River from the viewing platform (not normally open to the public) and talk to the photographers who have been documenting the area’s transformation since 2019.

Photographers Vid Ingelevics and Ryan Walker have had unusually open access to the construction site for the Port Lands Flood Protection Project since 2019. This massive infrastructure project is creating a new river and providing flood protection for a huge area of eastern downtown Toronto. The public has limited ability to see the site, except through Vid and Ryan’s photos.

On Sept 27, we will be opening the viewing platform – a four storey-tall observation tower – to allow people a bird’s eye view of the construction site. Visitors will be able to see the new riverbed we are constructing and the plants that are thriving in future greenspace. Vid and Ryan will show a selection of photos they have taken on the site and talk with visitors about their work and what is unique about their commission.

About Vid and Ryan’s work:

Vid and Ryan look beyond the factual process of construction to interpret the Port Lands’ transformation as visual artists, often addressing the social nature of labour. Their photos of the Port Lands have been the subject of three CONTACT Photography Festival installations as well as presentation in online and print media.

For this event, they will be showcasing images that speak to labour and the workforce on the site. With photos capturing the different ways people communicate and the human connections, visitors will be able to explore two perspectives of the project - the panoramic views available from the platform and selections from four years of the artists’ consideration of work on site.

Vid Ingelevics is a Toronto-based photographer/artist, independent curator, writer and educator. He holds the position of Associate Professor Emeritus at the School of Image Arts, Toronto Metropolitan University.

Ryan Walker is a Toronto-based photographer, specializing in documentary, editorial photography, and visual advocacy. Having graduated in 2013, Walker holds an MFA in Documentary Media from Toronto Metropolitan University (formerly Ryerson University). He is also an educator for the BFA Photography Programs at Toronto Metropolitan University and Sheridan College.

Visitors will go up the tower in small groups on a first-come, first-served basis. Registration is not required.

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

222 Cherry St, 222 Cherry Street, Toronto, Canada