Scarborough, Ontario is a place that has an unfairly poor reputation. It endures nicknames like Scarberia and Scarlem. It is often accused of being dull and dangerous. Its profile in the media is simplistic and wrong.

To many of its residents it is a home, a place of safety, and a haven. It is a place of extraordinary diversity. The statistics suggest it may be one of the most ethnically diverse places on the planet.

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This is a project that will probably never be truly finished, but it is now a cohesive work. As it has progressed, my attitudes have changed. I now admit that I am much angrier about what I see before me than what I envisaged when I began. This anger is not directed at Scarborough. This work is an ode, or even a love letter, to the place. My anger is aimed at those who build, develop, and destroy without a moment's consideration of the impact it has on our environment around us. The anger is perhaps not evident in the images, but it is there, and it is what drives me.

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Scarborough is not always beautiful. As you will see from the work here, some parts of the district seem to resemble a post-apocalyptic wasteland at times, but it is always interesting. Join me on a journey around the district. This is project might be titled 'There is nothing to see here in Scarborough', but this project intends to demonstrate that there is always something to see if you look closely enough.

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A note on the sections

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I have often been asked about the meaning behind the sections in this project. This project was originally conceptualised as a book, and this is still the case. There is chronology in the ordering of the images, but this is not the only reasoning behind where they have been situated. There is a 'grammar' that underpins the organisation of each chapter which is for the viewer to discover if they so desire. However, in terms of the website, it is also just to break the project into manageable sections and not overwhelm the viewer with a stream of over 60 images in one gallery.

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