The “Then & Now” project was created to celebrate our 100th anniversary by selecting photos from our slide archives of places that have special meaning and significance to TFN. We would then set out to take current photos in the same locations, ideally we wanted to match the original as much as possible if current circumstances enabled us to do. Our hope was that by documenting this passage of time we would able to show how nature has changed over the years, and that it would be for the most part a good story. TFN has been documenting nature in the Toronto since it’s inception in 1923, and our members have been photographing nature since the 1950’s. Through this project we have sought to show how important and critical the work that TFN has done in past was and will continue to be. We will always speak up for nature as we continue protect, conserve and restore Toronto’s green spaces & the species that inhabit them. Our connection to these spaces over the years includes our walks, stewardship, junior naturalists and advocacy.
In the spring of this year we selected 40 photos from the slide archives and then asked members of our photography group to go out to take current photos. They spent the summer taking photos, and in August we began selecting 20 photos that would be included in the photo exhibition. On October 2nd we opened the exhibition in the City Hall Rotunda, which ran until October 6th.
Below is a carousel of the photographs we showcased during the photo exhibition that was on display in the City Hall Rotunda during this year’s Ravine Days.
The photographs cover locations across the city including High Park, Brickworks, Todmordern Mills, Scarborough Bluffs and The Rouge.
We hope you enjoy these photographs and we intend to share more photos from the project as the above carousel only covers half of the photos we selected from our slide archives for this project. We will be showcasing the remainder of the photos in June 2024.
Zunaid Khan
TFN President