The fifty photographs in the exhibition On the Edge – Photographs of Toronto’s Downtown Waterfront 2023-2025 collectively present a record of the expansive downtown waterfront in its current state of flux, from the water’s edge in the south to the Gardiner Expressway in the north, and from Cherry Street in the east to Dufferin Street in the west.
Steven Evans began photographing the industrial lands south of the Gardiner Expressway over 40 years ago as a media studies student. His long-standing fascination with the waterfront industrial landscapes and their architecture has endured through the years, and he has returned to photograph some of the inevitable changes as warehouses and factories gave way to condominiums and tourist attractions.
Over the past two years, in the aftermath of the destruction of West Island at Ontario Place by the provincial government, Evans has undertaken an in-depth photographic project documenting the complex transformation of the downtown waterfront. Covering the expanse of the lakeshore, in the exhibition On the Edge Evans has created a much-needed record that highlights what we often overlook – the mundane, the typical, the absurd, and even the extraordinary. An illustrated brochure accompanies the exhibition with essays by Steven Evans, John Lorinc, and Marco Polo.
The exhibition will be launched on Sept. 25 with a panel discussion with Evans, Spacing senior editor John Lorinc, and Marco Polo, Professor, Department of Architectural Science, Toronto Metropolitan University. It will be moderated by Elsa Lam, Editor, Canadian Architect Magazine.
This exhibition is curated by Julia Jamrozik, Associate Professor, Department of Architectural Science, Toronto Metropolitan University, with exhibition and graphic design by Hyo Yeon Tiana Lee.
Details
Paul H. Cocker Gallery
Department of Architectural Science
Toronto Metropolitan University
325 Church Street, Toronto, Ontario
September 25 – October 23, 2025
Monday – Saturday 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Free admission
Press the security bell for access
Accessible entrance on the East and South of the building
Opening reception
Thursday, September 25, 2025
6:00 PM – 8:30 PM
Opening remarks and panel discussion
6:30 PM
Moderator:
Elsa Lam – Editor, Canadian Architect Magazine
Panelists:
Steven Evans – Photographer
John Lorinc – Journalist, Editor
Marco Polo – Professor, Department of Architectural Science, Toronto
Metropolitan University
