Where The River Runs

Samuel Toward

Where The River Runs # 1: A square black and white photograph taken from a construction site. An embankment of dirt and gravel cuts through the middle of the frame. A highway can be seen beyond, with one pillar reading Don River. High-rise buildings also sprout up in the distance.

In an effort to better understand this complex and constantly evolving ecosystem, I set out with my camera and tripod, walking the entire length of the Don River, using the publicly accessible trail system paved alongside the waterway. Drawing on a series of graded reports released by the Toronto Region Conservation Authority outlining the condition of the river and watershed, this series of photographic explorations is my own report responding to the river’s invariably changing conditions and landscape. Through documenting my own journey within the space, I hope to shed light on the impact of urban encroachment and challenge our relationship with the natural environment. Where The River Runs (2023) seeks to capture the nuances within this liminal space, inviting viewers to join me in contemplating the future of the Don River and its role in shaping the city we call home.

Where The River Runs # 2: A square black and white photograph of three bags of sand strewn about dirt and rocks. The material on the bags is fraying, and their contents are spilling out. A footprint from a construction boot can be seen on one bag of sand.
Where The River Runs # 3: A square black and white photograph of a dead starling on a sidewalk next to a mass of weeds, clumps of dirt, and gravel. The weeds cast shadows in the afternoon light as the sidewalk continues out of frame.
Where The River Runs # 4: A square black and white photograph of a riverside embankment, with the river flowing through the middle of the frame. A roadway can be seen through the thin tree line as tall mature trees frame the background.
Where The River Runs # 5: A square black and white photograph of a decommissioned roadway. The road extends from the bottom, leading into a guard rail positioned in the middle of the frame. A sign that reads 'Don Valley Pkwy' can be seen through the trees on the left side of the image as electric towers and power lines come from the right.
Where The River Runs # 6: A square black and white photograph of a riverside. Water cuts through the foreground as large mature trees behind cast their reflection down onto the water.
Where The River Runs # 7: A square black and white photograph of a web-like crack in the pavement. The shadow of a tree can be seen in the top right corner, hanging overhead.
Where The River Runs # 8: A square black and white photograph from the edge of a river. Foliage lines the bottom of the frame as water flows behind it. Tall trees line the sides of the image as buildings, and power lines can be seen behind the constructed embankment and sewer in the middle of the image.
Where The River Runs # 9: A square black and white photograph of a gas line flag placed on a hillside of tall grass. The hillside takes up most of the frame, stretching up to the roadway and light fixtures running along the top of the image.
Where The River Runs # 10: A square black and white photograph of a pile of dirt and rocks surrounded by long wild grass and foliage. Next to and behind the bank, two plastic bags sit, blending into the landscape. The long grass and vegetation extend beyond the top of the frame.
Where The River Runs # 11: A square black and white photograph of an eroding riverside. Water is seen in the foreground, the forest is seen behind, and the roots from the trees above protrude out from the soil below, reaching toward the water.
Where The River Runs # 12: A square black and white photograph looking out from forest cover. A river can be seen below, and a sewer protrudes from the other side, surrounded by trees. A wooden fence runs up the hillsides and disappears into the foliage.
Samuel Toward

Samuel Toward

Samuel Toward (b. 1999) is a photographer from St. Catharines, Ontario. Currently, he lives and works in Toronto as he attends Toronto Metropolitan University’s Image Arts Photography Studies program. Samuel’s work is primarily analogue, focusing on documentary practices as a means of introspectively exploring both the human condition and the urban environment. By documenting interventions of urbanization in the natural environment, he explores how the spaces we occupy alter us physically and emotionally.

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Category: Perennials

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