I took these photos on Weston Street facing Division Ave. Division used to have a bad reputation. When I used to tell people I lived downtown they’d say to me, ‘OH, stay away from Division.’ I realized after a while that the people who used to say this to me were all from the suburbs.

If they had taken the time to visit this street in recent years they would have realized the charm of this area. Numerous shops and galleries line this street and all of them are locally owned. This area has a special vibe. It is very down to earth, with shop owners accepting the old buildings for what they are and working with that, instead of feeling the need to tear them down and destroy the city’s history in the name of commercialism.