I have in mind, as Toronto sinks towards fall and winter, two photo essays – one, on Toronto murals, the street art that sometimes blights and defiles but more often celebrates and illuminates the multi-faceted vibrancy of the city, and the other on Toronto places of worship. Not being myself religious, as I have previously noted, you might wonder why this would be a topic of interest.

For two reasons, quite simply: first, that the sheer number and diversity of Toronto’s places of worship provides a very obvious and straightforward metric of its rich and tolerant multiculturalism; but second, and more subtly, that the religious architecture and symbolism of these sites offers a – often solemn and deliberate, sometimes accidental and unconscious – window into the religions themselves.

Here are two photographs, from my bike ride, Friday, through the city, as samplers. More to come.

Restitution Bethesta Tabernacle

The Avenue Diner