Rooftopping Toronto: Rising Above The Core

Toronto's beautiful raised views are unique not only in what they give, but in what they take away. The more distant one gets from the street below, the more layers of noise and density fold away - but, at the same time, the more clarity and perspective one gains as his focus widens.

Although farther north than usual, we had been quietly observing our target urban lookout for quite some time. Trumped in height only by the potentiality of One Bloor in the direct vicinity, our journey seemed rather daunting. After surprisingly little hesitation, however, we headed up.

Watching the city slowly drop away as if into a fog, each individual floor seemed so marginal, yet in sum, this particular experience eventually gave way to a spectacular view of Toronto.

Although slightly muggy, the low-lying buildings in the distance seemed covered with a thick mist - Casa Loma seemed particularly buried...

Looking into the distance, certain buildings became unrecognizable as their ghostly silhouettes peeked through their surroundings.


Using an ultra-zoom lens as a scope, I was able to see as far as the lake. While I like to consider myself endowed with a fairly decent sense of direction, I completely lost my bearings several times at this focal distance.

UofT's Hart House and University College looked particularly stunning from this height...

The central business district, however, seemed more ominous.

I used infrared techniques to take some one-minute exposures while on the highest roof - a very tricky task, when exposed to the lofty winds...

A series of massive clouds was sweeping over the city, their speed slightly exaggerated due to the infrared.

Usually, I find myself staring from one rooftop out onto many adjacent others, but the absence of anything even approaching our height on this particular trip allowed me to soak in the city as a progression, building itself from uptown right down to the lake, past the financial district.

It was an extremely strenuous climb, but at the same time, rooftopping is always about pushing ones senses - sight always a challenge to 'see beyond'. As the city stretched into the horizon on all fronts, I was able to see its concrete and glass forest, as well as its trees.

(If you would like to see the rest of the snaps from the journey, as well as high-res. versions of those above, you can take a look at my flickr slide-show below.)