A few years ago, I had the pleasure & the privilege to be a door-to-door canvasser in the city of Toronto. I say pleasure as it afforded me the opportunity to meet so many of you. Some of you are still here; a lot of you are gone. Privilege in that you were kind enough to share many of your stories with me, in confidence.

I wanted you to know that I will not be telling any of your secrets. As a lot of the conversations were around mental health, I think it would be in bad taste to use your confessions as material for whatever you would call this.

I would say it’s more about speaking to the spirit of what this city has been. In every season, for three years, from the early afternoon to our late nights, I knocked on every single door in this town several times over & though on the odd occasion it was slammed in my face before I could utter a few words, a lot of you paused to hear me out & then you chose to listen further. Some of you were even kind enough to invite me in & it became a conversation.And whether it was in contribution or in words, you were so very generous.

I wouldn’t say I’m the best person to speak to the soul of this town. I haven’t served in public office, I’m not someone who’s had a tangible impact upon a specific community (though I suppose some would argue with me on this point) I’m only a solitary brick with that hospital at the corner of Queen & Ossington (maybe even two bricks in the foundation, if I’ll be so kind)

I would say that I held many an observation of us & during my shifts, I kept a journal of my experiences.

Three years of journalling for a man who likes to talk, is a lot of words to parse through. But parse through, we have.

I do not want to ruin the surprise of what this is or give it too much of context as to what we’re doing, in the sharing.

I am only asking you to trust me kindly, with your attention. And if this merits further investigation, I’ll take questions as to the ‘why.’

If you have missed, what this city has been, if there is absence, if you are fearful in the nostalgia, perhaps this reminder will find you in agreement, that there is still, possibility.