Memories of Scarborough:
A Portrait of a Landscape
by Jennifer Lee
This body of work captures personal stories and the landscapes tied to them.
I asked current and former residents of Scarborough to take me on a little guided tour through parts of Scarborough that hold personal meaning for them. These walks turned into really special moments of reflection and re-discovery. As we moved through these familiar places, we talked about the changes they’ve seen over the years—what’s shifted, what’s stayed the same. It felt like a shared journey through memory and place.
My work here is influenced by preserving the stories, spaces, and emotions tied to people’s lives and communities. I’m not just documenting; I am also helping people reflect on and form lasting memories tied to place and identity.
Mom and Dad
My parents carry many more stories from their years in Scarborough—a time of joy, hardship, and growth. As young parents and new Canadians, they leaned on their community for job opportunities and housing.
Nithursan Elamuhilan
The spot I chose to visit in Scarborough was one I had long been curious about - a place I passed countless times while riding the RT, catching only fleeting glimpses from above. A kind of “graffiti alley,” this stretch beneath the elevated tracks felt both familiar and unknown.
Pramesh Attwala
I’ve been an Eastender all my life. While I currently live in Riverside, I grew up in Highland Creek, which is about as East as you can get in Scarborough. It was only fitting that my tour of Scarborough was a walk down memory lane, in reverse, and in particular along Kingston Rd.
Ashley Emma
Although I now live elsewhere, the sense of community and civic pride I feel about Scarborough remains with me for life.
Wasifa Noshin
This neighbourhood has always been special to me because it feels like an extension of home—a home away from home. Cedar Ridge has always felt like a quiet escape from the city, offering relief from its crowdedness and the feelings of loneliness that often accompany urban life.
Nivedita Sekhar
My hope is that places like these continue to survive and thrive. They quietly shape the fabric of the community, providing a space for people of all ages to come together, and they truly make Scarborough feel like home.
Cheryl Causevski
Malvern holds a special place in my heart because I grew up here and spent my formative years here.
Faizaan Khan
Over the past decade, traveling this stretch of Lawrence has occupied so much of my life. For years, it was a slog, whether I was trudging to the grocery store or cramming onto the bus to school or work. It's been almost three years now since I moved away from Scarborough. It feels different now.
Caitlin Taguibao
I grew up in south Scarborough but often visited Agincourt to spend time with my mom’s side of the family, who are of Chinese (Cantonese) descent. Informally known as “Asiancourt,” this neighborhood was the hub for all our family’s favorite restaurants.
Jasmine Vanstone
Scarborough is not just streets and storefronts,
not just high-rises and winding roads—
it is movement, it is gathering, it is my childhood home.