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Real Life Stories

Photographing the multicultural faces of Toronto

In this series called Cosmopolis Toronto, Colin Boyd Shafer takes photos of Torontonians and shares their stories.
Cosmopolis Toronto: Andrea Cosmopolis Toronto: Andrea, Venezuela

Colin Boyd Shafer has set out to photograph one person from every country in the world who’s now living in Toronto. In this series called Cosmopolis Toronto, Shafer photographs his subjects in the part of the city where they feel most comfortable. Each image is accompanied by the person’s story. Andrea, above, arrived from Venezuela, where the political, social and financial situation was getting worse and she couldn’t see a future for her children. She says Toronto has made her feel safe and as though she’s lived here for years. “This project is for all Torontonians and all Canadians,” Shafer says. “I want to celebrate the fact that people from so many different places are living here, together.” Discover more images and stories at cosmopolistoronto.com.

Cosmopolis Toronto: Nadia Nadia, Bangladesh. Photo, Colin Boyd Shafer.Cosmopolis Toronto: Tsugumi Tsugumi, Japan. Photo, Colin Boyd Shafer.Cosmopolis Toronto: Vera Vera, Macedonia. Photo, Colin Boyd Shafer.

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