REDSCALE dreams

Nestled away in the inner joints of south Etobicoke is The Etobicoke Valley Park. Winding paths alongside the Etobicoke creek and foliage that at times seems to go for miles are perfect partners in crime for a day of careless adventure.

Sure, a couple of grungy looking men ride by on their squeaky bikes, tattered clothing on their bodies as well as bulging out of plastic bags, but they usually just grunt and are on their way. Sometimes there is such negativity to the unusual looking characters of the area, but some can actually be very entertaining-if not interesting- to speak to.

Myself and a friend set our sights south, starting at the baseball diamonds at The Valley’s most northern point. We strolled down the path smiling at passer-bys and finally came to my favourite part of the park: a mini waterfall through some large rocks, perfect to lounge. With the recent rainfall, the water was flowing freely, which apparently means more fish to catch. There were several men and boys in this open space, waiting patiently in between tugs on their fishing rods. I was just getting to the last of my film count and was hoping to photograph this one fisherman struggling with a catch. Unfortunately it didn’t happen directly in front of me, but the guys on the other side of the creek had struggled with and eventually caught, a pretty big fish (which you can somewhat see in the background of the photo of a man fishing). Whether it was big because of the time of year or because of questionable things inside the water is a totally different story.

A beautiful day in a beautiful city.