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Photojournalism Exhibit Brings Stories From Across Canada to Toronto’s Union Station
Toronto’s Union Station will become a gallery of contemporary Canadian photojournalism this fall as Points of Departure brings together the work of 16 photojournalists from across the country.
The free exhibition, presented by Union in partnership with The Globe and Mail Foundation, runs from September 16 through November 1 in Union Station’s historic West Wing and Oak Room.
The exhibition features work created by participants in the inaugural cohort of The Globe and Mail Foundation’s Photojournalism Training and Mentorship Program, known as The Globe Photo Academy. The program is led by New Brunswick-based photojournalist and educator Chris Donovan.
The exhibition comes at a time when images are created, altered, shared and consumed at unprecedented speed, highlighting what organizers describe as the continuing importance of photojournalists in documenting communities and telling stories with care.
“Union has always been a place where journeys intersect, and is a space for dialogue and connection,” said Syma Shah, Union’s vice president of programming and events. “Points of Departure extends that idea beyond transportation by inviting visitors to connect with remarkable stories unfolding across the country. It creates an opportunity to encounter powerful documentary photography in the middle of an everyday journey.”
The 16 photographs featured in the exhibition represent stories from communities spanning Canada’s three coasts and thousands of kilometres of diverse landscapes and lived experiences.
A Journey Across Canada
In Nunavut, Dustin Patar documents the enduring traditions of the Nunavut Quest dogsled race, following two young women as they travel by qamutiik across the Arctic landscape.
On Vancouver Island, Katherine Cheng photographs Big Lonely Doug, a towering Douglas fir that has become an international symbol of old-growth forest conservation. Norma Ibarra documents Indigenous skateboarder Rosie Archie, founder of Nation Skate Youth, as she reclaims space through movement, culture and community in Nłeʔkepmx Tmíxʷ.
Across the Prairies, Matt Horseman explores place and memory through Untitled (Alberta, Canada, 2019). In Winnipeg, Shay Conroy documents red dresses installed outside the Brady Road Resource Management Facility in honour of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and Two-Spirit People, as well as the families and communities continuing to seek justice.
The exhibition continues east with Mike Erb’s exploration of everyday beauty in Fredericton’s Devon neighbourhood; Ranz Bontogon’s intimate look at temporary foreign workers in New Brunswick’s fishing industry; Ethan Murphy’s quiet portrait of life on Fogo Island, Newfoundland and Labrador; and Mackenzie Pardy’s documentation of Mi’kmaq community members in Nova Scotia working to ensure the transmission of cultural knowledge and practices associated with katag, or eel, populations.
The work of Joel Rodriguez reflects on family, migration and memory through photographs made in El Salvador, while Ammar Bowaihl further expands the exhibition’s exploration of identity, displacement and belonging.
Together, the photographs demonstrate the ability of documentary storytelling to foster empathy, challenge assumptions and deepen understanding.
Supporting Canadian Photojournalism
The Globe and Mail Foundation is a Canadian charity dedicated to protecting and promoting excellence in journalism. Its programs support high-quality journalism training, enhance media literacy and deepen public knowledge and understanding of contemporary issues.
Laura Lavie, executive director of The Globe and Mail Foundation, said the organization is proud to support programming that is freely accessible to the public while developing Canada’s community of photojournalists.
“The Globe and Mail Foundation is proud to support freely accessible programming that develops and grows Canada’s talented community of photojournalists, bringing new and underrepresented stories across the country to light,” Lavie said. “This exhibition is an important milestone as it showcases the creation of new work by our 2026 cohort, and brings stories of local and national relevance to Canadians everywhere.”
By bringing the work of emerging Canadian photojournalists into one of the country’s busiest transportation hubs, Points of Departure introduces new audiences to documentary photography while emphasizing the importance of journalists who document the world with curiosity, integrity and humanity.
Free and open to the public during Union Station’s operating hours, the exhibition transforms an everyday transportation space into a place for reflection, connection and storytelling.
As millions of people pass through Union Station each year, Points of Departure offers a simple reminder: behind every destination is a story.
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