War photographer captures heartbreak of homeless,
At least two men froze to death outside last week. Today, a gallery of life endured on the warm-air grates of the financial district
The first subject I was drawn to document as a young photojournalist was homeless people in Toronto. It was 1984 and I was 16 years old.
Homelessness has always been a highly visible part of the downtown core and an issue I have remained connected to. At no time of the year is the topic more pronounced than in winter. Only a few days ago, two men were found dead frozen to death on Toronto streets.
Over the years, I have seen some individuals sit for days, weeks and even years on the same corner, maybe slipping away to beg for something to eat before returning to the same spot. Walking through downtown streets, many of us pass the remnants of the homeless: blankets and coffee cups by warm air grates, scraps of cardboard or newspapers used to soften the ground.
Sometimes they have sleeping bags, and suitcases carrying everything they own for a life on the sidewalk. Imagine living like that in this weather.
Between foreign assignments, I have always dedicated time to walk this city’s streets, mostly at night, to photograph the homeless. What I have heard is tales of tragedy and loss as heartbreaking as any I have encountered in war-torn countries. Many of the people living on the street who would speak to me were afraid of being identified, and most were suffering from mental illness, struggling with substance abuse and trying to escape from some kind of trauma in their family or life.
One thing that has struck me is how many are drawn to the financial district as a place to sleep. One homeless man explained that it has numerous warm air vents and grates from the massive office towers. However, I have also been told that more and more, architecture and security in the city make it difficult for the homeless to find such spaces.
Even with dedicated shelters, some in this vulnerable group don’t manage to make their way to them. When you are mentally ill, without any money and struggling with addiction, knowing when and how to get indoors can be an insurmountable challenge. And from what I’ve heard, overcrowding, violence and robbery in some shelters discourages some people from taking refuge.
Many of the people I have met on the street are from Toronto, but there are also individuals from every part of the country, including smaller communities such as Thunder Bay and Sioux Lookout. Most of them are men. They come from diverse ethnic groups and backgrounds, but most have this in common: something bad happened to them, and now they are struggling to survive.
Louie Palu is an award-winning photojournalist from Toronto who has covered stories worldwide over the course of a 23-year career. He is best known for his in-depth coverage of the Mexican drug war and of the conflict in Kandahar, Afghanistan, which was published in the Toronto Star and nominated for a National Newspaper Award in 2010.