Zamboni At City Hall

Ryan

Hand painted ISO 3200 B&W film shot.

Early evening I'm taking photographs of the skaters and the Xmas lights at city hall and this guy wearing what might be or might be an official City of Toronto vest comes up and says

Guy1: You can't take photos of the skaters.
Me: Why not?
Guy1: Because it is illegal.
Me: It is not illegal.
Guy1: There is a law against taking pictures of strangers.
Me: There is not but if you show me your credentials and ask me to stop I will.

By this time two more guys with vests have arrived one of them seems to know it's not illegal but just a policy.

Guy1 still insists I stop and I continue to tell him I will stop once he shows me his credentials.

Guy1 goes off to find a person of power.

Mean time I try to educate the other 2 guys in the laws of Canada regarding photographing. Just a side note City Hall is laughingly not a public space because it part of a corporation and thus if asked to stop photographing you have to obey or face trespassing charges. In the past although I have never had a problem the largest photographic club in Toronto has been ejected.

A few minutes later Guy1 returns with someone that does look official.

Official: After ascertaining that I was not taking photographs for commercial purposes so did not need a permit:

"Photography is not illegal and since this is a tourist area unless they gets complaints they don't try to stop photographers, so go ahead and take all the photos you want."

He went on to say that powers to be might be posting no photographing signs but that's a fight for another day.

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