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Opened in 1950, this cookie and crackers factory has been supplying 550 jobs to its community for the past 60 years before it's closing for condo development. The public outrage was immense, and many workers were deeply saddened. This factory wasn't a stain on west Toronto, rather it was just 'one of those things' that everyone came to love for it's sweet smell, iconic water tower and great wholesale prices.
After my third attempt at sneaking in this west end Toronto beauty, my friend and I managed to open a old, rusted door after an exhausting mission to locate it. However accidentally, I let it slip before I managed to prop it open with something and we were trapped inside the second floor of the factory, near the location where we had confronted security on attempt #2. Before grabbing any pictures, we made our way around the complex, looking for a window we passed by on the way up to use as an escape route. While searching for this window, we had to cross a hallway littered with thousands of little shards of dried paint, and every step brought a little *crackle* with it. After climbing back up the side of the building and this time propping the same door open, I took the time to properly document our adventure.
The sheer size of this place (as well as other factories) is always astonishing. The grand vacancy of it all is something to marvel at. The next thing you begin to notice is the smell, that pungent, musty and mouldy odour that urges you to invest in buying some sort of breathing apparatus. Finally, you begin to notice the people, the ghosts, working the conveyor belts, answering phones and changing in their locker rooms. All the pieces of evidence left behind help your brain recreate the life that once thrived there. The forgotten world is more than graffiti and worn down drywall, it's a window to the past.
These images pretty much cover the entire complex, minus the cafeteria and the office sections. We managed to explore the entire thing, save for the security booth itself. We had no troubles with "Frank" until the very end, when we heard a huge *slam* followed by him checking doors during a patrol. As for the condo development, obviously nothing has happened to it yet, I heard that protests caused the property to be marked as 'industrial use' instead of 'residential use' in order to address the unemployment outcry.
Hope you guys enjoy, got a few more of these stories lined up!
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Into the Fray. https://www.ninjalobster.com/ |
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I love the dark and grimy look of your shots
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Nice work, thanks for the story and write up. Its really gone downhill in there, i cant believe the lights are still on.
Keep at it!
http://www.freaktography.com
https://www.facebook.com/Freaktography https://instagram.com/freaktography www.youtube.com/c/Freaktography |
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Posted by mulletcat
I love the dark and grimy look of your shots
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Thank you, I'm definitely leaning towards this type of photography recently, captures the vibes of the locations much better.
Into the Fray. https://www.ninjalobster.com/ |
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Posted by Freaktography
Nice work, thanks for the story and write up. Its really gone downhill in there, i cant believe the lights are still on.
Keep at it!
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Wish I knew what it was like before it went downhill :/ Thanks man!
Into the Fray. https://www.ninjalobster.com/ |
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Amazing find! in great condition! I love locations with power to them still.
liked.
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Posted by Theninjalobster
PHOTOS 'N STUFF
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These are great! Nice work.
gallery | deviantart | flickr |
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Good work, was wondering what was happening with this place. Here's a couple from the last trip I made to see the difference.
 NightLights by Zen, on Flickr
 NightHall by Zen, on Flickr
This was the worst spot, probably one of the worst smelling rooms I've had the (dis)pleasure of coming across.
 WastedRoom by Zen, on Flickr
Zen and the art of infiltration...
http://www.flikr.com/photos/zenslens
Zen is an uber explorer, a demi god of craning and purveyor of the finer things in life. |
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Posted by ZenCanadian
Good work, was wondering what was happening with this place. Here's a couple from the last trip I made to see the difference.
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Jeez, it really has changed. A lot more worn down then it used to be, too bad. Sick shots man!
[last edit 3/5/2017 3:59 PM by theninjalobster - edited 1 times]
Into the Fray. https://www.ninjalobster.com/ |
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Great shots - thanks for sharing.
It's amazing how quickly it's decaying.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/rob666/ |
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Here are a few comparisons from my shots taken in January 2015 to yours
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http://www.freaktography.com
https://www.facebook.com/Freaktography https://instagram.com/freaktography www.youtube.com/c/Freaktography |
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Posted by Freaktography
Here are a few comparisons from my shots taken in January 2015 to yours
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Wow! That's actually nuts, thanks for putting that together
Into the Fray. https://www.ninjalobster.com/ |
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Great write up and photos!
Lots of haunting empty space there!
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Posted by strangePlaces
Great write up and photos!
Lots of haunting empty space there!
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Thank you!
An acquaintance of mine managed to get in with his buddies a few weeks ago, and he told me that after 15 minutes it got kinda boring, it's all just empty rooms with nothing to look at. I told him that's just another part of it's beauty, the shear vacantness. The difference between explorers and shit-disturbers I guess.
Into the Fray. https://www.ninjalobster.com/ |
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That is beyond disgusting, but the photo is excellent!
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Posted by SaladKing
That is beyond disgusting, but the photo is excellent!
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I literally poked my head in there and instantly started gagging, no pictures from me!
[last edit 3/8/2017 3:20 AM by theninjalobster - edited 1 times]
Into the Fray. https://www.ninjalobster.com/ |
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Yeah, you can totally smell that room just by looking at it. Were you able to eat cookies after?
Canon 500D | Canon 18-55mm | Rikenon 55mm 1.4 | Sigma 20mm 1.8 |
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Posted by Freaktography
Here are a few comparisons from my shots taken in January 2015 to yours
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Very cool guys! Very cool indeed
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I went there last night with UER user rundashgo and it was awesome! He showed me the poop room posted above, and we got to meet the passive-aggressive security guy. I'll post my pics after I'm finished editing them.
One day I got a good camera.
https://www.flickr...hotos/fleetsurbex/ |
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Good set.
FYI: The property is currently designated industrial, and the Province has opposed changing it to residential because of the Ontario Food Terminal across the highway. Basically, the food terminal, a vital operation, is being protected from further residential encroachment which could jeopardize its viability. (/UrbanPlanner)
"Great architecture has only two natural enemies: water and stupid men." - Richard Nickel |
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