When I thought about exploring the idea of Toronto, I thought of my own ties to the city. And to two Torontonians whose faraway lives always fascinated me. Connected by blood to one, and by affection to the other, I have often contemplated the mystery of their lives, never fully aware of how little I knew about either until I began piecing their stories together.

They came to Canada from opposite sides of the world. One came as a small child with parents and siblings; the other arrived alone, a mere 16 years old. Their prospects in life were utterly different, but there are similarities in the way their lives unfolded. For both left hardship in the old country, and in Canada acquired enough education and independence to secure a steady living. The price was life-long bachelorhood, by force of circumstance in the first case, and by force of Canadian immigration law in the second. Read On →