Bob and the Camera That Waited 15 Years

Bob and the Camera That Waited 15 Years

In 2011, when they first started digging up Eglinton Avenue for what would become the Crosstown, Bob walked into a camera shop and bought himself a little mirror-less camera — a Sony NEX-3.

Back then, people laughed at it.

“Where’s the viewfinder?”

“Is that a real camera?”

“Looks like a toy.”

But Bob knew something.

He wasn’t buying it for that day.

He was buying it for a story that hadn’t happened yet.

2011 – Dirt, Fences, and Promises

In 2011 the Line 5 Eglinton was just plywood walls, orange cones, and “coming soon” signs. Bob took photos of the construction pits. The cranes. The torn-up sidewalks. He photographed businesses hanging on, transit riders confused by bus detours, and winter snow blowing across unfinished stations.

He told himself:

“One day I’m going to ride this thing and photograph it properly.”

And then he waited.

And waited.

And waited some more.

2026 – Doors Open

Fifteen years later.

The doors finally slide open. The trains hum quietly into the stations. The digital signs glow. The escalators actually move.

And Bob pulls out that same Sony NEX-3.

Not the newest camera.

Not the fanciest body.

Just the same little 2011 machine that started the journey.

Inside the Train

The yellow poles.

The clean patterned seats.

The long symmetrical lines stretching down the carriage.

Bob stands in the middle aisle and smiles.

This is why he kept the camera.

The NEX-3 may not have the fastest auto focus in 2026. It may not have 8K video or eye-tracking. But it still sees light. It still sees geometry. It still tells a story.

And this train interior? It’s all leading lines and modern design — perfect for a camera that was born at the start of the project.

Fairbank Station – Finally Alive

Bob steps off at Fairbank.

Fifteen years ago this was a construction hole.

Now it’s bright signage, digital boards, glowing platform edges, and people actually riding the train. The escalators hum. The announcements echo. The artwork pops against the clean concrete walls.

Bob photographs commuters walking between the trains. He captures the moment when something that was once a political promise becomes part of everyday life.

This isn’t just transit.

It’s time.

Snow on the Tracks

Outside, snow lines the rails.

Bob remembers photographing snow blowing through construction fencing years ago. Back then, the tracks didn’t exist. Just mud and machinery.

Now the train glides past quietly in the winter air.

Same season.

Different chapter.

Same camera.

Why Bob Used the NEX-3

Because this wasn’t about megapixels.

It was about continuity.

The Sony NEX-3 was there in 2011 when Line 5 was a dream.

It deserved to be there in 2026 when Line 5 became reality.

Cameras aren’t just tools.

They’re witnesses.

And this little 15-year-old mirror-less camera witnessed one of the longest waits in Toronto transit history.

Bob’s Lesson

You don’t need the newest gear to tell a meaningful story.

Sometimes the best photo you’ll ever take is with the camera that’s been waiting with you.

Bob waited 15 years to press that shutter.

Worth it?