The contest objective was to visually create a new, more accurate narrative surrounding Scarborough through people, places and things.

In mid-November 2019, a Google search of the word “Scarborough” generated a map of Toronto’s Scarborough community, accompanied by an image of a partially demolished house. When Scarborough Councillor Michael Thompson and the Mayor raised the issue publicly, Google told the news media that the image was selected by an automated algorithm. Google removed the image leaving only the map; they offered no apology. The appearance of an image of urban blight to represent Scarborough is symptomatic of the unpleasant public image that has plagued the community and the area despite Scarborough’s many virtues. On November 26, 2019, Toronto City Council requested that “Economic Development and Culture, in consultation with the Photo Laureate as appropriate, to engage with photographers and the arts community to develop a photographic project or contest in Scarborough that encourages the public to take and submit their best photographs of Scarborough, its scenic places and its communities; to launch such a project in the Spring of 2020; and to display the final images at an exhibition at the Scarborough Civic Centre in the Fall of 2020.”