Parkdale resident finds hidden gems in street art

A self-professed "visual archaeologist" and overall city explorer, Goskey is taking her love for walking the city streets and extensive knowledge of local art to her new venture, GPS Walking Tours.

Every weekend, Goskey said she hopes to host hour-and-a-half Parkdale walking tours, leading tourists and residents around her favourite spots.

Most of the stops were unearthed through a graduate class she took at York University last year, examining street art and city policy around it.

It has taken almost a year to amass most of the background behind the pieces in the neighbourhood, and Goskey still researches every day for new works and often contacts the artists themselves.

She cites the "Paradigm Shift" mural by graffiti artist KWEST, found at the former Mascot cafe at 1267 Queen St. W., as a hit. Graffiti art housed along Milky Way in Parkdale are also some of Goskey’s favourites.

"I thought, ‘These are like Picassos," Goskey said. "I love art and this is my way to live and bring people to amazing local treasures to our city."

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• Dec 31, 1969
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Her first client, Toronto resident Daichi Okada, brought a friend visiting from Japan for the tour.

"I liked it a lot. She (Goskey) put a lot of effort and research into it and she really knows the area," he said.

This was also Okada’s first time in Parkdale.

"It’s a really nice area. I liked looking at all the graffiti and learning about how old they were," he said.

Goskey first got the idea of starting Toronto walking tours while on a trip to southeast Asia when she met Natasha Peterson, who is starting an Idaho chapter.

An avid traveler, Goskey took walking tours in Berlin and Peru and wanted to bring some of the adventure here. However, she said her tours would feel a little different.

"There’s no Machu Picchu (a 15th-century Inca site in Peru) here. It’s going to be a very different dynamic and it’s a great way to increase your awareness of street art style," she said.

Though she recently moved into the neighbourhood, she said she enjoys the community and has some history in this place.

"My grandmother is from Parkdale so I feel like I’m attached to it through her," she said.

"I love the coffee shops, the parks are the best, and there’s a vibrancy in the community," she said.

With more research, Goskey hopes to start other tours in Dundas West and Kensington Market. She doesn’t rule out the east end either.

At $15 per tour, Goskey said she hopes to give fellow explorers a bit of a more unique look into the city.

"If you’re only in the city for a couple of days, do you want to see the CN Tower or some really cool street art?" she said.

Interested participants should contact Goskey at 647-786-0495 for more information or www.gpswalkingtours.wordpress.com