Breaking a sweat before dawn
Nicolas Raymond-Nunes is always up early in the morning. Today though, he’s at the gym at 4 a.m., and he’s ready to get an energizing workout before beginning the rest of his day.
Nicolas Raymond-Nunes is always up early in the morning. Today though, he’s at the gym at 4 a.m., and he’s ready to get an energizing workout before beginning the rest of his day.
Toronto resident Sameer Syed, 23, pulls himself out of bed every night at 3:30 a.m. with the help of an alarm and makes his way to Baitul’ Afiyat Masjid, a small mosque on Old Kingston Road.
The call to prayer echoes within the high ceilings of Jami Mosque just east of High Park in Toronto’s Roncesvalles neighbourhood. Birds begin chirping outside what was once a Presbyterian church and converted in 1969…
Gurpreet Sodhi, an international student, spends several nights working the counter at Circle K convenience store to help pay off his tuition
At 4 a.m. in Toronto, Kollective’s late-night techno show is still going strong. People are sweating, forcing themselves to keep dancing. Others are calling for their rides and stumbling out of the venue.
Jeff Ndombi, the overnight manager of Warden Woods Community 24-Hour Respite Site in Scarborough, never planned on running a homeless shelter. But now he’s awake many night at 4 a.m. helping clients. He says it’s a time for damage control and therapy.
Eric Bradshaw is a 21-year-old Toronto trader who has been riding the rollercoaster of international exchanges for three years.
Jyothy Nair’s work schedule isn’t like most Torontonians: once every three weeks, she’s on call for every hour of every day of that week.
At 4 a.m., the lights are dim as soft snores and whispers travel the floor of Sistering’s 24-hour drop-in centre.
Mahbubul Islam is working the night shift. He is awake so others can sleep.