toronto rooftopping

Charges dropped against Toronto rooftoppers

Rooftopping has become increasingly popular over the last five years, with many Toronto photographers grabbing international attention for their vertigo-inspiring images of the city below. That's why it wasn't so surprising that the arrest of three local rooftoppers last February made major headlines. At the time, news stories showed spreads of spectacular photos alongside mugshots.

Fast forward six months and all the charges have been dropped against Jaswinder Brar, Eric Do, and (former blogTO photo editor) Tom Ryaboi. The cases against each photographer and their ultimate exoneration seems to have hinged on the legal definition of "breaking and entering," which requires an intent to commit an indictable offence.

Taking photos didn't prove to meet this criteria in these cases.

toronto rooftopping

Over the course of the legal proceedings the memory card from Ryaboi's camera was held as evidence. Released on Monday, he's now shared the photos with us. The three men were arrested at the top of Commerce Court, which appears swept with snow in these images.

It's become a highly desirable spot for rooftoppers to access, though one wonders if future photographers will be deterred by the increased awareness that police have of their activities.

Take a look at the rest of photos taken that day below.

toronto rooftopping


toronto rooftoppingtoronto rooftoppingtoronto rooftopping

All images by Tom Ryaboi


Latest Videos



Latest Videos


Join the conversation Load comments

Latest in City

Doug Ford just got even tougher on Ontario bike lanes with new measures

Toronto's $27 billion Ontario Line just crossed its biggest construction milestone so far

Rare Canadian gold coin sells for over $1.5 million

Toronto ranked among the top 100 best cities in the world for 2025

A full list of all the items included in Canada's holiday GST cut

Liquid soap sold at stores across Canada recalled due to contamination

Canadians to get GST cut on groceries and new $250 rebate ahead of holidays

Snow is finally coming to southern Ontario and here's when it will hit