Toronto is the largest city in Canada, and 5th largest in North America with a population of 2.6 million and a metropolitan population of nearly 6 million. It is the capital of the province of Ontario, Canada's most populous province.
As Canada's economic capital, Toronto is considered a global city and is one of the top financial cities in the world. Toronto's leading economic sectors include finance, business services, telecommunications, aerospace, transportation, media, arts, film, television production, publishing, software production, medical research, education, tourism and sports industries. The Toronto Stock Exchange, the world's seventh largest, is headquartered in the city, along with a majority of Canada's corporations
Toronto's population is cosmopolitan and international reflecting its role as an important destination for immigrants to Canada. Toronto is one of the world's most diverse city by percentage of non-Canadian-born residents, as about 49 percent of the population were born outside of Canada. Because of the city's low crime rates, clean environment and generally high standard of living, Toronto is consistently rated as one of the world's most livable cities by the Economist Intelligence Unit and the Mercer Quality of Living Survey. In addition, Toronto was ranked as the most expensive Canadian city in which to live in 2006.
Residents of Toronto are called Torontonians. Toronto has a number of sister cities,
which are selected based on economic, cultural and political criteria.
PLACE TO VISIT
Art Gallery of Ontario - The AGO is currently closed for renovations. The aim is to reopen in Fall 2008. Home to many famous pieces of art ranging from very recent to artwork hundreds of years old. Artists from Monet to Warhol are represented here and the AGO has one of the largest collections of Henry Moore sculptures in the world.
CN Tower - The much-acclaimed CN Tower is Toronto's most recognizeable and famous feature, and the world's tallest free-standing structure. Clocking in at a dizzying 553M, a visit is worth it for the view of the city alone. Visitors can look out from behind glass windows or go to an outside observing area to look through a metal screen. It attracts large numbers of tourists; best times are weekdays in the morning. Visitors can jump up and down on the thick glass floor in parts of the observatory (the view from the floor downward essentially shows the base of the tower). 360, the revolving restaurant, is located in the main deck, but isn't particularly renowned. Restaurant diners with reservations can avoid the lines of the observatory, and at night the lights from distant Rochester, New York are visible over the lake.
City Hall and Nathan Phillips Square - Toronto's modernist City Hall designed by Finnish architect Viljo Revell and was completed in 1965. Nathan Phillips Square features a reflecting pool that turns into a skating rink in the winter. Old City Hall, completed in 1899, is located across the street at 60 Queen St. W.Design Exchange - A museum of design in Canada and around the world. The permanent collection is only open by appointment, but the 3rd floor showcases interesting changing exhibitions, and there's always something on for free on the 1st floor as well.
Hockey Hall of Fame - A shrine to Canada's pastime in the heart of the city. The Stanley Cup is usually housed here - if seeing it is important, call ahead and ensure it's not in another city before you visit. Adults $12, Youth + Seniors $8.
The Waterfront - A massive redevelopment of the city's 46-kilometre waterfront is underway in the city, and the results are sure to be stunning. Toronto's waterfront is already quite spectacular, with galleries, walking trails and art, film and theatre complexes. An extensive plan to re-green this are will ensure that Toronto's waterfront is utilized to its full potential by residents and visitors alike.
Bata Shoe Museum - One of Toronto's more unusual attractions, the Bata Shoe Museum tells the story of footwear through the ages. Much more interesting that it sounds, the building is worth a look if only to check out its unique deconstructivist architecture, meant to resemble an opening shoe box.
Casa Loma - In 1911, financier Sir Henry Mill Pellatt decided to construct Canada's largest private residence. The resulting European-style castle is now a Toronto landmark and popular tourist attraction. The gardens are particularly beautiful.
Royal Ontario Museum - The ROM is Canada's largest museum, displaying everything from preserved Egyptian mummies to live Madagascar cockroaches. It's must-see for anyone with an interest in cultural or natural history, and a terrific place to wander through. The first floor's East Asian Exhibit is particularly beautiful. Be aware that the museum is can easily take more than a day to fully explore. A new civilization wing is currently under construction, apparently designed to resemble the Louvre pyramid exploding. Adults $20, Seniors $17, Students $17, Children $14. Free 45 minutes before closing.
Honest Ed's - A Toronto landmark that invites you to "Come in and Get Lost!" While this gigantic department store is far more impressive outside than in, it's definitely worth a look if for no other reason than to see the gigantic "No Refunds" signs that wallpaper the interior. Check it out at night, when the shopfront's 23 000 lights give off a display that's almost brilliant enough to induce a seizure. Across from Bathurst subway station at the corner of Bloor and Bathurst, it's nearly impossible to miss.
Hanlan's Point Beach - is the only officially recognized clothing optional beach in the City of Toronto. It was first approved as clothing optional in 1894 but this approval was repealed in 1930 due to the protests of citizen's groups. The official status was restored in 2002 following a three year pilot project.
Gibraltar Point lighthouse - on the southwestern tip of the islands, has stood since 1808 and quickly became home to one of Toronto’s oldest mysteries when, in 1815, its first keeper, J.P. Radan Muller, disappeared. A subsequent lighthouse keeper found skeletal remains years later. Believed to have been beaten to death by soldiers from nearby Fort York, Muller is said to haunt the lighthouse to this day, as a plaque on the grounds will attest to.
El Mocambo - on Spadina just South of College has frequent musical acts upstairs and is one of Toronto's oldest musical venues. Acts that have performed here include Elvis Costello, who recorded a live album, and the Rolling Stones.
Grossman's Tavern - known as "Toronto's Home of the Blues", not to mention home of one of the best and cheapest burgers you'll find in the city. You'll find bands playing every night, as well as Saturday afternoons and there is never a cover charge.
Union Station - Toronto's oldest train station, now in its third incarnation, is a marvel of architecture, and a central hub for regional transportation as well as a connection to the subway and streetcar systems. A trip on one of many GO Trains is a great way to see some more of the city.
King Street East - A mecca for interior design fanatics and small studio production, King Street east of Yonge is an attrative area ripe with window shopping opportunities. One can also access the multitude of restaurants, shops and cafes in the Distillery District from the King & Parliament St. intersection. The historic St. Lawrence area, containing some of the oldest buildings in the city and site of urban renewal in the 1980s to Corktown and the recently started West Donlands urban renewal project closer to the Don River.
Allan Gardens - located at the south side of Carlton Street between Jarvis and Sherbourne Streets, is a conservatory containing six greenhouses on large landscaped grounds. Admission is free and the greenhouses are open to the public year-round. The greenhouses contain plants native to many different countries and from different climactic regions of the world. Countries represented include Australia, Brazil, China, Mexico, and many others. On any given day one is likely to come across frolicking squirrels or birds that have found their way in through the doors. The ponds are home to turtles and fish and, if you look up, you just might see a snoozing raccoon. Allan Gardens is wheelchair accessible.
Riverdale Farm - located in the heart of Cabbagetown, is a turn of the century, that would be the twentieth century, Ontario farm and the site of Toronto's first zoo. Riverdale Farm is located in the Old Cabbagetown at 201 Winchester Street, east of Parliament St., near Carlton St. There is no parking on the grounds, but street parking is available near by. Attractions include demonstrations of milking, cream separating, butter-making, egg collecting, sheep sheering, wool spinning and dying, amongst others. Admission is free.
Bloor West Villlage/High Park - One of the largest parks in Toronto, High Park is well worth a stroll through the gardens, zoo, playgrounds, and trails. All free and even has a City run swimming pool. If coming in July or August, make sure to stop by for Dream in High Park, an annual pay-what-you-can Shakespeare event.
R.C. Harris Water Treatment Plant - Queen Street at the foot of Victoria Park: Built in the 1930s, this beautiful Art Deco building is Toronto's largest water treatment facility and has been designated a national historic civil engineering site. It's been featured in a number of films and TV shows.
Black Creek Pioneer Village - historic site in northern part of Toronto, just
west of York University and southeast of the Jane and Steeles intersection. It
overlooks Black Creek, a tributary of the Humber River. The village is a recreation of
life in 19th-century Ontario and consists of over forty historic 19th century buildings,
decorated in the style of the 1860s with period furnishings
WHAT TO DO
Toronto by Helicopter- Flying out of downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada, see Toronto and its many attractions including the CN Tower, Roger's Centre, Royal Ontario Museum, Ontario's Parliament, Air Canada Centre, and Toronto's picturesque Inner Harbour to name just a few. www.HeliTours.ca
Just Walk- Toronto has so many varied neighbourhoods that a random walk through downtown is fascinating in its own right.
Beaches - Toronto has some excellent beaches in the east end that offer typical beach activities such as volleyball, bike/rollerblading paths and a boardwalk along the water. Lake Ontario tends to be quite cool, even in mid-summer, and is cleaner than its local reputation might suggest - testing is conducted regularly and beaches have notices posted if the water is considered unsafe for swimming. The Toronto Islands tend to have the cleanest beaches (including a clothing-optional beach at Hanlan's point).
The Distillery District the former Gooderham & Worts distillery lands have been rejuvenated into a pedestrian-only village dedicated to the arts and entertainment. It has fantastic restaurants, festivals, and art galleries.
The Lakefront and Toronto Island, in the downtown core offers biking and walking trails, with an excellent view of the Toronto skyline.
Theatre - Toronto has a great theatre scene for every taste and budget. Check out
the big theatres on King Street and Yonge Street for the big splashy (and pricey)
shows, such as the former runs of Chicago, The Lion King, Les Miz, Cats, etc. Small
theatres in the Annex and elsewhere offer smaller productions that range from
original Canadian works, avant-garde, experimental theatre, small budget musicals
to British murder mysteries. Also try to check out the new Four Seasons Centre for
the Performing Arts, the brand new (2006) home of the Canadian Opera Company
and the National Ballet of Canada. The Toronto Symphony plays in the recently
acousticaly renovated Roy Thomson Hall.
Canada's Wonderland is a big theme park located in Vaughan, 30 kilometres north
of downtown Toronto. It is considered one of North America's premier amusement
parks, with more than 200 attractions. The park is open seasonally from May to
October.
Chinatown -Centred on Dundas and Spadina it's a great way to see China, without
the airfare (it started to turn to the Little Saigon due to recent influx of the Vietnamese
immigrants). Vast crowds crush the sidewalks as vendors sell authentic Chinese
and Vietnamese food and not-so-authentic knock-offs.
Little Italy/Portugal Village- Centred at College and Grace, this is the spot to
get a sense of the Western Mediterainian. Sit at one of the many coffee shops and
watch the world go by on the weekends. A great time to visit is durring the World Cup
of Soccer (regardless of where in the World it is actually being held) as both
communities face off and rivalries reach a fever pitch. Recently the rivalries have
begun to infect adjacent communities and it is now getting to the point that the entire
city is being draped in a mind numbing variety of flags once every four years.
HOW TO REACH
By plane - Pearson International Airport is about 45 minutes by car from the downtown core and is serviced by most major international carriers. There are two terminals: Terminal 1 hosts all Air Canada flights and a few other international carriers, while Terminal 3 hosts all other airlines. (There is no longer a Terminal 2.)
By bus - Greyhound provides transportation from most major Northeast cities, Ontario Northland provides service from the northern parts of Ontario and Coach Canada links Montreal and Toronto. GO Transit provides buses from outlying Toronto areas. Greyhound, Coach Canada and Ontario Northland buses stop at Toronto Coach Terminal, which is a short walk to the Dundas or St. Patrick subway stations of the Toronto Transit Commission.
By train - Toronto is situated along a primary VIA Rail corridor. Frequent trains travel east towards Montreal and Ottawa, west towards towards Western Ontario (Windsor, Sarnia, and Niagara Falls) and north to Northern Ontario and Western Canada.
Express service exists between Toronto and Montreal, with Dorval/Montreal Airport
as the only intermediate stop. Hourly service in this so-called ""corridor"" is frequent,
comfortable, and generally adheres well to schedule, making it extremely popular
with local travellers. Remember to ask for student fares if you have an ISIC; see Rail
Travel in North America.
The ""Canadian"" service operated by VIA (three times weekly) goes through
"Northern" Ontario, across the prairies, then through the mountains all the way to
Vancouver.
By car - Major highways leading into Toronto are the QEW, the 404, the 401, the 400, and the 427. Toronto is in the enviable position of being the largest city in Canada, so it's relatively easy to find a sign pointing you in the right direction. Be advised that traffic on incoming highways can be extremely heavy.
The main streets in Toronto are laid out in a grid pattern that makes it one of the
easiest cities to get around in by car. Getting from point to point anywhere in the city
can be achieved with only a few turns. Parking in the downtown core can be
expensive and hard to find, but is plentiful and inexpensive or free throughout the rest
of the city.
