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Guide to Toronto, Canada
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Toronto
The Canadian city known both for its size and for its ethnic diversity, Toronto is has multiculturalism, historic architecture, clean and safe streets, and some of the best cuisine in the country. Festivities take over the boulevards and parks in the summer, and people huddle inside theatres for world-class music and theatre in winter. The city is easily navigable thanks to the well-laid grid system, and downtown bristles with gleaming skyscrapers. Add to that a location on the northern edge of Lake Ontario and you have yourself the perfect destination!
How To Get There
The largest, busiest and most accommodating airport in the country, Pearson International Airport is among the most frequented in North America. Non-stop flights from Europe, Asia, South America, Australia, and the USA arrive at Pearson every day, where travellers enjoy a host of amenities from VIP rooms to coffee shops. Inside the terminal there are a number of car rental agencies, but buses and taxis are the best way of getting around. Flight time from London is approximately eight hours.
Travelling Around
Torontos subway system is loved by visitors and regular commuters alike. It is operated by the TTC (Toronto Transit Commission), and is great because each fare is good for one hour, no matter which mode (bus, subway, streetcar) you choose to use. Cycling is a great way of getting around the city, especially in spring and summer. The 25 miles of bicycle routes are great for visiting places vehicles and subway cars wont get you to.
When To Go
Because Toronto lies on the southeastern edge of Canada, it escapes the intense snowstorms that hit the central and northern parts of the country. Nevertheless, winters are still bitterly cold. We suggest that you book your trip for summertime when the weather is warm and sunny. Spring and autumn are pleasant too, but the closer you get to November or February, the less of a chance that the attractions you want to see will be open (apart from the indoor cultural and arts establishments which are open all year round).
What To See
There are some unique museums in Toronto. The Textile Museum has over 10,000 items from Latin America, Africa, Europe, Southeast Asia and India, as well as modern Canada. Torontos First Post Office is now a living museum. You can write a letter with a quill pen, and pay to have it sealed and sent with an 1883 postmark. For something a bit out of the ordinary, try the Bata Shoe Museum. With everything shoe-related from 19th century French chestnut-crushing clogs, polar boots, and pairs worn by Elton John, Indira Gandhi and Pablo Picasso, its quite an experience.
When youre all museumed out, head to Ontario Place. This huge recreation complex is built on three artificial islands. Buy a 'Play All Day' pass for access to the rides and attractions, which include Soak City waterpark and Cinesphere.
Cabbagetown may not be the most evocative name for a district, but it has some of the best buildings in Toronto, such as the grand romanesque Dance & Theatre School.
Downtown Toronto is home to the famous Canadian National Tower - the highest freestanding structure in the world. The CN Tower is a radio and TV communications mast, but visitors can tour the two observation decks for a birds eye view of the city. One deck has a glass floor, the other is an outside platform. On a clear day you can see for about a hundred miles. Downtown also has the Old Town district with its Flatiron Building, St Lawrence Market and North Market clock tower.
Why not take a bicycle for a spin along the waterfront on the Toronto Islands which are separated from the mainland by a huge sandbar and have a beachy feel.
Hotspot
If you need a break from the bustle of the city, take some time out at the Toronto Music Garden - a sculpted garden designed to express Bach's Suite No 1 for Unaccompanied Cello. Cellist Yo-Yo Ma helped create the landscape, with its arc-shaped grove of conifers, wildflower meadow and outdoor amphitheatre which hosts free summer concerts.
Night LifeToronto has a vibrant and varied nightlife. It's at the forefront of theatre, presenting Broadway shows before they reach Broadway. The Toronto Symphony Orchestra is world famous, and the city's dance and music venues attract the very best international performers. Toronto is a hot bed of comedy. Its clubs have nurtured talent like Jim Carrey, Mike Myers and John Candy. Toronto also has a buzzing nightclub scene, and martini bars are popular. If glitz and glamour arent for you, there are plenty of pool bars. For up to the minute listings, check out Where Toronto, Toronto Life and the Toronto Star) as well as the free weeklies Now and Eye which are available around the city.
fast facts
- Toronto is the largest city in Canada, and is the countrys economic capital
- residents are called Torontonians
- Toronto has fourteen sister cities including Chicago, Frankfurt, Cairo and Milan
- the city is home to the world's longest street, Yonge Street, which stretches for 1,896 kilometres
- more people live in Toronto than in Canadas four Atlantic provinces combined
- Toronto means meeting place" in the Huron language
Quick History
Thousands of years ago the Toronto area was settled by several tribes including the Iroquois, Seneca, Mississauga and Huron. The first European to land there was French explorer Etienne Brule. The area was colonised by the French, who were driven out by the British in 1760.
Toronto became a city and capital of Upper Canada in 1793, and was named Fort York in honour of the Duke of York. It wasnt until 1834 that the Huron name Toronto was used. At this point the city had 9,000 inhabitants.
Towards the end of the 19th century Toronto grew as a business centre. Urbanisation began as the steamboat port and railway developed. The city became capital of Ontario in 1867, and by 1891 the population was over 150,000. Torontos economy flourished with mining and forestry, but was hit by the Great Depression of the 1930s. The world wars also hit the city badly, but manufacturing boosted the economy.
The population of the city rose to a million during the 1950s, and the decade saw the beginning of metropolitan government and subway construction. The Sears Tower was completed in 1976, and is still one of the world's tallest buildings. By 1998 Toronto was officially known as a "megacity and is the fifth largest city in North America.
Money
There are around two Canadian dollars to the pound. Up-to-date exchange rates can be found on this currency converter.
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