The City of Toronto is in the Province of Ontario and is Canada's largest city boasting a population of over 2.4 million people. In fact, Toronto is the fifth largest city in North America. Toronto is also the capital city of Ontario,

Located on the North end of Lake Ontario, Toronto is a cosmopolitan city and the financial centre of Canada. In January of 1998, the original City of Toronto was expanded to include six other cities that made up the Metropolitan Toronto Area.

The City of Toronto includes a large number of ethnic areas including the Malta Village in the West end. Other neighbourhoods include a Greek area in the East end, an Italian area, Chinatown (there are actually two areas that can be considered Chinatowns in Toronto, the biggest and most colourful is located in downtown Toronto and the other in Agincourt in the North-East). This makes for a very interesting and exciting place to visit and live.

There is never a lack of things to do in Toronto. If you like culture, Toronto can satisfy all your needs. There are many excellent theatres in Toronto and musical productions are very popular. Toronto is the 3rd largest English-language theatre centre in the world, behind London and New York. Theatres include the Elgin and Winter theatres on Yonge Street, the Pantages Theatre on Young Street (Phantom of the Opera has been running there for the last ten years!), the Princess of Wales Theatre and the Royal Alexandra Theatre. For more information about the theatre in Toronto visit the Livent Inc. Web Page. Other cultural icons of Toronto include the world-renown National Ballet of Canada, the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, and the Canadian Opera Company.

For those who like sport, Toronto has five professional teams: Toronto Argonauts - Football (North American Variety), Toronto Blue Jays - Baseball , Toronto Raptors - Basketball, and Toronto Maple Leafs - Hockey. Other sporting activities, such as marathons, sailing, track & field and others are also popular.

For those who prefer sight-seeing, museums, art galleries and such, Toronto has a lot to offer as well. The Art Gallery of Ontario and the Royal Ontario Museum have some great world-class collections. There are other interesting museums including the Museum for Textiles for example.

If you prefer sightseeing, Toronto has some great building to visit, including Casa Loma a huge castle complete with turrets, tunnels and beautiful grounds. Other tourist attractions include the CN Tower (the tallest free-standing building in the world), the SkyDome (the first stadium in the World with a retractable roof), Historic Fort York, the Ontario Science Centre, Ontario Place (a playground for children and adults built on the lake!), and the Metro Toronto Zoo a world-class Zoo.

Toronto is also very well known for its restaurants and some Toronto chefs have been acclaimed as the best in the world in recent years. The City of Toronto has over 7,000 restaurants. Any type of food you can imagine is served in Toronto. If ethnic food is your pleasure, all you have to do is visit one of the ethnic neighbourhoods. In the summer, many side-walk cafes are set up all over Toronto.

If shopping is your hobby, then Toronto is a piece of heaven. Many large shopping centres are located throughout Toronto. There are also some very special shopping and interesting areas and centres including the Eaton Centre in downtown Toronto. The Eaton Centre is the premier shopping destination in Toronto. It attracts more than 800,000 people weekly. The Eaton Centre houses more than 320 shops and restaurants and 17 cinemas. The boutiques of Yorkville and Bloor Street, the shops at the Harbourfront, the shops of The Beach, and the bright and in-your-face shops on Yonge Street are not to be missed.

Toronto boasts North America's largest continuous underground pedestrian system, which connects about 1,100 stores and restaurants, 48 office towers, 6 major hotels and several entertainment and cultural centres. When it gets a bit cold or wet, head underground for a unique Toronto experience.

Toronto has many neighbourhood parks, ravines, and recreation areas. High Park in the West end is a beautiful place to spend a few hours. Toronto's High Park is the 2nd largest city park in the world, after Central Park in New York. Walking, bicycling and jogging are popular activities in Toronto. There are also some sandy beaches for those who adore the sun. Sailing and boating are very popular and Lake Ontario is an excellent spot for water sports and activities.

Toronto is also the home of Canada's largest University, the University of Toronto. The University of Toronto has three campuses and a student body of over 60,000. The University is the fifth largest university in North America. Other Universities in Toronto include York University, and Ryerson Polytechnic University. There are also four colleges located in Toronto, Centennial College, Seneca College, George Brown College, and Humber College

But don't take my word for it, visit some of the Web Pages about things to do with Toronto and you'll see what I mean. Here are some links to start you off.

City Net Toronto Link
Dine Net
Heritage Toronto Web Page
City of Toronto Web Page
Toronto Restaurant & Entertainment Network
Toronto Guide - Citynet

Return to Top of Page