Great things to do in Toronto, Canada

Great things to do in Toronto, Canada

Toronto is a city that can easily overwhelm a visitor (or a resident) with the sheer volume of diversions it offers.  There are so many things to see, and so many things to do that, you will never be able to get everything done.  It is a city that is definitely worth a second, third or fourth visit.

Toronto is Canada’s biggest city and the country’s main economic and financial centre.  It is located on Lake Ontario in the southern part of the province of Ontario.  The city is a few miles away from Niagara Falls and just a 2 hour drive away from the city of Buffalo in Upstate New York.

The CN Tower is one of the tallest buildings in the world and the most visible landmark in the city, for reasons that should be obvious.  The tower has a distinctive and easily recognizable shape.  If you are in downtown Toronto the tower will always be visible and can be used for orientation.  The southernmost point of downtown Toronto is the lakeshore.  The tower is located near the Lakeshore.  So when you are downtown, the direction where you see the tower will always be south.  Not surprisingly, the CN Tower has traditionally been a tourist favourite; the cost of admission is about $20-30 Canadian.

Toronto is home to a wide variety of professional and amateur sports teams and sporting venues.  Some of the larger, downtown, sporting venues are the Ricoh Coliseum, the Air Canada Centre and the Rogers Centre, formerly known as the skydome.  Major league sports teams in the city include the NHL Maple Leafs, the NBA Raptors and the Toronto Blue Jays of American League baseball.  The Leafs and the Raptors play at the Air Canada Centre, while the Blue Jays play at the Rogers Centre.  The Toronto Argos of the Canadian Football League (CFL) play at the Rogers Centre.  These stadiums also host other sporting events as well as concerts.

Toronto is home to a variety of shopping centres.  The Toronto Eaton Centre is a large mall located in the heart of downtown Toronto, at Yonge and Dundas.  Large shopping centres outside of the downtown core include Yorkdale Mall in North York and upscale Sherway Gardens in Etobicoke.  Square One Mall is a large shopping centre located in Mississauga, a suburban municipality west of Toronto.  Pacific Mall is a large, Asian-style mall that is located just outside Toronto city boundaries in the suburb of Markham.

There are many museums, art galleries and similar attractions in Toronto.  The Royal Ontario Museum (the ROM) is located in downtown Toronto.  The Bata Shoe Museum is about a block away from the ROM.  The Shoe Museum contains a collection of footwear from various parts of the world and from various time periods.  The city is home to several art galleries, including the Art Gallery of Ontario and the Gardiner Museum.  Other downtown attractions include the Hockey Hall of Fame, the Toronto Reference Library, both of which are located on Yonge Street.  The Science Centre is outside of the downtown core but it is a still great place to visit, especially for those who have children.  Canada’s Wonderland and Wild Water Kingdom are two amusement parks located north and northwest of the city.

Toronto’s history is preserved in a variety of historical sites.  Black Creek Pioneer Village, in the north end of the city, is a recreation of a typical early colonial community in southern Ontario.  Fort York, in the west end of downtown Toronto, is a relic of the earliest days of British settlement in the area.  The Fort was originally established as a British military garrison in 1793 and saw action against American forces in the War of 1812.  Also of historical interest is Casa Loma, the palatial home of a wealthy turn-of-the-century investor.  When the owner was unable to pay his taxes during the Depression, the home was seized by the government.  Today it is open to the public.

Toronto has a wide variety of parks and neighbourhoods to explore.  Yonge Street is the city’s main commercial strip.  Yonge-Dundas Square is just across the street from the Eaton Centre.  It hosts free, open air events throughout the year.  Bay Street, one block west of Yonge, contains the financial center of the city.  Another block west is the sprawling downtown University of Toronto campus.  The University is the oldest post-secondary institution in the city.  The city’s main Chinatown runs along Spadina Avenue and along Dundas Street.  The area includes brightly lit signs in Chinese characters and food stalls along the sidewalk.  There are other Chinatown areas in city including East Chinatown and Agincourt in the east end.  Just west of Chinatown, off Spadina Avenue, is Kensington Market.  Kensington consists of narrow streets and shops that sell a wide variety of food and other items.  There are shops selling fresh fish, clothing stores, Caribbean grocery and food stores and stores selling food from a variety of other cultures.  Other ethnic neighbourhoods include Greektown on the Danforth, Koreatown on Bloor Street, Little Italy, Little Portugal, Little India and Little Jamaica on Eglinton West.  Queen Street West is a street known for its avant-garde scene.  The entertainment district runs along Richmond Street West and Adelaide, just south of Queen Street West.  Yorkville, at Yonge and Bloor, is an upscale area.  It is known to be frequented by visiting celebrities, especially during the Toronto International Film Festival.

Toronto wide variety of festivals and events going on throughout the year.  The International Film Festival, in early to mid-September, draws famous actors and directors to city.  The Caribana parade in late July/early August attracts visitors from Montreal and the United States to watch a Caribbean-style parade along the Lakeshore.  There are countless other events in the city, including Doors Open Toronto and Taste of the Danforth. 
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