It is also one of the worlds great melting pots with many large and vibrant ethnic groups living in

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Chapter THREE
Toronto
Fast Facts
I
Has the largest Chinese community outside
China 1 destination in Canada for immigration
2nd highest immigrant population in the
world Past nicknames include TO, Hollywood
North, Toronto the Good, Canadas
Belfast Third most important theater city in
the world Torontos Parliament Buildings are
pink because of the sandstone content Houses the
Royal Ontario Museum, 2nd largest museum in North
America, with more than 6 million items Has 30
artificial and 100 natural ice rinks during
winter, with no admission fee Houses the Bata
Shoe Museum, the only one of its kind in the
world, with 10000 exhibits One of the worlds
best medical communities, with over 50 hospitals
t is called a city that works. As the
largest city in Canada, and the capital of
Ontario, Toronto is regularly rated as one of the
worlds best places to live.
It is Canadas center for entertainment, sports,
fashion, culture, and big business. In fact,
Toronto is the fourth largest commercial center
in North America, and third largest for financial
services, after New York and Chicago..
It is also one of the worlds great melting
pots with many large and vibrant ethnic groups
living in the city. Of the 6 million people
living in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), which
represents about 20 of Canadas total
population, about 60 were born somewhere else.
Over 100 languages are spoken here, yet 99 of
the population speaks English. For such a large
city, it is still very clean and safe. Its many
immigrants keep the city fresh. Toronto is one of
the few really livable big cities in the world,
and Torontonians are proud to call their city
home. Toronto is located on the shores of Lake
Ontario, the most easterly of the five Great
Lakes. Ideal for projects with a global presence,
it is 1.5 hours by air to New York, Boston or
Chicago, and has direct flights to most major
cities in the world.
CANADA
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Traveling, Living Studying
Many of Toronto's oldest and best-preserved
buildings can be found here. Highlights include
the Flatiron Building, with its triangular shape
and famous trompe l'oeil mural, and the St
Lawrence Market (later), whose Market Gallery
hosts exhibits of art and historic artifacts. The
North Market's clock tower is one of the city's
finest examples of Victorian classicism.
Old Clock Tower
Considered by Food and Wine magazine to be one of
the world's 25 best food markets, the St.
Lawrence Market is located in the heart of the
historic Old Town Toronto neighbourhood at Jarvis
and Front Streets.The South Market houses more
than 50 gourmet food vendors and over a dozen
lunch counters. Upstairs, the Market Gallery
shows archival art and photographs from the
City's collection and the North Market is home to
the 200 year old Saturday Farmers' Market and
Sunday Antique Market.
Old Town Toronto
Eaton Center
Department stores, exclusive shops, neighborhood
retailers and ethnic markets Toronto has more
than 20,000 stores catering to all fashions and
tastes. Its premier shopping destination, the
Eaton Centre, is a multi-leveled, glass-roofed
galleria comprising more than 320 shops and
restaurants, 17 cinemas, and a 400-room Marriott
hotel.
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Built in 1979, the Eaton Centre boasts 746 of
sales per square foot of retail space the
highest in North America - and is the number one
tourist attraction in Toronto with one million
visitors a week. Modelled after the Galleria in
Milan, Italy, the Eaton Centre was among the
first major downtown shopping centres constructed
in North America. Torontos most exclusive
retail district is located in the Bloor/Yorkville
area. International retailers offering high
fashion designs, eclectic boutiques, fine crystal
and china shops, art galleries, and superb
restaurants are all available in the village-like
atmosphere of Yorkville and Hazelton Lanes.
Harbourfront Like most big cities with a waters
edge, Torontos downtown waterfront has gradually
been transformed into a lakeside people place.
The heart of this revitalization is the
award-winning Harbourfront Centre the site of
art galleries, theatres, craft boutiques
restaurants, offices, hotels and marinas fronted
by a waterside promenade.
Torontos waterfront one of North Americas
largest recreational waterfronts provides a
scenic backdrop for many popular and entertaining
attractions including Harbourfront, Ontario
Place, SkyDome (now called Rogers Center, home
to the Toronto Argonauts football team and the
Toronto Blue Jays baseball team, 1992 and 1993
World Series Champions), the CN Tower, and the
Toronto Islands. Its also the setting of many
big events including the Celebrate Toronto Street
Festival, Caribana, Winterfest and the Canadian
National Exhibition.
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Skydome and CN Tower
CNE Entrance
Bridge in Ontario Place
CN Tower Recently nominated one of the Seven
Wonders of the Modern World, the CN Tower
features glass floor observation decks, a
revolving restaurant, and a Simulator Theatre. It
is Torontos most recognizable landmark and as
such, it receives almost two million visitors
annually. Canadian National Exhibition For the
past 120 years, the 18-day Canadian National
Exhibition, which runs from mid-August until
Labour Day weekend, has traditionally signified
the end of summer to two million visitors from
across Canada and throughout the world. The "Ex",
as it is better known, is the largest annual
exhibition of its kind anywhere. Situated on
the shores of Lake Ontario, the Ex is a 350-acre
carnival of entertainment, rides, buildings,
sports and agriculture. It is also the site of
the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair held each
November. Ontario Science Centre Ontario Place
The Ontario Science Centre offers interactive
and multi-media exhibits with live demonstrations
and exhibits on topics that include sports,
space, the environment and the information
highway. The Science Centre entertains and
educates more than 800,000 visitors each year.
Right nearby the Science Center is Ontario Place.
A 96-acre modernistic culture, leisure and
entertainment parkland complex built on three
human-made islands over the lake, Ontario Place
features restaurants, a childrens village, an
outdoor amphitheatre, a water play area,
mini-golf, the Rush River Raft Ride and many
other attractions. The highlight of Ontario Place
is the Cinesphere a six-story curved screen
capable of showing not only regular 35 and 70
millimetre films, but IMAX films as well.
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The Toronto Zoo At the northeast end of the
city, Canadas largest zoo, the Toronto Zoo,
features more than 5,000 animals in their natural
environment. Divided into geographic regions, the
zoos 710 acres feature more than 5,000 animals
in their natural environments. Its new Africa
Savanna exhibit includes a 32-acre walking safari
through the wild lands of East Africa. Paramount
Canadas Wonderland Canadas largest theme park
was built in 1980 on 300 acres of land just north
of Toronto. It features more than 180 attractions
and 50 thrilling rides, including Canadas only
suspended roller coaster and the largest outdoor
wave pool in the country. Downtown Toronto
offers museums and art galleries galore including
The Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) , Canadas largest
museum and one of the top 10 in the world the
Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO), Canadas oldest art
gallery and home to more than 15,000 paintings
and the Ontario Science Centre, which entertains
and educates 800,000 visitors a year.
Studying lifestyle
There are three huge universities. The University
of Toronto is, by all accounts, probably the best
(and certainly the largest) in the nation,
depending on what you're looking for. Ryerson
Polytechnical University has a staggering variety
of practical programs ranging from film to
chemical engineering.
Collage of U of T scenes
York University is one of the country's most
liberal institutions with a well-regarded arts
faculty, though its 1960's architecture and
remote, suburban location puts some people off.
There are many good community colleges. Some of
these have outstanding programs-- like Sheridan
College's Animation program, recognized as
possibly the best in the world. George Brown
College has a good cuisine and cooking program,
and trains thousands of professionals in things
like home renovation. There's also Seneca and
Humber Colleges, the Toronto School of Business,
and a long list of other institutions serving the
community.
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Sin City? One of the things that often surprises
Americans and other visitors about Toronto is the
absence of violent crime. In fact, Toronto has a
significantly lower rate of violent crime than
almost any other large American or even Canadian
city.
Investigating the crime scene, but not in Toronto!
Vancouver has about six times Toronto's crime,
Edmonton can be messy, Calgary has a higher rate,
and both Ottawa and Montreal have bigger violence
problems. Of course, no Canadian city has the
problems endemic to other North American centres.
The U.S. and Mexico are plagued by urban
violence. It's safe to walk the streets at night,
to go outdoors at almost any hour, and there's no
place in Toronto that's actively dangerous.
There is not a lot of cheap accommodation. Rents
and housing prices are notoriously high. It's a
serious problem for people looking for decent
apartments or houses to rent, or for young people
searching for inexpensive starting properties to
buy. Toronto has great food. The city has the
highest restaurant-to-people ratio of any big
city in North America, and it's got to be one of
the best cities for food in the world. All
Toronto restaurants have fierce competition. The
service is often lacking there's no strong
culture of service or servility in Canada
generally, and visitors frequently complain about
being given lackadaisical or outright rude
service in many eating establishments and shops.
But the range, quality and price make Toronto a
restaurant dream.
Good, fresh food is usually really cheap. There
are several open-air markets. Farmers' markets
make their homes in several of the city's
districts. At all times of the year, even in the
depths of winter, (relatively) cheap fresh
vegetables of every description are available.