C’mon Toronto, have a good time in this buzzing city on the shores of Lake Ontario, one of the largest fresh body of water in the world that resembles an ocean more than a lake.

Over 40% of the people of Toronto are not native Canadians. Toronto has the third largest percentage of immigrants in the world at 49.9% of the total population only behind Miami (59.5%) and Dubai (71%). 

 

A recent report by the Economist Intelligence Unit analyzed cities around the world on parameters such as culture, healthcare, economic stability, education, environment and infrastructure. It ranked the city of Toronto 4th for liveability. Toronto had high scores when it came to healthcare, education and stability.

C’mon means join us, come along a tour of what is the 5th largest city in North America after Mexico City, New York, Los Angeles and Chicago. 

Toronto has approximately 301 days of measurable sunshine; with December having the least days at 19. On the summer solstice, the sun rises at 5:30 am and sets at 9:00 pm. On the contrary, when it is the winter solstice, the sun sets much earlier at 4:45 pm.

Hot summers and free public pools are everywhere if you can handle sunning on concrete. There are sandy beaches, just a ferry away are the Toronto Islands, with clothing-optional beaches too.

The Toronto Islands lies on top of a 900-acre floating sandbag, a short ferry ride away from downtown Toronto, the largest urban car-free community in North America. Centre Island is also the place Babe Ruth hit his first professional home run! They are a popular recreational destination and home to the Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport. 

The City of Toronto offers instructional recreation programs, leisure recreation programs and various services and facilities for people of all ages and abilities, promoting active and healthy lifestyles. There are 39 centres that offer select recreation programs at no charge.

Toronto has the largest and longest underground network in the world, perfect for surviving the harsh winters, you can walk the PATH and not surface for blocks. The PATH is the largest continuous underground shopping mall in North America. According to Guinness World Records, PATH is the world’s largest underground walkway with a total of 29 km (18 miles) of retail space. The PATH connects 50 office towers, 5 subway stations, six hotels and one railway terminal.

The city is also home to over 50 major attractions including art museums, heritage sites, cultural centres and zoos. Hundreds of events, festivals, regattas and marathons take place throughout the year. The Toronto Zoo is the largest zoo in Canada and the third largest in the world.

The third-largest city for English theatre, Toronto is just behind New York and London, hosting the largest number of theatre and performing arts organisations in Canada and one of the largest cultural centres in North America perform in over ten major theatres.

Toronto is that the city holds many festivals throughout the seasons which bring international visitors. The most popular of the Toronto events are the Caribana Festival, Toronto International Film Festival, and the Gay Pride Parade.

Originally called the “Festival of Festivals”, the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) was cofounded in 1976, is widely noted as the second most prestigious in the world, only behind Cannes. 

Around 25% of Hollywood films are actually filmed in Toronto. Famous Toronto film and tv actors include Mike Myers, Eugene Levy, Jim Carrey, John Candy, Eric McCormack, Catherine O’Hara, and Howie Mandel.

A festival celebrating Caribbean culture in early August, the Caribana Parade in Toronto is the longest Parade in North America. It hosts over 10,000 costumed performers over a 3.6-kilometre stretch.

Toronto’s CN Tower is 553.3 m-high (1,815.3 ft) concrete communications and observation tower in downtown, a national icon, engineering wonder. Rocket to the top in a 58-second ride aboard glass-fronted lifts, views from four observation areas include LookOut, the world-famous Glass Floor and Outdoor SkyTerrace and SkyPod, or experience the thrilling EdgeWalk, the world’s highest outdoor walk, and revolving views at 360 Restaurant. 

The construction of the tower was completed in 1976 becoming the world’s tallest free-standing structure and world’s tallest tower at the time. It held both records for 34 years until the completion of Burj Khalifa and Canton Tower in 2010. It is now the third tallest tower in the world.

I could go on about what I love about Toronto, and although I haven’t lived there for many years, in the end, it is still home.