As the song says: “Summertime, and the livin’ is easy”… Toronto is awash with numerous outdoor and indoor festivals and events celebrating the city’s diversity and cultures. JULY 1: Today is Canada Day when this country turns 133 and the city has numerous special events, outdoor parties and fireworks. Note that all stores except in
As the song says: “Summertime, and the livin’ is easy”… Toronto is awash with numerous outdoor and indoor festivals and events celebrating the city’s diversity and cultures.
JULY 1: Today is Canada Day when this country turns 133 and the city has numerous special events, outdoor parties and fireworks. Note that all stores except in designated tourist areas are closed.
JULY 6-16: The Fringe – Toronto’s Theatre Festival
This festival at various small and interesting venues in the general area between Bloor and College Streets and showcase young talent in 60 minute stage plays of all types. Check out their web site at www.FringeToronto.com
JULY 7-9: Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibition
At Nathan Phillips Square (Toronto City Hall): the name says it all.
JULY 7-9: Celebrate Toronto Street Festival
This is the third annual happening featuring entertainment and great people-watching.
JULY 14-16: The Molson Indy Weekend
For you racing and speed fans, the Molson Indy Weekend attracts big names on the Indycar tour: see www.MolsonIndy.com
JULY 21-AUGUST 7: Caribana 2000
This is a grand festival of Caribbean music and culture, including the famous parade in all its glory on August 5.
JULY 27-30: Beaches International Jazz Festival
More than 100 bands perform at this free events on indoor and outdoor stages, held in the fun neighbourhood east of downtown called The Beaches (Take the Queen Street streetcar.)
JULY 29-AUGUST 5: Canadian Men’s International Tennis Championships
This is held at York University, accessible by TTC bus (Steeles West) from the Finch subway station.
JULY 31-AUGUST 20: The Fringe Festival of Independent Dance Artists
This is the tenth annual event featuring more than 80 dance artists.
Special Note
If you see all types of moose on the streets of Toronto, you haven’t had one too many! This summer, herds of these stylized fun Canadian northern creatures have migrated down to the metropolis and can be spotted all over the central core. Have a photo-op with your favourite!
Location
Toronto is in Southern Ontario on Lake Ontario, one of the five Great Lakes. It is about 90 minutes by road from the U.S. border (New York state), about 4 hours from Ottawa and five from Montreal, Quebec. The city is quite spread out from east to west and also north but about all the main tourist attractions are accessible by TTC (public transit: bus, streetcars and subway: a third subway line is being completed).
Climate
Lake Ontario tends to moderate the city’s climate especially near downtown so that both the winters and summers are not extreme (with some brief exceptions to the rule!). Spring is brief but fresh and the fall is filled with the glorious colours of maple leaves from mid-September to mid-October approximately.
Getting There
The Airport Express Bus (frequent departures from all three terminals) runs from Pearson International Airport to downtown and three subway stations at a reasonable cost. The subway runs about 20 hours weekdays, less frequent on weekends If you arrive by bus or train, you are right downtown. Pacific Western has excellent, clean coaches with helpful drivers and even runs a van after hours downtown (0100-0500).
Currency and Measurements
There is a Canadian Dollar (x-change rates) with circulating paper bills (multi-coloured) of $5, 10, 20, 50, and $100. The last bill is difficult to change everywhere.
There are 100 cents to the dollar and coins of 1, 5, 10, and 25 (called a penny, nickel, dime, and quarter). There are also two larger coins: a ‘loonie’ ($1) and a ‘twonie'($2).
Canada uses the metric system on the whole, but clothing sizes are often still in inches. Remember that a kilometre is only 6/10 of a mile!
Travellers cheques in Canadian Dollars should be available in your home country and are readily accepted for payment. There are many banks with good hours and also “Bureaux de Change” such as Thomas Cook in many tourist areas.
Neighbourhoods to Explore
Yorkville, The Annex (University of Toronto area), College Street, Corso Italia, The Danforth, Dundas-Spadina/ Kensington Market (Chinese, Vietnamese, and Portuguese), High Park and Bloor West Village, The Beaches and others to discover on your own. All of the above have ambiance and interesting places to eat.
Click here for a map of Toronto’s neighbourhoods in a new browser window.
About the Author
I was born and brought up in Montreal and worked as a driver-guide at Expo ’67, the World’s Fair to celebrate Canada’s Centennial Year in 1967 – what a memorable summer!
I’ve lived in Israel and taught English there before moving to Toronto in 1976. I left teaching 12 years early in middle age to enjoy more adventurous travel, writing and learning.
Some countries/regions I’ve traveled to on my own without a fixed itinerary in the past 5 years are: Morocco, Tunisia, Ecuador, Sicily, Bolivia, Peru, Cuba and the island of Carriacou (find this one!). An upcoming trip is to Greenland at the end of June.