Don’t Travel Throughout The World, Just Come To Toronto

Toronto is one of the most eclectic and vibrant cities in the world. We are famous for our ethnic diversity. Did you know that?:

• Over 100 languages and dialects are spoken here
• More than 40% of the population is considered a visible minority
• Over 1/3 of Toronto residents speak a language other than English at home
• 49% of Toronto’s population was born outside of Canada
• We are the 5th largest city in North America with a population of 4.7 million
• Toronto has the 3rd largest English speaking theatre district in the entire world
• One of our nicknames is “Hollywood North” because we rank 3rd in North American television and film production
• We have 6 professional sports teams
• Toronto is the business centre and heart beat of Canada
• Toronto has more than 7,000 restaurants
• Toronto has 79 ethnic publications
• Toronto’s CHIN radio broadcasts in over 30 languages
• CFMT-TV, Canada’s first multicultural television station based in Toronto, broadcasts programming in 22 languages throughout Ontario

Wandering the streets of Toronto is like a trip around the world. Our neighbourhoods - Little Italy, Corso Italia, 3 Chinatowns, Korea Town, Little Poland, Little India, Portugal Village, Greektown, Kensington Market, St. Lawrence Market, Bloor/Yorkville, the Beach, the Gay Village, Queen St. West, the Financial District, the Entertainment District, the Distillery District, the Fashion District, Forest Hills, Rosedale, Harbourfront, and Cabbagetown – represent every ethnic culture that you can possibly imagine, and a few that you couldn’t imagine.

Ethnic food is everywhere – on the streets, in the supermarkets, and in the food courts. Each neighbourhood is special, unique and part of what makes Toronto great. What’s your favourite part of Toronto?

Did you know that “extended stay” is the fastest growing segment in the hospitality industry today? ELEMENT Hotels which launched in 2006 and has set out to capture this market is getting ready to launch its first Canadian Toronto hotel. Called the ELEMENT Toronto Downtown, this exciting extended stay Toronto hotel will be open and ready to do business in January 2009. Its 220 guestrooms are being created to maximize both productivity and relaxation. Ideally located on Front Street West, guests will be in close proximity to the heart of the financial district, as well as the sights, landmarks, culture, and entertainment that Toronto has to offer.

Extended stay hotels are designed to recreate a residential feel for travelers who spend a lot of time on the road. The ELEMENT Toronto hotel will be designed to make travelers as comfortable as possible and ensure that their suites are fully equipped with features including multi-purpose modular furniture, entertainment units equipped with flat screen televisions, fully equipped kitchens, and spa showers. On site will be a fitness centre, 700 square feet of meeting space, a technology centre, and an outdoor fire pit and barbeque where guests can meet each other and enjoy a meal and drink together.

A complimentary breakfast of hot breakfast sandwiches, smoothies, coffee, and tea will be served daily. The staff is trained to be attentive and intuitive, never intrusive. These properties marry the best of hotel living with the touches of home.

There are many who feel that they most beautiful time of the year is the autumn. The air is crisp and clean, the sun is bright, and the fall colours are a breathtaking kaleidoscope of reds, yellows, and oranges that seem to repaint our streets in technicolour.

In order to enjoy the beauty of the fall colours, you don’t have to drive out of town. In Toronto we have an abundance of parks and green spaces right here in our own backyard.

Toronto gardens and conservatories are alive with fall colours. An invigorating hike is the ideal way to celebrate the season and take in the fall colours. Below is a link to a map of the trails and parks.
http://www.toronto.ca/parks/parks_gardens/index.htm

Don’t forget your camera!

Toronto’s Distillery District is dedicated to promoting arts, culture, and entertainment. The area is defined as Mill Street from Parliament to Cherry Street. No cars are allowed as this is a pedestrian only walkway. However, there is plenty of on street metered parking and parking lots in the area. The only drawback in terms of location is that the Distillery District is not right on a subway line. If you are coming by public transit you will have to take a street car and walk a few blocks. You’ll certainly find it well worth it. The Gooderham & Worts Distillery is one of 40 buildings in the Victorian Industrial Architecture style that have all been lovingly preserved. The shops, galleries, and restaurants are all originals. You won’t find any neon signs or chain stores here. Take advantage of the site tours at the Distillery Visitor Centre and learn more about the area. The beautiful architecture makes it a natural for film shoots and you may notice scenery from Chicago and the X-Men. The 3^rd annual Distillery Blues Festival will be taking place from June 15^th – June 17^th. To learn more about this great event follow the link below.

http://www.distilleryblues.com/

There is a Farmer’s Market every Sunday from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM from June – October and a host of exciting events throughout the year.

To learn more about the Distillery District follow the link below.

http://www.thedistillerydistrict.com/frameset.html
Do you frequent the area? Tell us about your favourite restaurant or event.

The Steelback Brewery of Tiverton, Ontario was not exactly a household name until today. They have now been officially named the new title sponsor for the Toronto Grand Prix which will now be called The Steelback Grand Prix of Toronto. The race is revving up to go from July 6-8 in Toronto. This is a huge drawing card for the city with over 130,000 fan expected to attend the spectacle. This sponsorship represents an enormous financial commitment for the brewery. They’ve made it clear that they are planning to be in it for the long haul.

The Steelback Brewery brews 11 brands of premium beers – Steelhead Draught, Copperhead Pilsener, Bruce County Wild, Steelback Thunder, Steelback Silver,  Steelback Red, Tiverton Bear Honey Brown, Tiverton Bear Dark Lager, Chain, Link Light, and Tango. They currently distribute their beers in Ontario, Alberta, Manitoba, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick. Distribution in Quebec should begin in the near future. The Steelback Brewery is the first in Canada to use unbreakable bottles and large format cans with body-sleeve labels. To learn more about the Steelback Brewery follow the link below.

http://www.steelbackbrewery.com/

For full details on the Toronto Grand Prix follow the link to the official site.

http://www.grandprixtoronto.com/

Are you a Grand Prix fan? Do you think that the Steelback Brewery is a good fit for the race? Or you just relieved that a sponsor stepped up to the plate?

One of the most exciting things about living in Toronto is our availability of world-class live theatre. We boast the third largest theatre centre in the English speaking world after New York and London, featuring everything from blockbuster musicals to experimental fringe theatre.

The Entertainment District is the heart and soul of live entertainment in Toronto. The range of venues that we have will quite frankly amaze you from the 2,000 seat fabulous Roy Thomson Hall to the intimate 200 seat Glenn Gould Theatre/Recording studio in the CBC national headquarters. Toronto’s Entertainment District is home to major productions, symphony, opera, dance, rock concerts, drama, comedy, and dinner theatre. In addition to theatres and concert venues, the club scene is centred here with bars, clubs, lounges, and pubs galore. And the Entertainment District is an oasis of culinary delights with everything from elegant French cuisine to Asian fusion and traditional English pubs. It’s not hard to see why the Entertainment District is always hopping.

For up-to-the-minute details on the live theatre scene in Toronto, click on the link below.

http://www.torontolivetheatre.com/

For a list of restaurants in the Entertainment District click on the link below.

http://www.thedistrict.ca/sections.cfm?section_id=1

For a list of the nightlife in the Entertainment District click on the link below.

http://www.thedistrict.ca/sections.cfm?section_id=6&display=all

 For an Entertainment District event calendar click on the link below.

http://www.thedistrict.ca/calendar.cfm

What is your favourite place in the Entertainment District? Do you regularly attend live entertainment? Anything to recommend?

Just a short ferry ride from Harbourfront is one of the most unique of all of the Toronto neighbourhoods - the charming Toronto Island community. Contrary to popular belief this is a vibrant year-round family oriented community. Over 600 people live in the 262 homes that are situated on 33 acres of land. In case you still have any doubts as to whether this is truly a family oriented community you may be interested to know that 200 of the 600 residents are children. The Island community itself occupies only 4% of the entire area of the 825 acres which is the total area of the Toronto Islands. The Island Parklands occupy 576 acres while the Island Airport is located on 213 acres. Homeownership on the Island is quite different than what most of you envision. Although the residents own their homes, they do not own their land. They lease their lots from the Toronto Island Land Trust. Private sales are prohibited in order to prevent anyone from making a profit from publicly owned land. Home sales are strictly regulated by the Island Trust, which oversees a public list of potential buyers. Only children and spouses of Island homeowners may inherit their homes. All Island homeowners must occupy their homes as their principal residence. In order to satisfy this requirement they must be in residence on the Island for a minimum of 220 days per year. In spite of these restrictions, the residents love their way of life. In fact 37% of the adult population has lived on the Island for 35 years or more and 67% of the adult population has lived on the Island for 20 years or more. How’s that for a ringing endorsement of Island living? Would like to move to the Island? Are you already on the “waiting list”?

One thing that everyone agrees upon is that Harbourfront is now prime real estate, making it attractive to both the private sector and the public sector. With a view to the potential economic benefits to the city, many short term and long term plans for the Waterfront have been developed in order to maximize these opportunities. I won’t bore you with the details. All of the plans can be found by following this link. http://www.toronto.ca/waterfront/reports.htm#fiveyearplan

The Waterfront revitalization plans have great potential. And, many of the ideas and plans seem to make good sense. They include everything from revitalizing and reusing structures such as the Canada Malting Silos on Bathurst Quay to supporting the arts, culture, and heritage programs in Harbourfront. However, public development may be at odds with private investment, as more and more condominiums are developed, overshadowing the green spaces. In essence, it is these green spaces which bring people together and help to create “the neighbourhood identity”. What seems to be lacking is vision and the courage to develop Harbourfront in a way that creates a real neighbourhood and not merely a tourist attraction with incongruous high rise condominiums that is booming in the summer months and desolate the rest of the year.

There is a good deal of mixed emotion concerning these plans, and a good deal of concern. How will these plans impact local business and property values? Who will be paying for all of this? Some feel that the Waterfront revitalization plans are positive for Harbourfront and for the city. Others feel that they are merely ‘cash grab’ opportunities, with little or no regard for Harbourfront as a neighbourhood. On which side to your sentiments lie?