TORONTO, ONTARIO
CANADA
Greater Toronto Population: 4.26 million
Area: 392 square miles
10 miles of waterfront; 9,778 acres of parks
Toronto is Canada's largest and most cosmopolitan city. In the last couple of decades there has been an influx of immigrants from the Caribbean, Africa, Latin America, and Eastern Europe that has made the city incredibly diverse and extremely exciting. In fact, my main purpose for going in August of 1997 was to enjoy the annual Caribanafestivities. Caribana is Toronto's answer to New York City's West Indian Day Parade. Anyone who knows anything about Caribbean culture knows that every major city in the world that is inhabited by people from the islands has a carnival of some sort. There just ain't no gettin' around it.
The travel books give you a specific list of things to do and see in Toronto. You can visit the CN Tower which at 1,497 feet is the tallest free standing structure in the world. It dominates the skyline. There is a revolving restaurant inside. You can ride up in see through elevators which allow you to see the Harbourfront and Lake Ontario as you're riding. I must say it's quite an impressive sight. And if the elevators aren't enough, the floor of the observation deck has some glass panels, so you can see all the way down. Most people who were there when I was were afraid to walk over them. I ain't gonna front. So was I. There is a disco and virtual reality games inside the Tower too.
The big white dome right beside the CN Tower is the SkyDome. The Toronto Blue Jays play there. If you're a baseball fan, congratulations. I hear you'll have the time of your life. I'm not a fan, so I didn't bother. If you're a hockey fan, take a trip up to the Hockey Hall of Fame.
The books also give you lists of restaurants and tours to take. They tell you to visit the Art Gallery of Toronto,the Royal Ontario Museum, and the Bata Shoe Museum. A shoe museum? Yawn!!
If you really want to experience Toronto, you have to chuck those travel books and buy a copy of the Toronto Star. In every major city you visit, if something's happening, it will be in the entertainment section of the daily newspaper. That is how I kept up with the concerts and shows that I went to. Among other things, I got a chance to see Maxi Priest and Third World at a club. I went to a couple of soca shows. I saw Romeo and Juliet in Hyde Park, and a terrific play called Come Good Rain by a Nigerian dissident.
For great shopping, visit Kensington Market. It's named after a London, England neighborhood. Don't be surprised. Everywhere you go, you're reminded that Canadians remain very loyal to the British crown. Kensington Market is an open air market, just north of Chinatown. It covers several streets, although it is not centralized. Most of the storefronts are run by vendors from all over the world. There were Greek restaurants and West Indian groceries. I even bought some fabric there from some Eastern Europeans. Cool, huh? Believe me you'll love it when you see it.
I had a terrific time in Toronto. To be honest, after the Caribana parade, I had planned to move on to Montreal. But I found out that Niagara Falls was only four hours away by train. So you think I didn't say goodbye to Montreal? My motto is to throw plans to the wind, and let fate be my guide. I couldn't miss this golden opportunity to see the 7th natural wonder of the world. From this page you can link to my little collection of photos from Niagara Falls. I hope you enjoy them. And if you ever visit Toronto, email-me. Tell me what you thought of it.
