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Toronto Holidays, Hotels & Travel Guide
Travel guide to hotels & holidays in Toronto
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Toronto Holidays Overview
A guide to holidays in Toronto - The most heavily populated city in Canada,
Toronto is a vibrant, cosmopolitan, financial, commercial and
cultural centre with a rich multi-cultural heritage of more than 80
ethnic groups, speaking more than 100 languages. It has a lively
stock exchange, soaring futuristic architecture, museums, art
galleries, performing arts companies, fine restaurants, large
shopping complexes, a waterfront and hundreds of parks.
The city is sited on the north shore of Lake Ontario, and
sports distinctive neighbourhoods as well as the longest street in
the world, Yonge Street, as its main north-south artery. Toronto's
main landmark is the CN Tower, which is the world's tallest
free-standing structure with glass-fronted elevators that rise
1,815ft (553m) to indoor and outdoor observation decks. The city
also boasts the 'Skydome', which is a multi-purpose entertainment
complex with a retractable roof, billed as the world's greatest
entertainment centre. In the 17th century
Toronto was a small French colony; then came the American
Revolution which encouraged scores of families whose loyalties lay
with the British to flee north. Many settled beside the lake
establishing a town known as York, which slowly grew in importance
as an administrative and manufacturing centre. In 1834 the name was
changed to Toronto, an Indian word meaning 'meeting place'. The new
name proved worthy when about a century later the city's English
character began to be buried beneath the conglomeration of cultures
brought in by a massive tide of immigrants from all corners of the
world. Old English pubs and Victorian and Edwardian architecture
survive among the skyscrapers, but Toronto is today a lively and
cosmopolitan city and Canada's commercial
capital.
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Toronto
holidays - Top Places To Go
1. Casa Loma
1 Austin Terrace
www.casaloma.org |
What is it? Canada's own castle, Casa Loma, is today
owned by the City of Toronto and draws plenty of interest standing
in medieval splendour on its hilltop site. The castle was formerly
the home of Canadian financier, Sir Henry Pellatt, who engaged the
noted architect E J Lennox to help him realise a life-long dream of
building a castle. Construction started in 1911 and it took 300 men
nearly three years to complete the impressive Casa Loma. Inside
visitors can see the magnificent decorated suites, secret passages,
and 800ft (244m) long tunnel, while outside it is possible to
stroll through the beautiful five-acre estate gardens. Self-guided
audio tours are available and the castle is open every
day.
Hours of Operation: Daily 9.30am to 5pm
Phone:(416) 923 1171 |
2. CN Tower
301 Front Street West
www.cntower.ca |
What is it? Standing 1,815ft (553m) high, Toronoto's
landmark CN Tower is the world's tallest building, a celebrated
icon, an important telecommunications hub and the centre of tourism
in Toronto. About two million people visit the tower each year to
take in the panoramic view and enjoy all its attractions. The tower
was built in 1976 by the company Canadian National, who undertook
the project simply to prove the strength of Canadian industry and
solve the city's communication problems. Since then tourist
attractions and facilities have been added, and the revitalised
tower opened to the public in 1998, proving a hit with locals and
visitors alike. The tower has four look out levels. At the first at
1,122ft (342m) is an outdoor observation deck with a spectacular
glass floor; somewhat higher at the next level is an indoor
observation deck and the Horizon's café, offering light meals high
in the sky; at the 1,150ft (351m) level is a revolving restaurant,
which rotates once every 72 minutes, allowing a stunning view of
the city below while dining on the award-winning fare; finally
comes the top level, at a dizzying 1,465ft (447m), known as the Sky
Pod. At the top of the CN Tower visitors stand on the world's
highest public observation deck. The tower is situated in the heart
of Toronto's entertainment district, on the north shore of Lake
Ontario.
Hours of Operation: 10am to 10pm daily in season. Phone for other
seasonal hours
Phone:(416) 868 6937 |
3. Royal Ontario Museum
100 Queen's Park
www.rom.on.ca |
What is it? Pride of place in this large and varied
museum is held by the golden mosaic ceiling inside the main
entrance to the building in Queen's Park, Toronto. The ceiling is
adorned with patterns and symbols representing cultures from around
the world throughout the ages, and is made from cut squares of
imported Venetian glass. The museum consists of three buildings
housing 200,000 square feet (18,581 sq m) of galleries and
exhibitions. The more than 40 galleries showcase art, archaeology
and science exhibits. Among the most popular are dinosaurs,
galleries of Chinese Art, a bat cave, a gem and gold room, exhibits
about Ancient Egypt and Nubia, and the Samuel European
Galleries.
Hours of Operation: Monday to Sunday 10am to 6pm, late opening until
9.30pm on Friday
Phone:(416) 586 5549 |
Toronto
holidays - Top Events
1. Toronto Pride
From 2007-06-01
To 2007-06-30
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What is it? Toronto Pride is the third largest gay and
lesbian celebration in the world, attracting hundreds of thousands
of visitors in the last week of June to participate in hundreds of
events. The Pride week has a different theme each year which sets
the tone for the hundreds of activities and events on the
programme, culminating in the massive pride parade with its floats
and performers, and the 'Dyke March'. The main event of the week is
'Unity', a non-stop all-night dance party featuring spectacular
stage shows, billed as one of the best parties in the northern
hemisphere.
Where is it? ?Unity' takes place at the National Trade Center; the Pride
Parade follows a route down Yonge Street; the Dyke March route is
north on Church to Bloor, west on Bloor to Yonge, south on Yonge to
Wood and east on Wood to the South Stage. Other events take
p |
2. Festival of Fire
From 2007-06-30
To 2007-07-07
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What is it? Easily the most spectacular event during the
summer in Toronto is the annual fireworks extravaganza that lights
up the sky over the city's waterfront, watched by an estimated two
million people. The show is set to music and the fireworks are set
off from barges in Lake Ontario. For more information phone (416)
314 9900.
Where is it? Paid for reserved seating available on Ontario Place pier or
on Mariposa Harbour cruise boats, otherwise watch from anywhere on
the lake shore |
3. Cavalcade of Lights
From 2006-11-25
To 2006-12-25
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What is it? Toronto's festive season officially kicks off
at the end of November each year with the brilliant illumination of
Nathan Phillips Square with more than 100,000 lights and a massive
Christmas tree, heralding a month of merry-making and fun events in
the city centre. Events include 'Designs in Ice' exhibition,
outdoor concerts, street theatre and skating parties. For more
information contact Toronto Special Events on (416) 395 0490 or
email spevmktg@toronto.ca
Where is it? Nathan Phillips Square |
4. International Children's Festival of the Arts
From 2007-05-01
To 2007-05-31
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What is it? Children from all over the world come
together at the Toronto International Children's Festival of the
Arts to make each other happy. Top class child entertainers are
identified worldwide by the Festival's talent scouts and invited to
take to the stage to perform for their peers in a feast of
theatrical, musical and physical entertainment that in previous
years has included dance troupes, gymnastic champions, violinists,
acrobats and jazz ensembles.
Where is it? Harbourfront Centre |
5. Contact
From 2007-05-01
To 2007-05-31
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What is it? Taking photography far beyond the realms of
the snapshot, Contact is the most important annual photographic
event in the Americas, attracting hundreds of thousands of visitors
and exhibitors, highlighting the enduring significance of
photography in modern life. About 140 different exhibitions make up
Contact, sited in various locations throughout the city. The theme
for 2007 is the constructed image.
Where is it? Various galleries, museums, art centres and other public
places in Toronto |
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