Toronto, Canada
Toronto is the largest city in Canada and is the provincial capital of Ontario. It is located on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. With over 2.5 million residents, it is the fifth-most populous municipality in North America. Toronto is a clean, safe, cosmopolitan city with a wonderful network of parks, recreational, and cultural facilities.
It is home to four professional sports teams and the third largest English-speaking theatre district in the world, behind New York and London. One of the world's most ethnically diverse cities, it is home to more than 80 ethnic communities from Africa, Asia, and Europe.
Paste 2010 seminar attendees will have an opportunity to participate in a multitude of events and activities within the Greater Toronto Area as well as in the outlying regions.
To view additional attractions and list of activities, visit the Toronto Tourism website by clicking on the following link:
www.seetorontonow.com
GREATER TORONTO AREA
St. Lawrence Market
Considered by Food and Wine magazine to be one of the world's 25 best food markets, the St. Lawrence Market is located in the heart of the historic Old Town Toronto neighbourhood at Jarvis and Front Streets.
The South Market houses more than 50 gourmet food vendors and over a dozen lunch counters. Upstairs, the Market Gallery shows archival art and photographs from the City's collection and the North Market is home to the 200 year old Saturday Farmers' Market and Sunday Antique Market.
Several celebration events are also held at the market throughout the year. Discover the market and surrounding area's past with local historians on walking tours filled with food sampling, a world of eccentric characters and amazing tales.
Department Stores, Exclusive Shops, Neighbourhood Retailers and Ethnic Markets
Toronto has more than 20,000 stores catering to all fashions and tastes. Its premier shopping destination, the Eaton Centre, is a multi-levelled, glass-roofed galleria comprising more than 320 shops and restaurants, 17 cinemas, and a 400-room Marriott hotel.
Built in 1979, the Eaton Centre boasts $746 of sales per square foot of retail space - the highest in North America - and is the number one tourist attraction in Toronto with one million visitors a week. Modelled after the Galleria in Milan, Italy, the Eaton Centre was among the first major downtown shopping centres constructed in North America.
Toronto's most exclusive retail district is located in the Bloor/Yorkville area. International retailers offering high fashion designs, eclectic boutiques, fine crystal and china shops, art galleries, and superb restaurants are all available in the village-like atmosphere of Yorkville and Hazelton Lanes.
As the world's most ethnically diverse city, Toronto also has distinctive shopping districts and markets that offer a wide range of unique shopping experiences. These vibrant retail areas include Queen Street West, Kensington Market, St. Lawrence Market, five Chinatowns, Little Italy along St. Clair West, the Greek community along "The Danforth," Little Portugal at Dundas and Bathurst Streets, and Gerrard India Bazaar at Gerrard and Greenwood.
DOWNTOWN ATTRACTIONS
Toronto's waterfront - one of North America's largest recreational waterfronts - provides a scenic backdrop for many popular and entertaining attractions including Harbourfront, Ontario Place, Rogers Centre, the CN Tower, and the Toronto Islands. It is also the setting of many big events including the Scotiabank Nuit Blanche, Caribana, the Toronto International Film Festival, the Canadian National Exhibition and WinterCity.
Downtown Toronto offers museums and art galleries galore including The Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) , Canada's largest museum and one of the top 10 in the world; the Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO), Canada's oldest art gallery and home to more than 15,000 paintings; and the Ontario Science Centre, which entertains and educates 800,000 visitors a year.
At the northeast end of the city, Canada's largest zoo, the Toronto Zoo, features more than 5,000 animals in their natural environment. Just north of the City, Canada's largest theme park, Paramount Canada's Wonderland, features more than 160 attractions and 50 rides in a thrilling environment.
Air Canada Centre
Air Canada Centre is a state-of-the-art arena that is home to the Toronto Raptors of the National Basketball Association and the Toronto Maple Leafs of the National Hockey League.
Rogers Centre (formerly Skydome)
Famous for its retractable roof, the Rogers Centre is home to the Toronto Argonauts football team and the Toronto Blue Jays baseball team, 1992 and 1993 World Series Champions.
CN Tower
Recently nominated one of the Seven Wonders of the Modern World, the CN Tower features glass floor observation decks, a revolving restaurant, and a Simulator Theatre. It is Toronto's most recognizable landmark and as such, it receives almost two million visitors annually. Ontario Science Centre
The Ontario Science Centre offers interactive and multi-media exhibits with live demonstrations and exhibits on topics that include sports, space, the environment and the information highway. The Science Centre entertains and educates more than 800,000 visitors each year.
The Toronto Zoo
Divided into geographic regions, the zoo's 710 acres feature more than 5,000 animals in their natural environments. Its new Africa Savannah exhibit includes a 32-acre walking safari through the wild lands of East Africa.
Paramount Canada's Wonderland
Canada's largest theme park was built in 1980 on 300 acres of land just north of Toronto. It features more than 180 attractions and 50 thrilling rides, including Canada's only suspended roller coaster and the largest outdoor wave pool in the country.
Ontario Place
A 96-acre modernistic culture, leisure and entertainment parkland complex built on three human-made islands over the lake, Ontario Place features restaurants, a children's village, an outdoor amphitheatre, a water play area, mini-golf, the Rush River Raft Ride and many other attractions. The highlight of Ontario Place is the Cinesphere - a six-story curved screen capable of showing not only regular 35 and 70 millimetre films, but IMAX films as well.
Harbourfront
Like most big cities with a water’s edge, Toronto's downtown waterfront has gradually been transformed into a lakeside people place. The heart of this revitalization is the award-winning Harbourfront Centre - the site of art galleries, theatres, craft boutiques restaurants, offices, hotels and marinas fronted by a waterside promenade. Harbourfront Centre attracts approximately 3.5 million visitors every year.
Toronto Islands
Only a 10-minute ferry ride from the foot of Yonge Street, the Toronto islands offer a panoramic view of the city skyline. Centre Island offers miles of parkland with beaches, barbecues and picnic tables, boat rentals, bicycle paths, a children's farm and even an amusement park.
OUT OF DOWNTOWN
Barber poles and horse-drawn carriages, bistros, free houses and artisan markets – life in the boutique towns of the Greater Toronto region takes all the things you love about the summer, and makes them more intimate.
Streetsville
This village in the city represents the synergies between new and old culture in Mississauga – an inspiring mix of style and heritage has created a unique experience.
Markham Village
A mix of small-and-large-town ambiance, Markham Village is vibrant with historic villages, quaint boutiques and picturesque surroundings.
Port Credit
A waterside village of marinas with a maritime pace and a landlubber’s laundry list of marinas, boutiques, craft shops, pubs, bistros and bourgeois fare.
Kleinburg and Thornhill
Inspired by the area’s heritage and appreciation for art, Kleinburg and Thornhill are all about summer’s intimate warmth and festivals that bring the community to life.
Niagara Falls
While there are a great variety of attractions and activities to enjoy in the Niagara region, most visitors come for the Falls. Once seminar attendees have had a chance to see the Falls from the sidelines, getting up close is a must. The Maid of the Mist boat tour takes visitors on a boat ride at the foot of Niagara Falls for a wet and wild view of the 13-story falls from below. A completely different sensation, Journey Behind the Falls sounds like thunder as you descend to tunnels that travel to Observation Decks literally behind the falls.
Niagara Wine Region
Whether Paste 2010 attendees are avid wine lovers or just enjoy a beautiful country escape with a bit of food and drink, the Niagara wine region beckons. Twenty-five vineyards dot the landscape just 15 to 20 minutes outside Niagara Falls in quiet and charming Niagara-on-the-Lake. Remarkably, the entire Niagara wine region-the peninsula along the shores of Lake Ontario-is home to over 50
Wineries
Attendees can discover the best of Niagara-on-the-Lake vineyards by following the Wine Route of Ontario through the countryside by car, bike or guided tour. Many of Ontario’s wineries have on-site restaurants to pair their fine wines with regional cuisine and an array of Niagara bed-and-breakfasts are situated among the vineyards for overnight outings.
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