TRAVEL| 10 Fun or not Facts About Toronto, Ontario

I visited Toronto, Canada in March 2020. It wasn’t my first time travelling to Canada but it was my first time in Toronto.  I like to write fun or not facts about places I travel to for the first time. Keep reading for fun or not facts about Toronto.

1.) Toronto is a city, not a province

Toronto is the capital of Ontario which is a province in east-central Canada that borders the U.S. and the Great Lakes. Yes, Ontario has 52 cities and Toronto is just one of them. 

2.) Toronto is the Largest City in Canada

Toronto is Canada’s largest city with a population of almost 5.6 million now and the number one tourist destination in Canada. Toronto is the 5th largest city in North America after Mexico City, New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago. 

3.) Toronto is referred to as “The Six”

So I only just found out about this recently when my friends that live in Chicago asked me when I was leaving the six. I was like, hold up, the six? Then I went on google. Some say Toronto is referred to as “The 6” because the area code is 416 and this nickname was coined by Drake. Others say “The 6” was used as a term for the original 6 areas of Toronto: Old Toronto, York, North York, East York, Etobicoke, and Scarborough.

4.) The city of Toronto is Beautiful

Not to sound cliché but the city is truly beautiful. I had a nice view of Downtown Toronto through my Airbnb apartment and I never got enough of the view. It’s colourful, it’s busy and it’s never quiet.

5.) Toronto is The New York of Canada

You can easily say Toronto reminds you of all the bright lights, the crowded places and overall vibe New York gives. There’s a popular street in Toronto; Yonge Street which pretty much has everything you may want or need. Just keep walking!

6.) The Toronto Eaton Center is the most visited tourist attraction in Toronto

The Toronto Eaton Centre is a shopping mall in Downtown Toronto and it attracts the most visitors of any of Toronto’s tourist attractions. It has been regarded as North America’s biggest shopping mall due to its extensive transit access, strategic location and tourist traffic. Think of it as the Westfield of Toronto but it’s even bigger.

7.) Toronto is home to the CN Tower

The CN Tower is a 553.3 meters high concrete communications and observation tower located in Downtown Toronto. It is the ninth tallest free-standing structure in the world and a popular tourist attraction in Toronto. It is open 364 days a year and visited by approximately two million people every year. 

8.) The Busiest Airport in Canada is in Toronto

The Toronto Pearson International Airport is Canada’s biggest and busiest airport. It has two terminals and is the second-largest employment zone in Canada facilitating over 50,000 jobs (source).

 9.)  Weather Update – It is Mostly Cold

As expected with most cities in Canada, it is colder than hotter in Toronto. However, the weather in Toronto is more bearable (Toronto has 301 days of measurable sunshine per year) than Winnipeg which I visited in 2018.  It was cold when I visited in March and I couldn’t even step out to the balcony without warm clothes. The best time of year to visit Toronto for warm-weather activities is from late June to early September.

10.) There is Uber in Toronto

You may be wondering why this made the list but when I visited Winnipeg, Manitoba there were no Ubers. A taxi was by meter and it was expensive.  I booked an uber easily from the airport to the apartment when I arrived and it was a stress-free and fairly priced experience. 

Have you ever been to Toronto?

Stay safe.

Mariam Shittu