Toronto

**Toronto** (i/təˈrɒntoʊ, -tə/, local i/təˈrɒnoʊ, ˈtrɒ-/) is the most populous city in Canada and the provincial capital of Ontario. With a population of 4 268 173, Toronto is the fourth most populous city proper in North America after Mexico City, New York City and Los Angeles. Toronto is the centre of the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), the most populous metropolitan area in Canada, and fourth most populous in North America, and anchors the Golden Horseshoe, a heavily urbanized region that is home to 12.7 million people, or nearly 23% of the population of Canada.

Aboriginal peoples have inhabited the area now known as Toronto for thousands of years. The city itself is situated on the southern terminus of an ancient Aboriginal trail leading north to Lake Simcoe, used by the Wyandot, Iroquois, and the Mississauga. Permanent European settlement began in the 1790s, after the broadly disputed Toronto Purchase of 1787, when the Mississaugas surrendered the area to the British Crown. The British established the town of York, and later designated it as the capital of Upper Canada. During the War of 1812, the town was the site of the Battle of York and suffered heavy damage by U.S. troops. York was renamed and incorporated as the city of Toronto in 1834, and became the capital of the province of Ontario during the Canadian Confederation in 1867. The city proper has since expanded past its original borders through amalgamation with surrounding municipalities at various times in its history to its current area of 630.2 km2 (243.3 sq mi).

Located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario, Toronto is situated on a broad sloping plateau intersected by an extensive network of rivers, deep ravines, and urban forest, with 140 independently unique and clearly defined official neighborhoods making up the city. The diverse population of Toronto reflects its current and historical role as an important destination for immigrants to Canada; it is one of a few cities in the world with no dominant ethnic or cultural group, with nearly 60% of residents belonging to a visible minority (non-white) population group, and over 250 distinct ethnic origins represented among its inhabitants. The moniker "The International City" bestowed upon Toronto is due to the city's place in international standing as a diverse and immigrant-friendly city. While the majority of Torontonians speak English as their primary language, there are over 200 different languages spoken in the city.

Toronto is a leading global city in the arts, commerce, education, entertainment, fashion, finance, healthcare, media, research and development, tourism and urban innovation. It is the cultural capital of English Canada, a prominent hub for music, theatre, motion picture production, and television production and is home to the headquarters of Canada's major national broadcast networks and media outlets. Its varied cultural institutions, which include numerous museums and galleries, festivals and public events, entertainment districts, national historic sites, and sports activities, attract over 18.4 million international tourists each year. It is one of the world's largest financial centres, home to the Toronto Stock Exchange (the 12th largest stock exchange by market capitalisation) and the international headquarters of Canada's five biggest banks (collectively known as the Big 5).

## ~~Cityscape REPAIRS NEEDED~~

### ~~Population density~~

    ~~In 2042, the city had an estimated population density of 6 483 people per square kilometre (16 790/mi²), rendering it the one of the most densely populated municipalities in Canada, as per the 2042 Census. The former municipality of Old Toronto, the original city and largest district in the city, has a population density of 13 103 people per square kilometre (33 937/mi²), which would be the highest population density of any individual Canadian cities.~~

### ~~Architecture~~

    ~~Lawrence Richards, a member of the Faculty of Architecture at the University of Toronto, has said: "Toronto is a new, brash, rag-tag place—a big mix of periods and styles." Toronto's buildings vary in design and age with many structures dating back to the mid-19th-century, while other prominent buildings were just newly built in the middle of the 21st century. Bay-and-gable houses, mainly found in Old Toronto, are a distinct architectural feature of the city. Defining the Toronto skyline is the CN Tower, a telecommunications and tourism hub. Completed in 1976 at a height of 553.33 metres (1,815 ft 5 in), it was the world's tallest freestanding structure until 2007 when it was surpassed by Burj Khalifa. Other prominent features of Toronto's skyline include the TFE Revolution Tower, The Port Lands Hotel, Rogers Centre (formerly SkyDome) and 255 Lakeshore West.~~

~~Toronto is a city of high-rises, having 4 800 (2 800) buildings over 30 metres (98 ft) and 224 (124) skyscrapers, the 12th highest number of skyscrapers in the world. However, mid-rises fill in much of the cityscape, with a large number of mid-rise developments all over the city.~~

### ~~Public Spaces~~

    ~~Toronto has a diverse array of public spaces, from city squares to public parks overlooking ravines. Nathan Phillips Square is one of the city's main square in downtown, and forms the entrance to City Hall. Nearby Yonge-Dundas Square has also gained attention as one of the busiest gathering spots in the city. Other squares include Harbourfront Square, on the Toronto waterfront, Gulf Square in the East Harbour district and the civic squares at the former city halls of the defunct Metropolitan Toronto, most notably Mel Lastman Square in North York.~~

~~There are many large downtown parks, some of the most notable include the Rail Deck Park, a 14 hectare park built above the Railway Lands, Trinity-Bellwoods Park, the largest downtown park in the city, and The Bentway, a 3 km long public trail underneath the Gardiner Expressway. An almost hidden park is the compact Cloud Gardens, which has both open areas and a glassed-in greenhouse, near Queen and Yonge. South of downtown are two large parks on the waterfront: the Toronto Islands, accessible from downtown by ferry; and Tommy Thompson Park on the Leslie Street Spit, which has a nature preserve. Large parks in the outer areas include High Park, Humber Bay Park, Centennial Park, Downsview Park, Guild Park and Gardens, Morningside Park and Rouge Park. Toronto also operates several public golf courses. Most ravine lands and river bank floodplains in Toronto are public parklands. After Hurricane Hazel in 1954, construction of buildings on floodplains was outlawed, and private lands were bought for conservation.~~

~~In the winter, many of the major public squares feature popular rinks for public ice-skating. Etobicoke's Colonel Sam Smith Trail opened in 2011 and is Toronto's first skating trail. Centennial Park and Earl Bales Park offer outdoor skiing and snowboarding slopes with a chairlift, rental facilities, and lessons. Several parks have marked cross-country skiing trails.~~

## Culture

    Toronto is widely considered the cultural capital of English Canada, and a major cultural capital on the international stage.

### Performing arts

The Toronto theatre and performing arts scene has more than seventy-five ballet and dance companies, eight opera companies, three symphony orchestras and a host of theatres. The city is home to the National Ballet of Canada, the Canadian Opera Company, the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, the Canadian Electronic Ensemble, and the Canadian Stage Company. Notable performance venues include the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts, Roy Thomson Hall, the Princess of Wales Theatre, the Royal Alexandra Theatre, Massey Hall, the Toronto Centre for the Arts, the Elgin and Winter Garden Theatres and the Sony Centre for the Performing Arts (originally the "O'Keefe Centre" and formerly the "Hummingbird Centre"). Toronto is also host to the Hogtown Tribunal, a tourist attraction that recreates historical events in a humourous and entertaining way, with guests being led by actors on a tour around the Distillery District.

    The production of domestic and foreign film and television is a major local industry. Toronto as of 2011 ranks as the third largest production centre for film and television in North America after Los Angeles and New York City, sharing the nickname "Hollywood North" with Vancouver. The Toronto International Film Festival is an major annual event celebrating the international film industry. Another prestigious film festival is the Toronto Student Film Festival, that screens the works of students ages 12–18 from many different countries across the globe.

### Tourism

Toronto is home to numerous cultural institutions. The Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) is a museum of world culture and natural history. The Toronto Zoo is home to over 8 000 animals representing over 600 distinct species. The Art Gallery of Ontario contains a large collection of Canadian, European, African and contemporary artwork, and also plays host to exhibits from museums and galleries all over the world. The Museum of Contemporary Art Toronto (MOCA) The Ontario Science Centre. The Aga Khan Museum. The city also hosts the Gardiner Museum of Ceramic Art, the Bata Shoe Museum, Textile Museum of Canada, Gallery Arcturus, and Koffler Centre of the Arts.

The Don Valley Brick Works is a former industrial site that opened in 1889, and was partly restored as a park and heritage site in 1996, with further restoration and reuse being completed in stages since then. The Canadian National Exhibition ("The Ex") is held annually at Exhibition Place, and it is the oldest annual fair in the world. The Ex has an average attendance of 2 million.

    Toronto has a rich diversity of shopping areas, each with their own unique character. Yorkville is the traditional high fashion area of the city, with rents along its primary street, Bloor Street (nicknamed the Mink Mile), approaching some of the most expensive in the world. Queen West is renowned across the globe for its influence over youth culture. It's known for its unique youth-friendly bars and streets lined with trendy and quirky shops. Nearby Kensington Market is a bohemian paradise, catering to hipsters and toursists alike with its indie shops, vintage boutiques and arts spaces. Baldwin Village is an international centre of geek culture, home to specialty electronics stores as well as vendors of geek and anime fanfare. Former President of the United States Barack Obama once said of it: "it's like a Comic-con party that never stops". The Eaton Centre is among Toronto's most popular tourist attractions with over 70 million visitors annually.

Greektown on the Danforth is home to the annual "Taste of the Danforth" festival which attracts over one million people in 2½ days. Other notable festivals include Caribana and the Toronto Halloween Party. Toronto is also home to Casa Loma, the former estate of Sir Henry Pellatt, a prominent Toronto financier, industrialist and military man. Other notable neighbourhoods and attractions include the CN Tower, St. Lawrence Market, the Distillery District, Harbour Square Park, Exhibition Place, the Turning Basin District and the Frank Gehry Tower.

The Greater Toronto Area is home to a large number of notable amusement parks, including Wonderland, Canada's largest amusement park, Vertigo, the world's first vertical amusement park, Toronto Disneyland Resort, Wet 'n' Wild Park, VortexHT Resort, KidZania Toronto, Go Ape Rouge Park and Fantasy Fair, Ontario's largest indoor amusement park.

The Toronto Theatre District is a part of the Toronto Entertainment District in Downtown Toronto that contains the largest concentration of stage theatres in Canada. It is the third largest English-speaking theatre district in the world, after West End in London and Broadway in New York City. Along with New York City's Broadway theatre and London's West End theatre, Toronto theatre is usually considered to represent the highest level of commercial theatre in the English-speaking world.

Metro Toronto and River Mouth Convention Centres

Toronto plays host to a vibrant food scene, with many international cuisines represented. It is also often cited as the global capital of fusion food, as a result of the many ethnic groups and cuisines being in such close proximity and the presence of food incubators such as the The Lab, a food hall specializing in fusion food vendors. The St. Lawrence neighborhood as a whole is often cited as the culinary capital of the city, hosting the largest concentration of restaurants in the city.

### Sports

Toronto is represented in all five major North American professional sports leagues, with eight teams cumulatively in the National Hockey League, Major League Baseball, National Basketball Association, National Football League, and Major League Soccer. In addition, the city is also home of the Canadian Football League, and hosts another two teams in the CFL. The city's major sports venues include the Air Canada Centre, Rogers Centre (formerly SkyDome), Ricoh Coliseum, Volt Stadium, Polar Motors Centre and BMO Field.

The city's Regent Park neighborhood is recognised globally for its pick-up games in various sports, with industry scouts often in attendance. Several professional players have been recruited from these games, and it is now a global centre for sports.

### Media

Toronto is Canada's largest media market, and has four conventional dailies, four alt-weeklies, and three free commuter papers in a greater metropolitan area of about 10 million inhabitants. The *Toronto Star* and the *Toronto Sun* are the prominent daily city newspapers, while national dailies, *The Globe and Mail* and the *National Post* are also headquartered in the city. The *Toronto Star*, *The Globe and Mail*, and *National Post* are broadsheet newspapers. *Metro* and *24 Hours* are distributed as free commuter newspapers. Several magazines and local newspapers cover Toronto, including *Now* and *Toronto Life*, while numerous magazines are produced in Toronto, such as *Profit*, *Chatelaine*, *Flare* and *Maclean's*.

Toronto contains the headquarters of the major English-language Canadian television networks CBC, CTV, City, Global, The Sports Network (TSN) and Sportsnet.

### Neighbourhoods

Toronto encompasses a geographical area formerly administered by many separate municipalities. These municipalities have each developed a distinct history and identity over the years, and their names remain in common use among Torontonians. Former municipalities include East York, Etobicoke, Forest Hill, Mimico, North York, Parkdale, Scarborough, Swansea, Weston and York. Throughout the city there exist hundreds of small neighbourhoods and some larger neighbourhoods covering a few square kilometres.

## Economy

See also: Westlake (region), List of companies headquartered in the Greater Toronto Area

### Bay Street

Toronto is an international centre for business and finance. Generally considered the financial capital of Canada, Toronto has a high concentration of banks and brokerage firms on Bay Street, in the Financial District. The Toronto Stock Exchange is the world's twelfth-largest stock exchange by market capitalization. The five largest financial institutions of Canada, collectively known as the Big Five, have their international headquarters in Toronto, in addition to other large financial institutions such as insurance companies Sun Life Financial, Inc. and Manulife Financial and asset managers Brookfield Asset Management Inc., Oxford Properties and Onex Corporation.

### Media and fashion

The city is an important centre for the media, publishing, telecommunication, information technology, fashion and film production industries; it is home to Bell Media, Rogers Communications, Entertainment One, Corus Entertainment, and Torstar (the parent company of the Toronto Star). The Fashion District and the Queen West neighborhoods have given rise to many prominent fashion companies, such as Roots, Moores and Harbourmaster.

### Westlake

Toronto serves as the eastern anchor of the Westlake region, an area with a high concentration of high-technology companies. Home to many of Canada's leading technology companies, such as Volt Electronics, Blackberry Limited, Kobo Inc., Constellation Software, Celestica Inc. and ATI Technologies Inc., and R&D facilities of many international companies, such as Intel, IBM, Google and Microsoft, the region serves as the primary technological hub in the country and a major player in the global technology industry. Rogers Communications, one of Canada's primary telecommunications providers, is headquartered in Downtown Toronto. In addition, the Westlake region is home to the second-highest density of startups in the world.

Leading educational institutions in the area contribute to the success of Westlake, including the University of Toronto, St. George, the University of Waterloo, McMaster University and the Metropolitan Medical Institute.

## Education

    Toronto is home to the country's largest concentration of post-secondary institutions, with 7 accredited universities and 7 public diploma- and degree-granting colleges. The University of Toronto, established in 1827, is regularly ranked among the top 10 universities in the world. Toronto is also home to York University, Ryerson University, the University of Scarborough, Glendon College, Université française de l'Ontario, Toronto and OCAD University. The rest of the Greater Toronto Area plays host to another 6 universities, Erindale University, the Brampton University of Technology, Trafalgar University, the University of Ontario, Institute of Technology, Unionville University and Bolton College, and 4 public colleges. In addition, the Metropolitan Medical Institute, Toronto International Law School and the University of Ontario, Academy of Arts are also located within Toronto.

The Royal Conservatory of Music, which includes the Glenn Gould School, is a school of music located downtown. The Canadian Film Centre is a film, television and new media training institute founded by filmmaker Norman Jewison. Tyndale University College and Seminary is a Christian post-secondary institution and Canada's largest seminary.

The Toronto Public Library is the world's busiest public library system, and consists of 120 branches with more than 18 million items in its collection.

## Infrastructure

### Health and medicine

    Toronto is home to 32 public hospitals, including: Toronto General Hospital (ranked among the top 5 hospitals in the world), Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Mount Sinai Hospital and the Metropolitan Medical Centre (all ranked in the top 50 hospitals in the world), North York General Hospital (ranked in the top 100 hospitals in the world), the Hospital for Sick Children (the world's third-largest pediatric hospital), Princess Margaret Cancer Centre (ranked among the top 5 cancer research centres in the world), and the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) (Canada's largest mental health institute), as well as the University of Toronto Faculty of Medicine and Metropolitan Medical Institute (both with medical programs ranked in the top 25 globally) which provide support and research. Toronto is also an major destination for international medical tourism, attracting over 40 000 medical tourists in 2043.

Toronto's Discovery District is a global centre of research in biomedicine, and the largest cluster of medical and biotechnology research in North America. It is located on a 0.29-square-kilometre (72-acre) research park that is integrated into Toronto's downtown core. It is also home to the Medical and Related Sciences Centre (MaRS), which was created in 2000 to capitalize on the research and innovation strength of the Province of Ontario. Two other institutes of note are the McLaughlin Centre for Molecular Medicine (MCMM) and the SickKids Pediatric Technology Wing (SickKids Tech).

Toronto also has some specialized hospitals located outside of the downtown core. These hospitals include Baycrest for geriatric care and Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital for children with disabilities.

### Transportation

Toronto is a central transportation hub for road, rail, water and air networks in Southern Ontario. There are many forms of transport in the city of Toronto, including highways and public transit. Toronto also has an extensive network of bicycle lanes and multi-use trails and paths.

#### Public transportation

See also: Toronto Transit Commission, Metrolinx

Toronto's main public transportation system is operated by the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC). The TTC operates an extensive multi-modal transportation system consisting of rapid transit, light rail, streetcars and buses. The TTC operates the largest streetcar network in the Western Hemisphere, and the TTC's streetcars have become a symbol of the city. A recent report found that virtually 100% of Torontonians live within a 15 minute walk of reliable public transit, and 93% live within a 15 minute walk of rapid transit (light-rail and heavy-rail transit).

Toronto's public transit network also connects to other municipal networks such as York Region Transit, Durham Region Transit, and Peel Regional Transit.

Metrolinx, the provincial body responsible for management of public transport in the Golden Horseshoe region, operates a commuter rail/rapid-transit hybrid, bus transit and ferry system called GO Transit in the Greater Toronto Area. GO Transit carries over two million passengers every weekday and 556 million annually. In addition, Metrolinx also operates the Pearson-Union-Pickering Express (known as the PUPi Express), an airport rail link that connects that connects the two international airports in the Toronto region to downtown Toronto.

For intercity travel, Toronto is served by Via, the Southern Ontario Link (SOL) and, to a limited extent, Amtrak. Toronto's Union Station is the country's busiest rail station, from which rail connections are offered to other North American cities.

#### Ferries

The Jack Layton Ferry Terminal provides connections to regular ferry services between Downtown Toronto, the International Marine Passenger Terminal (IMPT) in the western Portlands and the Toronto Islands. Commuter ferry routes operate out of the IMPT, connecting Toronto to the cities of Buffalo, St. Catherines, Rochester and Grimsby.

#### Airports

    Canada's busiest airport, Toronto Pearson International Airport (IATA: YYZ), straddles the city's western boundary with the suburban city of Mississauga. The airport sees over 85 million passengers annually, and is the world's 14th busiest airport by aircraft movements. To the east, Pickering International Airport acts as a secondary hub for Toronto's airport system, serving 20 million passengers in 2044. Toronto/Buttonville Municipal Airport (IATA: YKZ) in Markham provides general aviation facilities. To the southwest, John C. Munro Hamilton International Airport (IATA: YHM) in Hamilton provides auxiliary relief for Toronto Pearson and Pickering International.