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Toronto, Ontario
Toronto is Canada's largest city, North America's fifth largest, and the provincial capital of Ontario. Its population is 2,482,000 (Torontonians) (2003 Census); that of the surrounding Greater Toronto Area (GTA) is 5,600,000 (2003). Approximately one third of the Canadian population lives within a two-hour drive, and about one sixth of all Canadian jobs lie with the city limits. Up until the 1970s, Toronto was the second largest city in Canada, after Montreal, but a considerable spurt in growth and municipal amalgamations (see Recent History, below) since that time left it half again as large as its nearest rival by 2000. Much of this was due to the growing separation movement in Quebec and the election of the Parti Quˇbˇcois in 1976, when a large group of English-speaking Montrealers left for Toronto. It is also the result of the majority of Canada's immigrants settling in Toronto, and only some going to Montreal. History Pre-history Located on the northern shore of Lake Ontario, Toronto was originally a term of indeterminate geographical location, designating the approximate area of the future town of Toronto on maps dating to the late 17th and early 18th century. Eventually the name was anchored to the mouth of the Humber River, the end of a portage route from Georgian Bay; this is where the city of Toronto is located today. The source and meaning of the name remains a matter of debate. Most common definitions claim that the origin is the Huron word for "meeting place", "toran-ten". However, it is much more likely that the term is from the Mohawk term referring to "the place where trees grow over the water", a reference to a specific location at the northern end of what is now Lake Simcoe, then known as Lake Toronto. The portage route up the Humber River eventually leads past this well known landmark. As the portage route grew in use, the name became more widely used and was eventually attached to a French trading fort just inland from Lake Ontario on the Humber. Part of this confusion can be attributed to the succession of peoples who lived in the area during the 18th century: Huron, Senecas, Iroquois, and Mississaugas (the latter having lent their name to Toronto's modern-day western suburb). Until the beginning of British colonization there were no permanent settlements, though both native peoples and the French did try, including the construction of another small fort near the mouth of the Humber, currently buried on the grounds of the Canadian National Exhibition. European settlement European settlement in central Canada was quite limited before 1788, amounting to only a few families, but it began growing quickly in the aftermath of the American Revolution. United Empire Loyalists, American colonists and who refused to accept being divorced from the United Kingdom, or who felt unwelcome in the new republic, often came north to the unsettled lands north of Lake Erie and Lake Ontario; some had fought in the British army and were paid with land in the region. In 1788 the British negotiated the purchase of more than a quarter million acres of land in the area of Toronto. The site was then chosen by Governor John Graves Simcoe as the capital of the newly organized province of Upper Canada on July 29, 1793. Specifically the town, then known as York, was built inland from the Toronto Islands, a chain of small islands leading into a marsh at their eastern end, with an opening at the western end. This formed a natural protected harbour, one that was defended with the construction of Fort York at the entrance on what was then a high point on the water's edge with a small river on the inland side (Garrison Creek). The town proper was formed closer to the eastern end of the harbour, near what is now Parliament Street. Governor Simcoe was concerned with opening military communications between the settlements in the southwest of Upper Canada (notably Niagara-on-the-Lake, then known as Newark), and those to the east (Kingston, then points east to the border with Quebec). Dundas Street was the western route, leading to the town of the same name near Hamilton, but then continued west instead of southeast towards Niagara, and today it ends at the US border at Windsor. Kingston Road today forms the basis of the major Toronto-Montreal route. A third route, Yonge Street, was opened northward to Lake Toronto, then renamed Lake Simcoe and cut in three years. Yonge Street now forms the dividing line between east and west in Toronto, and is sometimes called "the longest street in the world" as it snakes its way for 1,896 kilometers to Rainy River, on the Minnesota border. In 1813, as part of the War of 1812, York was attacked and partially burned. It was in retaliation for this that British forces attacked Washington, DC, the next year. Fort York was lightly manned at the time, and realizing that a defence was impossible, the troops retreated and set fire to the magazine. It exploded as the US forces were entering the fort, and many US soldiers were killed in the explosion. After the US forces left a new and much stronger fort was constructed several hundred yards to the west of the original position. Another attack in 1814 was beaten off with ease, the landing force never even being able to approach the shoreline. This newer fort now lies hundreds of yards inland due to landfill being dumped into the lake, and what was then a high point is largely invisible behind several highways. Growth In 1834 the town reverted to the name Toronto and this was the name the city was incorporated under on March 6 of that year. Growth continued to be slow and even in the late 1800s one artist managed to paint a map of the town including every individual building. Nevertheless modern amenities came to Toronto, including an extensive streetcar network. One line ran up Yonge Street for about 100 miles to Lake Simcoe, and allowed daytrips to its beaches. At the time Toronto's own beaches were far too poluted to use, a side effect of dumping garbage directly in the lake. The Grand Trunk Railway and the Great Northern Railway joined in the building of Union Station in what is today the downtown area. As the city grew it became naturally bounded by the Humber River to the west, and the Don River to the east. Several smaller rivers and creeks in the downtown area were filled in, including both Garrison Creek and Taddle Creek which runs through the University of Toronto. At the time they were being used as sewers, and becoming a serious health problem. The Don has an especially deep ravine, cutting off the east at most points north of the lakeshore. This was addressed in 1919 with the construction of the The Prince Edward Viaduct, better known today as the Bloor Street Viaduct, linking Bloor Street on the western side of the ravine, with Danforth Street on the east. The designer, Edmund Burke, fought long and hard to have a second deck added to the bridge for trains, a cost the city was not willing to provide for. Nevertheless he finally got his way, and thereby saved the city millions of dollars when the TTC subway started using the deck in 1966. The Prince Edward Viaduct represented a turning point in Toronto's history. Now linked to what was formerly separate towns, Toronto "filled out" in the first half of the 20th century, becoming a single larger city. Recent history Toronto's government was reorganized in 1953 to coordinate services for the city and surrounding region. The new Municipality of Metropolitan Toronto came into being on January 1, 1954 as a new level of government, encompassing East York, Etobicoke, Forest Hill, Leaside, Long Branch, Mimico, New Toronto, North York, Scarborough, Swansea, Toronto, Weston, and York. These thirteen townships, villages and cities continued to exist and provide services, with the so-called "Metro" government gradually taking over duties such as water supply, transit and expressways. On January 1, 1967, several of the smaller municipalities were amalgamated with larger ones, reducing their number to six. Forest Hill and Swansea became part of Toronto; Long Branch, Mimico, and New Toronto joined Etobicoke; Weston merged with York; and Leaside amalgamated with East York. This arrangement lasted until 1998, when the regional level of government was abolished and the six cities were amalgamated into a new ("megacity of") Toronto. Many people critcized this downloading of provincial services to the municipal level. The overwhelming majority of the citizens of Toronto opposed amalgation, as proven by a referendum in that year. However, the Province of Ontario under Premier Mike Harris had the formal power to ignore this referendum, and did so. At this point the definition of Toronto itself came into some doubt. In the 2000 Toronto municipal elections, over 88% of those voting did so for a Mayor that had discussed forming a new Province of Toronto - the second place finisher Tooker Gomberg strongly favored this move, while Mel Lastman also voiced his support. His statements were far more likely an attack on the provincial government, rather than a serious proposal, however, and after winning the election did nothing to advance this idea. The notion was also favoured by urban activist Jane Jacobs. In all probability such a separation is impossible in that under the Canadian constitution the municipalities have no actual power, they are just permitted to make use of provincial authority. In 2003 Toronto was hit by the SARS epidemic. Although the disease was primarily confined to hospitals and health-care workers, tourism in Toronto suffered owing to media reports. To help recover the losses the city suffered in industries and tourism, the city held a "SARS Benefit Concert" featuring many famous groups, such as ACDC, Rush, The Guess Who, Justin Timberlake, and headlined by The Rolling Stones. The concert attracted some 450,000 people, making it one of the largest concerts in history, second only to Woodstock in 1969 (which had 500,000 people). In The City Landmarks include * the CN Tower, a concrete transmission tower that (at 553 meters) is the tallest free-standing structure in the world * the SkyDome, the world's first sporting arena to feature a retractable roof * the Toronto Islands, a 230-hectare park accessible from the city waterfront via ferry. * Exhibition Place is the site of the annual Canadian National Exhibition. * Nathan Phillips Square, located at Toronto City Hall. * Dundas Square Important Annual Events Include * The Canadian National Exhibition ("the Ex") * Caribana * Toronto International Film Festival Attractions * the Ontario Science Centre * the Royal Ontario Museum * the Toronto Zoo. * Casa Loma * CN Tower * Cherry Beach * Canadian National Exhibition * Art Gallery of Ontario * Fort York Toronto's Neighbourhoods * The Annex * The Beaches * Cabbagetown * Chinatown Toronto * Danforth East * The Distillery District * Downsview * The Financial District - Bay Street * Forest Hill * Greek Town - The Danforth * Harbourfront * High Park * The Junction * Kensington Market * Kingsway * Korea Town * Leslieville * Liberty Village * Toronto Little Italy * North Toronto * North York Centre * Parkdale * Portugal Town * The Railway Lands * Regent Park * Rosedale * Queen West * St Clair * Swansea * Toronto Islands * University of Toronto Campus * Yonge Street * Yorkville Toronto's Suburbs The suburbs immediately surrounding Toronto are also known as the "905 belt" or simply "the 905", after their telephone area code. (Toronto is "the 416") * Mississauga * Brampton * Richmond Hill * Thornhill * Markham * Pickering * Woodbridge Education Facilities The city is the seat of the University of Toronto, York University, Ryerson Polytechnic University, and several other institutes of higher learning. Transportation Transportation needs are served by the TTC subway and streetcars. There is also a great network of cycling trails. They go along the lake, the Don and Humber Rivers, and some major streets. The network is usable, though it needs expansion. Nearby Mississauga, Ontario hosts Lester B. Pearson International Airport, which serves Toronto. The Toronto City Centre Airport is a regional airport located on the Toronto Islands. Sports Toronto is home to several professional sports franchises and annual sporting events, including * the Toronto Blue Jays (Major League Baseball), * Toronto Maple Leafs (National Hockey League), * Toronto Raptors (National Basketball Association), * Toronto Rock (National Lacrosse League), * Toronto Lynx (A League Soccer), and * Toronto Argonauts (Canadian Football League). * North America Cup, a premier harness race * Queen's Plate, Canada's premier thoroughbred race and the oldest continuously run stakes race in North America * Vanier Cup, national university football championship Nicknames Toronto's nicknames include Hogtown, T.O. (from Toronto, Ontario), and t-dot (short for "t-dot o-dot"). Canadians often pronounce the name as "Trana", "Trono", or "Tchronno" (a reflection of expedience, not accent). Local Media Daily Newspapers English-language * the Globe and Mail * the National Post * the Toronto Star * the Toronto Sun Other dailies * Corriere Canadese (Italian and English) * El Popular (Spanish) * Ming Pao (Cantonese) * Sing Tao (Cantonese) * World Journal (Cantonese) Alternative Weekly Newspapers: * Eye * NOW TV Stations * CKVR 3 - The New VR * CBLT 5 - CBC * CIII 6/41 - Global Television * CFTO 9 - CTV * CICA 19 - TV Ontario * CBLFT 25 - Sociˇtˇ Radio-Canada (french) * CJMT 44 - OMNI.2 * CFMT 47 - OMNI.1 * CKXT 52 - Toronto 1 * CITY 57 (digital 53) - City TV A number of cable television networks also have national operations based out of Toronto, including MuchMusic, YTV and The Comedy Network. Radio Stations FM Stations * CKLN 88.1 * CKDX 88.5 - Foxy 88-5 * CIRV 88.9 * CIUT 89.5 - University of Toronto * CJBC 90.3 - Sociˇtˇ Radio-Canada (french) * CJRT 91.1 * CISS 92.5 - Jack FM * CFXJ 93.5 - Flow 93-5 * CBL 94.1 - CBC Radio 2 * CFMX 96.3 * CJEZ 97.3 - EZ Rock 97.3 * CHFI 98.1 FM * CBLA 99.1 - CBC Radio 1 * CKFM 99.9 - Mix 99.9 * CHIN 100.7 * CFNY 102.1 - 102.1 The Edge * CIDC 103.5 - Z103.5 * CHUM 104.5 - 104.5 Chum FM * CILQ 107.1 - Q107 * CJXY 107.9 - Y108 AM Stations * CIAO 530 * CJCL 590 - The Fan * CFYI 640 - MOJO Radio * CFTR 680 - 680 News * CHWO 740 - AM 740 * CJBC 860 * CFRB 1010 - Newstalk CFRB * CHUM 1050 - 1050 Chum * CJYE 1250 * CFYZ 1280 - Pearson International Airport * CJMR 1320 * CKDO 1350 * CHKT 1430 - Fairchild Radio * CHIN 1540 * CHEV 1610 Mayors of Toronto 1952 - 1954 Allan A. Lamport 1954 - 1955 Leslie H. Saunders 1955 - 1962 Nathan Phillips 1962 - 1966 Philip Givens 1966 - 1972 William Dennison 1972 - 1978 David Crombie 1978 - 1980 John Sewell 1980 - 1991 Art Eggleton 1991 - 1994 June Rowlands 1994 - 1998 Barbara Hall 1998 - Mel Lastman Famous Torontonians From (around) Toronto, or having part of thir career in Toronto: * Margaret Atwood * Dan Aykroyd - Musician, Rock (Allman Brothers Band member) * Barenaked Ladies - Band, Rock * Alexander Graham Bell - Inventor of the telephone * James Cameron - Director * Neve Campbell * John Candy * Jim Carrey - Actor * Choclair * The Cowboy Junkies * David Cronenberg * Robertson Davies * Atom Egoyan * Linda Evangelista * Timothy Findley * Emma Goldberg * Glenn Gould * Barbara Gowdy * Wayne Gretzky - Retired Hockey Player * Phil Hartman * Ernest Hemingway - (Wrote for the Toronto Star 1920-1924) * Jane Jacobs * Kardinal Offishal * Kids in the Hall - Tv Show comedians * Naomi Klein * Stephen Leacock * Geddy Lee - Musician * Eugene Levy * Norm MacDonald * Bruce MacDonald - Director * Don McKellar - Actor * Maestro Fresh Wes - Musician * Martha and the Muffins * Bruce Mau - Designer * Marshall McLuhan * Joni Mitchell - Musician * Farley Mowat * Mike Myers - Actor * Michael Ondaatje - Writer (The English Patient, and more) * Mary Pickford * Jason Priestly * Keanu Reeves - Actor * Rush - Band, Rock * Paul Shaffer * Martin Short - Actor * Sloan - Band, Rock * Rascalz - Musician * William Shatner - Actor, Movies and Television, from Star Trek * Joe Shuster - Creator of Superman * Jane Siberry - Musician * Michael Snow - Musician, Pop * David Suzuki - Documentary Host of "The Nature Of Things" * Don Tapscott * Shania Twain - Musician, Unknown * Nia Vardalos * Neil Young - Musician, Rock * Moshe Safdie - Architect * Moses Znaimer - Media Mogul
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