St. John’s Bakery provides much more than delicious, organic bread. This business is
owned and operated by St. John’s The Compassionate Mission. With strong values and a
focus on using only organic, natural and mostly local ingredients, St. John's provides training opportunities and employment to people struggling with poverty, mental illness and other issues.
While the bakery specializes in handmade organic sourdough breads made in the traditional French method, other types of bread, such as rye, baguettes and spelt are also made. All sweets – scones, tarts, croissants, cookies, and cakes – are also handmade from scratch.
My favourite is the olive boule. This round sourdough loaf is crusty on the outside and soft in the inside, and packed with pieces of black olive and hints of cilantro. I’m also a big fan of the rosemary breadsticks, but if I don’t get there by Saturday morning around 9am, they’re all gone.
St. John’s bread is very well-known and their products can be found all over Toronto at organic food suppliers and farmers markets.

www.stjohnsbakery.com
153 Broadview Avenue, Toronto, Canada
+1 416 850 7413
Google map: bit.ly/ArMoP8


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Te Aro is one of those cafes that offers a superb cup of coffee every single time. Whether it’s a latte, Americano, cappuccino, or espresso, I am never disappointed.
I always feel welcome when I come here: the baristas are eager to please and they know
their coffee. Patrons can linger with a paper or laptop for as long as they want. And with little touches like a water pitcher and glasses on each table, magazines, and comfortable chairs, it’s also very inviting.
Saturday mornings are packed with couples, singles, families with small children – this café has high chairs – all enjoying their favourite brew while eating scones or breakfast sandwiches.
Named after a New Zealand suburb, Te Aro is located in Toronto’s Leslieville neighbourhood, a hip spot for shops, galleries and restaurants. Indeed, you can spend hours in this neighbourhood after enjoying a great cup of java.
All coffee is made with beans roasted on-site, and in small batches. Since its inception in 2009, Te Aro has scored top ratings in coffee reviews and is also now available in several cafes and restaurants thoughout the city, but I like getting my coffee at the source.

www.te-aro.ca
983 Queen Street East, Toronto, Canada
+1 877 558 3276
Google map: bit.ly/xiHLnt


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My all-time favourite Thai restaurant in the city is Salad King. I started eating here well over 20 years ago when it was a tiny kitchen with two tables, mismatched chairs and counter service. Still going strong and always packed, the food here is still exceptionally delicious and affordable. What has changed is the crowd: no longer devoted exclusively to university students, it now caters to young professionals, families, and drop-in fans from across the city. Don’t let the line up scare you, be patient – it’s well worth it.
The restaurant is full of energy and may be a bit louder than the usual resto, but this is all part of the experience. Seating is at communal tables and you can even ask your server for items not on the menu, which has a spice scale from mild to 20 chilis. I once ate next to a fellow who was eating his green curry with 11 chilis and he couldn’t stop crying. My spice scale is 4 chilis.

www.saladking.com
340 Yonge Street, Toronto, ON M5B 1R8
+ 1 416 593 0333
Google map: bit.ly/zmFLe5

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One of my favourite places to visit – on weekends or a night after work – is the TIFF Bell
Lightbox, an avant-garde cultural centre and home to the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF). Opened in 2010, it houses a cinema complex, galleries, workshops, two restaurants, and a roof-top terrace.
With different events every day of the week, TIFF offers screenings, lectures, festivals, great food, special exhibits and, of course, great cinema. There are 5 public cinemas with insulated sound space and the first in North America to show 16 mm, 35 mm and 70 mm film in addition to digital movies.
I love brunching at LUMA restaurant. With attentive service and great food, this is the perfect spot for a small or large group. LUMA also has a great dinner and cocktail menu. The Canteen restaurant, located on the ground floor, is a great spot for more casual and quick dining.
My favourite films to watch are those offered by the Contemporary World Cinema programme, where you can see some of the best films from around the world, many of which are unlikely to be widely released.
Ever since its opening last year, the space has featured outstanding exhibits, from Tim Burton to Federico Fellini and now the Grace Kelly exhibit.

www.tiff.net
350 King Street West, Toronto, ON M5V 3X5
+1 416 968 3456
Google map: bit.ly/ycH4AC

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Winterlicious, and it’s cousin Summerlicious, are two extremely popular food festivals held yearly in Toronto. This year, Winterlicious runs from Friday, January 27 until Thursday, February 9.
During the event, major restaurants from across the city offer a special three-course fixed price menu, some at very large discounts from their usual pricing. Ranging from $15, $20 or $30 for lunch and $25, $35, and $45 for dinner, the meal includes a starter, an entrée and dessert, with drinks and gratuity extra.
This event has grown from 35 restaurants participating in its inaugural year 10 years ago, to 175 participating this year. Reservations are accepted beginning January 12 – make them early to avoid disappointment. In fact, be armed with three or four restaurant choices as you may not get your first pick.
Depending on which reservations you choose, this event can be a great value, as some of the restaurants participating have starters costing near $25. My favourites – for food and value – are Auberge du Pommier, Canoe, Kultura, and Mistura.

wx.toronto.ca/inter/se/restaurants.nsf/Winterlicious

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Nelson, a small town in the interior of British Columbia, wonderfully designed by the architect Francis Rattenbury - who also designed the parliament buildings in Victoria - will make you reassess what you think civilisation should be like. It was made unique by a huge influx of American draft-dodgers during the Vietnam War, and has been kept unspoiled by constant overshadowing courtesy of the Rockies and their ski towns. Its many intellectual inputs (Russian pacifists settled there, sponsored by none other than Tolstoy himself) and its beautiful setting, folded compactly onto the shores of lake Kootenay by the underrated Selkirk Mountains, combine the majestic Canadian wilderness with the best minds and values our species has created. To top it off, the most beautiful YHA hostel I’ve ever seen ‘The Dancing Bear’ is located right in the centre.

www.nelson.ca/
www.dancingbearinn.com/
171 Baker Street, Nelson, British Columbia, Canada, V1L 4H1
+1 877 352 7573
Google map: bit.ly/xQ3mj0

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Great Bear Lodge is the perfect base for watching wild grizzly bears on British Columbia's Rain Coast.
Trips are based at a remote floating lodge on the largely uninhabited Smith Inlet, but you fly in by float plane from Port Hardy on Vancouver Island, so the adventure starts even before you arrive. The Great Bear team can advise you on arranging travel to Port Hardy.
Each day you will be taken out by expert guides to view grizzly bears, either in a small boat during the spring and early summer, or to secure raised hides overlooking the river during the salmon run, when the bears are feeding in the river. Great efforts are taken to minimise disruption to the bears and indeed any other impact on the local environment, with the result that you can safely observe these beautiful animals behaving naturally in their native environment.
In addition to the twice-daily grizzly-watching trips, there are other optional activities such as boat trips, forest hikes and kayaking, as well as a host of other wildlife to watch even from the comfort of the lodge's outdoor deck.
The full board accommodation in the lodge is very comfortable, with delicious meals provided, and your hosts (Tom Rivest and Marg Leehane) provide a great welcome and expert information on all aspects of the local ecology, wildlife and the adventures of living in a breathtakingly beautiful wilderness location accessible only by boat or float plane.
This is a great "soft adventure" opportunity, accessible to anybody of reasonable health and basic fitness i.e. you do not need to be any kind of outdoor sports enthusiast to enjoy a trip to Great Bear Lodge, just somebody who appreciates the Canadian wilderness and the creatures who live there.

www.greatbeartours.com/
+1 888 221 8212

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Fantastic exhibition of beautiful artworks by Bill Reid in downtown Vancouver.
Bill Reid was an acclaimed Haida master goldsmith, carver, sculptor, writer and spokesman, and one of Canada's greatest artists.
His artwork ranges from exquisite gold and silver jewellery to full sized totem poles and ocean-going canoes carved from massive timbers. These pieces embody his evolving interpretation of his native heritage and how he extended the traditional artistic vocabulary to embrace modern ideas and forms. He played a pivotal role in reviving interest in native art forms among the younger generations of Canada's First Nations, and in presenting those arts to a wider world.
There is a small entrance fee for the museum but it is worth every penny to see such a great collection of Reid's work gathered together under one roof.

www.billreidgallery.ca
639 Hornby Street, Vancouver, BC, Canada V6C 2G3
+1 604 682 3455
Google map: bit.ly/z0j18u

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I can honestly say I never thought I would spend Christmas outside of the UK or away from my family, but I was presented with the opportunity to work at a ski resort in Canada over the 2009-2010 winter season and it was too good a chance to pass up. Having never skied before (or even touched a pair of skis), I was a little apprehensive at first but considering I had five months to get good, I can safely say by the end, I could at least call myself an intermediate skier.
As for Christmas at the resort, well, what can I say - it was spectacular. Snow, more snow, Christmas lights, more snow, skiing, Christmas dinner with my friends (during a break between shifts) and even more snow. Of course, having watched Miracle on 34th Street and knowing the charm of a British Santa Claus, my employers had a special job for me and I duly donned the white beard and red hat and spent half the day ho-ho-ho-ing around the resort. Apart from a touch of vertigo when experiencing my first ride back down the chairlift (cue much ho-ho-ho-ing while green in the face and rushing to the staff office to throw up - fortunately the beard came off just in time), my experience as Santa went very well and the children at the resort were exceedingly grateful for my having delivered all their presents the night before.
Anyway, I would recommend Christmas at Panorama to anyone and especially those people who want to get away from it all and work at the resort for a season. I had the most amazing time and would go back in a second, if I happen to have a spare five months one year.

www.skipanorama.com
Organisation who arranged my placement www.ccusa.com
Google map: bit.ly/u537F0

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I love our hot tub cover! It fits better than the original. Thanks for offering true value hot tub covers! You too can start building your hot tub cover today using their easy spa cover builder process.

spasuppliesonline.com
customercare@spasuppliesonline.com
Phone: 866-62-26837
Fax: 866-607-7639

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Known to locals as “the Gladstone,” this hotel is located in the trendy Queen Street West area, where there is an abundance of arts and design studios and galleries. The hotel attracts both tourists and locals on a daily basis, hosting art exhibits and music gigs every night of the week.
The café also has menus for any time of day or night.
The most original hotel rooms in the city can be found here: there are 37 unique, individually designed rooms by local Toronto artists. The Biker Room features furniture and accessories influenced by motorcycles and biker culture. The Canadiana Room has an antler chandelier with forest wallpaper on one wall and cedar paneling on another.
Built in 1889, the Gladstone is Toronto’s oldest continuously operating hotel, with one of the last hand-operated elevators in the city. A true gem. Prices start at C$165, about £104 or 120 €.

www.gladstonehotel.com/
1214 Queen Street West Toronto, ON M6J 1J6, Canada
+1 (416) 531 4635
Google map: bit.ly/vUC8Tw

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The Royal Ontario Museum has millions of items on display in over 30 galleries and one of my favourites is the “Teck Suite of Galleries: Earth’s Treasures.” It is composed of the Gallery of Minerals, the Gallery of Gems and Gold and the Canadian Mining Hall of Fame Gallery.
The mining industry in Canada is extremely important, and it’s only fitting that a large part of the second floor is devoted to such exquisite treasures. The exhibits showcase wonderful specimens of minerals in a variety of colours and shapes, including fluorescent green. There are several cases filled with gold, diamonds, garnets, opals, and jade, as well as exquisite pieces of jewellery. Throughout the exhibits, there are about 40 interactive touch stations that provide in-depth information on several specimens. I can spend hours browsing here, admiring the beauty of so many pieces, all while learning so much about geology.

www.rom.on.ca/
100 Queens Park Toronto, ON M5S 2C6, Canada
+1 (416) 586 8000
Google map: bit.ly/sYw4d0

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This free event showcases outdoor entertainment, including carolers, brass band concerts, choirs and European folklore dancing. The Distillery District is a historic area with brick-lined streets filled with cafes, restaurants, and shops, all housed in Victorian-era industrial buildings.
The entire district is decorated and lit up for the season, including a 45-foot White Spruce tree with 18,000 light ornaments, located in the main square. There are endless things to do for people of all ages. Kids can ride the Ferris wheel, visit the Reindeer Zoo, walk through a fairy tell forest maze, learn about Christmas traditions all over the world, and make ornaments and stocking stuffers. Adults can try a variety of specialty beers, mulled wines and Christmas cocktails, as well as shop for hundreds of unique and local handicraft products, as well as
Christmas merchandise and specialty baked goods. There is also plenty of “street” food to be had: hot chestnuts, grilled sausages, and warm pretzels with artisan mustard. This is the perfect place to get you in the mood for the Christmas holidays.

www.torontochristmasmarket.com
Distillery Historic District, Toronto, Canada
+1 416 364 1177
Google map: bit.ly/s4vwiP

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Nathan Phillips Square, located at the forecourt to Toronto City Hall, hosts numerous events
throughout the year, and starting November 26 until the middle of March, the famous outdoor skating rink will be open to the public.
Visitors can rent skates, get them sharpened, and have access to the indoor changing rooms.
This is the perfect way to end a winter day in the city. Skate rental includes 2 hours of skating. Adults = $10.00, and children = $5.00.
If you’re in town on November 26, be sure to attend the Cavalcade of Lights, beginning at 7pm in the Square. The event features the official lighting of the city’s Christmas tree, fireworks at 8pm, live musical performances by award-winning Canadian artists, and a skating party on the rink.

www.cityskaterentals.com
100 Queen Street West, Toronto, Canada
+1 416 304 1400
Google map: bit.ly/vcZFli

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BIXI is a public bicycle sharing system that has 1,000 bikes at 80 docking stations within
downtown Toronto. To find a docking station, visit toronto.bixi.com.
How does it work? Find a docking station, grab a bike, and use your credit card to pay for up to 24-hour access. You can drop off your bike at any docking station. Trips less than 30 minutes will cost the $5 system access fee, and anything longer will cost usage fees: an additional 31- 60 minutes will cost $1.50; an additional 61-90 minutes will cost $4, and every 30 minutes thereafter will cost $8. When the bike is returned to the dock, fees will be billed to your credit card.
The name BIXI is a contraction of the words BIke and taXI.
Originally implemented in Montreal, BIXI has expanded across Canada and around the world, with systems in Boston, London, Melbourne, Montreal, and Washington, D.C., among many others.

https://toronto.bixi.com

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Since its opening in 1969, this science museum has been attracting families, teens and adults.
The Centre has several hundred interactive exhibits, featuring everything in science and nature, including geology, astronomy, human anatomy, communication, Toronto’s only planetarium, and KidSpark, a play area designed specifically for kids aged eight and under.
Until November 30, there is a special exhibit of Leonardo da Vinci’s workshop, with 20 scale physical models of his inventions, including a mechanical lion, a robot soldier and the self- propelling cart. Visitors can also interact with his famous paintings by zooming into details on the Last Supper and the Mona Lisa. There are also interactive touch-screens to help you turn the pages of his notebooks, with sketches and 3D models leaping from the page.
The IMAX has some great screenings, too. Catch “Rocky Mountain Express”, where you take a steam train through the Canadian Rockies, learning about train travel while seeing spectacular mountain scenery and gorges along the way. Also on IMAX, “Under the Sea” where spectators visit the beautiful underground world of the Great Barrier Reef.
Finally, there are various food options, from snacks to beverages to full meals, ranging from fast food to healthy options.

www.ontariosciencecentre.ca
770 Don Mills Road, Toronto, Canada
+1 416 696 1000
Google map: bit.ly/tHQkNT

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Try a skiing experience with a difference on Baffin Island in the Canadian High Arctic. Wrap up warm and ski straight out of the door of your beachside cabin and head out onto the sea ice. Ski passed the fishing boats moored up for the winter on the frozen ocean waters and Glide up river through the mountains where, if you're lucky, you might come across one of the locals fishing at their ice-hole for a few Arctic Char for dinner!

www.visitcanada.com
Google map: bit.ly/vFM1lx

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Most Torontonians love their coffee and donuts and the place to go is Tim Hortons, also known as “Tim’s” or “Timmies”. This chain of restaurants, found every few blocks throughout Toronto and its suburbs, is as Canadian as the maple leaf.
Line-ups in the morning are usually right out the door at most locations, as a decent cup of coffee and a breakfast sandwich won’t put a dent in your pocketbook. The coffee is actually quite good, for a fast-food joint, and they have other options besides donuts: tea biscuits, sandwiches, wraps, and soups. The restaurant prides itself on their “always fresh” policy and their coffee is served within 20 minutes of brewing.
Founded in 1964 by a Canadian hockey player, Tim Hortons is Canada’s largest fast food
service with over 3,500 stores in Canada. It also has locations in the US and many Canadian Forces bases, including Kandahar.
The most famous of its donuts are the “Timbits”, donut holes available in various flavours: Dutchie (donut with raisins, covered in a sugary glaze), Honey Dip, Chocolate, Jelly Filled, Glazed, and Apple Fritter.
Donut flavours vary from store to store, and they always have special flavours throughout the year: red glazed donuts for Canada Day and the Strawberry Bloom donut, a bloom-shaped donut, dipped in vanilla fondant with a strawberry filling and topped with strawberry-flavoured sprinkles.
To experience true Canadiana culture, every visitor to Toronto must step into a Tim Horton’s at least once.

www.timhortons.com

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Toronto’s downtown core has an underground tunnel system that links over 50 buildings and office towers, five subway stations, six hotels, parking garages and major attractions in the city, all with underground passageways full of places to shop.
According to the Guinness World Records, PATH is the largest underground shopping complex linking 28 km (17 miles) with over 1,000 shops and services. Once a year, the PATH hosts the world’s largest underground sidewalk sale. The underground system also provides a great haven from the elements, with heating in winter and air conditioning in summer.
I love taking the PATH in the cold, winter months, where I can walk without a coat for miles
at a time. I must admit, it can be a bit confusing getting around, but that’s all part of the fun.
Wandering around, not really knowing where I’m going on a lazy day, browsing shops, sitting in a café, it’s all great fun when the weather outside is dreadful.
To help you get around easier, each letter in the PATH is a different colour and represents a
direction: P is red and represents south, orange, A, directs pedestrians to the west, blue, T,
directs them to the north, and the H is yellow and points to the east.

www.toronto.ca/path/pdf/path_brochure.pdf

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Looking to see Toronto through the eyes of a local? Sign up for a free visit to one of Toronto’s diverse neighbourhoods, led by a friendly greeter who shows you a different perspective of the city.
Toronto Greeters are not professional tour guides, but volunteers who love their city and want to share with visitors the special places that mean something to them. Visitors can select one of over 50 neighbourhoods that they would like to discover in-depth, or they can select one of 14 themed visits, exploring public art, architecture, music, and the waterfront. If you don’t know what to select, you can opt for “Greeter’s Choice” and be surprised.
Want to know where to go for the best shoe shopping? Where to stand to get the best shot of the CN Tower? Where the best walking trails are? Seeing a neighbourhood through the eyes of a local allows you to learn things you wouldn’t pick up on your own or read in a guide book.
This service is offered year-round to individuals, families, and groups of up to 6 people. Visits are offered in over 30 languages, including Arabic, Farsi, Marathi and Tagalog.
How to sign up: Fill out the online form, located on the City of Toronto website, at least one
week before arriving: https://wx.toronto.ca/inter/city/tap.nsf/VisAppl?OpenForm.
Visitors are matched with greeters, based on language, age, interests, and neighbourhood. E-
mails are exchanged in advance to ensure the volunteer understands what the visitor is hoping to learn from the experience.

www.toronto.ca/tapto

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