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Canada
How about racing into 2013 with a 5K run and then celebrating with a post-race party with champagne and fireworks?
Starting at midnight, the run takes place in Toronto’s hip Liberty Village, where there is a combination of mostly roads, paths and laneways, plus the scenic Liberty Market Lane. Some running will be through parking lots, with some gravel sections but trail shoes are not required. The course is extremely well lit from street lights and runners get a great view of the city’s skyline.
The final party venue is still be finalized, but showers and facilities will be available so you can get ready for the party. There is no formal dress code – come smart, sporty, casual or even in a costume.
And if running’s not your thing, you can sign up for the party only.
Run ticket includes winter gloves, post-race food, swag bag, finisher’s medal and free glass of bubbly. Party ticket includes free drink, finger food, party favours and the chance to win some draw prizes. Beer and wine are available for purchase.
www.midniteruntoronto.com/register/
* Giulia is our Been there local for Toronto. You can see her profile here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/places/canada/toronto/index.jsp and follow her tips here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/travellers/GiuliaFalsetti
Looking for a New Year’s Dinner with a twist?
Mysteriously Yours Murder Mystery Dinner Theatre will be serving up a four-course dinner, an interactive murder-mystery, and after-party with dancing and a midnight toast.
This 25th Annual New Year’s Eve Gala will feature The Fine Art of Murder (A Sherlock Holmes Mystery). Dinner starts at 6:30pm, followed by the mystery and dessert, at around 8:00pm until 11:00pm, followed by dancing and champagne at midnight. The cost for a ticket is CDN $169, including tax and gratuity. Drinks are extra.
www.mysteriouslyyours.com/
2026 Yonge Street, Toronto, Canada
+1 416 486 7469
Google map: bit.ly/T9r7Gu
* Giulia is our Been there local for Toronto. You can see her profile here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/places/canada/toronto/index.jsp and follow her tips here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/travellers/GiuliaFalsetti
While in Toronto during the winter months, enjoy one of Canada’s oldest and most popular recreational activities: ice skating.
While there are about 51 outdoor skating rinks in Toronto, the Natrel Rink located at the Harbourfront Centre is a really pretty place to skate. The trees surrounding it are lit, and you get a great view of Lake Ontario. Open until March, the rink offers skate rentals and heated indoor changing rooms with lockers and washrooms. The rink-side restaurant, Lakeside EATS offers hot chocolate and other goodies as well. And back by popular demand, DJ Saturday nights begins in December and runs until the end of February: depending on the DJ, you can skate to Top 40 pop tunes, rock, old school hip hop and Latin, among others.
Admission is free. Skate rentals are CDN $8 for adults and CDN $6 for children.
www.harbourfrontcentre.com/thenatrelrink/
235 Queens Quay West Harbourfront Centre Toronto, Canada
+1 416 973 4000
Google map: bit.ly/TS4of6
* Giulia is our Been there local for Toronto. You can see her profile here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/places/canada/toronto/index.jsp and follow her tips here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/travellers/GiuliaFalsetti
Located a few hours’ drive from Toronto, Casino Rama is a large casino with a full-service hotel and entertainment complex that hosts singers, boxing events, and shows, as well as restaurants and bars.
The casino operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week. With almost 200,000 square foot of entertainment space, this venue has something for everyone: the casino has over 2,500 slot machines and 110 table games, spa and health club facilities, and 10 restaurants ranging from buffet to Italian to noodle house and steak bars. The Life Spa, located in the hotel, features a full complement of offerings: get a therapeutic massage, facial, pedicure or a seasonally themed
organic signature treatment. There is also an indoor pool, steam room, sauna and Jacuzzi.
www.casinorama.com
5899 Rama Road, Rama, Canada
+1 705 329 3325
Google map: bit.ly/UeivtS
* Giulia is our Been there local for Toronto. You can see her profile here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/places/canada/toronto/index.jsp and follow her tips here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/travellers/GiuliaFalsetti
If you’re looking for an original spa experience, try the Himalayan Salt Cave in Oakville, a posh town with superb dining and shopping, located just a 20-minute train ride from downtown Toronto.
Relax in a cave-like setting which has several inches of Himalayan salt crystals covering the floor, ceiling and walls. The salt concentration is similar to the consistency of salty air at the beach. The antibacterial environment is a 100% natural, drug free remedy to relieve respiratory illnesses, improve skin conditions and strengthen immune systems.
A typical Himalayan salt therapy session lasts for 50 minutes and the space comfortably seats eight people. The space was built under guidance and instruction from experts who have helped replicate Himalayan Salt Caves found in Europe, where salt caves are a popular and accepted form of alternative medicine. After your spa experience, take a walk along Lakeshore Road and browse the trendy shops, cafes and restaurants.
www.saltcaveoakville.com
302 Lakeshore Road East, Oakville, Canada
+1 905 338 5555
Google map: bit.ly/11CFvKv
* Giulia is our Been there local for Toronto. You can see her profile here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/places/canada/toronto/index.jsp and follow her tips here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/travellers/GiuliaFalsetti
If you’re an animal lover, the Toronto Zoo is a great place to visit. Located in the city’s east end, it is the largest zoo in Canada with over 5,000 animals over 10 kilometres of walking trails.
The zoo is divided into seven “zoo-geographic” regions: Indo-Malaya, Africa, Americas, Tundra Trek, Australasia, Eurasia and the Canadian Domain. Animals can be seen in their natural habitats, with some located indoors in tropical pavilions and others outdoors. There are also zoo keeper talks, scheduled feedings, hands-on discovery areas and special exhibits.
www.torontozoo.com
2000 Meadowvale Road
+1 416 392 5929
Google map: bit.ly/Okwy46
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Toronto’s annual free fall series of guided walks in and around the city runs from September 15 until October 28, 2012.
Now in its tenth year, the festival encourages locals and tourists alike to walk and/or hike through the city’s trails.
Participation is free – all you need to do is register online at www.torontotrailsfestival.ca for the walks you want to explore. Online registration closes at 4:30 pm on the Friday before each walk.
Depending on your experience, you can choose from three different walking levels: Level 1: 7 to 8 kilometres; Level 2: 8 to 15 kilometres, or Level 3: 15+ kilometres. Depending on which one you choose, the walks take you through ravines, beaches, and valleys.
Walks last for two to three hours and meeting points vary, with most starting and ending locations being near public transportation.
www.torontotrailsfestival.ca
* Giulia is our Been there local for Toronto. You can see her profile here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/places/canada/toronto/index.jsp and follow her tips here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/travellers/GiuliaFalsetti
The Toronto Fringe Festival is an annual theatre event that features some of the most interesting, hysterical and gut-wrenching uncensored drama in Toronto. All performances take place in theatres throughout the downtown core. Several productions that made their debut at the Fringe have been shown to larger audiences, such as “Da Kink in My Hair.”
I love “fringeing.” I’ve already bought my pass of 12 tickets and am looking forward to seeing some great live theatre. Tickets are incredibly affordable, with single tickets at $10 and are available by purchasing either online or at the theatre one hour prior to show time. This year’s festival presents over 150 individual productions from Canada and around the world.
The festival runs from Wednesday, July 4 until Sunday, July 15 and the roster includes something for everyone: from musicals to sketch comedy to drama to FringeKids! plays held at one of the local libraries. There are even some interesting venues, with locations like parking lots, school buses and even a bra shop.
All Fringe shows are not chosen by a jury, but rather a lottery system, which gives each play an equal chance.
www.fringetoronto.com
* Giulia is our Been there local for Toronto. You can see her profile here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/places/canada/toronto/index.jsp and follow her tips here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/travellers/GiuliaFalsetti
Taking a sightseeing cruise on the Toronto harbour is the perfect getaway from the city on a
beautiful summer day. Sit back and relax while getting some of the best views of Toronto’s
scenic skyline and waterfront, the Toronto islands and lagoons, and the woodlands of the Island Bird and Wildlife Sanctuary, as well as many other points of interest.
The one-hour interactive tour offers live narrated sightseeing where you will hear all about the city of Toronto as well as the waterfront and the islands, famous landmarks such as the CN Tower and SkyDome, and the opportunity to stop at Centre Island, where you can enjoy restaurants, parkland, bike and boat rentals, a petting zoo and amusement park. Because of the frequent boat services, you can catch a return trip back to the city anytime in the day. A perfect getaway would be to leave the harbour early in the morning, spend the day walking through the Toronto Islands, and then take a boat back to the city.
Tickets can be purchased just before boarding the vessel, but if you book online, there is a 20%
discount.
www.harbourtourstoronto.ca
145 Queen’s Quay West, Toronto, Canada
+1 416 203 6994
Google map: bit.ly/NrdTht
* Giulia is our Been there local for Toronto. You can see her profile here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/places/canada/toronto/index.jsp and follow her tips here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/travellers/GiuliaFalsetti
Sailing for You offers private sailboat charter services and customized sailing adventures.
Whether you’re interested in a dinner and sunset cruise, an afternoon of swimming, or even a basic sailing lesson, these folks will organize everything for you. If you’re looking for a romantic getaway with a rack of lamb dinner or an afternoon of soaking in the sun with beer and hamburgers, all this and more can be arranged.
There are three vessels you can choose from: “Teddy Graham,” a 38 foot luxury sailing
yacht, “Carpe Diem II”, a 40 foot white catamaran, and “What If,” a 34 foot Aloa sloop, which you can charter for a few hours or a few days.
The start locations depend on which vessel you choose, and all are located on Toronto’s
harbour.
www.sailingforyou.ca
Queens Quay West, Toronto, Canada
+1 416 276 9343
Google map: bit.ly/L9iy8q
* Giulia is our Been there local for Toronto. You can see her profile here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/places/canada/toronto/index.jsp and follow her tips here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/travellers/GiuliaFalsetti
Some of Toronto’s best views are seen from Lake Ontario and if you’re looking to do something adventuresome, why not try your hand at kayaking or canoeing? The Harbour front Canoe & Kayak Centre offers single lessons for beginners and canoe rentals for seasoned pros, with a great opportunity to escape the bustle of city life.
One-evening beginner training sessions for canoeing and kayaking are offered weekly, and
last for approximately 3.5 hours. In the introductory lesson, you will familiarize yourself with the equipment, learn safety tips, and how to control your vessel.
How to get there: take the Queens Quay West streetcar from underground at Union Station.
Get off at the third streetcar stop, on Rees Street, and walk 10 minutes south towards the
waterfront.
www.paddletoronto.com
283A Queen's Quay West, Toronto, Canada
+ 1 800 960 8886
Google map: bit.ly/MRs66k
* Giulia is our Been there local for Toronto. You can see her profile here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/places/canada/toronto/index.jsp and follow her tips here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/travellers/GiuliaFalsetti
Torontonians know the end of winter is near when the Canada Blooms event is just around the corner. Canada’s largest flower and garden festival is also attended by many out-of-towners, with people booking hotel rooms very early.
Canada Blooms features six acres of gardens created by Canada’s top designers and landscape architects, all with a grand display of colours, textures and scents.
Over 200 hours of free lectures and gardening demonstrations are offered, as well several
design competitions, featuring the floral creations of non-professionals, locals, and international competitors.
Visitors can also participate in daily workshops, ranging from Thai fruit and vegetable carving, seed starting, 15-minute flower arranging, and small scale composting.
www.canadablooms.com
Direct Energy Centre
Halls A & Heritage Court, 100 Princes' Blvd, Toronto, Canada
+1 416 447 8655
Google map: bit.ly/xsyT7n
* Giulia is our Been there local for Toronto. You can see her profile here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/places/canada/toronto/index.jsp and follow her tips here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/travellers/GiuliaFalsetti
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
* Giulia is our Been there local for Toronto. You can see her profile here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/places/canada/toronto/index.jsp and follow her tips here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/travellers/GiuliaFalsetti
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
* Giulia is our Been there local for Toronto. You can see her profile here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/places/canada/toronto/index.jsp and follow her tips here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/travellers/GiuliaFalsetti
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
* Giulia is our Been there local for Toronto. You can see her profile here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/places/canada/toronto/index.jsp and follow her tips here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/travellers/GiuliaFalsetti
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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The Gardiner Museum is the only museum in Canada devoted exclusively to ceramic arts. Since its $20 million makeover in 2006, the museum is a great example of modernist architecture. Spread over three floors, the permanent collection of over 3,000 pieces cover several millennia. Items include ceramics from Ancient American works, Chinese and Japanese porcelain, Dutch Delft pottery, Maiolica from the Italian Renaissance, and Canadian and international contemporary collections. Free guided tours with admission are offered every day at 2pm. You can also catch the exhibits for free every Friday night, from 4pm to 9pm.
Upcoming exhibits include The Tsar’s Cabinet, October 13, 2011 to January 8, 2013, featuring a selection of imperial Russian porcelain and decorative arts, most of which were specifically designed for and used by the tsars and members of the Russian imperial family.
Complementing these exhibits, the museum offers clay classes for adults and children; Family Sundays, from 1pm to 4pm, the Gardiner Café, with a lunch menu.
www.gardinermuseum.on.ca
111 Queen’s Park, Toronto
+ 1 416 586 8080
Google map: bit.ly/o1zHCp
* Giulia is our Been there local for Toronto. You can see her profile here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/places/canada/toronto/index.jsp and follow her tips here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/travellers/GiuliaFalsetti
Also known as “The Ex”, Canada’s largest fair takes place this year from August 19th to
September 5th at the Exhibition grounds. This is a bittersweet time of year for most Torontonians, who are sad the summer is drawing to a close but excited to attend this annual tradition which wraps up on Labour Day weekend.
The grounds are on a 192-acre site, and with such a variety of entertainment and events to
choose from, there really is something for everyone. Besides the large carnival midway with rides, games and food, there is also a smaller children’s midway. Some of this year’s events include aerial acrobatics and ice skating, a human cannonball, a sand sculpting competition, daily Mardi-Gras parades, hypnotists, music concerts and garden shows. The international air show takes place on the last three days of the fair.
Animal lovers can watch horse shows and competitions, as well as dog and cat shows. There is also a working farm, which gives city kids an idea of what it’s like to live on a farm. Animals range from the common cow to the exotic alpaca.
The casino has 84 gaming tables including Blackjack and Texas Hold’em Poker area with 24 tables.
The Ex is a shopper’s mecca, with over five shopping pavilions to choose from featuring
Canadian arts and crafts, clothing, jewelry and leather goods, furniture, appliances and home décor, international handicrafts, a warehouse outlet with specially discounted products from major Canadian retailers, and an outdoor market.
And it wouldn’t be a carnival without fast food. Besides the usual carnival fare of candy apples, cotton candy and pizza, the Food Building includes artery-clogging food like deep-fried peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, deep fried coca cola, deep fried butter, and for the first time this year, the donut cheeseburger: a ground beef patty with cheese sandwiched between two glazed Krispy Kreme doughnuts.
Getting here: There are several ways to get to the CNE via public transportation: from Union subway station, take the 509 Streetcar westbound; from Bathurst subway station, take the 511 streetcar; and from Dufferin subway station, take the 29 Dufferin bus southbound.
www.theex.com
210 Princes' Boulevard, Toronto, ON M6K 3C3, Canada
+1 416 393 6300
Google map: bit.ly/mXDeqt
* Giulia is our Been there local for Toronto. You can see her profile here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/places/canada/toronto/index.jsp
The Toronto Islands are a chain of small islands, located a mere 15-minutes ferry ride from the city centre.
I love taking the ferry over on a hot summer day; the wind blowing in my face; the gentle rocking motion of the waves, the sounds of the birds, and the view of the islands in the distance, all offer a wonderful respite form the city. The islands are a great getaway.
The main island is home to the Centreville Amusement Park and a petting zoo. With over 600 acres of parkland, there are various rides and attractions for families with children. Also on Centre Island is the Franklin Children’s Garden, based on stories by Franklin the Turtle, it is an interactive garden where kids can participate in gardening and storytelling.
I like to head over to Ward’s and Algonquin Islands, where there are about 250 residential homes, all very different from each other. From the Victorian to the eclectic, with sizes ranging from estates to toolsheds, some of the homes are conservative, while others boast pink shutters with purple trim, brightly coloured doors, one even has flowers sprouting out of a toilet bowl on the front lawn.
And there’s Hanlan’s Point Beach, well-known to nudists in Toronto, where clothing is optional.
All of these islands are connected to the mainland by several ferry services.
Once on the islands, you can rent a bicycle or a canoe, take a leisurely walk through the
gardens, or even have a picnic.
www.toronto.ca/parks/island/index.htm
Via Ferrydocks at 9 Queen’s Quay West
+ 1 416 397 2626
Google map: bit.ly/oT2iiI
I love heading out to the island to watch this dragon boat regatta. This year, the 23rd Toronto International Dragon Boat Race Festival expects about 180 to 200 teams, with over 5,000 athletes. The Festival will welcome teams from across Canada, the US, the Caribbean, Europe, and Asia. This year’s event will showcase vendor displays, on-site workshops, food, and entertainment from the Latin American and Caribbean ethnic backgrounds.
www.dragonboats.com
Centre Island, June 25th and June 26th, 2011
Google map: bit.ly/kwQee6
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