Get Around Toronto

Toronto’s the most multicultural city in the world, a perfect setting for the most eclectic music and film festival of the year. It’s North America’s 4th-largest city: almost 5 million people live in the greater T.O area. But the downtown neighbourhoods have a small-town flavour: a unique character or ethnic feel, with cool shops and restaurants, a vibrant streetscape, and no big-box mall sucking the life off the sidewalks.

Most North by Northeast venues are in the heart of downtown, in the club districts along Queen Street West, College Street, and in the Entertainment District near King Street and Spadina Avenue. It’s an easy walk between many clubs—so get outside, soak up the street vibe, and recharge for the next show.

If you want to save your legs for dancing, there’s always Toronto’s transit system (TTC). Streetcars run along Queen, College, Spadina, Dundas and other main downtown routes. The TTC is sometimes slow, but it’s safe and it works and it gets you where you want to go. It won’t take you to the suburbs, but hey—you don’t want to go there during NXNE anyway.

For the most comprehensive and up-to-date guide to the city and what’s happening this week, check out NOW Magazine online at www.nowtoronto.com. While in the city, you can find NOW (published every Thursday) at stores, clubs, restaurants, and on street corners all over town.

Toronto Accommodations

When you're attending NXNE, there's only one place to stay that's at the centre of the NXNE universe, and that's the Holiday Inn on King!

It's right in the heart of downtown Toronto in the entertainment district, all the conferences, panels and celebrity interviews are only an elevator ride away, great meals are available both onsite and just around the corner, there's lots of spots both casual and formal to arrange business meetings and ink some deals and after a late night bender, there's places to catch some late-night grub! By the way, did we mention the rooftop pool as a great place to hang out and ease a hangover or two?

What else could be better to maximize the success of your NXNE mission? To book, call the Holiday Inn on King directly at 1-800-263-8364 or locally at 416-599-4000 and give them the official NXNE booking ID code - NTHE8 - to get a deal on your room while they last! Last year the hotel was completely sold out so act quick while you can! Click to find out more about the Holiday Inn on King, but to book at our discount rate, you must call directly to book.

Please note that our special pricing will only be guaranteed until May 15 2008 or until the rooms are all sold out, so get your ass in gear!

The fine print - standard rooms go for $207CDN for single or double occupancy and suites are available for $389 for single or double occupancy as well. For the full band or more partiers, add $25 extra per adult over double occupancy to a max of 4 per room.

Budget:

Primrose Best Western Hotel
111 Carlton, 416-977-8000, 1-800-268-8082, www.torontoprimrosehotel.com. While the upper floors offer a fairly decent view of the city, the Primrose is pretty much what you’d expect from a downtown hotel: acceptable, if slightly sterile and devoid of character. On the upside, there’s a pool and fitness area, and let’s not forget that view.
Rooms from $160.25, bar, restaurant, gym, pool, Internet, meeting facilities.

Bond Place Hotel
65 Dundas E, 416-362-6061, www.bondplacehoteltoronto.com.
Undeniably one hell of a middle-of-the-road tourist hotel close to the eyesore known as the Eaton Centre, the Bond Place actually just looks like an apartment building standing tall, dull and brown. The rooms are what they are – basically, a bed, bathroom and colour TV – and the café serves
food all day. Rooms from $96.20, Internet.

Casa Loma Inn
21 Walmer, 416-924-4540, www.casalomainn.com.
Built in 1894 as a private home just a few blocks south of the Casa Loma castle, the Casa Loma is a heritage building that offers turn-of-the-century ambience and elegance. There are 23 finely appointed rooms, all with private four-piece baths, some equipped with Jacuzzis, fireplaces and wireless Internet service. Rooms from $80, wireless Internet.

Comfort Hotel Downtown
15 Charles E, 416-924-1222,
www.comfortinn.com.
Conveniently near everything, from the Elgin and Winter Garden Theatre to the Air Canada Centre, the Comfort Hotel offers a limited but reasonable list of amenities, with decent-sized rooms as well as several convenient travel packages, from show tickets to shopping excursions. Rooms from $119, restaurant, meeting facilities.

Clarion Hotel & Suites Selby
592 Sherbourne, 416-921-3142, www.hotelselby.com.
Located in a splendid historic mansion, the Clarion has been around in one form or another since 1882. Ernest Hemingway stayed here when he was a star reporter for the Toronto Star in 1923, and his namesake suite boasts a fireplace. Rooms from $107.99, gym, meeting facilities.

Dundas Square Hotel
223 Church, 416-703-3939, www.dundashotel.com.
The inconspicuous-looking Dundas Square is a budget-style complex sandwiched between local businesses. Even though the outside (or some of the people standing there) tends to look a bit sketchy, the hotel has newly renovated rooms and a super location just south of the Village and a couple of blocks east of Yonge. Rooms from $70.

Waverley Hotel
484 Spadina, 416-921-2141.
Ever wonder what it’d be like to rent a room in Satan’s asshole? Look no further than the Waverley, a prime destination for sex workers and their johns, junkies and their dealers. Even taking into account the fact that the hotel’s right beside the infamous Silver Dollar blues club – made more infamous by its appearance in the pulp fiction of Elmore Leonard – there’s no reason for trying to live in a Charles Bukowski novel for a night. Rooms from $50.

Family:

Comfort Suites City Centre
200 Dundas E, 416-362-7700,
www.comfortsuites.sites.toronto.com.
After a long day of shopping at the nearby retail hot spot that is Yonge, soak your bones in the penthouse Jacuzzi, pop the cork on a bottle of bubbly and stoke the embers in the in-room fireplace. That’s comfort. Rooms from $88, bar, pool, gym, wireless Internet.

Days Inn Toronto Beaches
1684 Queen E, 416-694-1177, www.daysinn.ca.
Those visitors uninterested in the perpetual beat of downtown should look east to the Beaches, a picturesque and family-friendly nabe near the lake, where the Days Inn offers a modest but perfectly snug atmosphere. Besides, it’s all about the beautiful sandy beaches just a 10-minute walk away.
Rooms from $57.93, Internet.

Delta Chelsea Hotel Downtown Toronto
33 Gerrard W, 416-595-1975, 1-877-243-5732, www.deltahotels.com.
This may be Canada’s largest hotel, boasting some 1,590 guest rooms, but it’s hardly impersonal. In addition to an indoor swimming pool, billiards room, 24-hour room service, arcade and game room and supervised childcare for parents who need a little alone time, the Delta is also highly conscious of accessibility issues for the disabled. So it’s no surprise it also frequently hosts conferences relating to disability issues. Rooms from $149, bar, restaurant, gym, pool, arcade, Internet, meeting facilities.

Holiday Inn Express Toronto Downtown
111 Lombard, 416-367-5555, 1-877-508-1763, www.hiexpress.com.
A family-oriented hotel conveniently located within walking distance of the Eaton Centre and St. Lawrence Market. Complimentary continental breakfast, children 18 years and under stay free and pets are allowed.
Rooms from $131.47, bar, gym, wireless Internet.

Holiday Inn On King
370 King W, 416-599-4000, 1-800-263-6364, www.hiok.com.
NXNE HEADQUARTERS DURING THE FESTIVAL!!
The exterior may look like some kind of futuristic robot overlord, but the Inn on King’s got the market cornered on accessibility to Toronto’s famous and lively Theatre District, and it’s got a great rooftop pool. Rooms from $219, restaurant, pool, comedy club, Internet.

Holiday Inn Toronto-Midtown
280 Bloor W, 416-968-0010, 1-877-508-1763, www.holiday-inn.com.
Sandwiched between the hip Annex and chic Yorkville near U of T, the Midtown is all about being cozy and efficient for the visitor on the go. Hit the adjoining pub for a pre-party bevvie before a night on the town.
Rooms from $116.99, restaurant, Internet.

InterContinental Toronto Centre
220 Bloor W, 416-960-5200,
www.toronto.intercontinental.com.
A sleek, upscale hotel for playboys and primadonnas yet a perfectly comfortable and relaxing middle-of-the-road destination, the InterContinental covers the basics with a variety of room styles, a tennis court, indoor swimming pool and rooftop patio. Rooms from $239, bar, restaurant, gym, pool, Internet, meeting facilities.

Radisson Plaza hotel Admiral-Toronto Harbourfront
229 Queens Quay W, 416-203-3333, 1-800-333-3333, www.radisson.com.
Sick of the sea... uh, lake? Tired of berthing below deck? Then tie up at the Radisson’s on-site marina and step ashore for some top-notch landlubbing accommodations. (Did someone say “spa”?) And in case you miss the water, there’s a stunning view of Lake Ontario from the south-facing outdoor pool. Rooms from $189, bar, restaurant, gym, pool, spa, Internet, meeting facilities.

Renaissance Toronto Hotel Downtown
1 Blue Jays Way, 416-341-7100, 1-800-237-1512, www.marriott.com.
Take in a Blue Jays game without ever getting out of bed. Located inside the Rogers Centre (formerly SkyDome), the Renaissance offers upscale service and quality for the business and leisure classes. Recently renovated, the hotel boasts friendly and delightfully knowledgeable staff, while 75 of their two-floored suites overlook the baseball field. When it’s time for the seventh-inning stretch, just kick back and crack open the mini-bar. Rooms from $149, bar, restaurant, gym, pool, wireless Internet, meeting facilities.

Toronto Marriott Downtown Eaton Centre
525 Bay, 416-597-9200, 1-800-905-0667, www.marriott.com.
The weird dark-salmon interior shouldn’t cause anyone to shy away from this hotel catering to the business and leisure class with style and comfort in mind. Look out for the mini outdoor oasis at the south exit complete with a soothing fountain. Rooms from $189, bar, restaurant, gym, pool, wireless Internet.

Town Inn Hotel Suites
620 Church, 416-964-3311, 1-800-398-2755, www.towninn.com.
Travelling with the family? This apartment hotel offers suites with full kitchens. Here on business? Book a room on the executive floor and take advantage of a full range of business services. Looking to shop? Spend some serious dough in Yorkville, just a few blocks away. Want to relax? Try the the indoor pool or tennis courts. Rooms from $119, gym, pool, tennis court, wireless Internet.

Business:

Alexandra Hotel
77 Ryerson, 416-504-2121, 1-800-567-1893, www.alexandrahotel.com.
While definitely not a big fancy-pants lux-fest, the Alexandra has small rooms made for the visitor on the go – i.e., clean but nothing special – and with ensuite kitchenettes, laundry services and Internet access. Rooms from $80, kitchenette, Internet.

Courtyard By Marriott Downtown Toronto
475 Yonge, 416-924-0611, 1-800-847-5075, www.marriott.com.
If staying on the main street through downtown Toronto isn’t enough for you, this cosmopolitan hotel will be happy to help you arrange a round of golf at GTA courses or sightseeing excursions to the CN Tower or the Toronto Islands. If you’re done with all the “business” on your business trip, that is. Rooms from $169, bar, restaurant, gym, pool, Internet, meeting facilities.

The Cromwell Furnished Suites
55 Isabella, 416-962-5670, http://cromwell.sites.toronto.com.
The namesake of the famous Brit offers a comfortable and appealing alternative to your average prefab hotel options, especially if you’re in town for more than a few days – the Cromwell offers daily, weekly and monthly rates. Located near the bustling Yonge and Bloor intersection, the suites give off an attractive lived-in feel. Rooms from $90/nt, $560/wk, $1,650/mth, kitchen, wireless Internet.

Days Hotel & Conference Centre Toronto Downtown
30 Carlton, 416-977-6655, 1-800-DAYS-INN, www.dayshoteltoronto.ca.
The uninspired exterior may lead you to believe this is your typical downtown biz-traveller trap. Inside you’ll find a swimming pool, typically comfortable rooms and best of all, a pub called the Beer Cellar, which means the drunken walk home at the end of the night only takes about two minutes.
Rooms from $99, bar, restaurant, gym, pool, Internet, meeting facilities.

Grange Hotel
165 Grange, 416-603-7700, 1-888-232-0002, www.grangehotel.com.
Somewhere between the convenience of a hotel and autonomous hostel life is the Grange, a six-storey apartment-style building that, aside from being affordable and close to you-name-it, offers cozy, modest rooms complete with kitchenettes and private bathrooms. Rooms from $94.95, kitchenette, Internet.

Novotel Toronto Centre Hotel
45 The Esplanade, 416-367-8900, www.novotel.com.
Located on one of the purdiest little stretches of road in the city’s core not more than a five-minute walk to the historic St. Lawrence Market (see Sightseeing, page 17), the Novotel combines a little Old European style with the feel and convenience of the modern hotel with spacious rooms and charming downstairs bistro. Rooms from $145, restaurant, gym, pool, Internet, meeting facilities.

Ramada Hotel & Suites Downtown Toronto
300 Jarvis, 416-977-4823, 1-800-567-2233, www.ramadahotelandsuites.com.
This hotel across from the beautiful Allan Gardens, a 10-minute walk to the Eaton Centre, is where businessmen on a budget and garage bands tired of sleeping in their van spend the night. The rooms are big and bright, and the on-site health club boasts an indoor pool, exercise room and squash courts. The nabe can be a bit dodgy after dark, however. Rooms from $169. bar, restaurant, gym, pool, wireless Internet, meeting facilities.

Sheraton Centre Toronto
123 Queen W, 416-361-1000, 1-866-716-8101, www.sheratontoronto.com.
With a newly refurbished lobby filled with plenty of plaid and leather (in shades of reds and blues, no less), this mega-sized hotel features a classic English-style pub and a stunning patio garden with babbling brook and waterfalls, ideal for an evening stroll or a grand moonlit reception.
Rooms from $242.75, bar, restaurant, gym, pool, wireless Internet.

Strathcona Hotel
60 York, 416-363-3321, 1-800-268-8304, www.thestrathconahotel.com.
Since 1945, the Strathcona has been all about offering the quality and service one might expect from an upscale metropolitan locale at a very decent rate. With 194 rooms, the European-inspired hotel is ideal for the business traveller. Rooms from $125, bar, restaurant, meeting facilities.

Travelodge Toronto
621 King W, 416-504-7441, 1-800-578-7878, www.travelodgetorontodowntown.com.
Sticking out like a relic from the 70s among the trendy shops and restos of the King West strip, the Travelodge is one of the downtown’s only motels. You remember motels, don’t you, where you park your car at your front door? The three-storey, 88-room go-tel boasts plenty of room and wireless high-speed Internet access, not to mention a good location and helpful employees. Rooms from $129.95, wireless Internet.

Boutique:

Cosmopolitan Toronto Hotel
8 Colborne, 416-350-2000, 1-800-958-3488, www.cosmotoronto.com.
The Cosmo is a tranquil boutique hotel that offers a wide array of amenities, while the suites are straight out of an Ikea catalogue. Anyone in need of stress relief should check out the Shizen Spa. Rooms from $179, bar, restaurant, gym, spa, Internet.

The Drake Hotel
1150 Queen W, 416-531-5042, www.thedrakehotel.ca.
A $6-million facelift has transformed this former railway hostel into one of the two key hipster hangs on the trendy West Queen West strip (the other is the Gladstone Hotel, see below). Tucked in among galleries, boutiques and bistros, the Drake offers 19 cool crash pads, a European-influenced lounge, sushi bar and restaurant, a café, rooftop patio, yoga studio and the über-hip Underground performance space. Rooms from $179, bar, restaurant, wireless Internet.

Gladstone Hotel
1214 Queen W, 416-531-4635, www.gladstonehotel.com.
The most unique hotel experience in the city, perhaps the entire country. Built in 1889 and recently redesigned to reflect the surrounding artsy-hippie West Queen West community, the Gladstone (see photo, page 237) is a vital part of the local arts scene, hosting cabaret performances, film screenings, book launches and art exhibits. Indeed, 37 of its 51 rooms and suites have been individually designed by local artists, including the red-and-black-accented Biker Room, an homage to 70s biker culture; woodsy retreat the Faux Naturelle Room, described as a room where a “lesbian separatist commune meets Storybook Gardens”; and the pink Tiger Beat explosion of the Teen Queen Room. There are also six super-large Gimme More rooms with full four-piece baths and kitchenettes, as well as two special suites: the justifiably dubbed Best Room and the two-level honeymoon/rock-star Tower Suite, with a turret bedroom overlooking the city and lakefront.
Rooms from $165, bar, wireless Internet.

Isabella Hotel & Suites
556 Sherbourne, 416-922-2203, www.isabellahotel.com.
Visitors wanting to take a trip back in time should look to the Isabella. Built in 1891, the hotel is an historical landmark, with 31 rooms that offer plenty of comfort to those with a taste for the traditional. Rooms from $79, bar.

Madison Manor Boutique Hotel
20 Madison, 416-922-5579, 1-877-561-7048, www.madisonavenuepub.com.
There’s really only one drawback to staying at this English-country-style inn in the Annex – it happens to be adjacent to the Madison Pub (see Bars, page 119), with its six patios, one of the coolest bars in town. Not that rowdy neighbours are the problem; it’s just that you’ll likely join the party and never leave. Of course, it does make the drunken stumble to bed a little easier to bear. As for the hotel itself, it has 23 quaint and quiet rooms, five with balconies, fireplaces and alcove windows.
Rooms from $89, bar, restaurant, Internet, meeting facilities.

Hotel Victoria
56 Yonge, 416-363-1666, 1-800-363-8228, www.hotelvictoria-toronto.com.
It may be small, but the Victoria holds the bragging rights for being the second-oldest hotel in town. You can bet on friendly and personal service before hitting the Theatre District. Rooms from $105, Internet.

Luxury:

Four Seasons Hotel Toronto
21 Avenue Road, 416-964-0411, www.fourseasons.com/toronto.
This Yorkville luxury spot is prime celeb-spotting territory, especially the ground-floor Avenue Lounge during the Toronto International Film Festival. The rest is as you’d expect from a Four Seasons. Have cocktails or afternoon tea in the Lobby Bar or dinner at Truffles Restaurant. There are also fitness facilities, swimming pool and spa services. Rooms from $315, bar, restaurant, gym, pool, spa, wireless Internet, meeting facilities.

Grand Hotel & Suites Toronto
225 Jarvis, 416-863-9000, 1-877-32-GRAND, www.grandhoteltoronto.com.
Check out the cityscape from the rooftop patio garden (with whirlpools), or perhaps take in a twilight movie on the giant movie screen. Work up a sweat in the fitness centre, then cool off in the indoor pool. There’s more to the Grand than just a bed to sleep in. Ideal for families and business travellers alike. Rooms from $169 (incl full breakfast for two), bar, restaurant, gym, pool, spa services, wireless Internet, meeting facilities.

Hilton Toronto
145 Richmond W, 416-869-3456, www.hilton.com.
Yeah sure, nowadays mention the name Hilton and you think of the annoying heiress Paris, but her undeserved fortune wasn’t amassed through shoddy service. Located near hip Queen West, the Hilton offers sleek, sexy rooms, a salon and helpful, multilingual staff. Hey, they even allow pets, so bring the Chihuahua along for the trip. Rooms from $150, bar, restaurant, gym, pool, salon.

Hotel Le Germain
30 Mercer, 416-345-9500, 1-866-345-9501, www.germaintoronto.com.
A spinoff of its Montreal counterpart, this is a cool rendezvous in the heart of the Entertainment District (see Sightseeing, page 14). The rooms are smart and sophisticated, and the luxe resto Luce is one of the city’s top rated. Rooms from $245, bar, restaurant, gym, wireless Internet.

Le Royal Meridien King Edward Hotel
37 King E, 416-863-3131, www.toronto.lemeridien.com.
More than a century old, the King Eddy has had many famous guests, including Rudyard Kipling, Mark Twain and the Beatles. Though a bit austere and imposing – the terracotta trimmings on the exterior, stern-faced doorman, massive marble columns in the lobby – the hotel does know how to take care of its guests in Old World style. The Café Victoria, with its baroque decor and floor-to-ceiling windows, is typical of its Edwardian charm, while the plush chairs of the Consort Bar, looking onto busy King Street, offer great people watching. Rooms from $244, bar, restaurant, gym, spa services, wireless Internet, meeting facilities.

Old Mill Inn & Spa
21 Old Mill Road, 416-236-2641, 1-866-653-6455, www.oldmilltoronto.com.
The original mill was built in 1793 on the banks of the Humber River to process lumber for the then town of York. Rebuilt several times since, the Old Mill still offers the flavour of Old Toronto (by way of Victorian England), with its Tudor-style architecture, scenic gardens and a live orchestra in the dining room. No wonder it’s booked solid with wedding banquets every weekend from May till September. Rooms from $202, bar, restaurant, chapel, flower shop, spa, Internet.

Pantages Suites Hotel & Spa
200 Victoria, 416-362-1777, 1-866-852-1777, www.pantageshotel.com.
In this 400-thread-count downtown lifestyle hotel a block east of the Eaton Centre, the 111 luxe suites still sparkle with newness. There’s a slick, cool martini bar near the lobby and a first-rate spa. If all that shiny sophistication makes you wish for something just a bit simpler, grab a burger and shake at Fran’s, the ground-level 50s-style diner. Rooms from $209, bar, restaurant, gym, spa services, wireless Internet, meeting facilities.

Park Hyatt Toronto Hotel
4 Avenue Road, 416-925-1234, http://parktoronto.hyatt.com.
Situated along Toronto’s famed Mink Mile a stone’s throw from fashionable Yorkville and just across the street from the Royal Ontario Museum, the Park Hyatt (formerly the Park Plaza) offers quiet comfort and tasteful luxury. Enjoy a meal in one of two restos, Annona and Morton’s Steakhouse, cocktails in one of two lounges or on the famed rooftop patio, a fine Cuban in the ground-floor La Casa del Habano Cigar Shop, or just spend the day being pampered in the hotel’s Stillwater Spa. Rooms from $285, bar, restaurant, gym, pool, spa services, wireless Internet, meeting facilities.

Soho Metropolitan Hotel
318 Wellington W, 416-599-8800, 1-866-SOHO-MET, www.metropolitan.com/soho/.
If you really want to Trump yourself, book a night in the SoHo Met’s 4,000-square-foot, three-storey penthouse with floor-to-ceiling windows, multiple fireplaces, two bedrooms, two kitchens, five washrooms, library, dining room, two living rooms, private rooftop terrace with hot tub and an in-suite glass elevator. The other 88 or so rooms in the hotel are great, too (Frette linens, heated marble floors in the bathrooms, big windows). Salon Daniel & Spa and Senses Bakery and Restaurant help make your stay even more pleasant. Rooms from $300, bar, restaurant, gym, pool, spa, wireless Internet, meeting facilities.

Sutton Place Hotel
955 Bay, 416-924-9221, 1-866-3SUTTON, www.suttonplace.com.
If elegance takes top priority, then the Sutton’s classic marble and brass decor will have you feeling like you’re rubbing elbows with high-society types in Monte Carlo. And at film festival time, you actually do rub elbows with Hollywood glitterati. The posh experience continues in the hotel’s specialty suites that feature original works of art and antiques.
Rooms from $143.65, bar, restaurant, gym, pool, wireless Internet, meeting facilities.

Toronto Marriott Bloor Yorkville
90 Bloor E, 416-961-8000, 1-800-859-7180, www.marriott.com.
Appropriately located in the upscale and occasionally stuffy Yorkville nabe, the Marriott offers everything you’d expect from a four-star hotel at a reasonable price. And with expensive shopping and the Royal Ontario Museum at its doorstep, why not? Rooms from $139, bar, restaurant, gym, Internet.

Westin Harbour Castle
1 Harbour Square, 416-869-1600, 1-800-228-3000, www.westin.com.
Right on the picturesque waterfront, the Westin is ideal for the upscale traveller who wants to stay downtown without being surrounded by the downtown. No wonder it hosts more than its share of rock stars. The Toronto Islands ferry and Harbourfront Centre (see Sightseeing, page 12) are both within walking distance. Everything else will require a quick streetcar or cab ride. Rooms from $199, bar, restaurant, gym, pool wireless Internet, meeting facilities.

Windsor Arms Hotel
18 St. Thomas, 416-971-9666, 1-877-999-2767, www.indsorarmshotel.com.
Tucked into a quiet side street mere steps from über-chic Yorkville, the Windsor Arms is where Hollywood stays when the stars come here to play. The 26 newly appointed luxury suites have 24-hour butler service. Enjoy fine French cuisine dining in the Courtyard Café, traditional high tea in the Tea Room, cocktails and casual dining in Club 22 and a cigar lounge. The Windsor Arms also offers old-school straight razor shaves in the Barber Shop as well as a full spa. Rooms from $275, bar, restaurant, gym, pool, spa, wireless Internet.

Let Me In

Though this could change soon, American visitors to Canada DO NOT need a passport to cross the border in either direction (although we recommend having one in our paranoid, post-9/11, George Dubya-is-watching world). All visitors may be asked to verify citizenship (birth certificate, naturalization certificate, green card or passport) and show a photo ID (e.g. driver’s license). If you’re under 16 and travelling parent-free—and good for you!—you should have a letter of authorization from a parent or guardian to travel to Canada. Anyone with a criminal record (including a drunk-driving charge) should contact the Canadian Embassy or nearest Consulate General before travel. U.S. citizens entering Canada from a third country must have a valid passport. In general, non-Americans will require a passport. For more information, call 1-800-992-7037 (from outside Canada), 1-888-242-2100 (from within Canada).

Tourist Info

Ontario Travel Information Centre: (Mon-Fri 10 am-9 pm, Sat 9:30 am-7 pm, Sun noon-5 pm, 1-800-668-2746) is located inside the Atrium on Bay. 20 Dundas W, at Yonge, 1-800-668-2746.

Tourism Toronto: Keeps track of the city’s events and places of recreational interest. Also provides hotel information. 207 Queens Quay W, 5th floor. Maps, brochures available. 416-203-2600, www.torontotourism.com.

Toronto on tour: Toronto’s not hard to navigate on foot—the CN Tower makes a pretty nifty compass needle and the downtown core is fairly compact. Public transportation is clean, safe and straightforward. But if you’d rather someone show you around, here are a few options:

Gray Line Bus Tour: A two-hour narrated bus tour on a double-decker bus, offering a hop-on/hop-off option of the Toronto area departing from downtown hotels at various times and from the Bay Street bus terminal (610 Bay) twice daily. Year round except Dec 25. $34, srs $30, child $19. 416-594-3310, www.grayline.ca.

Hippo Bus Tours: This colourful vehicle, made up of a school bus chassis, flotation devices and a glass-roofed body, offers 90-minute narrated (Japanese, Mandarin, Spanish, French and German) urban safari tours of downtown and then enters the lake for a ride around Ontario Place. May-Oct daily, hourly 11 am-6 pm. $38, srs/stu $33, child $25. 151 Front W, 416-703-4476, www.torontohippotours.com.

Tall Ship Tours: A three-masted schooner sails the Toronto harbour and Lake Ontario. Various times. All tours depart from Queens Quay Terminal. 207 Queens Quay W. $10.95-$19.95. Reservations 416-203-2322, www.tallshipcruisestoronto.com.

Toronto Helicopter Company: For the ultimate Toronto sightseeing experience, take in the whole city from 2,000 feet. The flights are short (choose between a 9- and 14-minute flight) and they aren’t cheap (close to 100 bucks for the shorter tour), but the view—and the experience—is hard to top. Departs from Toronto City Centre Airport (Bathurst ferry). Reservations 416-203-3280, www.HeliTours.ca.

Subways, Buses and Street Cars ( TTC):
TORONTO TRANSIT COMMISSION Route information: 416-393-INFO (4636) www.city.toronto.ca/ttc Lost & Found: 416-393-4100 (Bay Station).

The Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) is an integrated network of subways, buses and streetcars that serves all areas of the city 24/7. All NXNE venues are either directly on a TTC route or just a few steps off it.

Daily, weekly and monthly individual and family passes and single-ride tokens and tickets are available at all TTC booths as well as some convenience stores, newsstands and pharmacies. If you are paying cash on a bus or streetcar, you’ll need exact change since drivers don’t make change. A paper transfer obtained at your point of entry (from the driver on streetcars and buses or from the red machines in subway stations) allows you to board any connecting TTC vehicle without paying another fare. Free TTC maps are available at subway stations, the Toronto Convention and Visitors Association (207 Queens Quay W, Queens Quay Terminal) or the Ontario Travel Information Centre in the the Atrium on Bay (20 Dundas W, at Yonge, 1-800-668-2746).

The subway (a.k.a. the Rocket) is about as uncomplicated as it gets. A horseshoe-shaped north-south line (the Yonge-University-Spadina line) loops up from Union Station and is bisected by the east-west Bloor-Danforth line that runs through the city centre. A third line (the Sheppard line) runs east-west in the north of the city and connects to the Yonge line. Most subway stops connect to a bus or streetcar line and require a token, ticket or transfer obtained within the subway stations. The TTC offers a Request Stop program that allows female passengers who are travelling alone at night (9 pm-5 am) to exit buses between regular TTC stops.

Other Transit:

AIRPORT BUS SERVICE: Times and locations for direct bus service to the airport. 905-564-6333.

BUS TERMINAL: Schedule and ticket information. Greyhound and other bus lines. 610 Bay, 416-367-8747.

FERRY SCHEDULES: Ferry rides to the Toronto Islands. $6, stu/srs $3.50, child $2.50. 416-392-8193.

GO TRANSIT: Schedule and ticket info for greater Toronto region commuter trains and buses. 416-869-3200, www.gotransit.com.

UNION STATION: Schedule and ticket information for VIA Rail and other interurban train services. Corner of Bay and Front. 416-366-8411.

WHEEL-TRANS: Public city-transit service for handicapped persons. For information and reservations, call 416-393-4111, trip reservation 416-393-4222.

TAXIS: Taxis are everywhere in Toronto and can be hailed from any street corner. And while many of the cabs are painted like an ugly bruise, the only ones that are New York yellow are ones being filmed for a movie. The standard fare starts at $2.75 and increases 25 cents for every 0.19 km driven or 31 seconds of waiting. Drivers are required to take whatever route you request or the most direct route to your destination, and they are not allowed to make restaurant or hotel recommendations unless you request them. Should you encounter a problem, the 24-hour cab complaint line is 1-877-868-2947.
• Beck 416-751-5555
• Co-op 416-504-2667
• Crown 416-750-7878
• Diamond 416-366-6868

Driving:
If you’ve got your own wheels, Toronto is laid out on a grid system of easy-to-follow north-south, east-west streets. Parking, however, can be a bit of a pain. Curbside spaces are highly prized and offer only a couple of hours of meter time, so try one of the many city-run lots that offer the cheapest rates (just look for the green P sign). One more thing: you can make a right turn on a red light in Toronto (after stopping and yielding to other traffic and pedestrians, of course). Failing to do so will earn you honking horns and angry looks from drivers stuck behind you.

Car Rental:
• Advantage Car & Truck Rentals: 20 Eglinton W, other locations, 416-487-4994, www.advantagecarrentals.com.
• Alamo Car Rental: 930 Yonge, other locations, 416-935-1533, www.alamo.com.
• AutoShare: 24 Mercer, 416-340-7888, www.autoshare.com.
• Avis Car Rental: 80 Bloor E, other locations, 416-964-2051, www.avis.ca.
• Budget Car and Truck Rental: 141 Bay, other locations, 416-364-7104, www.budget.ca.
• Discount Car and Truck Rentals: 416-251-3759, www.discountcars.ca.
• Dollar Rent-A-Car: 370 King W, other locations, 416-977-6749, www.dollar.com.
• National Car and Truck Rental: 128 Richmond E, other locations, 416-364-4558, www.nationalcar.com.
• Thrifty Car Rental: 65 Front, Union Station, other locations, 416-947-1385, www.thrifty.com.
• Zipcar: 416-432-3114, www.zipcar.com.

Roadside service:
Canadian Automobile Association
461 Yonge, and other locations, 416-221-4300, 416-222-5222, www.caa.ca.

Walking, blading and biking
The Toronto core is neatly organized and fairly compact, making it easy to explore on foot. Blading and biking are common during the warmer months. A network of bike paths runs through ravines and parks, and some streets have designated bike lanes. For a list of bike rental shops, see Recreation, page 196.

MONEY, TAX, DUTY and TIPPING

CURRENCY: Canada’s currency is the dollar. For denominations under $5 we use coins, including the loonie ($1 coin) and toonie ($2 coin). Paper money comes in different colours and designs: $5 bills (blue), $10 bills (purple), $20 bills (green), $50 bills (red) and $100 bills (brown). DO NOT accept $100 bills. Many businesses won’t take them because of counterfeiting. American money is widely accepted, although exchange rates can vary and change will be returned in Canadian currency. Currency exchange is available at banks and kiosks (look for the Thomas Cook sign) throughout the city, as well as in the airport. Cash machines/ATMs (Plus/Cirrus/Interac) are numerous and easy to find, and even the pay-and-display parking machines accept credit cards (Visa, MasterCard, American Express).

SALES TAX: The Goods and Services Tax (GST) is a 6- per cent tax charged on most goods and services sold or provided in Canada. Purchases are also subject to the 8 per cent Provincial Sales Tax (PST). Foreign visitors can apply for a GST rebate (similar to the European VAT rebate) on accommodation (up to 30 nights per visit) and on goods exported within 60 days of purchase, so keep your receipts. For more info, visit www.cra.gc.ca/visitors or call 1-800-668-4748 (within Canada) or 1-902-432-5608 (from outside Canada).

DUTY FREE BOOTY: Visitors should check the customs regulations in their home country regarding what items they may bring back. American citizens, for example, are allowed to bring back $400 (retail value) in merchandise duty-free from Canada, provided they have been out of the U.S. for 48 hours. This amount may include:

• 1 carton of cigarettes
• 100 cigars (not Cubans)
• 2 kilograms of smoking tobacco
• 1 litre of alcohol

If the stay is less than 48 hours, $200 in merch may be taken back, including 5 ounces of alcohol and 50 cigs.

The following items are not permitted:
• Cuban or Iranian products
• fruits and vegetables
• uncooked grains

Goods bought in Canada but manufactured in the U.S. are duty free, as are handmade crafts and works of art (although make sure to keep your receipts handy). For more info on U.S. customs regulations, visit www.customs.ustreas.gov or call 905-676-2606.

TIPPING: If the food was good and the service friendly (as in all NXNE venues!), a 15- to 20-per cent tip on the pre-tax bill is standard. (Note: some restaurants automatically add the gratuity, so check your bill.) The same goes for services such as haircuts and taxi rides.

METRIC SYSTEM: Distance is measured by kilometres (km); speed signs are in kilometres per hour (km/h). Miles x 1.6 = kilometres; kilometres x 0.6 = miles (50 mph = 80 km/h; 100 km/h = 62 mph). Volume, baby, is measured in decibels, and after midnight, certain NXNE venues have been known to challenge supersonic jets for sheer ear-splitting intensity.

PUBLIC HOLIDAYS:
• New Year’s Day: January 1
• Good Friday: Friday before Easter
• Easter Monday: Monday following Easter
• Victoria Day: Monday before May 24
• Canada Day: July 1
• Civic Holiday: first Monday in August
• Labour Day: first Monday in September
• Thanksgiving: second Monday in October
• Remembrance Day: November 11
• Christmas Day: December 25
• Boxing Day: December 26

LANGUAGES: Canada has two official languages, English and French. In addition, the top five languages spoken in Toronto are Cantonese, Italian, Tamil, Portuguese and Spanish.

TELEPHONE: The GTA has three area codes: 416, 905 and 647, with 416 the most central.

INFO LINES: “access Toronto”: Public info, general inquiry service and referrals for the City of Toronto. Call centre Mon-Fri 8 am-5 pm, access in person at City Hall and civic centres Mon-Fri 8:30 am-4:30 pm. 416-338-0338, www.toronto.ca.

Arts, Culture & Heritage: Responsible for operating and administering many museums, historic sites and performing and visual arts centres.
416-338-3888.

BEACH HOTLINE AND SUN REPORT: Starting in June, a recorded message on the hotline indicates which T.O. beaches are safe for swimming. 416-392-7161.

Children’s Services: Provides info and referrals to families seeking licensed childcare in group or private home settings, before- and after-school care, summer camps, family support services and special needs resources. 416-392-KIDS (5437).

Community Info Toronto: This free, multilingual community, social, health and government information and referral service runs 24 hours a day.
Dial 2-1-1, www.211toronto.ca.

Government of Canada: Dial 1-800-O-Canada (622-6232).

HERITAGE TORONTO: Gatekeeper of the old amid the new, Heritage historical sites are maintained by the City of Toronto. St. Lawrence Hall, 157 King E, 416-338-0684, www.heritagetoronto.org.

Marriage Licences: Issued for gay, lesbian and straight marriages at City Hall and civic centres. Ceremonies can also be held at City Hall. 416-338-0338.

PARKS AND RECREATION INFO: Information on T.O. recreation programs such as tree planting, nature-trail hiking, swimming and tennis. 416-338-4FUN (4386), 416-392-1111.

POOL HOTLINE: Information on locations and opening hours of Toronto’s outdoor pools. 416-338-POOL (7665).

Province of Ontario: Dial 416-326-1234.

Shelter, Housing & Support: Provides emergency shelter to single people and families. 416-397-5637.

Tenancy Issues: Referral service for tenants and landlords. 416-397-4502.

Toronto Animal Services: Licenses and registers pets, picks up stray and injured animals, gives advice and info on city wildlife. 416-338-PAWS (7297).

Toronto Community Housing: Provides affordable housing for seniors, families and individuals with low to moderate incomes. 416-981-6111.

Toronto Parking Authority: 416-393-7275.

Toronto Public Health: Provides programs for new mothers, dental care, drug and substance abuse treatment, immunizations and restaurant inspections.
416-338-7600.

Toronto Social Services: Provides employment assistance programs and support services. 416-392-2956.

Waste Management Services: Collects and disposes of garbage and recyclable materials. 416-338-2010.

Weather

Weather Info Line: 416-661-0123. A 24-hour, regularly updated,
recorded weather report from Environment Canada. See also www.theweathernetwork.com.

Contrary to some perceptions, Canada is not an Arctic wasteland (at least not all of it, and especially not Toronto during North by Northeast!). While conditions vary from season to season (and sometimes hour to hour), Toronto’s climate is among the mildest in Canada, and the city experiences weather similar to New York and Detroit. Toronto is also on the same geographic latitude as the French Riviera, although that’s where the similarities – geographic and otherwise – end.

Toronto summers are warm and sunny and often pretty damn humid. Shorts, T-shirts and a good antiperspirant are definitely needed. The respiratorily challenged might want to pack inhalers and oxygen masks due to Toronto’s frequent smog alerts. Other than the occasional need to chew your air before swallowing, it’s perfect weather for seeing the sights.

Yeah, but what about the winters? Sure, there’s snow – Canada isn’t called the Great White North because of a cocaine habit – and Toronto routinely gets a few inches of powder here and there. There’s the occasional freezing-rain shower, but for every bitter cold snap there’s a mild period that triggers a midwinter afternoon of premature patio sitting. Really, though, it’s the wind chill that most locals complain about. For the uninitiated, wind chill is the “feels like” temperature created by that little breeze off the lake that in summer is pleasantly cooling and in winter is just plain ass-numbing, as in “If it wasn’t for the wind chill I could still feel my ass.” Fortunately, such bitter cold days are becoming fewer and fewer (thank you, global warming!) and besides, much of the downtown area is linked by enclosed walkways and underground tunnels. If you do have to venture out on one of these cold days and you don’t want to risk frostbite, dress in layers, lots and lots of layers. And gloves. And hats. And scarves. And boots. (As you can tell, fashion takes a back seat to a Toronto winter.) The rest of the year – that’s spring and fall – the temps are moderate (and occasionally quite balmy).

Bottom line? During NXNE, don’t pack the parkas, Virginia.

24-hour places

Bloor Super Save: All-night grocery store with a good – and crunchy – selection of fresh vegetables and fruits. 384 Bloor W, 416-964-8318.

Dominion: Large supermarket open daily around the clock. 425 Bloor W, and others, 416-923-9099.

Kinko’s Copies: For late-night workaholics. Well equipped with assisted and self-serve photocopying equipment. 459 Bloor W, 416-928-0110.

Rabba’s Fine Foods: For the best ingredients in trendy cuisine for late-night noshing. 252 Queens Quay W, and others, 416-260-8869.

Emergency Services

Emergency Dial 911.

Ambulance Dial 911
or 416-392-2000.

Fire Dial 911
or 416-338-9050.

Police Dial 911
or 416-808-2222.

Crisis Lines

24-Hour Assaulted Women’s Helpline Counselling, plus information on legal assistance and shelter for women experiencing emotional, mental, physical, sexual or verbal abuse. 416-863-0511.

24-HOUR FIRE, MEDICAL, POLICE EMERGENCY LINE Immediate service from ambulance, fire department and police services. Dial 911.

24-HOUR KIDS HELP PHONE Toll-free number for children experiencing any sort of distress, abuse, sex, health problems, suicide, pregnancy. Phone staff provide counselling and crisis intervention. 1-800-668-6868.

24-HOUR POISON HOTLINE Provides advice and assistance for getting to the emergency poison specialist at Sick Kids Hospital, 555 University,
416-813-5900.

24-HOUR RAPE CRISIS LINE Crisis intervention and counselling for women who have been sexually assaulted. 416-597-8808.

DISTRESS CENTRE 24-hour helpline providing anonymous counselling for anyone experiencing emotional distress.
416-408-4357.

EMERGENCY SHELTER FOR HOMELESS YOUTH STOP 86 shelter for young homeless women, 416-922-3271. Street Helpline, 416-392-3777. Covenant House, with a health clinic, 416-593-4849.
parent HELP PHONE Professional counselors and recorded messages to advise parents and caregivers on child-related issues.
1-888-603-9100.

STREETHAVEN at the crossroads Takes in women on an emergency basis at no cost. 87 Pembroke, 416-967-6060.

TRAVELLERS’ AID SOCIETY Emergency service for travellers having financial and other difficulties. Volunteer-operated booths. Wkdays and Sat 9:30 am-6 pm. Union Station, Bay-Dundas Bus Terminal and the Airport. 416-366-7788.

Veterinary emergency clinic
Emergency pet care 24 hrs daily. 920 Yonge, 416-920-2002.

Medical

Access Alliance Multicultural community health centre provides medical care for immigrants, newcomers and refugees. Mon-Wed 9 am-7:30 pm,
Thu-Fri 9 am-5 pm. 340 College, ste 500. 416-324-8677, www.accessalliance.ca.

Aids and Sexual HealthInfoline 1-800-668-2437, 416-392-2437, www.toronto.ca/health.

Anishnawbe Health Toronto Health and cultural centre for First Nations people. Provides counselling, referrals and medical care. Wkdays 9 am-5 pm. Times vary with special events. 225 Queen E, 416-360-0486.
Bay Centre for Birth Control Free birth control and abortion counselling, by appointment. Mon and Fri 9 am-5 pm, Tue-Thu 9 am-8 pm, Sat 9 am-12:30 pm. Closed holiday wkends. 790 Bay, 8th floor, 416-351-3700.

Birth Control and STD Information Centre Birth control, pregnancy counselling, and VD and anonymous HIV testing. Mon, Wed-Fri 10 am-5 pm, Tue 10 am-6 pm, Thu 10 am-7 pm. Closed holiday wkends. By appointment only. 2828 Bathurst, ste 501, 416-789-4541.

Cabbagetown Women’s Clinic Free-standing abortion clinic. Open Mon-Fri 8 am-4 pm. 302 Gerrard E, 416-323-0642.

Centre for Addiction and Mental Health Alcohol and drug addiction counselling and out-patient referrals. 33 Russell, 416-595-6000, 416-535-8501, www.camh.net.

211-Community Info Toronto Community info line for social and health service referrals. Directory of over 20,000 community, social, health and government services. 24 hrs. 416-392-0505, www.211toronto.ca.
Hassle Free Clinic Anonymous HIV and STD tests, women’s health services. Mon-Sat. Call for appt. 66 Gerrard E. Men, 416-922-0603; women, 416-922-0566; www.hasslefreeclinic.org.

Mclaughlin Addiction and Mental Health Information Centre Automated response line 24 hours a day (staffed 9 am-9 pm daily) 416-595-6111, 1-800-463-6273.

Ontario Problem Gambling Helpline 1-888-230-3505.

Parkdale Community Health Clinic Medical care for Parkdale residents. By appointment only. Times vary. 1229 Queen W, 416-537-2455.

Scott Clinic Free-standing abortion clinic. 157 Gerrard E, 416-962-4108, for appointments 416-962-5771.

Telehealth Ontario Get health advice from a registered nurse by phone. Free. 1-866-797-0000.

The Works Hassle-free needle exchange. Clean hypodermic needles are traded for used ones to protect intravenous drug users from exposure to AIDS. Van hours Mon-Sat 6-11:30 pm (call for locations). 277 Victoria, 416-392-0520.

Youthlink Inner City Drop-in resource centre for street-involved and homeless youth. Mon-Fri 9 am-noon and 1-4 pm (closed Tue afternoon, open until 3 pm Fri), drop-in Thu 6:30 pm-9 pm. 7 Vanauley, 416-703-3361, www.youthlink.ca.

Dental

Dental Emergency Clinic
1650 Yonge, 416-485-7121.
Ontario Dental Association
416-922-3900, www.dental.oda.on.ca.

U of T Patient Clinic
101 Elm, 416-979-4927.

Pharmacies & Prescriptions

Guardian Drugs
1881 Yonge, other locations, 416-480-1340.

Pharma Plus Drugmart
552 Church, other locations, 416-922-5816.

Shoppers Drug Mart
360 Bloor W, other locations, 416-961-2121.

Legal

Aborginal Legal Services Toronto Legal services and counselling for First Nations people. Wkdays 9 am-5 pm. 415 Yonge, ste 803, 416-408-3967.

Downtown Legal Services Free legal help for low-income neighbourhood residents, operated by faculty of law at U of T. By appointment only.
655 Spadina, 416-934-4535.
Parkdale Community Legal Services Free legal help for low-income clients and Parkdale residents. Mon 2-6 pm, Tue and Thu 2-7 pm, Fri 10 am-1 pm and 2-5 pm. 1266 Queen W, 416-531-2411.

Banks

BMO Nesbitt Burns (Bank of Montreal)
1 First Canadian Place, other locations, 1-800-363-9992, www.bmo.com.

CIBC (Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce)
199 Bay, other locations, 1-800-465-2422, www.cibc.com.

Hong Kong Bank of Canada
222 Spadina Ave, 1-888-310-4722, www.hsbc.ca.

Royal Bank
200 Bay, other locations, 1-800-769-2511, www.royalbank.com.

Scotiabank
40 King W, other locations, 1-800-4-SCOTIA (1-800-472-6842), www.scotiabank.com.

Toronto-Dominion Bank/Canada Trust
66 Wellington W, other locations, 1-866-222-3456,
www.tdcanadatrust.com.

Libraries

Toronto Public Library
The library has 98 branches and nearly 10.5 million books, videos, CDs, DVDs, magazines and other items in more than 100 languages. Free library cards, electronic databases, high speed Internet access and e-mail at all branches, 416-393-7131, www.tpl.toronto.on.ca.

Parlez-vous Français?

Canada is officially a bilingual country; yet, in Toronto, French culture can seem invisible because there’s no geographic region in the city to anchor the 300,000-strong community.

The Alliance Française de Toronto (24 Spadina Road, 416-922-2014, www.alliance-francaise.ca) acts as the de facto cultural hub of Franco-Ontarian cultural activities, offering art shows, event listings and French lessons designed to make you feel smarter than you did in high school. It has a hand in organizing events on French holidays such as Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day (June 24) and the Semaine de la Francophonie (mid-March).

Toronto-Franco (www.toronto-franco.com) is a fairly new organization dedicated to bringing together Franco-Ontarians on the Web. The only French-language Toronto newspaper is L’Express (www.lexpress.to), while TV needs are served by TFO (www.tfo.org), screening a selection of kids’ shows, educational programs and documentaries. French films are often screened at Cinematheque Ontario (www.e.bell.ca/filmfest/cinematheque), while the National Film Board (www.nfb.ca) screens films from France and Quebec on the first Thursday of the month at its Mediatheque (150 John) as part of the Ciné Jeudi series (www.onf.ca).

If you’re looking for a good French book to read (or a good book en français), then check out Librairie Champlain (468 Queen E, 416-364-4345, www.librairiechamplain.com). It stocks more than 100,000 French-language books, from reference texts to fiction best-sellers, as well as CDs (from pop to Edith Piaf) and DVDs, including French and French-Canadian films and Hollywood films dubbed in French.

There’s a healthy selection of live theatre in French, offered by the Théâtre Français de Toronto (www.theatrefrancais.com) and Théâtre la Tangente de Toronto (www.theatrelatangente.ca). For kids, the Harbourfront Centre (www.harbourfrontcentre.com) provides art workshops in French, as well as a few plays staged as part of the superb Milk Festival. The Royal Ontario Museum (www.rom.on.ca) has succeeded in spawning Les Amis Francophile du ROM.

For a more informal scene, check out the Wednesday-night parties at the Bedford Academy (36 Prince Arthur, 416-921-4600) and practice your best French bar talk.

Toronto is a city of film festivals, and each spring it hosts Cinéfranco (www.cinefranco.com), a 10-day feast of French-language cinema from around the world. All films include English subtitles, and many of them (particularly the comedies) won’t receive a commercial release in North American theatres. Almost as much fun as the films themselves is watching the double- and triple-cheek kissing in the queues to get in.

Finally, if you need a place to stay, the French Connection B&B (102 Burnside, 416-537-7741, www.thefrenchconnection.com) will meet all of votre besoins et désirs.

Cutural Orgs

African-Canadian
African National Congress
292-A Danforth, 416-461-4255.

African Resource Centre
366 Adelaide E, 416-863-6240.

Ontario Black History Society 10 Adelaide E, 416-867-9420.

Arab & Middle Eastern
Afghan Association of Ontario 29 Pemican, 416-744-9289,
1200 Markham, 416-438-0808.

Arab Community Centre 5298 Dundas W, 416-231-7746.

Canadian Arab Federation 5298 Dundas W, 416-231-7524.

Iranian Community Association of Ontario 1110 Finch W,
416-736-4090.

Chinese
Cecil Community Centre
58 Cecil, 416-598-2403.

Chinese Community Centre of Ontario 84 Augusta, 416-365-0917.

South Asian
Hindu Cultural Society
1 Morningview, 416-284-6282.

Islamic Centre of Toronto/Jami Mosque 56 Boustead, 416-769-1192.

Islamic Foundation of Toronto 441 Nugget, 416-321-0909.

Pakistani Canada Cultural Association 54 Bartlett, 416-532-7556.
Sikh Foundation 40 King W, 416-777-6697.

Southeast Asian
Canadian Cambodian Association of Ontario
1111 Finch W 416-736-0832.

Culture Philippines
2687 Kingsberry, 416-276-9199.

Indonesian Association
4294 Fieldgate, 905-828-2550.

Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre 123 Wynford, 416-441-2345.

Korean Community Information Centre
146 Hallam, 416-533-1111.

Korean Cultural Association of Metro Toronto 20 Mobile, 416-755-9288.

Lao Association of Ontario 1111 Finch W, 416-665-3872.

Silayan Filipino Community Centre 418-B Parliament, 416-926-9505.

Vietnamese Association of Toronto 565 College, 416-535-5241.

Native Canadian
Native Canadian Centre of Toronto 16 Spadina Road,
416-964-9087, 416-922-2014.

Spiritual resources
Agonshu Toronto Buddhist Association
1225 Yonge, 416-922-1272,
www.japansocietycanada.com

Baps Shree Swaminarayan Mandir One of the city’s foremost mandirs, inspired by His Divine Holiness Pramukh Swami Maharaj.
61 Clairville, 416-798-2277.

Congregation Knesseth Israel
Established in 1911, this is the city’s oldest synagogue still in use as a place of worship.
54-56 Maria, 416 961-5556.

Dharma Centre of Canada A converted residence with a shrine room/sitting room where classes and meditation take place.
153 Riverdale, 416-778-8193,
www.torontodharmacentre.org

Diamond Way Buddhist Centre
Introduction to Buddhism Mon and Wed 8 pm, with meditation Mon and Wed 8:30 pm. By donation. 25 St. Nicholas,
416-925-4494,
www.diamondway.org/toronto

Hindu Cultural Society 1940 Ellesmere #17, 416-438-6661.

Hindu Prathana Samaj Daily prayer services and weekly lectures. 62 Fern, 416-536-9229.

Holy Blossom Temple Reform congregation offers daily worship services and schooling.
1950 Bathurst, 416-789-3291, www.holyblossom.org

Iskcon/Hare Krishna Temple Offering daily worship, Sunday feasts and, for out-of-towners, a modest room (first come, first served) in the ashram.
243 Avenue Rd, 416-922-5415, www.iskcon.ca

Islamic Foundation of Toronto Originating in 1969, it’s one of the oldest Muslim organizations in Canada, offering classrooms, prayer halls, a library, gymnasium and a Hifz school. 441 Nugget, 416-321-0909, www.islamicfoundation.ca

Jami Mosque Toronto’s first mosque, established in 1968, offering regular services. 56 Boustead, 416-769-1192, www.jamimosque.com

Karma Sonam Dargye Ling
Tibetan Buddhist centre in the St. Clair-Bathurst neighbourhood, offering weekly practice.
86 Vaughan, 416-653-5371.

Korean Buddhist Society of Ontario 6 Wildwood,
416-463-8998.

Nichiren Shoshu Canada
636 King W, 416-368-0123, www.buddhismcanada.com

Q-AGE A queer spiritual network for women and men holds retreats, workshops, potlucks and brunches. 416-925-9872 ext 2990

Richmond Hill Hindu Temple
The largest Hindu temple in North America, built and run under the Agama Sastra traditions. 10865 Bayview, Richmond Hill, 905-883-9109, www.thehindutemple.ca

Salaam Toronto A supportive community for gay, lesbian,
bisexual, transsexual, transgendered and questioning Muslims and their friends. 416-925-9872 ext 2209, salaam@salaamcanada.com, www.salaamcanada.com

Shromini Sikh Society Temple 269 Pape, 416-463-3132.

Tengye Ling Tibetan Buddhist Temple This temple holds weekly dharma discourse Tue 7:30 pm. 11 Madison. 416-966-4656,
www.tengyeling.ca

Toronto Buddhist Church Holds religious services, as well as cultural activities, such as ikebana, minyo and karaoke.
1011 Sheppard W, 416-534-4302, www.tbc.on.ca

Toronto Shambhala Meditation Centre This Tibetan Buddhist centre offers free open meditation sessions Mon and Wed 7-8 pm as well as free instruction. 670 Bloor W, 416-588-6465, www.shambhala.org/centre/toronto

Toronto Zen Centre Full practice supports, activities and ceremonies for members, plus public workshops. 33 High Park Gardens, 416-766-3400, torontozen.org.

University of Toronto Buddhist Community Located on the downtown campus, this centre offers Buddhist meditation.
http://buddhist.sa.utoronto.ca.

Vishnu Temple/Voices of Vedas 8640 Yonge, 905-886-1724.

Wiccan Church of Canada
This church holds rituals celebrating pagan spirituality.
109 Vaughan. 416-656-6564,
tamarraj@sympatico.ca,
www.wcc.on.ca.

Zainabia Muhammadi Mosque 7340 Bayview, 905-881-1763.

Zen Buddhist Temple Meditation services are held Sun 9:30 am and 4 pm and they offer medication courses and retreats. 297 College, 416-658-0137,
www.zenbuddhisttemple.org.

Toronto: the scoop

No matter how you look at it, Toronto (a.k.a. T.O., the T-Dot, the Big Smoke, and the Live Music Capital of Canada!) is one of the coolest places on the planet to live. That also makes us one of the coolest places to visit. Why would you want to go anywhere else?

Okay, let’s come clean. There are certainly prettier cities to put on a postcard.

Sure, from the right angle and in the right light at the right time of day (when the sun and the clouds and the snow and the rain and the smog co-operate) Toronto’s kind of picturesque, a slouching lakeside metropolis of neatly arranged office towers and condominiums and construction cranes. There’s a barely noticeable necklace of islands across the harbour. There’s a wind turbinee—part o T.O.’s growing green efforts—spinning lazily like the propeller on some cosmic horizontal albino beanie. And of course, there’s the CN Tower, a 553-metre-high phallus with the SkyDome (it might have suffered the indignity of corporate rebranding, but the home of the 92 and 93 World Series champs is no Rogers Centre) hanging off it like a single, lonely testicle half-buried in concrete.

But we lack the defining character possessed by other great cities, the arrogant majesty of New York or the historical grandeur of Paris or London, or even the cheesy pop-culture familiarity of Los Angeles. We may boast the world’s longest street (Yonge Street splits the city into east and west starting at the lakeshore and doesn’t end for 1,896 kilometres), but it ain’t the Champs Elysées or Broadway. Although, again, from the right angle in the right light, it could be. Which is part of the reason Hollywood shoots movies like Chicago and Cinderella Man here, cuz we can be dressed up to look like everywhere while never actually looking like anywhere.

Not that we lack significance. We’re the fifth-largest city in North America, after all. Only Mexico City, New York, L.A. and Chicago are bigger. Our more than 5.3-million residents—41 per cent of whom were born outside of Canada, doncha know?—speak close to 150 languages and dialects, which the United Nations says makes us the most multicultural metropolis in the world.

The current City of Toronto is an amalgamation of six prior municipalities, but really, we’re a city of neighbourhoods, from the lakeside Beaches to the boho Annex to ritzy Rosedale, Little India to Little Italy, Greektown to Cabbagetown to Koreatown to at least two Chinatowns. And with all this ethnic diversity, there’s no better way to explore the city than by eating your way around the globe at any of our countless great restaurants.

The Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX) is North America’s third-largest exchange by value traded. In fact, Toronto is the very heart of the Canadian economy, even if the soul stretches from St. John’s, Newfoundland to the Queen Charlotte Islands, British Columbia to Cape Columbia, Nunavut. And we have our fingers wrapped around more than our share of the country’s political strings, although we’re not the capital of Canada (that would be Ottawa, dammit!).

When it comes to culture, Toronto is no couch potato. It’s home to the world’s third-largest English-language theatre scene, where internationally renowned productions—like The Lord Of The Rings—have received their world premieres. There’s the National Ballet Company, the Toronto Symphony Orchestra and the Canadian Opera Company. The Toronto International Film Festival, one of about 40 film festivals the city hosts each year, is the world’s biggest, but, appropriately, not the world’s most glamorous. And while we’re talking about movies, we wouldn’t be Hollywood North if we didn’t have a few famous actors and directors of our own, including Keanu Reeves, Sandra Oh, Sarah Polley, Mike Myers, Jim Carrey, Christopher Plummer, Catherine O’Hara, David Cronenberg and Norman Jewison.

Our gay population is the biggest in Canada; and the Pride Week celebration is one of the three largest in the world (along with New York City and Sydney, Australia). Likewise, Caribana is the largest Caribbean festival north of Jamaica, attracting close to 2 million partiers each summer. A million more stop by for the International Dragon Boat Festival. And those are just a few of the hundreds of festivals held here each year.

We’ve got a vibrant music scene and Toronto is the hometown to the likes of the Barenaked Ladies, Blue Rodeo, Broken Social Scene, Neil Young, Rush, k-os and that dude with the ’tude who won the job as lead singer of INXS.
Our favourite sport is hockey, naturally, and we love our Maple Leafs as much as the rest of the country hates ’em. We also spill our beer (and the occasional tear) over the Blue Jays, Raptors, Argos and Rock (the lacrosse team—they play the original Canadian game).

We erected the world’s first permanent AIDS memorial. We invented the world’s first alternating current (AC) radio tube, which allowed radios to run on household current. We discovered insulin and created IMAX. M.A.C. Cosmetics was founded here, for chrissake!

Mick and Keef and the rest of the Stones love Toronto. They recorded a live album here, they prep for all their world tours by rehearsing in our local clubs, and when SARS delivered a stinging bitch-slap in 2003, they came to our emotional rescue with an all-day concert that drew 800,000 fans and reminded everyone that Toronto is a really great place to be.

Now, all of this might seem like bragging, and to some degree it is. It’s part of the reason why the rest of the country sees us as confident to the point of arrogance: we believe we’re the centre of the country, if not the entire universe, which is kind of funny when you consider that while one-third of Canada’s population lives within 160 km of Toronto, the actual geographic centre of the country is just south of Yathkyed Lake in Nunavut, somewhere near the Arctic Circle.

We’re a big fish in a small pond at home, but it’s perhaps not surprising that we’re a little unsure of ourselves on the international stage, striving for acceptance like someone’s kid brother. We’re still a young city in a young country, and we have a lot of growing up to do.

And we’re doing it. Sure, we have crime and pollution and social problems like any city, but we’re already far safer, cleaner and greener than most urban centres our size. Even the picture on our postcards is changing. Our buildings, long staid and rather plain, are getting a makeover thanks to some of the world’s most acclaimed architects. The Toronto-raised Frank Gehry is currently overseeing a redesign of the Art Gallery of Ontario while Daniel Libeskind has sketched out a funky crystalline addition for the Royal Ontario Museum. English architect Will Alsop’s controversial Sharp Centre for Design building has turned some heads while the understated Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts, home of the Canadian Opera Company and National Ballet of Canada, is perking up more than a few ears.

But after all that, what do visitors think about Toronto? It’s clean. Yup, cleanliness is our claim to fame, along with friendliness. Sure we’re proud of our clean streets and environmental initiatives and the fact our mayor drives a hybrid and that people will smile and wave and say please and thank you and help you with directions if you ask. But these aren’t exactly things to trumpet from the rooftops—“Toronto. So clean. So friendly. So dull.”—when it’s so obvious we’re so much more than that.

We were once called Muddy York—ironic given our current reputation as one of the cleanest cities around—until we paved the hell out of everything. When we had the largest pork yards in North America, they called us Hogtown and that still stings a bit. Then, when churches stood on almost every corner and booze was banned, we were Toronto the Good. But somehow even that’s never been good enough. Because, as anyone who’s lived here awhile already knows, no matter what angle you look at us from, we’re really more like Toronto the really fuckin’ great!

Don’t believe us? Just drop by for a visit. We’ll show you around.

Toronto Accommodations

Belaire Hotel Toronto Airport
240 Belfield, 416-241-8513, www.belairehotel.ca.
Rooms from $87, bar, restaurant.

Comfort Hotel Airport North
445 Rexdale, 416-740-9500, www.comforthotelairport.com.
Rooms from $87, bar, restaurant, gym, pool, wireless Internet.

Courtyard by Marriott Mississauga Airport Corporate Centre West
5050 Creekbank, Mississauga, 905-625-3555, www.marriott.com.
Rooms from $99, restaurant, gym, pool, Internet, meeting facilities.

Days Hotel & Conference Centre Toronto Airport East
1677 Wilson, 416-249-8171, 1-800-267-0997, www.daysto.com.
Rooms from $119, bar, restaurant, gym, pool, Internet, meeting facilities.

Doubletree International Plaza Toronto Airport
655 Dixon, 416-244-1711, 1-800-668-3656, www.hilton.com.
Rooms from $139, bar, restaurants, gym, pool, Internet, meeting facilities.

Four Points by Sheraton Mississauga
6090 Dixie, Mississauga, 905-670-0050, www.fourpointsmississauga.com.
Rooms from $135, bar, restaurant, gym pool, Internet, meeting facilities.

Hilton Toronto Airport
5875 Airport, Mississauga, 905-677-9900, www.hilton.com.
Rooms from $210, bar, restaurant, gym, pool, squash courts, postage facilities, wireless Internet, meeting facilities.

Holiday Inn Toronto Airport East
600 Dixon, 416-240-7511, 1-800-491-4656, www.holiday-inn.com.
Rooms from $118, restaurant, gym, pool, games room, Internet, meeting facilities, National Car Rental kiosk.

Quality Hotel & Suites Toronto Airport East
2180 Islington, 416-240-9090, 1-866-220-6916, http://qualityairport.sites.toronto.com.
Rooms from $69, bar, restaurant, gym, wireless Internet, meeting facilities.

Radisson Suite Hotel Toronto Airport
640 Dixon, 416-242-7400, 1-800-333-3333, http://www.radisson.com.
Rooms from $119, restaurant, gym, wireless Internet, meeting facilities.

Ramada Hotel Toronto Airport
2 Holiday, 416-621-2121.
Rooms from $109, bar (w/ live music), restaurant, gym, pool, wireless Internet, meeting facilities.

Renaissance Toronto Airport Hotel and Conference Centre
801 Dixon, 416-675-6100, 1-800-668-1444, www.marriott.com.
Rooms from $224, bar, restaurant, gym, pool, golf, Internet, meeting facilities.

Residence Inn Mississauga Airport West
17 Reading, 416-798-2900, www.marriott.com.
Rooms from $109, restaurant, gym, pool, kitchenette, Internet, meeting facilities.

Travelodge Hotel Toronto Airport
925 Dixon, 416-674-2222, 1-888-483-6887, www.travelodgedixon.com.
Rooms from $92, bar, restaurant, gym, pool, wireless Internet, meeting facilities.

Wyndham Bristol Place Toronto Airport
950 Dixon, 416-675-9444, www.wyndham.com.
Rooms from $89, restaurant, gym, pool, wireless Internet.

Bed & Breakfast:

Ambassador Inn Downtown Toronto Bed & Breakfast
280 Jarvis, 416-260-2608, www.ambassadorinntoronto.com.
Anyone tired of big, impersonal hotels should feel more at home at the Ambassador, a classic 20-room Victorian mansion that offers home-cooked brecky and private Jacuzzis, saunas and fireplaces. Make sure to call ahead ’cause they don’t take too kindly to walk-ins.
Rooms from $129, Internet.

Ashleigh Heritage Home Bed & Breakfast
42 Delaware, 416-535-4000, www.ashleighheritage.com.
As a large, beautifully restored Victorian house, the Ashleigh and its owners enthusiastically offer all the homey appeal you’d expect from a B&B, with large, friendly rooms, a garden, kitchen facilities and even wireless Internet.
Rooms from $111.38, wireless Internet, kitchen facilities.

Bonnevue Manor Bed and Breakfast
33 Beaty, 416-536-1455, www.bonnevuemanor.com.
Just because you’re away from home, you don’t have to feel like it. The Bonnevue Mansion offers plenty of familiar charm, with unique and individually decorated rooms and warm service. Besides, any mansion that has an on-site barbecue should make you feel right at home.
Rooms starting at $95, pool.

Jarvis House Bed & Breakfast
344 Jarvis, 416-975-3838, www.jarvishouse.com.
Reminiscent of the home of the Golden Girls in decor and comfort, Jarvis House offers a variety of different-sized rooms and a yummy bacon-and-egg breakfast to lure you out of bed.
Rooms from $85, Internet.

Global Guest House
9 Spadina Road, 416-923-4004.
A supremely cheap destination with the added bonus of being smack dab in the heart of the Annex, Global Guest House is a quaint semi-detached Victorian house offering simple-yet-comfy rooms adorned with paintings done by the hotel manager’s wife.
Rooms from $49.