The Canadian Comedy Awards ( CCA ) is an annual ceremony that awards the Beaver for achievements in Canadian comedy in live performance, radio, film, television, and Internet media. The awards were founded and produced by Tim Progosh in 2000.
155-596: The CCA have been held in different cities, most often in Toronto and London , Ontario . Between 2003 and 2015, the awards were held as part of the Canadian Comedy Awards Festival, with showcase performances by nominees and other comedic talent. The Comedy Network broadcast the first two award ceremonies and several specials of festival performances. These broadcasts have earned two Gemini Award nominations. The awards are artist-driven with
310-574: A population of 569,353 (2021), and its census metropolitan area , which encompasses Burlington and Grimsby , has a population of 785,184. The city is situated approximately 45 kilometres (28 mi) southwest of Toronto in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA). Conceived by George Hamilton when he purchased the Durand farm shortly after the War of 1812 , the town of Hamilton became
465-551: A 'unique opportunity for Hamilton to renew major sport facilities giving Hamiltonians a multi-purpose stadium, a 50-metre swimming pool, and an international-calibre velodrome to enjoy for generations to come'." Hamilton's major sports complexes include Tim Hortons Field and FirstOntario Centre . Hamilton is represented by the Tiger-Cats in the Canadian Football League . The team traces its origins to
620-621: A 17-year absence, the CCAs included a Best Comedy Album category in 2017. The following year, the Juno Awards revived an award for Comedy Album of the Year , which had been discontinued after 1984. It was also noted that there was an absence of categories for humour published in print media. The CCAs have focused on the performing arts, while humour in Canadian literature has been recognized by
775-596: A broad street and backed onto a twelve-foot lane. It took at least a decade to sell all the original lots, but the construction of the Burlington Canal in 1823, and a new court-house in 1827 encouraged Hamilton to add more blocks around 1828–9. At this time he included a market square in an effort to draw commercial activity onto his lands, but the town's natural growth occurred to the north of Hamilton's plot. The Hamilton Conservation Authority owns, leases or manages about 4,500 hectares (11,100 acres) of land with
930-755: A capital. In 1787, the British Lord Dorchester arranged for the Toronto Purchase with the Mississaugas of the New Credit First Nation, thereby securing more than a quarter of a million acres (1000 km ) of land in the Toronto area. Dorchester intended the location to be named Toronto. The first 25 years after the Toronto purchase were quiet, although "there were occasional independent fur traders" present in
1085-657: A channel to the harbour. The peninsula was formed by longshore drift taking the sediments deposited along the Scarborough Bluffs shore and transporting them to the Islands area. The other source of sediment for the Port Lands wetland and the peninsula was the deposition of the Don River, which carved a wide valley through the sedimentary land of Toronto and deposited it in the shallow harbour. The harbour and
1240-610: A comedy album category was noted through most of the CCAs. Though historically important, comedy albums had fallen into decline in the 1980s and 1990s. Breslin explained poor album sales as a result of the dissemination of comedy through cable TV, the availability of concert videos which could be rented for less than the price of an album, and a general shift toward visual media. Although the mainstream audience moved away from albums, reduced production costs allowed comedy albums to go underground with niche-market material, such as that deemed too political or too explicit for television. Following
1395-746: A cut-stone design was completed on Prince's Square, one of the two squares created in 1816. Subsequently, the first police board and the town limits were defined by statute on February 13, 1833. Official city status was achieved on June 9, 1846, by an act of Parliament of the Province of Canada . By 1845, the population was 6,475. In 1846, there were useful roads to many communities as well as stagecoaches and steamboats to Toronto, Queenston, and Niagara. Eleven cargo schooners were owned in Hamilton. Eleven churches were in operation. A reading room provided access to newspapers from other cities and from England and
1550-953: A geodemographic marketing firm that created 66 different "clusters" of people complete with profiles of how they live, what they think and what they consume, sees a future Hamilton with younger upscale Hamiltonians — who are tech-savvy and university-educated — choosing to live in the downtown and surrounding areas rather than just visiting intermittently. More two and three-storey townhouses and apartments will be built on downtown lots; small condos will be built on vacant spaces in areas such as Dundas , Ainslie Wood and Westdale to accommodate newly retired seniors. Furthermore, additional retail and commercial zones will be created. Hamilton maintains significant Italian , English , Scottish , German and Irish ancestry. 130,705 Hamiltonians claim English heritage, while 98,765 indicate their ancestors arrived from Scotland, 87,825 from Ireland, 62,335 from Italy, and 50,400 from Germany. The top countries of birth for
1705-514: A loss. The proposal had called for an interactive museum with a comedy club for performances. In lieu of a permanent museum, interactive exhibits were set up at ByWard Market during the 2014 CCAF, and school groups were invited to participate in workshops. Nominees for a CCA must be Canadian citizens or landed immigrants, have been born in Canada or have produced the majority of their work in Canada. Other criteria varied year by year, but generally
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#17327919410451860-645: A mandate "To recognize, celebrate and promote Canadian achievements in comedy at home and abroad." They are run through a non-profit organization and volunteer committees, drawing membership from the Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists ( ACTRA ), the Canadian Actors' Equity Association (CAEA), the Directors Guild of Canada (DGC), the Writers Guild of Canada (WGC), and
2015-783: A notable presence in Hamilton with three centralized Mafia organizations: the Luppino crime family , the Papalia crime family , and the Musitano crime family . Street gangs such as the Original/Oriental Blood Brothers & the Oriole Crescent Crips, and biker crews such as Satan's Choice MC and the Hells Angels also have presence in Hamilton. Hamilton's local attractions include
2170-623: A public library in 1890, and the Right House department store in 1893. The first commercial telephone service in Canada, the first telephone exchange in the British Empire , and the second telephone exchange in all of North America were each established in the city between 1877 and 1878. The city had several interurban electric street railways and two inclines, all powered by the Cataract Power Co. Though suffering through
2325-594: A ravine or valley and continue on the other side. Toronto has many bridges spanning the ravines. Large bridges such as the Prince Edward Viaduct were built to span broad river valleys. Despite its deep ravines, Toronto is not remarkably hilly, but its elevation does increase steadily away from the lake. Elevation differences range from 76.5 metres (251 ft) above sea level at the Lake Ontario shore to 209 m (686 ft) above sea level near
2480-645: A tornado in 2005. In 2007, the Red Hill Valley Parkway opened after extensive delays. The Stelco mills were idled in 2010 and permanently closed in 2013. This closure capped a significant shift in the city's economy: the percentage of the population employed in manufacturing declined from 22 to 12 percent between 2003 and 2013. Hamilton is in Southern Ontario on the western end of the Niagara Peninsula and wraps around
2635-581: A yearly schedule, considering the works of the previous calendar year. Until 2015, the CCA were organized by the Canadian Comedy Foundation for Excellence (CCFE), a non-profit corporation registered in 2003. Its volunteer committees sought input from comedy professionals on all aspects of the awards: criteria, marketing, programming and communications. The Membership and Communications Committee promoted industry awareness and participation in
2790-647: Is Andrea Horwath , elected on October 24, 2022 . Hamilton's next municipal election will be held in 2026. Hamilton is served by four school boards: the English language Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board and Hamilton-Wentworth Catholic District School Board and the French language Conseil scolaire Viamonde and Conseil scolaire catholique MonAvenir . Each school board is governed by trustees. The English language school boards are represented by trustees elected from wards in Hamilton. The HWDSB has 11 trustees and
2945-455: Is 250m (820') above the level of Lake Ontario. According to all records from local historians , this district was called Attiwandaronia by the native Neutral people . Hamilton is one of 11 cities showcased in the book, Green City: People, Nature & Urban Places by Quebec author Mary Soderstrom , which examines the city as an example of an industrial powerhouse co-existing with nature. Soderstrom credits Thomas McQuesten and family in
3100-454: Is a prominent centre for music, theatre, motion picture production, and television production, and is home to the headquarters of Canada's major national broadcast networks and media outlets . Its varied cultural institutions , which include numerous museums and galleries , festivals and public events , entertainment districts, national historic sites , and sports activities , attract over 43 million tourists each year. Toronto
3255-572: Is about 30% of Canada's flat-rolled sheet steel shipments. Dofasco was North America's most profitable steel producer in 1999, the most profitable in Canada in 2000, and a long-time member of the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index . Ordered by the U.S. Department of Justice to divest itself of the Canadian company, ArcelorMittal has been allowed to retain Dofasco provided it sells several of its American assets. In
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#17327919410453410-404: Is home to 26,330 immigrants who arrived in Canada between 2001 and 2010 and 13,150 immigrants who arrived between 2011 and 2016. In February 2014, the city's council voted to declare Hamilton a sanctuary city , offering municipal services to undocumented immigrants at risk of deportation . Children aged 14 years and under accounted for 16.23% of the city's population, a decline of 1.57% from
3565-586: Is home to more than 100 waterfalls and cascades, most of which are on or near the Bruce Trail as it winds through the Niagara Escarpment. Visitors can often be seen swimming in the waterfalls during the summertime, although it is strongly recommended to stay away from the water: much of the watershed of the Chedoke and Red Hill creeks originates in storm sewers running beneath neighbourhoods atop
3720-517: Is its escarpments. During the last ice age , the lower part of Toronto was beneath Glacial Lake Iroquois . Today, a series of escarpments mark the lake's former boundary, known as the "Iroquois Shoreline". The escarpments are most prominent from Victoria Park Avenue to the mouth of Highland Creek , where they form the Scarborough Bluffs . Other observable sections include the area near St. Clair Avenue West between Bathurst Street and
3875-675: Is known for its many skyscrapers and high-rise buildings , in particular the CN Tower , the tallest freestanding structure on land outside of Asia. The city is home to the Toronto Stock Exchange , the headquarters of Canada's five largest banks , and the headquarters of many large Canadian and multinational corporations. Its economy is highly diversified with strengths in technology, design, financial services, life sciences, education, arts, fashion, aerospace, environmental innovation, food services, and tourism. Toronto
4030-582: Is made up of industry professionals, largely from the following member organizations: Writing on the inaugural awards ceremony, Alan Neister described the trophies as "Plexiglas maple leaves, etched with the outline of a happy, dancing beaver." In some ceremonies, awards have been given for being "pretty funny" in each category instead of "best". As of the 2018 ceremony, the CCA has awarded a total of 393 Beavers. The number of award categories recognized at each ceremony has most often been between 19 and 24, though categories added for Internet and multimedia works saw
4185-762: Is noticeable that the CCA is focused on English Canada . In part this is due to the groups which make up its industry membership. ACTRA, the Canadian Actors' Equity Association, and the Writers Guild of Canada exclusively represent English Canada and English-language productions. The Directors Guild of Canada has uneven representation in Quebec where certain film and television professions are represented by other unions. Quebec comedians had been holding their own award ceremony, Gala Les Olivier [ fr ] (named after Olivier Guimond ) for two years at
4340-588: Is now a museum. The pre-amalgamation City of Toronto covers the downtown core and older neighbourhoods to the east, west, and north. It is the most densely populated part of the city. The Financial District contains the First Canadian Place , Toronto-Dominion Centre , Scotia Plaza , Royal Bank Plaza , Commerce Court and Brookfield Place . This area includes, among others, the neighbourhoods of St. James Town , Garden District , St. Lawrence , Corktown , and Church and Wellesley . From that point,
4495-685: Is represented in the Parliament of Canada by five members of Parliament and in the Legislature of Ontario by five members of Provincial Parliament . Hamilton's municipal government has a mayor, elected citywide, and 15 city councillors—one per city ward—to serve on the Hamilton City Council. The province grants the Hamilton City Council authority to govern through the Municipal Act of Ontario. Hamilton's current mayor
4650-524: Is the third-largest tech hub in North America after Silicon Valley and New York City , and the fastest-growing hub. The word Toronto has been recorded with various spellings in French and English, including Tarento , Tarontha , Taronto , Toranto , Torento , Toronto , and Toronton . The most frequent early spelling, Taronto , referred to 'The Narrows', a channel of water through which Lake Simcoe discharges into Lake Couchiching where
4805-409: The 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada , Hamilton had a population of 569,353 living in 222,807 of its 233,564 total private dwellings, a change of 6% from its 2016 population of 536,917 . With a land area of 1,118.31 km (431.78 sq mi), it had a population density of 509.1/km (1,318.6/sq mi) in 2021. At the census metropolitan area (CMA) level in
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4960-565: The 2021 census , religious groups in Hamilton included: The most described religion in Hamilton is Christianity although other religions brought by immigrants are also growing. The 2011 census indicates that 67.6% of the population adheres to a Christian denomination, with Catholics being the largest at 34.3% of the city's population. The Christ the King Cathedral is the seat of the Diocese of Hamilton . Other denominations include
5115-400: The 2026 FIFA World Cup . Toronto covers an area of 630 square kilometres (243 sq mi), with a maximum north–south distance of 21 kilometres (13 mi). It has a maximum east–west distance of 43 km (27 mi), and it has a 46-kilometre (29 mi) long waterfront shoreline, on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario . The Toronto Islands and Port Lands extend out into
5270-781: The American Comedy Awards but not the CCAs. Some felt that the national comedy channel should produce its own programming and help develop and promote domestic talent, rather than importing programming from the US. Various other shows have been organized under the Canadian Comedy Awards banner. These include the charity shows Canadian Comedy Award Nominees vs. Cancer , fundraisers for local charities, and benefits for comics suffering from illness. The CCA has also organized comedy shows for other performing arts festivals, such as Canada's Walk of Fame Festival . It
5425-434: The Canadian Actors' Equity Association (CAEA), the Directors Guild of Canada (DGC) and the Writers Guild of Canada (WGC). Award categories were created for live comedy, film and television, with the mandate "To recognize, celebrate and promote Canadian achievements in comedy at home and abroad." Philanthropist Bluma Appel helped to establish the awards, and supported a bursary for emerging comics. Breslin noted that it
5580-1059: The Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum , the HMCS ; Haida National Historic Site, Dundurn Castle (the residence of an Allan MacNab , the 8th Premier of Canada West ), the Royal Botanical Gardens , the Canadian Football Hall of Fame , the African Lion Safari Park, the Cathedral of Christ the King , the Workers' Arts and Heritage Centre, and the Hamilton Museum of Steam & Technology. As of September 2018 , there are 40 pieces in
5735-589: The Great Irish Famine ; most of them were Catholic . By 1851, the Irish-born population had become the largest single ethnic group in the city. The Scottish and English population welcomed smaller numbers of Protestant Irish immigrants, some from what is now Northern Ireland, which gave the Orange Order significant and long-lasting influence over Toronto society. Almost every mayor of Toronto
5890-516: The Greater Toronto Area proper had a 2021 population of 6,712,341. Toronto is an international centre of business, finance, arts, sports, and culture and is one of the most multicultural and cosmopolitan cities in the world. Indigenous peoples have travelled through and inhabited the Toronto area, located on a broad sloping plateau interspersed with rivers, deep ravines, and urban forest , for more than 10,000 years. After
6045-741: The Grey Cup , was played in Hamilton in 2021 and won by the Winnipeg Blue Bombers . In 2019, Forge FC debuted as Hamilton's soccer team in the Canadian Premier League . The team plays at Tim Hortons Field and shares the venue with the Tiger-Cats. They finished their inaugural season as champions of the league. In 2019, the Hamilton Honey Badgers debuted as Hamilton's basketball team in
6200-563: The Hamilton Street Railway strike of 1906, with industrial businesses expanding, Hamilton's population doubled between 1900 and 1914. Two steel manufacturing companies, Stelco and Dofasco , were formed in 1910 and 1912, respectively. Procter & Gamble and the Beech-Nut Packing Company opened manufacturing plants in 1914 and 1922, respectively, their first outside the US. In June and July 1916,
6355-561: The Köppen classification , Hamilton is on the Dfb/Dfa boundary, found in southern Ontario because the average temperature in July is 22.0 °C (71.6 °F). However, its climate is moderate compared with most of Canada. The airport's open, rural location and higher altitude results in lower temperatures, generally windier conditions, and higher snowfall amounts than lower, built-up areas of
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6510-645: The Mississaugas had displaced the Iroquois, who abandoned the Toronto area at the end of the Beaver Wars , with most returning to their homeland in present-day New York state. French traders founded Fort Rouillé in 1750 (the current Exhibition grounds were later developed there), but abandoned it in 1759 during the Seven Years' War . The British defeated the French and their indigenous allies in
6665-828: The Neutral First Nation used much of the land. They were gradually driven out by the Five (later Six) Nations (Iroquois) who were allied with the British against the Huron and their French allies. The hamlet of Westover was built in an area that was originally a Seneca Iroquois tribal village, Tinawatawa , which was first visited by the French in September 1699. After the American Revolutionary War , about 10,000 United Empire Loyalists left
6820-417: The Ottawa Little Theatre in 2014. Other CCAF venues in the nation's capital included Yuk Yuk's, Absolute Comedy, Arts Council Theatre, Bell Sensplex , and ByWard Market . Regina , Saskatchewan , hosted the awards and festival in 2008. In 2009, the festival was hosted by Saint John , New Brunswick , with the awards ceremony and Last Laugh Gala held at the Imperial Theatre . The first awards ceremony
6975-440: The Stephen Leacock Memorial Medal for Humour . Toronto Toronto is the most populous city in Canada and the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario . With a population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the fourth-most populous city in North America . The city is the anchor of the Golden Horseshoe , an urban agglomeration of 9,765,188 people (as of 2021) surrounding the western end of Lake Ontario , while
7130-400: The Toronto Carrying-Place Trail , led to widespread use of the name. The pronunciation of the city is broadly / t ə ˈ r ɒ n t oʊ / tə- RONT -oh , which locals pronounce [təˈɹɒnoʊ] or [ˈtɹɒnoʊ] , leaving the second 't' silent. The site of Toronto lay at the entrance to one of the oldest routes to the northwest, a route known and used by
7285-474: The United Church (6.5%), Anglican (6.4%), Presbyterian (3.1%), Christian Orthodox (2.9%), and other denominations (9.8%). Other religions with significant populations include Islam (3.7%), Buddhist (0.9%), Sikh (0.8%), Hindu (0.8%), and Jewish (0.7%). Those with no religious affiliation accounted for 24.9% of the population. Citizens of Hamilton are represented at all three levels of Canadian government: federal, provincial, and municipal. Hamilton
7440-479: The York University grounds in the city's north end at the intersection of Keele Street and Steeles Avenue. There are occasional hilly areas; in particular, midtown Toronto , as well as the Silverthorn and Fairbank neighbourhoods, have several sharply sloping hills. Lake Ontario remains occasionally visible from the peaks of these ridges as far north as Eglinton Avenue, 7 to 8 kilometres (4.3 to 5.0 mi) inland. The other major geographical feature of Toronto
7595-484: The a strike of up to 2,000 machinists was caused by a failure of employers to improve working conditions or pay during a booming World War I economy. The strike disrupted production at many of the largest manufacturers and was the largest dispute in the city's history. Population and economic growth continued until the 1960s. In 1929 the city's first high-rise building, the Pigott Building, was constructed; in 1930 McMaster University moved from Toronto to Hamilton, in 1934
7750-477: The naval reserve division HMCS Star , 23 Service Battalion and the 23 Field Ambulance. The Criminal Code of Canada is the chief piece of legislation defining criminal conduct and penalty. The Hamilton Police Service is chiefly responsible for the enforcement of federal and provincial law. Although the Hamilton Police Service has authority to enforce, bylaws passed by the Hamilton City Council are mainly enforced by Provincial Offences Officers employed by
7905-426: The "old" City of Hamilton had 331,121 residents and was divided into 100 neighbourhoods. The former region of Hamilton-Wentworth had a population of 490,268. The amalgamation created a single-tier municipal government ending subsidization of its suburbs. The new amalgamated city had 519,949 people in more than 100 neighbourhoods, and surrounding communities. The city was impacted by a widespread blackout in 2003 and
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#17327919410458060-424: The 1869 "Hamilton Foot Ball Club". Hamilton is also home to the Canadian Football Hall of Fame museum. The museum hosts an annual induction event in a week-long celebration that includes school visits, a golf tournament, a formal induction dinner and concludes with the Hall of Fame game involving the local CFL Hamilton Tiger-Cats at Tim Hortons Field. The 108th championship game of the Canadian Football League,
8215-408: The 1930s who "became champions of parks, greenspace and roads" in Hamilton. Hamilton Harbour is a natural harbour with a large sandbar called the Beachstrip. This sandbar was deposited during a period of higher lake levels during the last ice age and extends southeast through the central lower city to the escarpment. Hamilton's deep sea port is accessed by ship canal through the beach strip into
8370-422: The 19th century, the city built an extensive sewage system to improve sanitation, and streets were illuminated with gas lighting as a regular service. Long-distance railway lines were constructed, including a route completed in 1854 linking Toronto with the Upper Great Lakes. The Grand Trunk Railway and the Northern Railway of Canada joined in the building of the first Union Station in downtown. The advent of
8525-431: The 2000s, many neighbourhoods became ethnically diverse and underwent gentrification due to increasing population and a housing boom during the late 1990s and the early 21st century. The first neighbourhoods affected were Leaside and North Toronto , gradually progressing into the western neighbourhoods in York. Hamilton, Ontario Hamilton is a port city in the Canadian province of Ontario . Hamilton has
8680-433: The 2011 census. Hamiltonians aged 65 years and older constituted 17.3% of the population, an increase of 2.4% since 2011. The city's average age is 41.3 years. 54.9% of Hamiltonians are married or in a common-law relationship, while 6.4% of city residents are divorced. Same-sex couples (married or in common-law relationships) constitute 0.8% (2,710 individuals) of the partnered population in Hamilton. Environics Analytics,
8835-417: The 2021 census, the Hamilton CMA had a population of 785,184 living in 307,382 of its 320,081 total private dwellings, a change of 5% from its 2016 population of 747,545 . With a land area of 1,373.15 km (530.18 sq mi), it had a population density of 571.8/km (1,481.0/sq mi) in 2021. In the 2016 Canadian census , 24.69% of the city's population was not born in Canada . Hamilton
8990-439: The British Empire Games) in 1930 . Hamilton bid for the Commonwealth Games in 2010 but lost to New Delhi . On November 7, 2009, in Guadalajara, Mexico , it was announced Toronto would host the 2015 Pan Am Games after beating out two rival South American cities, Lima , Peru , and Bogotá , Colombia . The city of Hamilton co-hosted the Games with Toronto. Hamilton Mayor Fred Eisenberger said "the Pan Am Games will provide
9145-523: The CCFE. The jury members, whose identities were kept secret, would vote on the nominees submitted through the CCA website. Their top five selections in each category would become the final nominees, voted on by the CCA membership. The jury's votes were weighted for about 30% of the final result. Voting was conducted online since 2000, making the CCA one of the first national awards in Canada to have online voting. Two-minute clips of nominees were made available online, allowing nominees to gain exposure across
9300-437: The Canadian Comedy Hall of Fame. The CCA established the Canadian Comedy Hall of Fame and inducted its first members in 2000. In 2013, a permanent home was sought for the Canadian Comedy Hall of Fame and the CCA presented proposals to the cities of Hamilton , Niagara Falls , and Ottawa, Ontario. The cities declined due to uncertainties of funding. The Just for Laughs Museum in Montreal had closed in 2011 after operating at
9455-413: The City of Hamilton. In 2020, the city saw 18 murders and 51 shootings (up from 47 in 2019), the most shootings the city seen in at least a decade. 2021 saw the homicides in the city increase to 20, giving the city a rate of around 3.5 per 100,000 residents. Hamilton ranked first in Canada for police-reported hate crimes in 2016, with 12.5 hate crimes per 100,000 population. Organized crime also has
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#17327919410459610-471: The City of Toronto in 1834. Toronto hosted the 4th G20 summit during June 26–27, 2010. This included the largest security operation in Canadian history. Following large-scale protests and rioting, law enforcement arrested more than 1,000 people, the largest mass arrest in Canadian history. On July 8, 2013, severe flash flooding hit Toronto after an afternoon of slow-moving, intense thunderstorms. Toronto Hydro estimated 450,000 people were without power after
9765-451: The Comedy Association. Some awards are determined by industry members while others are open to public voting. Actor, director and producer Tim Progosh founded the Canadian Comedy Awards (CCA) after touring for over 20 years in sketch, improv and stand-up comedy. He felt that there was a distance between stand-up comedians and other comedic artists, and that stand-up and comedy as a whole wasn't receiving adequate national recognition. With
9920-431: The Don River, and north of Davenport Road from Caledonia to Spadina Road ; the Casa Loma grounds sit above this escarpment. The geography of the lakeshore has dramatically changed since the first settlement of Toronto. Much of the land on the harbour's north shore is landfill, filled in during the late 19th century. Until then, the lakefront docks (then known as wharves) were set back farther inland than today. Much of
10075-422: The Downtown Arts Centre on Rebecca Street has spurred creative activities in the core. The Community Centre for Media Arts (CCMA) continues to operate in downtown Hamilton. The CCMA works with marginalized populations and combines new media services with arts education and skills development programming. Hamilton hosted Canada's first major international athletic event, the first Commonwealth Games (then called
10230-403: The Fest variety specials. Following sponsorship, the CCFA moved to Regina , Saskatchewan, in 2008 and Saint John , New Brunswick, in 2009. The awards then returned to Toronto, which could more easily accommodate the festival which then had 38 shows over five days. During this period, categories were also broadened and added to recognize emerging media such as podcasts and web series. In 2013,
10385-459: The Fest . In 2008, another Best of the Fest special was taped and broadcast by The Comedy Network. In 2009, for the 10th CCA, The Comedy Network taped the awards ceremony and Last Laugh Gala for later broadcast. The Comedy Network also taped The Canadian Comedy Awards 10th Anniversary Special , featuring Beaver-winning comedians from the past decade; this special was broadcast in May 2010. The Comedy Network drew criticism in 2013 for broadcasting
10540-401: The Francophone community maintains a population of 6,760, while 30,530 residents, or 5.8% of the city's population, have knowledge of both official languages. The Franco-Ontarian community of Hamilton boasts two school boards, the public Conseil scolaire Viamonde and the Catholic Conseil scolaire catholique MonAvenir , which operate five schools (2 secondary and 3 elementary). Additionally,
10695-407: The Gore District. An early indication of Hamilton's sudden prosperity occurred in 1816 when it was chosen over Ancaster, Ontario to be the new Gore District's administrative centre. Another dramatic economic turnabout for Hamilton occurred in 1832 when a canal was finally cut through the outer sand bar that enabled Hamilton to become a major port. A permanent jail was not constructed until 1832, when
10850-475: The HWCDB has 9 trustees. The French language school boards are represented by one trustee each from Hamilton and the surrounding area. The Canadian Military maintains a presence in Hamilton, with the John Weir Foote Armoury in the downtown core on James Street North, housing the Royal Hamilton Light Infantry as well as the 11th Field Hamilton-Wentworth Battery and the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders of Canada. The Hamilton Reserve Barracks on Pier Nine houses
11005-574: The Huron had planted tree saplings to corral fish. This narrows was called tkaronto by the Mohawk , meaning 'where there are trees standing in the water', and was recorded as early as 1615 by Samuel de Champlain . The word Toronto , meaning 'plenty', also appears in a 1632 French lexicon of the Huron language , which is also an Iroquoian language. It also appears on French maps referring to various locations, including Georgian Bay, Lake Simcoe, and several rivers. A portage route from Lake Ontario to Lake Huron running through this point, known as
11160-645: The Huron, Iroquois, and Ojibwe . Archaeological sites show evidence of human occupation dating back thousands of years. The site was of strategic importance from the beginning of Ontario's recorded history. In the 1660s, the Iroquois established two villages within what is today Toronto, Ganatsekwyagon (Bead Hill) on the banks of the Rouge River and Teiaiagon on the banks of the Humber River . By 1701,
11315-550: The Niagara escarpment, and water quality in many of Hamilton's waterfalls is seriously degraded. High e. coli counts are regularly observed through testing by McMaster University near many of Hamilton's waterfalls, sometimes exceeding the provincial limits for recreational water use by as much as 400 times. The storm sewers in upstream neighbourhoods carry polluted runoff from streets and parking lots, as well as occasional raw sewage from sanitary lines that were improperly connected to
11470-695: The Progressive Conservatives' majority. North York mayor Mel Lastman became the first "megacity" mayor, and the 62nd mayor of Toronto, with his electoral victory . Lastman gained national attention after multiple snowstorms, including the January Blizzard of 1999 , dumped 118 centimetres (46 in) of snow and effectively immobilized the city. He called in the Canadian Army to aid snow removal by use of their equipment to augment police and emergency services. The move
11625-677: The Toronto Harbour), and the Rouge River at the city's eastern limits. Most of the ravines and valley lands in Toronto today are parklands and recreational trails are laid out along the ravines and valleys. The original town was laid out in a grid plan on the flat plain north of the harbour, and this plan was extended outwards as the city grew. The width and depth of several of the ravines and valleys are such that several grid streets, such as Finch Avenue , Leslie Street , Lawrence Avenue , and St. Clair Avenue , terminate on one side of
11780-622: The Toronto skyline extends northward along Yonge Street. Old Toronto is also home to many historically wealthy residential enclaves, such as Yorkville , Rosedale, The Annex, Forest Hill, Lawrence Park , Lytton Park , Deer Park , Moore Park , and Casa Loma, most stretching away from downtown to the north. East and west of downtown, neighbourhoods such as Kensington Market , Chinatown , Leslieville , Cabbagetown and Riverdale are home to bustling commercial and cultural areas as well as communities of artists with studio lofts, with many middle- and upper-class professionals. Other neighbourhoods in
11935-906: The Toronto–Hamilton region is Canada's most industrialized area. The area from Oshawa , Ontario around the west end of Lake Ontario to Niagara Falls, with Hamilton at its centre, is known as the Golden Horseshoe and had a population of approximately 8.1 million people in 2006. With sixty percent of Canada's steel produced in Hamilton by Stelco and Dofasco , the city has become known as the Steel Capital of Canada. After nearly declaring bankruptcy, Stelco returned to profitability in 2004. On August 26, 2007 United States Steel Corporation acquired Stelco for C$ 38.50 in cash per share, owning more than 76 percent of Stelco's outstanding shares. On September 17, 2014, US Steel Canada announced it
12090-650: The U.S. In addition to stores of all types, four banks, tradesmen of various types, and sixty-five taverns, industry in the community included three breweries, ten importers of dry goods and groceries, five importers of hardware, two tanneries, three coachmakers, and a marble and a stone works. As the city grew, several prominent buildings were constructed in the late 19th century, including the Grand Lodge of Canada in 1855, West Flamboro Methodist Church in 1879 (later purchased by Dufferin Masonic Lodge in 1893),
12245-845: The United States to settle in Upper Canada , now southern Ontario. In 1792, the Crown purchased the land on which Hamilton now stands from the Mississaugas in Treaty 3, also known as the Between the Lakes Purchase. The Crown granted the Loyalists lands from this purchase to encourage settlement in the region. These new settlers were soon followed by many more Americans, attracted by the availability of inexpensive, arable land. At
12400-576: The United States. In 1997, there was a devastating fire at the Plastimet plastics plant. Approximately 300 firefighters battled the blaze, and many sustained severe chemical burns and inhaled volatile organic compounds when at least 400 tonnes of PVC plastic were consumed in the fire. On January 1, 2001, the new city of Hamilton was formed from the amalgamation of Hamilton and its five neighbouring municipalities: Ancaster , Dundas , Flamborough , Glanbrook , and Stoney Creek . Before amalgamation,
12555-628: The West. Like the Irish before them, many of these migrants lived in overcrowded shanty-type slums, such as " the Ward ", which was centred on Bay Street , now the heart of the country's Financial District . As new migrants began to prosper, they moved to better housing in other areas, in what is now understood to be succession waves of settlement. Despite its fast-paced growth, by the 1920s, Toronto's population and economic importance in Canada remained second to
12710-466: The adjacent Port Lands on the harbour's east side was a wetland filled in early in the 20th century. The shoreline from the harbour west to the Humber River has been extended into the lake. Further west, landfill has been used to create extensions of land such as Humber Bay Park. The Toronto Islands were a natural peninsula until a storm in 1858 severed their connection to the mainland, creating
12865-405: The architecture of its homes, and for being one of Toronto's earliest planned communities, was designated as an Ontario Heritage Conservation district in 1985. The Casa Loma neighbourhood is named after "Casa Loma", a castle built in 1911 by Sir Henry Pellat , complete with gardens, turrets, stables, an elevator, secret passages, and a bowling alley. Spadina House is a 19th-century manor that
13020-416: The area in 1803 as he remembered it: "The city in 1803 was all forest. The shores of the bay were difficult to reach or see because they were hidden by a thick, almost impenetrable mass of trees and undergrowth". George Hamilton , a settler and local politician, established a town site in the northern portion of Barton Township in 1815. He kept several east–west roads which were originally Indian trails, but
13175-484: The area, with the usual complaints of debauchery and drunkenness. In 1793, Governor John Graves Simcoe established the town of York on the Toronto Purchase lands, naming it after Prince Frederick, Duke of York and Albany . Simcoe decided to move the Upper Canada capital from Newark (Niagara-on-the-Lake) to York, believing the new site would be less vulnerable to attack by the United States. The York garrison
13330-565: The availability of talent, volunteers, and venues. The awards ceremony was held either on the final evening, or on the second-last evening with a Last Laughs Gala on the final night. The largest festivals had two to three dozens events, with more than one hundred performers. Comedy shows featured the nominees and comics from the host region, with stand-up, sketch, improv and one-person shows, competitive improvisational games, seminars, workshops, and interactive exhibits. Some festivals have also included celebrity hockey games with comedians and alumni of
13485-472: The awards ceremony. In 2006, a gala review which closed the CCA Festival was taped and broadcast by The Comedy Network. The following year, showcase performances were taped and aired by The Comedy Network as two variety specials. The Doo Wops – John Catucci and David Mesiano – were nominated for a Gemini Award for Best Ensemble Performance in a Comedy Program for Canadian Comedy Awards 2007: Best of
13640-562: The awards moved to Ottawa and had its first francophone presence at the festival. In 2015, the license for the awards expired and control of the Canadian Comedy Awards reverted to the trademark holder, Funny Business, Inc. During this same period, Progosh and the CCFE decided to focus on creating a home for the Canadian Comedy Hall of Fame. The awards were put on hold until the spring of 2016. Due to budget and time limitations,
13795-408: The awards, oversaw all communications to and from the membership, and advised and coordinated with media coverage. The Nominations and Awards Committee oversaw the nomination process, category criteria, jury committees, voting procedures, trophies and prizes. The Programming Committee developed programs and organized talent for various events, the awards gala, and community events. The CCA membership
13950-641: The broadly disputed Toronto Purchase , when the Mississauga surrendered the area to the British Crown , the British established the town of York in 1793 and later designated it as the capital of Upper Canada . During the War of 1812 , the town was the site of the Battle of York and suffered heavy damage by American troops . York was renamed and incorporated in 1834 as the city of Toronto . It
14105-697: The capital until 1865 (two years before Canadian Confederation). Since then, the capital of Canada has remained Ottawa , Ontario. Toronto became the capital of the province of Ontario after its official creation in 1867. The seat of government of the Ontario briefly returned to the same building that hosted the Third Parliament Building of Upper Canada, before moving to the Ontario Legislative Building at Queen's Park in 1893. Because of its provincial capital status,
14260-448: The categories peak at 30 in the mid-2010s. Time and budget limitations resulted in the categories being reduced to 9 in 2016. Following this transitional year the number of categories was streamlined to 22, largely by combining the award categories for male and female performers. Categories are divided by format, organized into those for live performances (including stand-up, improvisation, and plays), television, and film. Internet media
14415-673: The central city retain an ethnic identity, including two smaller Chinatowns, the Greektown area, Little Italy , Portugal Village , and Little India , among others. The inner suburbs are contained within the former municipalities of York and East York. These are mature and traditionally working-class areas, consisting primarily of post–World War I small, single-family homes and small apartment blocks. Neighbourhoods such as Crescent Town , Thorncliffe Park , Flemingdon Park , Weston, and Oakwood Village consist mainly of high-rise apartments, which are home to many new immigrant families. During
14570-563: The centre of a densely populated and industrialized region at the west end of Lake Ontario known as the Golden Horseshoe . On January 1, 2001, the current boundaries of Hamilton were created through the amalgamation of the original city with other municipalities of the Regional Municipality of Hamilton–Wentworth . Residents of the city are known as Hamiltonians. Traditionally, the local economy has been led by
14725-471: The channel of the Don River have been dredged numerous times for shipping. The lower section of the Don River was straightened and channelled in the 19th century. The former mouth drained into a wetland; today, the Don River drains into the harbour through a concrete waterway, the Keating Channel . To mitigate flooding in the area, as well as to create parkland, a second more natural mouth was built to
14880-769: The city granted the operation of the transit franchise to the Toronto Railway Company . The public transit system passed into public ownership in 1921 as the Toronto Transportation Commission , later renamed the Toronto Transit Commission . The system now has the third-highest ridership of any city public transportation system in North America . The Great Toronto Fire of 1904 destroyed a large section of downtown Toronto . The fire destroyed more than 100 buildings. The fire claimed one victim, John Croft, who
15035-494: The city maintains a Francophone community health centre that is part of the LHIN (Centre de santé communautaire Hamilton/Niagara), a cultural centre (Centre français Hamilton), three daycare centres, a provincially funded employment centre (Options Emploi), a community college site (Collège Boréal) and a community organization that supports the development of the francophone community in Hamilton (ACFO Régionale Hamilton). According to
15190-537: The city operating 1,077 hectares (2,661 acres) of parkland at 310 locations. Many of the parks are along the Niagara Escarpment, which runs from Tobermory at the tip of the Bruce Peninsula in the north, to Queenston at the Niagara River in the south, and provides views of the cities and towns at Lake Ontario's western end. The hiking path Bruce Trail runs the length of the escarpment. Hamilton
15345-598: The city was also the location of Government House , the residence of the viceregal representative of the Crown in right of Ontario . Long before the Royal Military College of Canada was established in 1876, supporters of the concept proposed military colleges in Canada. Staffed by British Regulars, adult male students underwent a three-month-long military course at the School of Military Instruction in Toronto. Established by Militia General Order in 1864,
15500-477: The city was hit by a massive blackout which affected millions of Torontonians (it also affected most of Southern Ontario and parts of the United States), stranding some hundreds of people in tall buildings, knocking out traffic lights and suspending subway and streetcar service across the city during those aforementioned days. On March 6, 2009, the city celebrated the 175th anniversary of its inception as
15655-491: The city's Public Art Collection. The works are owned and maintained by the city. Founded in 1914, the Art Gallery of Hamilton is Ontario's third largest public art gallery. The gallery has over 9,000 works in its permanent collection that focus on three areas: 19th-century European, Historical Canadian and Contemporary Canadian. The McMaster Museum of Art (MMA), founded at McMaster University in 1967, houses and exhibits
15810-503: The city's comedy clubs including Yuk Yuk's , Second City , Comedy Bar, and Bad Dog Theatre, and showcase performances have been held at the Panasonic Theatre . London hosted the longest run of the awards, from 2003 to 2007. The CCA Festival began during this period, growing from three to five days of events. The CCA were hosted by Ottawa for two years, with the awards ceremony held at Centrepointe Theatre in 2013 and
15965-449: The city, there exist hundreds of small neighbourhoods and some larger neighbourhoods covering a few square kilometres. The many residential communities of Toronto express a character distinct from the skyscrapers in the commercial core. Victorian and Edwardian-era residential buildings can be found in enclaves such as Rosedale , Cabbagetown , The Annex , and Yorkville . The Wychwood Park neighbourhood, historically significant for
16120-502: The city. Growth in the arts and culture sector has garnered media attention for Hamilton. A 2006 article in The Globe and Mail , entitled "Go West, Young Artist", focused on Hamilton's growing art scene. The Factory: Hamilton Media Arts Centre, opened a new home on James Street North in 2006. Art galleries have sprung up on streets across the city: James Street , King William Street , Locke Street and King Street . The opening of
16275-429: The city. The highest temperature ever recorded in Hamilton was 41.1 °C (106 °F) on July 14, 1868. The coldest temperature ever recorded was −30.6 °C (−23 °F) on January 25, 1884. In 2023, it was found that the city has areas of poor air quality with a high concentration of benzo(a)pyrene , particularly in neighbourhoods near industrial sites. Manufacturing is important to Ontario's economy, and
16430-410: The eligibility period was the previous calendar year; works had to have premiered in Canada during that period and live performers had to have performed in Canada at least once during that period. In some years there was a nominal fee for the first person to nominate a person or work; in 2018 this fee was $ 20. From 2000 to 2015, the nomination process involved about 170 jury members selected each year by
16585-575: The elimination of racially based immigration policies by the late 1960s, Toronto became a destination for immigrants from all over the world. By the 1980s, Toronto had surpassed Montreal as Canada's most populous city and chief economic hub. During this time, in part owing to the political uncertainty raised by the resurgence of the Quebec sovereignty movement , many national and multinational corporations moved their head offices from Montreal to Toronto and Western Canadian cities. On January 1, 1998, Toronto
16740-411: The establishment of The Comedy Network in late 1997, Progosh felt the time was right to create a national comedy award and comedy hall of fame. Progosh brought together an advisory board which included himself, Mark Breslin of Yuk Yuk's comedy clubs, Andrew Alexander of The Second City , Sydd Capp , and representatives from the Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists ( ACTRA ),
16895-534: The first mayor of Toronto . Mackenzie would later lead the unsuccessful Upper Canada Rebellion of 1837 against the British colonial government. Toronto's population of 9,000 included some African-American slaves, some of whom had been brought by the Loyalists, and Black Loyalists , whom the Crown had freed (most of the latter were resettled in Nova Scotia). By 1834, refugee slaves from America's South were also immigrating to Toronto to gain freedom. Slavery
17050-579: The harbour and is traversed by two bridges, the QEW's Burlington Bay James N. Allan Skyway and the lower Canal Lift Bridge. Between 1788 and 1793, the townships at the Head-of-the-Lake were surveyed and named. The area was first known as The Head-of-the-Lake for its location at the western end of Lake Ontario. John Ryckman, born in Barton township (where present day downtown Hamilton is), described
17205-864: The host city's professional hockey team. Cities in Ontario have hosted all but two of the CCA award ceremonies. Toronto has most frequently hosted the awards, including the first ceremony and the most recent, in 2019. Galas have been held at historic venues including the Masonic Temple , the Winter Garden Theatre , the Isabel Bader Theatre , and the Imperial Room of the Royal York hotel, and at clubs The Guvernment and The Docks . CCAF events have been held at
17360-680: The hurricane caused more than CA$ 25 million in damage. In 1967, the seven smallest municipalities of Metropolitan Toronto were merged with larger neighbours, resulting in a six-municipality configuration that included the former city of Toronto and the surrounding municipalities of East York , Etobicoke , North York , Scarborough , and York . In the decades after World War II, refugees from war-torn Europe and Chinese job-seekers arrived, as well as construction labourers, particularly from Italy and Portugal. Toronto's population grew to more than one million in 1951 when large-scale suburbanization began and doubled to two million by 1971. Following
17515-402: The industry award categories were suspended for the transitional year and only the public voting categories were considered. Two additional public categories – Best Live Production and Best Live Ensemble – were added to compensate for the lack of industry categories. The 18th awards similarly covered an 18-month eligibility period and were held in 2018. Thereafter, the awards returned to
17670-428: The industry. Public voting was introduced by 2008, initially limited to a few categories. In 2016, time and budget issues precluded organizing any industry-voting categories, so public-voting was expanded to nine categories. When industry awards returned the following year, rather than a jury there were two rounds of voting. In the first round, members chose up to five nominees for each category; these were totalled and
17825-400: The lake, allowing for a somewhat sheltered Toronto Harbour south of the downtown core. An Outer Harbour was constructed southeast of downtown during the 1950s and 1960s, and it is now used for recreation. The city's limits are formed by Lake Ontario to the south, the western boundary of Marie Curtis Park , Etobicoke Creek , Eglinton Avenue and Highway 427 to the west, Steeles Avenue to
17980-485: The land to the crown for the future site. Durand was empowered by Hughson and Hamilton to sell property holdings which later became the site of the town. As he had been instructed, Durand circulated the offers at York during a session of the Legislative Assembly, which established a new Gore District , of which the Hamilton townsite was a member. Initially, this town was not the most important centre of
18135-409: The majority of Torontonians speak English as their primary language, over 160 languages are spoken in the city. The mayor of Toronto is elected by direct popular vote to serve as the chief executive of the city. The Toronto City Council is a unicameral legislative body, comprising 25 councillors since the 2018 municipal election , representing geographical wards throughout the city. Toronto
18290-566: The much longer established Montreal , Quebec. However, by 1934, the Toronto Stock Exchange had become the largest in the country. In 1954, the City of Toronto and 12 surrounding municipalities were federated into a regional government known as Metropolitan Toronto . The postwar boom had resulted in rapid suburban development. It was believed a coordinated land-use strategy and shared services would provide greater efficiency for
18445-465: The newcomers living in Hamilton in the 1990s were: former Yugoslavia , Poland , India , China , the Philippines , and Iraq . Hamilton also has a notable French community for which provincial services are offered in French. In Ontario, urban centres where there are at least 5,000 Francophones are designated areas where bilingual provincial services have to be offered. As per the 2016 census,
18600-567: The north and the Rouge River and the Scarborough–Pickering Townline to the east. The city is mostly flat or gentle hills, and the land gently slopes upward away from the lake. The flat land is interrupted by the Toronto ravine system , which is cut by numerous creeks and rivers of the Toronto waterway system , most notably the Humber River in the west end, the Don River east of downtown (these two rivers flanking and defining
18755-542: The north–south streets were on a regular grid pattern. Streets were designated "East" or "West" if they crossed James Street or Highway 6. Streets were designated "North" or "South" if they crossed King Street or Highway 8. The townsite's design, likely conceived in 1816, was commonplace. George Hamilton employed a grid street pattern used in most towns in Upper Canada and throughout the American frontier. The eighty original lots had frontages of fifty feet; each lot faced
18910-465: The railway dramatically increased the numbers of immigrants arriving, commerce and industry, as had the Lake Ontario steamers and schooners entering port before. These enabled Toronto to become a major gateway linking the world to the interior of the North American continent. Expanding port and rail facilities brought in northern timber for export and imported Pennsylvania coal. Industry dominated
19065-514: The referendum results and did so in April when it tabled the City of Toronto Act . Both opposition parties held a filibuster in the provincial legislature, proposing more than 12,000 amendments that allowed residents on streets of the proposed megacity to take part in public hearings on the merger and adding historical designations to the streets. This only delayed the bill's inevitable passage, given
19220-468: The region. The metropolitan government began to manage services that crossed municipal boundaries, including highways, police services, water and public transit . In that year, a half-century after the Great Fire of 1904, disaster struck the city again when Hurricane Hazel brought intense winds and flash flooding. In the Toronto area, 81 people were killed, nearly 1,900 families were left homeless, and
19375-427: The same time, large numbers of Iroquois who had allied with Britain arrived from the United States and were settled on reserves west of Lake Ontario as compensation for lands they lost in what was now the United States. During the War of 1812 , British regulars and local militia defeated invading American troops at the Battle of Stoney Creek , fought in what is now a park in eastern Hamilton . The town of Hamilton
19530-490: The school enabled officers of militia or candidates for commission or promotion in the Militia to learn military duties, drill and discipline, to command a company at Battalion Drill, to drill a company at Company Drill, the internal economy of a company, and the duties of a company's officer. The school was retained at Confederation, in 1867. In 1868, Schools of cavalry and artillery instruction were formed in Toronto. In
19685-556: The second Canadian Tire store in Canada opened here; in 1940 the airport was completed; and in 1948, the Studebaker assembly line was constructed. Infrastructure and retail development continued, with the Burlington Bay James N. Allan Skyway opening in 1958, and the first Tim Hortons store in 1964. Since then, many of the large industries have moved or shut down operations in a restructuring that also affected
19840-553: The south during the first half of the 2020s, thereby creating a new island, Ookwemin Minising . Toronto encompasses an area formerly administered by several separate municipalities that were amalgamated over the years. Each developed a distinct history and identity over the years, and their names remain in common use among Torontonians. Former municipalities include East York, Etobicoke, Forest Hill , Mimico , North York, Parkdale , Scarborough, Swansea , Weston and York. Throughout
19995-509: The steel and heavy manufacturing industries. During the 2010s, a shift toward the service sector occurred, such as health and sciences. Hamilton is home to the Royal Botanical Gardens , the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum , the Bruce Trail , McMaster University , Mohawk College , and Redeemer University . McMaster University is ranked 4th in Canada and 69th in the world by Times Higher Education Rankings 2021. In pre- colonial times,
20150-409: The storm and Toronto Pearson International Airport reported 126 mm (5 in) of rain had fallen over five hours, more than during Hurricane Hazel. Within six months, from December 20 to 22, 2013, Toronto was brought to a near halt by the worst ice storm in the city's history, rivalling the severity of the 1998 Ice Storm (which mainly affected southeastern Ontario, and Quebec). At the height of
20305-477: The storm sewers instead of the separate sanitary sewer system. Notably, in March 2020, it was revealed that as much as 24 billion litres of untreated wastewater has been leaking into the Chedoke creek and Cootes' Paradise areas since at least 2014 due to insufficiencies in the city's sewerage and storm water management systems. Hamilton's climate is humid-continental , characterized by changeable weather patterns. In
20460-575: The storm, over 300,000 Toronto Hydro customers had no electricity or heating. Toronto hosted WorldPride in June 2014, and the Pan and Parapan American Games in 2015 . The city continues to grow and attract immigrants. A 2019 study by Toronto Metropolitan University (then known as Ryerson University) showed that Toronto was the fastest-growing city in North America. The city added 77,435 people between July 2017 and July 2018. The Toronto metropolitan area
20615-636: The time of the CCA's creation. Francophone acts were first included at the CCA Festival in 2013, when the Awards were first held in Ottawa, a largely bilingual city on the Ontario–Quebec border. The bilingual film Bon Cop, Bad Cop won three Beavers in 2007: for direction, writing and best male performance. Bilingual comic Mike Ward won Comedic Artist of the Year in 2016, and quadralingual comic Martha Chaves won Best Standup Comic in 2018. The absence of
20770-489: The top five became the final nominees for a second round of voting. The awards ceremonies have been described as placing "gags over glamour", with wit and improvisational skill shown by hosts, presenters and recipients. Leatrice Spevack of The Globe and Mail noted that the CCAs stood above other award shows on its entertaining acceptance speeches. CCA Festivals were held each year from 2002 to 2015. The festivals took place over three to five days, depending on sponsorship and
20925-467: The town's surrender. American soldiers destroyed much of the garrison and set fire to the parliament buildings during their five-day occupation. Because of the sacking of York, British troops retaliated later in the war with the burning of Washington, D.C. York was incorporated as the City of Toronto on March 6, 1834, adopting the Indigenous name. Reformist politician William Lyon Mackenzie became
21080-629: The university's art collection of more than 7,000 objects. Supercrawl is a large community arts and music festival that takes place in September in the James Street North area of the city. In 2018, Supercrawl celebrated its 10th anniversary with over 220,000 visitors. In March 2015, Hamilton was host to the JUNO Awards . The Hamilton Film Festival stages an annual program of over 100 independent feature and short films annually, many but not all with direct production connections to
21235-537: The war, and the area became part of the British colony of Quebec in 1763. During the American Revolutionary War , an influx of British settlers arrived there as United Empire Loyalists fled for the British-controlled lands north of Lake Ontario. The Crown granted them land to compensate for their losses in the Thirteen Colonies. The new province of Upper Canada was being created and needed
21390-645: The waterfront for the next 100 years. During the late 19th century, Toronto became the largest alcohol distillation (in particular, spirits ) centre in North America. By the 1860s, the Gooderham and Worts Distillery operations became the world's largest whisky factory. A preserved section of this once dominant local industry remains in the Distillery District . The harbour allowed access to grain and sugar imports used in processing. Horse-drawn streetcars gave way to electric streetcars in 1891 when
21545-503: The westernmost part of Lake Ontario ; most of the city, including the downtown section, is on the south shore. Hamilton is in the geographic centre of the Golden Horseshoe . Its major physical features are Hamilton Harbour, marking the northern limit of the city, and the Niagara Escarpment running through the middle of the city across its entire breadth, bisecting the city into "upper" and "lower" parts. The maximum high point
21700-524: Was a member of the Orange Order between 1850 and 1950, and the city was sometimes referred to as the " Belfast of Canada" because of Orange influence in municipal politics and administration. For brief periods, Toronto was twice the capital of the united Province of Canada : first from 1849 to 1851, following unrest in Montreal, and later from 1855 to 1859. After this date, Quebec was designated as
21855-450: Was added in 2008 and categories that considered works across different formats were labelled as multimedia. Public voting categories: Industry voting categories: Notes: Juried categories were discontinued in 2016. These panels had previously given awards for special achievement including lifetime achievement awards and awards for non-artists who had made significant contributions to Canadian comedy. The juries also inducted people into
22010-469: Was an explosive expert clearing the ruins from the fire. It caused CA$ 10,387,000 in damage (roughly CA$ 277,600,000 in 2020 terms). The city received new European immigrant groups from the late 19th century into the early 20th century, particularly Germans, French, Italians, and Jews. They were soon followed by Russians, Poles, and other Eastern European nations, in addition to the Chinese entering from
22165-439: Was applying for bankruptcy protection and it would close its Hamilton operations. A stand-alone subsidiary of ArcelorMittal , the world's largest steel producer, Dofasco produces products for the automotive, construction, energy, manufacturing, pipe and tube, appliance, packaging, and steel distribution industries. It has approximately 7,300 employees at its Hamilton plant, and the four million tons of steel it produces each year
22320-539: Was banned outright in Upper Canada (and throughout the British Empire) in 1834. Torontonians integrated people of colour into their society. In the 1840s, an eating house at Frederick and King Streets, a place of mercantile prosperity in the early city, was operated by a black man named Bloxom. As a major destination for immigrants to Canada, the city grew rapidly through the remainder of the 19th century. The first significant wave of immigrants were Irish, fleeing
22475-435: Was built at the entrance of the town's natural harbour, sheltered by a long sand-bar peninsula. The town's settlement formed at the harbour's eastern end behind the peninsula, near the present-day intersection of Parliament Street and Front Street (in the " Old Town " area). In 1813, as part of the War of 1812 , the Battle of York ended in the town's capture and plunder by United States forces. John Strachan negotiated
22630-545: Was conceived by George Hamilton (a son of a Queenston entrepreneur and founder, Robert Hamilton ), when he purchased farm holdings of James Durand , the local member of the Legislative Assembly of Upper Canada , shortly after the War of 1812. Nathaniel Hughson , a property owner to the north, cooperated with George Hamilton to prepare a proposal for a courthouse and jail on Hamilton's property. Hamilton offered
22785-535: Was designated as the capital of the province of Ontario in 1867 during Canadian Confederation . The city proper has since expanded past its original limits through both annexation and amalgamation to its current area of 630.2 km (243.3 sq mi). The diverse population of Toronto reflects its current and historical role as an important destination for immigrants to Canada . About half of its residents were born outside of Canada and over 200 ethnic origins are represented among its inhabitants. While
22940-454: Was greatly enlarged, not through traditional annexations , but as an amalgamation of the Municipality of Metropolitan Toronto and its six lower-tier constituent municipalities: East York, Etobicoke, North York, Scarborough, York, and the original city itself. They were dissolved by an act of the Government of Ontario and formed into a single-tier City of Toronto (colloquially dubbed the " megacity "), replacing all six governments. The merger
23095-442: Was held at Toronto's Masonic Temple , which CTV Television Network had equipped as a television studio in the late 1990s. The ceremony was recorded for television, produced by Higher Ground Productions and directed by Bob Sorger . A one-hour version of the ceremony was broadcast on CTV at midnight on the night of Friday 7 April 2000, with the full program airing on The Comedy Network on 9 April at 9 pm. The special
23250-439: Was incorporated to organize and promote the awards, and the ceremonies moved from Toronto to London , Ontario. The CCFE also organized the Canadian Comedy Awards Festival (CCAF), with showcase performances by the nominees in sketch, stand-up and improvisational comedy, workshops, seminars and special events leading up to the awards gala. As the festival grew during the following years, The Comedy Network began broadcasting Best of
23405-475: Was proposed as a cost-saving measure by the Progressive Conservative provincial government under premier Mike Harris . The announcement touched off vociferous public objections. In March 1997, a referendum in all six municipalities produced a vote of more than 3:1 against amalgamation. However, municipal governments in Canada are creatures of the provincial governments, and referendums have little to no legal effect. The Harris government could thus legally ignore
23560-408: Was ridiculed by some in other parts of the country, fuelled in part by what was perceived as a frivolous use of resources. The city attracted international attention in 2003 when it became the centre of a major SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) outbreak. Public health attempts to prevent the disease from spreading elsewhere temporarily dampened the local economy. From August 14 to 17, 2003,
23715-400: Was the first time "that anyone from the Canadian establishment took comedy seriously." The first Canadian Comedy Awards ceremony was held in 2000 at Toronto's Masonic Temple . The Comedy Network televised the first two annual awards ceremonies, but due to lack of sponsorship the broadcast deal ended in 2001. In 2003, non-profit organization the Canadian Comedy Foundation for Excellence (CCFE)
23870-492: Was the second-fastest-growing metropolitan area in North America, adding 125,298 persons, compared with 131,767 in the Dallas–Fort Worth–Arlington metroplex in Texas. The large growth in the Toronto metropolitan area is attributed to international migration to Toronto. The COVID-19 pandemic in Canada first occurred in Toronto and was among the hotspots in the country . Toronto was named as one of 16 cities in North America (and one of two Canadian cities) to host matches for
24025-424: Was well received by the members of the industry it represents, who awarded Sorger the Beaver for best direction of a TV special or episode in 2001. The 2001 ceremony was also televised and was nominated for a Gemini Award for best writing in a comedy or variety program. In 2001, Bell Globemedia (now Bell Media ) became the sole shareholder of The Comedy Network, and decided to discontinue sponsoring and televising
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