The Iron Ring is a ring worn by many Canadian engineers as a symbol and reminder of the obligations and ethics associated with their profession. The ring is presented in a private ceremony known as the Ritual of the Calling of an Engineer . Qualification for the obligation ceremony is either completion of a CEAB accredited engineering program or meeting the academic standard for licensure with a provincial engineering regulator. The concept of the ritual and the rings originated from H. E. T. Haultain in 1922, with assistance from Rudyard Kipling , who crafted the ritual at Haultain's request.
148-468: The ring symbolizes the pride engineers have in their profession, while simultaneously reminding them of their humility. The ring serves as a reminder to the engineer and others of the engineer's obligation to live by a high standard of professional conduct. However, the ring is not a symbol of qualification as an engineer; engineering qualifications are determined by provincial and territorial licensing bodies. The Iron Ring originated from H. E. T. Haultain ,
296-583: A Jesuit seminary, entered federation with the university in 1979. In contrast with the constituent colleges, the colleges of Knox, Massey, Regis, St. Michael's, Trinity, Victoria and Wycliffe continue to exist as legally distinct entities, each possessing a separate financial endowment . While St. Michael's, Trinity and Victoria continue to recognize their religious affiliations and heritage, they have since adopted secular policies of enrolment and teaching in non-divinity subjects. Some colleges have, or once had, collegiate structures of their own: Emmanuel College
444-538: A low church seminary, both encouraged their students to study for non-divinity degrees at University College. In 1885, they entered a formal affiliation with the University of Toronto, and became federated schools in 1890. The idea of federation initially met strong opposition at Victoria University , a Methodist school in Cobourg , but a financial incentive in 1890 convinced the school to join. Decades after
592-755: 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
740-657: 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
888-696: A choice of rings made of iron or stainless steel. Based upon the success of the Iron Ring in Canada, a similar program was created in the United States , where the Order of the Engineer was founded in 1970. The organization conducts similar ring ceremonies at a number of U.S. colleges, in which the recipient signs an "Obligation of the Engineer" and receives a stainless steel Engineer's Ring (which, unlike
1036-547: A college be established in York. On March 15, 1827, a royal charter was formally issued by King George IV , proclaiming "from this time one College, with the style and privileges of a University ... for the education of youth in the principles of the Christian Religion , and for their instruction in the various branches of Science and Literature ... to continue for ever, to be called King's College." The granting of
1184-604: A dramatic renaissance after the 2003 SARS crisis, and it is now Canada's largest public health school, with more than 750 faculty, 800 students, and research and training partnerships with institutions throughout Toronto and the world. With more than $ 39 million in research funding per year, the School supports discovery in global health, tobacco impacts on health , occupational disease and disability, air pollution, inner city health, circumpolar health, and many other pressing issues in population health. The Temerty Faculty of Medicine
1332-540: A loss of control over the ritual. Efforts to secure control of the ritual were made in 1935, when the obligation was copyrighted, and the Corporation of the Seven Wardens formally incorporated in 1938. The Iron Ring is made from either iron or stainless steel . It is intended to be worn on the little finger of the working (dominant) hand. There, the facets act as a sharp reminder of one's obligation while
1480-531: A mining engineering professor at the University of Toronto . On 25 January 1922, Haultain proposed that engineers take an ethical oath. From 1922 to 1925, the structure that would administer the oaths, or "callings," was organized. Known as the Corporation of the Seven Wardens, the organization was named in honour of the first seven presidents of the Canadian Society for Civil Engineers. The text of
1628-469: A model that resembles those of the University of Cambridge and the University of Oxford in Britain. The colleges hold substantial autonomy over admissions, scholarships, programs and other academic and financial affairs, in addition to the housing and social duties of typical residential colleges . The system emerged in the 19th century, as ecclesiastical colleges considered various forms of union with
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#17327767677451776-760: A range of services and facilities, including a library, restaurants, barbershops, an art gallery, a theatre, concerts, debates, study spaces, and a swimming pool. The confluence of assorted functions is the result of an effort to create a holistic educational experience, a goal summarized in the Founders' Prayer. The Hart House model was influential in the planning of student centres at other universities, notably Cornell University 's Willard Straight Hall . Hart House resembles some traditional aspects of student representation through its financial support of student clubs, and its standing committees and board of stewards that are composed mostly of undergraduate students. However,
1924-594: 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
2072-767: Is a public research university in Toronto , Ontario , Canada, located on the grounds that surround Queen's Park . It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College , the first institution of higher learning in Upper Canada . Originally controlled by the Church of England , the university assumed its present name in 1850 upon becoming a secular institution. As a collegiate university , it comprises 11 colleges each with substantial autonomy on financial and institutional affairs and significant differences in character and history. The university maintains three campuses,
2220-463: Is a ceremonial boulevard and arterial thoroughfare that runs through downtown between Queen's Park and Front Street . The Spadina , St. George , Museum , Queen's Park , and St. Patrick stations of the Toronto subway system are nearby. The architecture is epitomized by a combination of Romanesque and Gothic Revival buildings spread across the eastern and central portions of campus, most dating between 1858 and 1929. The traditional heart of
2368-572: Is a college of Victoria and St. Hilda's College is part of Trinity; St. Joseph's College had existed as a college within St. Michael's until it was dissolved in 2006. Ewart College existed as an affiliated college until 1991, when it was merged into Knox College. Postgraduate theology degrees are conferred by the colleges of Knox, Regis and Wycliffe, along with the divinity faculties within Emmanuel, St. Michael's and Trinity, including joint degrees with
2516-454: 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
2664-408: Is affiliated with a network of ten teaching hospitals , providing medical treatment, research and advisory services to patients and clients from Canada and abroad. A core member of the network is University Health Network , itself a specialized federation of Toronto General Hospital , Princess Margaret Cancer Centre , Toronto Western Hospital , and Toronto Rehabilitation Institute . Physicians in
2812-690: Is an early example of the North American student centre , simultaneously serving cultural, intellectual, and recreational interests within its large Gothic-revival complex. University of Toronto alumni include five Prime Ministers of Canada (including William Lyon Mackenzie King and Lester B. Pearson ), three Governors General of Canada , nine foreign leaders, and 17 justices of the Supreme Court of Canada . As of 2024 , 13 Nobel laureates , six Turing Award winners, 100 Rhodes Scholars , and one Fields Medalist have been affiliated with
2960-420: Is hosting the annual convocation ceremonies, the building is a venue for academic and social events throughout the year. The sandstone buildings of Knox College epitomizes the North American collegiate Gothic design, with its characteristic cloisters surrounding a secluded courtyard. A lawn at the northeast is anchored by Hart House , a Gothic-revival student centre complex. Among its many common rooms,
3108-517: 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
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#17327767677453256-675: 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
3404-588: 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,
3552-424: Is small and understated, and was designed as a constant reminder, rather than a piece of jewelry. The Rings were originally hammered manually with a rough outer surface. The modern machined ring shares a similar design as a reminder of the manual process. Twelve half-circle facets are carved into the top and bottom of the outer surface, with the two sets of facets offset rotationally by fifteen degrees. The Ritual of
3700-583: 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 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
3848-507: Is the massive Robarts Library complex, built in 1972 and opened a year later in 1973. It features raised podia, extensive use of triangular geometric designs and a towering 14-storey concrete structure that cantilevers above a field of open space and mature trees. Sidney Smith Hall is the home to the Faculty of Arts and Science, as well as a few departments within the faculty. The Leslie L. Dan Pharmacy Building , completed in 2006, exhibits
3996-577: 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
4144-400: 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
4292-627: The Canadian Institutes of Health Research , the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council amounting to about one-third of the research budget. About eight per cent of research funding came from corporations, mostly in the healthcare industry . The first practical electron microscope was built by the physics department in 1938. During World War II,
4440-566: The Faculty of Medicine from Toronto-based philanthropists James and Louise Temerty . This broke the previous record for the school set in 2019 when Gerry Schwartz and Heather Reisman jointly donated $ 100 million for the creation of a 70,000-square-metre (750,000 sq ft) innovation and artificial intelligence centre. The Faculty of Medicine has been renamed the Temerty Faculty of Medicine in their honour. In December 2021,
4588-589: 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
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4736-725: The Greco-Roman period, and the painting Adam and Eve by Lucas Cranach the Elder , dated from 1538. The University of Toronto Collection features Canadian contemporary art , while the University College Art Collection holds significant works by the Group of Seven and 19th century landscape artists . In the 2022 Academic Ranking of World Universities (also known as the Shanghai Ranking),
4884-733: The Group of Twenty , and the Citizen Lab , which conducts research on Internet censorship as a joint founder of the OpenNet Initiative . The university operates international offices in Berlin, Hong Kong and Siena . The Dalla Lana School of Public Health is a Faculty of the University of Toronto that began as one of the Schools of Hygiene begun by the Rockefeller Foundation in 1927. The School went through
5032-762: The Hart House Debates were suspended, although exhibition and interfaculty games were still held. The David Dunlap Observatory in Richmond Hill opened in 1935, followed by the University of Toronto Institute for Aerospace Studies in 1949. By the 1961–62 academic year, the university had a total enrolment of 14,302 students, including 1,531 graduate students. The university opened suburban campuses in Scarborough in 1964 and in Mississauga in 1967. The university's former affiliated schools at
5180-645: 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
5328-524: The Ontario Agricultural College and Glendon Hall became fully independent of the University of Toronto and became part of University of Guelph in 1964 and York University in 1965, respectively. Beginning in the 1980s, reductions in government funding prompted more rigorous fundraising efforts. In 2000, geophysicist Kin-Yip Chun was reinstated as a professor of the university, after he launched an unsuccessful lawsuit against
5476-531: The Rotman School of Management . The Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering is the other major direct-entry undergraduate faculty. The University of Toronto is the birthplace of an influential school of thought on communication theory and literary criticism known as the Toronto School . Described as "the theory of the primacy of communication in the structuring of human cultures and
5624-673: The Spanish Civil War , the history of science and medicine , Canadiana and the history of books . The Cheng Yu Tung East Asian Library has a rare 40,000-volume Chinese collection from the Song Dynasty (960–1279) to the Qing Dynasty (1644–1911) that was originally held by scholar Mu Xuexun (1880–1929). The Richard Charles Lee Canada-Hong Kong Library has the largest research collection for Hong Kong and Canada–Hong Kong studies outside of Hong Kong. The rest of
5772-482: 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
5920-602: 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
6068-444: The high-tech architectural style of glass and steel by British architect Norman Foster . The University of Toronto has traditionally been a decentralized institution, with governing authority shared among its central administration, academic faculties and colleges. The Governing Council is the unicameral legislative organ of the central administration, overseeing general academic, business and institutional affairs. Before 1971,
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6216-556: 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
6364-616: The British colonial elite, known as the Family Compact . Reformist politicians opposed the clergy's control over colonial institutions and fought to have the college secularized . In 1849, after a lengthy and heated debate, the newly elected responsible government of the Province of Canada voted to rename King's College as the University of Toronto and severed the school's ties with the church. Having anticipated this decision,
6512-687: The British use of wit . Smaller debating societies at Trinity, University and Victoria College have served as initial training grounds for debaters who later progress to Hart House. The club won the World Universities Debating Championship in 1981 and 2006. The North American Model United Nations (NAMUN) hosts an annual Model United Nations conference on campus, while the United Nations Society participates in various North American and international conferences. The Toronto chess team has captured
6660-574: The Calling of an Engineer is the ceremony where graduating engineers participate in the "calling," and receive their Iron Rings. The ritual is intended to invoke the moral, ethical and professional commitment of an engineer, with the ring provided as a reminder of this obligation. The ceremonies are private affairs with no publicity. Invitations to attend are extended to local engineering alumni and professional engineers by those who are scheduled to participate. Some universities extend an invitation to witness
6808-715: The Canadian Iron Ring, can be smooth and not faceted). The first such ceremony occurred on June 4, 1970, at the Cleveland State University under the supervision of Lloyd Chancy. The NTH Ring is a ring awarded by the Norwegian University of Science and Technology , formerly Norwegian Institute of Technology (NTH), to graduates of their Masters of Science in architecture or engineering programs. University of Toronto The University of Toronto ( UToronto or U of T )
6956-578: 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
7104-487: 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
7252-729: 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
7400-593: 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,
7548-537: The Niagara border in 1866. The Corps was part of the Reserve Militia led by professor Henry Croft . Established in 1878, the School of Practical Science was the precursor to the Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering , which has been nicknamed Skule since its earliest days. While the Faculty of Medicine opened in 1843, medical teaching was conducted by proprietary schools from 1853 until 1887 when
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#17327767677457696-487: 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
7844-425: The Seven Wardens. Because iron deteriorates turning the finger black and making the ring fit more loosely, all camps except Toronto have stopped conferring rings made of iron and have switched to stainless steel rings. At the Toronto camp, the individual ceremonies held at the University of Toronto , Toronto Metropolitan University , Ontario Tech University , and York University continue to provide recipients with
7992-552: 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
8140-404: The Toronto area, located on a broad sloping plateau interspersed with rivers, deep ravines, and urban forest , for more than 10,000 years. After 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
8288-622: 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
8436-446: The United States, alongside McGill University . Academically, the University of Toronto is noted for influential movements and curricula in literary criticism and communication theory , known collectively as the Toronto School . The university was the birthplace of insulin , stem cell research, the first artificial cardiac pacemaker , and the site of the first successful lung transplant and nerve transplant. The university
8584-526: The University of Toronto announced the launch of the Defy Gravity campaign, the largest fundraising campaign in Canadian history, with a goal of raising $ 4 billion for the university. The university grounds lie about 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) north of the Financial District in Downtown Toronto , immediately north of Chinatown and the Discovery District , and immediately south of the neighbourhoods of Yorkville and The Annex . The site encompasses 55.8 hectares (138 acres) bounded mostly by Bay Street to
8732-457: The University of Toronto in 1921 is considered among the most significant events in the history of medicine . The stem cell was discovered at the university in 1963, forming the basis for bone marrow transplantation and all subsequent research on adult and embryonic stem cells . This was the first of many findings at Toronto relating to stem cells, including the identification of pancreatic and retinal stem cells. The cancer stem cell
8880-430: The University of Toronto is Hart House , a neo-Gothic student activity centre that was initiated and financed by alumnus-benefactor Vincent Massey and named for his grandfather Hart . Opened in 1919, the complex aimed to establish a communitarian student culture in the university and its students, who at the time kept largely within their own colleges under the decentralized collegiate system. The Hart House offers
9028-399: The University of Toronto to ensure their viability. The desire to preserve religious traditions in a secular institution resulted in the federative collegiate model that came to characterize the university. University College was the founding nondenominational college, created in 1853 after the university was secularized. Knox College , a Presbyterian institution, and Wycliffe College ,
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#17327767677459176-434: The University of Toronto was named the top research university in Canada by Research Infosource, with a sponsored research income (external sources of funding) of $ 1,234.278 million in 2020. In the same year, the university's faculty averaged a sponsored research income of $ 446,600, while graduate students averaged a sponsored research income of $ 61,000. The federal government was the largest source of funding, with grants from
9324-474: 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
9472-405: 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
9620-405: 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
9768-423: 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
9916-518: The building's Great Hall is noted for large stained-glass windows and a long quotation from John Milton 's Areopagitica inscribed around the walls. The adjacent Soldiers' Tower stands 143 feet (44 m) tall as the most prominent structure in the vicinity, its stone arches etched with the names of university members lost to the battlefields of the two World Wars. The tower houses a 51-bell carillon played on special occasions such as Remembrance Day and convocation. North of University College,
10064-494: The buried Taddle Creek , linking with Trinity College, Varsity Arena and the Faculty of Law . Victoria College is on the eastern side of Queen's Park, centred on a Romanesque main building made of contrasting red sandstone and grey limestone. Developed after the Second World War , the western section of the campus consists mainly of modernist and internationalist structures that house laboratories and faculty offices. The most significant example of Brutalist architecture
10212-549: The calling was written by English poet Rudyard Kipling , at the request of Haultain. Haultain asked Kipling to author the calling partly because of Kipling's poem The Sons of Martha , which paid tribute to an engineer. Kipling's calling sought to emphasize the responsibilities of an engineer, affirming their responsibility to "not henceforward suffer or pass, or be privy to the passing of, Bad Workmanship or Faulty Material." Kipling's calling also affirmed that an engineer must not compromise their work, in spite of external pressures; and
10360-481: 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,
10508-617: 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
10656-400: The ceremony to anyone in the engineering profession; however, engineers that have not undergone the ritual are not permitted to participate in it. Some graduating engineers choose to receive a ring passed on from a relative or mentor, giving the ceremony a personal touch. The rings are given during the ceremony held at individual universities, each assigned one of 28 camps of the Corporation of
10804-471: 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
10952-420: The charter was largely the result of intense lobbying by John Strachan , the influential future first Anglican Bishop of Toronto who took office as the college's first president. The original three-storey Greek Revival school building was built on the present site of Queen's Park . Under Strachan's stewardship, King's College was a religious institution closely aligned with the Church of England and
11100-769: 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
11248-597: 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,
11396-477: 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
11544-449: 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
11692-512: The country's legal education system away from the apprenticeship model that prevailed until the mid-20th century. The Ontario Institute for Studies in Education is the teachers college of the university, affiliated with its two laboratory schools , the Institute of Child Study and the University of Toronto Schools (a private high school run by the university). Autonomous institutes at
11840-519: The creation of New College in 1962, Innis College in 1964 and Woodsworth College in 1974, all of them nondenominational. Along with University College, they comprise the university's constituent colleges, which are established and funded by the central administration and are therefore financially dependent. Massey College was established in 1963 by the Massey Foundation as a college exclusively for graduate students. Regis College ,
11988-773: The death of John Strachan, the Anglican seminary Trinity College entered federation in 1904, followed in 1910 by St. Michael's College , a Roman Catholic college founded by the Basilian Fathers . Among the institutions that had considered federation but ultimately remained independent were McMaster University , a Baptist school that later moved to Hamilton , and Queen's College, a Presbyterian school in Kingston that later became Queen's University . Constituent colleges Theological colleges Federated colleges Postgraduate college The post-war era saw
12136-500: The east, Bloor Street to the north, Spadina Avenue to the west and College Street to the south. An enclave surrounded by university grounds, Queen's Park , contains the Ontario Legislative Building and several historic monuments. With its green spaces and many interlocking courtyards, the university forms a distinct region of urban parkland in the city's downtown core. The namesake University Avenue
12284-575: 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
12432-465: The engineer works, because it could drag on the writing surface while the engineer is drawing or writing. This is particularly true of recently obligated engineers, whose rings bear sharp, unworn, facets. Protocol dictates that the rings should be returned by retired engineers or by the families of deceased engineers. Some camps offer previously obligated or "experienced" rings, but they are now rare due to medical and practical complications. The Iron Ring
12580-604: The enraged Strachan had resigned a year earlier to open Trinity College as a private Anglican seminary. University College was created as the nondenominational teaching branch of the University of Toronto. During the American Civil War , the threat of Union blockade on British North America prompted the creation of the University Rifle Corps , which saw battle in resisting the Fenian raids on
12728-589: The faculty absorbed the Toronto School of Medicine. Meanwhile, the university continued to set examinations and confer medical degrees. The university opened the Faculty of Law in 1887, followed by the Faculty of Dentistry in 1888 when the Royal College of Dental Surgeons became an affiliate. Women were first admitted to the university in 1884. A devastating fire in 1890 gutted the interior of University College and destroyed 33,000 volumes from
12876-591: 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
13024-680: 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
13172-400: 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
13320-578: The largest ever research grant in Canada, a $ 200 million grant from the Government of Canada in 2023. The Varsity Blues are the athletic teams that represent the university in intercollegiate league matches, primarily within U Sports , with ties to gridiron football , rowing and ice hockey. The earliest recorded instance of gridiron football occurred at University of Toronto's University College in November 1861. The university's Hart House
13468-464: The libraries, Robarts Library , holds about five million bound volumes that form the main collection for humanities and social sciences . The Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library constitutes one of the largest repositories of publicly accessible rare books and manuscripts . Its collections range from ancient Egyptian papyri to incunabula and libretti ; the subjects of focus include British, Western and Canadian literature , Aristotle , Darwin ,
13616-703: The library collections are dispersed at departmental and faculty libraries in addition to about 1.3 million bound volumes the colleges hold. The university has collaborated with the Internet Archive since 2005 to digitize some of its library holdings. Housed within University College, the University of Toronto Art Centre contains three major art collections. The Malcove Collection is primarily represented by Early Christian and Byzantine sculptures, bronzeware, furniture, icons and liturgical items. It also includes glassware and stone reliefs from
13764-583: The library, but the university restored the building and replenished its library within two years. Over the next two decades, a collegiate system took shape as the university arranged federation with several ecclesiastical colleges, including Strachan's Trinity College in 1904. The university operated the Royal Conservatory of Music from 1896 to 1991 and the Royal Ontario Museum from 1912 to 1968; both still retain close ties with
13912-534: The main students' unions on administrative and policy issues are the University of Toronto Students' Union , Association of Part-time Undergraduate Students and the Graduate Students' Union. Student representative bodies also exist at the various colleges, academic faculties and departments. The Hart House Debating Club employs a debating style that combines the American emphasis on analysis and
14060-486: The main building of Trinity College displays Jacobethan Tudor architecture , while its chapel was built in the Perpendicular Gothic style of Giles Gilbert Scott . The chapel features exterior walls of sandstone and interiors of Indiana Limestone and was built by Italian stonemasons using ancient building methods. Philosopher's Walk is a scenic footpath that follows a meandering, wooded ravine ,
14208-409: 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
14356-433: The medical institutes have cross-appointments to faculty and supervisory positions in university departments. The Rotman School of Management developed the discipline and methodology of integrative thinking , upon which the school used to base its curriculum. Founded in 1887, the Faculty of Law 's emphasis on formal teachings of liberal arts and legal theory was then considered unconventional, but gradually helped shift
14504-515: 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
14652-628: 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
14800-490: The oldest of which is St. George, located in downtown Toronto . The other two satellite campuses are located in Scarborough and Mississauga . The University of Toronto offers over 700 undergraduate and 200 graduate programs. The university receives the most annual scientific research funding and endowment of any Canadian university. It is also one of two members of the Association of American Universities outside
14948-477: The publication of the first observational evidence proving the existence of black holes . Toronto astronomers have also discovered the Uranian moons of Caliban and Sycorax , the dwarf galaxies of Andromeda I , II and III , and the supernova SN 1987A . A pioneer in computing technology, the university designed and built UTEC , one of the world's first operational computers, and later purchased Ferut ,
15096-463: The publication placed the university 19th in the world. In the 2024–25 U.S. News & World Report Best Global University Ranking , the university ranked 17th in the world, and first in Canada. The Canadian-based Maclean's magazine ranked the University of Toronto second in their 2022–2023 Medical Doctoral university category. Maclean's 2023 university rankings also ranked the University of Toronto first in its reputation survey. The university
15244-401: 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
15392-514: 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
15540-468: 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
15688-490: 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
15836-540: The second commercial computer after UNIVAC I . Multi-touch technology was developed at Toronto, with applications ranging from handheld devices to high-end drawing monitors to collaboration walls . The AeroVelo Atlas , which won the Igor I. Sikorsky Human Powered Helicopter Competition in 2013, was developed by the university's team of students and graduates and was tested in Vaughan . The discovery of insulin at
15984-553: 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
16132-409: 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
16280-575: 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
16428-555: The structuring of the human mind", the school is rooted in the works of Eric A. Havelock and Harold Innis and the subsequent contributions of Edmund Snow Carpenter , Northrop Frye and Marshall McLuhan . Since 1963, the McLuhan Program in Culture and Technology of the Faculty of Information has carried the mandate for teaching and advancing the Toronto School. Several notable works in arts and humanities are based at
16576-460: The time: "Until I reached Toronto," remarked Lord Dufferin during his visit in 1872, "I confess I was not aware that so magnificent a specimen of architecture existed upon the American continent ." The building was declared a National Historic Site of Canada in 1968. Built in 1907, Convocation Hall is recognizable for its domed roof and Ionic -pillared rotunda. Although its foremost function
16724-693: The top title six times at the Pan American Intercollegiate Team Chess Championship . The Formula SAE Racing Team won the Formula Student European Championships in 2003, 2005 and 2006. 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
16872-467: 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
17020-457: The university alleging racial discrimination. In 2017, a human rights application was filed against the University by one of its students for allegedly delaying the investigation of sexual assault and being dismissive of their concerns. In 2018, the university cleared one of its professors of allegations of discrimination and antisemitism in an internal investigation, after a complaint was filed by one of its students. The University of Toronto
17168-559: The university as independent institutions. The University of Toronto Press was founded in 1901 as Canada's first academic publishing house . The Faculty of Forestry, founded in 1907 with Bernhard Fernow as dean, was Canada's first university faculty devoted to forest science. In 1910, the Faculty of Education opened its laboratory school , the University of Toronto Schools . The First and Second World Wars curtailed some university activities as undergraduate and graduate men eagerly enlisted. Intercollegiate athletic competitions and
17316-566: The university developed the G-suit , a life-saving garment worn by Allied fighter plane pilots, later adopted for use by astronauts. Development of the infrared chemiluminescence technique improved analyses of energy behaviours in chemical reactions. In 1963, the asteroid 2104 Toronto is discovered in the David Dunlap Observatory in Richmond Hill and is named after the university. In 1972, studies on Cygnus X-1 led to
17464-493: The university fourth in the world, and first in Canada. The University Ranking by Academic Performance 2019–2020 rankings placed the university second in the world, and first in Canada. Along with academic and research-based rankings, the university has also been ranked by publications that evaluate the employment prospects of its graduates. In the Times Higher Education's 2022 global employability ranking,
17612-481: The university grounds in Toronto's Discovery District , conducting $ 1 billion of medical research annually. MaRS Discovery District is a research park that serves commercial enterprises and the university's technology transfer ventures. In 2008, the university disclosed 159 inventions and had 114 active start-up companies. Its SciNet Consortium operates the most powerful supercomputer in Canada. A notable hub for social, cultural and recreational activities at
17760-882: The university include the Canadian Institute for Theoretical Astrophysics , the Pontifical Institute of Mediaeval Studies and the Fields Institute . Within the Faculty of Arts and Science, notable departments include the Department of Mathematics . The University of Toronto Libraries is the third-largest academic library system in North America, following those of Harvard and Yale , measured by number of volumes held. Its collections include more than 12 million print books, 1.9 million digital books, over 160,000 journal titles, and close to 30,000 metres of archival materials. The largest of
17908-553: The university operated the Connaught Medical Research Laboratories , now part of the pharmaceutical corporation Sanofi-Aventis . Among the research conducted at the laboratory was the development of gel electrophoresis . The University of Toronto is the primary research presence that supports one of the world's largest concentrations of biotechnology firms. More than 5,000 principal investigators reside within 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) from
18056-470: The university ranked 11th in the world, and first in Canada. In QS's 2022 graduate employability ranking, the university ranked 21st in the world, and first in Canada. In a 2013 employment survey conducted by the New York Times , the University of Toronto was ranked 14th in the world. In 2018, the University of Toronto Entrepreneurship was ranked the fourth best university-based incubator in
18204-487: The university ranked 22nd in the world and first in Canada. The 2023 QS World University Rankings ranked the university 21st in the world, and first in Canada. In 2019, it ranked 11th among the universities around the world by SCImago Institutions Rankings . The 2023 Times Higher Education World University Rankings ranked the university 18th in the world, and first in Canada. In the Times' 2020 reputational ranking,
18352-787: The university through the Toronto School of Theology . The Faculty of Arts and Science is the university's main undergraduate faculty, and administers most of the courses in the college system. While the colleges are not entirely responsible for teaching duties, most of them house specialized academic programs and lecture series. Among other subjects, Trinity College is associated with programs in international relations , as are University College with Canadian studies , Victoria College with Renaissance studies , Innis College with film studies and urban studies , New College with gender studies , Woodsworth College with industrial relations and St. Michael's College with Medieval studies . The faculty teaches undergraduate commerce in collaboration with
18500-428: The university was governed under a bicameral system composed of the board of governors and the university senate. The chancellor, usually a former governor general , lieutenant governor , premier or diplomat, is the ceremonial head of the university. The president is appointed by the council as the chief executive. Unlike most North American institutions, the University of Toronto is a collegiate university with
18648-609: The university's various programs and curricula in international affairs, foreign policy, and public policy . As the Cold War heightened, Toronto's Slavic studies program evolved into an important institution on Soviet politics and economics, financed by the Rockefeller , Ford and Mellon foundations. The Munk School is also home to the G20 Research Group , which conducts independent monitoring and analysis on
18796-696: The university, including the Dictionary of Canadian Biography since 1959 and the Collected Works of Erasmus since 1969. The Records of Early English Drama collects and edits the surviving documentary evidence of dramatic arts in pre- Puritan England, while the Dictionary of Old English compiles the early vocabulary of the English language from the Anglo-Saxon period. The Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy encompasses
18944-408: The university, known as Front Campus, is near the campus centre in an oval lawn enclosed by King's College Circle. The centrepiece is the main building of University College , built in 1857 with an eclectic blend of Richardsonian Romanesque and Norman architectural elements. The dramatic effect of this blended design by architect Frederick William Cumberland drew praise from European visitors of
19092-538: The university. The founding of a colonial college had long been the desire of John Graves Simcoe , the first Lieutenant-Governor of Upper Canada and founder of York , the colonial capital. As an Oxford -educated military commander who had fought in the American Revolutionary War , Simcoe believed a college was needed to counter the spread of republicanism from the United States . The Upper Canada Executive Committee recommended in 1798 that
19240-537: 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
19388-645: 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
19536-441: The world by UBI Global in the "World Top Business Incubator – Managed by a University" category. Since 1926, the University of Toronto has been a member of the Association of American Universities , a consortium of the leading North American research universities. The university manages by far the largest annual research budget of any university in Canada with sponsored direct-cost expenditures of $ 878 million in 2010. In 2021,
19684-550: Was a call for professional unity between engineers. On the 25 April 1925, Haultain administered the first Ritual of the Calling of an Engineer in the University Club in Montreal . A second ritual was administered in Toronto on 1 May 1925. Iron Rings are awarded to engineers during the ritual, in reference to "[their] Honour and Cold Iron," a phrase used in the calling. A myth persists that the initial batch of Iron Rings
19832-524: 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
19980-427: Was also home to the first electron microscope , the development of deep learning , neural network , multi-touch technology, the identification of the first black hole Cygnus X-1 , and the development of the theory of NP-completeness . The University of Toronto is the recipient of both the single largest philanthropic gift in Canadian history, a $ 250 million donation from James and Louise Temerty in 2020, and
20128-469: 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
20276-600: 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
20424-535: 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
20572-409: Was first identified in 1997 by Toronto researchers, who have since found stem cell associations in leukemia , brain tumours and colorectal cancer . Medical inventions developed at Toronto include the glycaemic index , the infant cereal Pablum , the use of protective hypothermia in open heart surgery and the first artificial cardiac pacemaker . The first successful single-lung transplant
20720-515: 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
20868-502: Was made from the beams of the first Quebec Bridge , a bridge that collapsed during construction in 1907 due to poor planning and design by the overseeing engineers. However, the initial batch of Iron Rings were actually produced by World War I veterans at Christie Street Military Hospital in Toronto . The Wardens originally considered expanding the ritual to the United States. However, they later ruled against expansion, fearing
21016-550: Was performed at Toronto in 1981, followed by the first nerve transplant in 1988, and the first double-lung transplant in 1989. Researchers identified the maturation promoting factor that regulates cell division , and discovered the T-cell receptor , which triggers responses of the immune system. The university is credited with isolating the genes that cause Fanconi anemia , cystic fibrosis and early-onset Alzheimer's disease , among numerous other diseases. Between 1914 and 1972,
21164-551: 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
21312-610: Was ranked in spite of having opted out—along with several other universities in Canada—of participating in Maclean's graduate survey since 2006. The university's research performance has been noted in several bibliometric university rankings, which use citation analysis to evaluate the impact a university has on academic publications. In 2019, the Performance Ranking of Scientific Papers for World Universities ranked
21460-408: 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,
21608-475: Was the first Canadian university to amass a financial endowment greater than one billion dollars in 2007. From 2011 to 2018, the university embarked on the Boundless fundraising campaign, which concluded in 2018 at $ 2.641 billion raised, setting a new all-time fundraising record in Canada. On September 24, 2020, the university announced the single largest donation in Canadian history, a $ 250 million gift to
21756-613: 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
21904-694: 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 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
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