112-572: Williams Omnibus Bus Lines was the first mass transportation system in the old City of Toronto , Ontario, Canada with four six-passenger buses. Established in 1849 by local cabinetmaker Burt Williams, it consisted of horse-drawn stagecoaches operating from the St. Lawrence Market to the Red Lion Hotel in Yorkville. The bus line was a great success, and four larger vehicles were added in 1850. After
224-542: A Slave , The Imitation Game , Room , La La Land , Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri and Green Book . The TIFF Bell Lightbox opened in 2010 as a permanent headquarters for TIFF. It houses film screenings (mostly Canadian, art-house, international, etc. films), restaurants, and exhibition and gallery spaces. The city is also home to the Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival , which
336-755: 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
448-657: 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
560-416: A distinctive feature of the geography of Toronto, is a network of deep ravines forming an urban forest that runs throughout much of the city. For the most part designated as parkland, the ravines are largely undeveloped. Toronto's ravines have been presented as central to Toronto's character. Architect Larry Richards describes Toronto as topographically being "San Francisco turned upside down." They appear in
672-529: A few years, even more buses were in use, and were operating every few minutes. In 1861, the city gave a 30-year franchise for to Toronto Street Railways who built a horse car line, and the gauge of the buses was modified so as to fit between the tracks. The bus system lasted only until 1862, when it was bought out by the TSR. The omnibuses were manufactured by Williams' own cabinet-making store on Yonge Street, H. Burt Williams. Prior to Williams' operations, there were
784-565: A group hosted by Business for the Arts, an alliance of banks and insurance companies, aims to encourage more young business professionals to engage with the arts. ArtsScene holds monthly events at different arts organizations, organizes events to arrange volunteer board and committee memberships in Canadian arts and heritage organizations, and maintains a website to connect potential volunteers on-line with arts organizations. Toronto's fashion scene
896-801: A host of independent commercial enterprises, Toronto has emerged as the world's third-largest centre for English-language theatre, behind only London and New York." Toronto's Soulpepper Theatre Company regularly stages classic works by Ibsen , Chekhov and Shakespeare , while the Canadian Stage Company has mounted performances of Shirley Valentine , Frankenstein and It's a Wonderful Life . Harold Green Jewish Theatre has staged such pieces as Kindertransport and Tuesdays with Morrie . Tarragon Theatre not only has performed pieces by Strindberg , Chekhov , etc., but has helped playwrights to develop and stage new works. Several Broadway theatrical hits originated in Toronto, such as
1008-474: A huge, multistory mall. On the lake, the Harbourfront area has parks and cultural venues. Toronto's cosmopolitan atmosphere is reflected in its cuisine , with many world cooking styles represented. The city celebrates its ethnic diversity through numerous food festivals: Perhaps one of the most iconic and distinct Toronto offerings is the peameal bacon sandwich, normally on a Kaiser . Peameal bacon
1120-637: A million people for the concerts, the food, the King and Queen of the Bands competition, and the popular Caribana parade. The Ontario civic holiday – called Colonel By Day in Ottawa , Peter Robinson Day in Peterborough and Simcoe Day in Toronto and in most of Ontario – is named after the first Lieutenant Governor of Upper Canada , John Graves Simcoe . The last week of June is Pride Toronto . The week
1232-594: 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
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#17327719118241344-684: A variety of stagecoach operators in the city: The companies and agencies that succeeded Williams: 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
1456-454: 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
1568-562: Is also home to the OVO Sound recording company. A few famous music artists that have emerged from the city or its suburbs include Peaches , Rush , Drake , Jessie Reyez , Shawn Mendes , Alessia Cara , DillanPonders , K-os , Roam , Sean Leon and The Weeknd . Dishes that originated in the city or that are unique to it include Peameal bacon , Peameal bacon sandwiches , East Indian rotis , Toronto-style pizza , sushi pizza , and many unique fusion cuisine dishes. Toronto has one of
1680-623: Is another annual weekend event at Nathan Phillips Square , gathering more than 500 visual artists and craftspeople mainly from Ontario and Quebec. Works including Native art , contemporary sculpture, and architectural models can be seen within the rotunda of Toronto's City Hall . Art is also showcased within the Toronto subway system , most notably on the Sheppard line and stations north of Bloor St , as well as Pearson Airport , featuring international and Canadian art. Public art and sculpture in
1792-645: Is celebrated with a Pride Parade and a Dyke March , along with various other pro- LGBT events, and rivals similar Gay pride events in Montreal , San Francisco, Sydney and São Paulo . Downtown Toronto is home to attractions like the CN Tower, St. Lawrence Market, and the Royal Ontario Museum, with exhibits on natural history. Bloor Street is an upscale shopping area, and the Eaton Centre is
1904-479: Is centred primarily in the Entertainment District on Queen Street West , though many music venues exist in other neighbourhoods. Established acts play at venues such as Lee's Palace , The Opera House , The Horseshoe Tavern , The Mod Club , The Phoenix Concert Theatre, The Guvernment and Kool Haus. Major concert tours usually book into larger venues such as Air Canada Centre , Sony Centre for
2016-494: Is home to the Toronto International Film Festival , one of the largest and most prestigious events of its kind in the world. It is also home to the Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival , the largest documentary festival in North America. The Scotiabank CONTACT photography festival, one of the largest photography festivals in the world, showcases notable photographs from throughout
2128-517: 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
2240-675: 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
2352-588: 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,
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#17327719118242464-413: Is partially because of an influx of residents in the downtown caused by a large amount of new condominium construction in the city since the mid 2000s. Toronto is one of the few cities in North America to retain its historic streetcar lines. These streetcars are not just touristic streetcars, but are an integral part of the transit system. This streetcar network crisscrosses the downtown area and some of
2576-503: Is primarily focused in Queen West, King West , and Yorkville. The city has LG Fashion Week , and also recently has had "Rogue Fashion Week" for designers who choose not to show with the official festival. There is also a Fashion Film Festival. Toronto is home to Canada's most active English language theatre scene; indeed, the Canadian actor, playwright and theatre critic David Gardner has claimed: "With over 168 nonprofit companies and
2688-442: Is the CN Tower . The tourism industry has not fully recovered from a 2003 SARS outbreak, while the strong Canadian dollar and tighter Canadian customs controls influenced by U.S. homeland security paranoia have resulted in fewer US visitors, while tourists from overseas continue to increase. Toronto plays host to a variety of different events year-round. In September, Hollywood actors, writers, directors and producers descend on
2800-630: Is the "East Indian roti", a variation on the stuffed roti from the West Indies . Owing to Toronto's considerable immigrant populations from both the Caribbean islands and the Indian subcontinent, a hybrid dish has been developed, using South Asian bread and curries as stuffing, for the otherwise West Indian dish. This type of pizza is available in certain restaurants in the Toronto area. It consists of thin-crust pizza brushed with garlic oil. Many of
2912-531: Is the largest documentary festival in North America. Other film festivals in Toronto include Inside Out Toronto Lesbian and Gay Film and Video Festival , ReelHeART International Film Festival, Toronto After Dark Film Festival , Toronto Reel Asian International Film Festival , and WILDsound Film Festival . Toronto also has the National Film Board of Canada . Toronto's Royal Ontario Museum ("the ROM")
3024-705: Is the site of the Ontario Legislative Building . Two parks in Toronto are operated by federally-funded agencies. Managed by the Canada Lands Company , Downsview Park , was originally a Canadian Forces base, CFB Downsview was closed in 1996, and re-purposed to an urban park in 1998. In addition, the eastern portion of the city is also home to Rouge National Urban Park , a national park managed by Parks Canada . The city's art community attracts and has top theatre groups, galleries, and other high culture attractions. The bar scene
3136-514: 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
3248-721: Is well known, as well as the Art Gallery of Ontario (the "AGO") which is one of North America's largest. Toronto holds many other major museums and galleries, such as the Gardiner Museum , Bata Shoe Museum , Design Exchange , Museum of Inuit Art , Museum of Contemporary Canadian Art , Fort York , TIFF Bell Lightbox , Canadian Air and Space Museum , CBC Museum , Hockey Hall of Fame , John Street Roundhouse , Institute for Contemporary Culture , TD Gallery of Inuit Art , Textile Museum of Canada , Harbourfront Centre, Allen Lambert Galleria , Ontario Science Centre and
3360-400: 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
3472-768: The Aga Khan Museum . There are also museums, such as the Parliament Interpretive Centre , operated by Ontario Heritage Trust , purposed for education about the War of 1812 and the history and anthropology of the province and city. Prominent art scenes and collections are also found in the city's major institutions, like the Ontario College of Art and Design University , the University of Toronto Art Centre , Ryerson Image Centre , and
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3584-615: The Distillery District , Queen Street West , The Junction , and elsewhere. Nuit Blanche Toronto is a free celebration of contemporary art which features public art commissions, all-night exhibitions, live performances and programs throughout the city. Luminato is a comparable annual event that runs for ten days at the beginning of June. During Doors Open Toronto , which takes place annually in May, over 140 buildings of architectural, historic or cultural significance are open to
3696-650: The Four Seasons Centre , which opened in 2006. The National Ballet of Canada , which had previously appeared at the Sony Centre with the COC, also moved into the Four Seasons Centre at the same time. The city is also home to the renowned Toronto Children's Chorus . As Canada's recording industry centre, Toronto is also home to many Canadian pop, rock , and hip hop musicians. Live music
3808-589: 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
3920-645: 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
4032-482: 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
4144-602: 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
4256-885: The 1993 revival of Show Boat and Ragtime . Venues for theatre include the historic Canon Theatre (formerly the "Pantages"), the Elgin and Winter Garden Theatres , the Princess of Wales Theatre , the Royal Alexandra Theatre , the Poor Alex Theatre , and the Harbourfront Centre . Theatres such as The Factory Theatre and Theatre Passe Muraille aim to produce distinctly Canadian theatre and have nurtured local artists including George F. Walker , Michael Healey and Ann-Marie MacDonald . Other prominent venues include St Lawrence Centre for
4368-556: 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
4480-570: 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. Culture in Toronto Toronto is the largest city in Canada and one of
4592-701: The Art Gallery of York University. The city also runs its own historic museums which include Casa Loma and Spadina House . Lastly, there is also a place called Graffiti Alley , a network of alleyways around Queen St and Spadina Ave that features kilometres of graffiti art. The governments of Toronto and Ontario also each have collections of important archives, historic artifacts and documents, as well as artworks of significance. The City of Toronto Archives and Archives of Ontario house these in separate buildings, but may be available for public viewing. The Toronto Reference Library also holds historic documents from
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4704-404: The Arts , Rogers Centre and Molson Amphitheatre at Ontario Place . The Toronto Music Garden , designed with Yo-Yo Ma as a consultant, also hosts free outdoor orchestras in the summer. Toronto hosts the annual Toronto Student Film Festival . TSFF is a free submission film festival, that screens short films created by students 12–18 years old. This festival attracts submissions from across
4816-522: 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
4928-487: 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
5040-729: 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
5152-593: 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,
5264-802: The Performing Arts , Young Centre for the Performing Arts , Young People's Theatre , Imperial Oil Opera Theatre, and the Royal Conservatory of Music . Musical venues in Toronto include Roy Thomson Hall , home to Toronto Symphony Orchestra (TSO); the Toronto Centre for the Arts in North York ; Sony Centre for the Performing Arts , (previously the Hummingbird Centre ) and Massey Hall . The Canadian Opera Company built Canada's first purpose-built opera house,
5376-695: 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
5488-552: 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
5600-622: 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
5712-474: 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
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#17327719118245824-405: 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
5936-421: The amalgamation is sometimes called Old Toronto, the Central District or simply "Downtown". The "old" City of Toronto is the business centre and is, by far, the most populous and dense part of the city. The "inner ring" suburbs of York and East York are older, middle-income and ethnically diverse areas. Much of the housing stock in these areas consists of old pre-war single-family houses, terraced houses , such as
6048-405: 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
6160-423: 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
6272-413: 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
6384-481: 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,
6496-617: 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
6608-407: 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
6720-438: The city are abundant, and have representations of many artists like Henry Moore , Richard Serra , Sol LeWitt , Menashe Kadishman , Douglas Coupland , Bernard Schottlander , Jaume Plensa , Rowan Gillespie , William McElcheran , Joe Fafard , and traditional Inuit art , among others. Public art also finds a home at the Toronto Sculpture Garden , with its temporary outdoor exhibitions. The Princess of Wales Theatre also has
6832-405: The city for the Toronto International Film Festival , which competes with other major film festivals at Cannes , Venice and the Sundance Festival . Luminato is a 10-day festival in June featuring over a thousand local and international artists for theatre, dance, music, visual arts, books and film events. In July, Caribana , the largest Caribbean festival in North America, attracts more than
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#17327719118246944-527: 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
7056-471: 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,
7168-414: 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
7280-445: The city, including Black Creek Pioneer Village , and the Leslie Street Spit . In addition to the parks and gardens operation by the municipal government and the TRCA, the city is also home to a number of provincial and nationally operated parks. Provincial parks includes Trillium Park , a park located at the former theme park grounds of Ontario Place and Queen's Park , is located in downtown Toronto . Opened in 1860, Queen's Park
7392-449: 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
7504-523: 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
7616-474: 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
7728-409: The highest counts of film festivals in the world. The most well-known is the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF). Founded in 1976, TIFF is now one of the largest events of its kind in the world. In 1998, Variety magazine acknowledged that TIFF "is second only to Cannes in terms of high-profile pics, stars, and market activity". In 2007, Time noted that TIFF had "grown from its place as
7840-680: 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
7952-400: 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
8064-683: The largest work of American painter Frank Stella , with 10 000 sq. ft of his works found inside the structure, as well as a large mural at the sides of it. Exhibition Place is the home of both the Canadian National Exhibition , a large annual outdoor fair, and the Canadian International Air Show . Nearby Ontario Place is a popular amusement park on the waterfront. A vibrant visual arts scene includes several artist-run cooperatives regularly presenting contemporary art exhibitions. ArtsScene,
8176-499: The late George Faludy and Jane Jacobs . Canada's mostly Toronto-based English-language publishing industry includes McClelland and Stewart and smaller firms like House of Anansi Press , Key Porter Books and Coach House Books . Since 1974 the Toronto Book Awards have honoured authors of books evocative of Toronto. PEN Canada is an activist group working since 1926 in defence of freedom of expression throughout
8288-409: 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
8400-641: The metropolis. The city has over 240 distinct neighbourhoods within its boundaries. Residential communities express a character distinct from commercial skyscrapers, and Victorian- and Edwardian-era residential buildings can be found in enclaves such as Rosedale, Forest Hill, Cabbagetown, The Annex, the Bridle Path and Moore Park. A neighbourhood for tourists and locals alike in Toronto is Kensington Market . This neighbourhood features shops, cafes, and restaurants. Some of these shops are built inside old Victorian bay-and-gable townhomes. Before 1998, Toronto proper
8512-420: The most multicultural cities in the world. Many immigrant cultures have brought their traditions languages and music to Toronto. Toronto, the capital of the province of Ontario, is a major Canadian city along Lake Ontario's northwestern shore. The city features many distinctive neighbourhoods. Many of these neighbourhoods were originally built as streetcar suburbs in the past and are still vibrant today. This
8624-633: The most influential fall film festival to the most influential film festival, period". This is partially the result of the festival's ability and reputation for generating " Oscar buzz". The festival's People's Choice Award —which is based on audience balloting—has emerged as an indicator of success in awards season , especially at the Academy Awards . Past recipients of this award include Oscar-winning films, such as: Life Is Beautiful , American Beauty , Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon , Slumdog Millionaire , The King's Speech , 12 Years
8736-515: 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
8848-628: 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
8960-409: The public for a citywide celebration. The city of Toronto was the first government organization to create this kind of event. The annual Toronto International Art Fair showcases modern, multi-disciplined art with a focus on the latest international developments. The Queen West Art Crawl is an annual weekend-long festival celebrating the arts on Queen Street West . The Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibition
9072-465: 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
9184-514: 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
9296-468: 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
9408-531: The restaurants that offer this type of pizza have a brush on the counter to allow customers to brush the garlic oil on their slice of pizzas themselves. This style of pizza was invented by Vietnamese immigrants who learned pizza-making from the former Italian owners that they worked for in Toronto. These immigrants were originally from the city of Hue in Vietnam. Toronto bills itself "the city of neighbourhoods" because of their continuing strength and vitality within
9520-490: 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
9632-485: The shared subconscious of the municipality, the places where much of the city's literature is born." The City of Toronto government operates a number of parks and gardens, in an effort to improve the livability of the city. The Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA), a conservation authority that manages the watershed of the Greater Toronto Area , also manages several conservation areas in
9744-553: 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
9856-409: 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
9968-575: 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
10080-429: The suburban parts of the city as well. The city also features many unique neighbourhoods. These include the largest collection of Victorian-era industrial architecture in North America (a legacy from Toronto's past as a major whisky distilling centre), the largest urban car-free community in North America , and the bohemian heart of the city, Kensington Market . The city features a number of notable festivals. The city
10192-529: The third-largest film and television production centre in North America, after Los Angeles and New York, and has the third-largest English language theatre district in the world, after New York and London. Successful television shows shot or set in the city and surrounding areas include Kim's Convenience , Schitt's Creek , SCTV , Kids in the Hall , Orphan Black , and the Degrassi franchise. The city
10304-467: 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
10416-521: The uniquely Torontonian bay-and-gable housing style, and post-war high-rises. Many of the neighbourhoods in these areas were built up as streetcar suburbs and contain many dense and mixed-use streets. They share many characteristics with sections of the "old" city that are outside of the downtown core. The "outer ring" suburbs of Etobicoke, Scarborough, and North York are much more suburban but are developing urban centres of their own, such as North York Centre around Mel Lastman Square. The ravine system,
10528-671: 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
10640-575: 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
10752-487: 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 the Toronto area, located on a broad sloping plateau interspersed with rivers, deep ravines, and urban forest , for more than 10,000 years. After
10864-441: The works of major Toronto writers such as Margaret Atwood , Anne Michaels , Morley Callaghan and Ann-Marie MacDonald . Robert Fulford has declared: The ravines are the chief characteristic of the local terrain, its topographical signature. Canadian journalist Robert Fulford had described the ravine system as "both a tangible (though often hidden) part of our surroundings and a persistent force in our civic imagination. They are
10976-644: The world and hosts exhibitions. Toronto also has the largest public library system in the world. Some prominent artists who have called Toronto home are Tom Thomson , the Group of Seven members, Douglas Coupland , Shary Boyle , General Idea 's members, and Frank Gehry . Gallery devotees to contemporary art include the Power Plant, Design Exchange, Museum of Contemporary Canadian Art , First Canadian Place gallery and many private galleries in Yorkville ,
11088-416: The world. The Greater Toronto Area is the centre of English Canadian literature , and a list of fiction set in Toronto reveals many titles by writers such as Margaret Atwood , Michael Ondaatje , Robertson Davies , M. G. Vassanji and Timothy Findley . Other prominent Toronto-based writers include Marshall McLuhan , Rohinton Mistry , Morley Callaghan , Michael Ignatieff , George Elliott Clarke and
11200-609: The world. North America's largest literary festival, the annual International Festival of Authors, takes place each fall in Toronto. Canada's main English-language national newspaper, The Globe and Mail , as well as the National Post and Canada's largest-circulating daily newspaper, the Toronto Star , are based in Toronto, as are many other major magazines and periodicals. Toronto's most iconic landmark
11312-525: The world. The Toronto International Festival of Authors welcomes authors from throughout the world to promote interest and enthusiasm in writing and reading on both a local and international level. The city also features one of the largest public library systems in the world and unique museums such as the Bata Shoe Museum , the Aga Khan Museum , and the Hockey Hall of Fame . The city is
11424-524: 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
11536-416: Was a much smaller municipality and formed part of the regional district of Metropolitan Toronto . When the city amalgamated that year, Toronto absorbed the former municipalities of York , East York , North York , Etobicoke and Scarborough . Each of these former municipalities still maintains a certain distinctness, and residents still use the names of these municipalities. The area known as Toronto before
11648-469: 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
11760-600: 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
11872-535: 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
11984-535: 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
12096-573: 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
12208-599: Was originally developed by William Davies at the St. Lawrence Market . Some notable offerings of the sandwich are Paddington's Pump, Sausage King, and Carousel Bakery; coincidentally enough, all are located at St. Lawrence Market. Further east in Leslieville is Rashers, billed as North America's only bacon sandwich shop, recently opened and sells a peameal bacon sandwich that Toronto Life describes as "Toronto's iconic sandwich done right". Another distinct Toronto offering
12320-551: 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
12432-408: 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,
12544-613: 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
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