DISCOVER EXTRAORDINARY ITINERARIES AND EXPERIENCES TWO BIGGEST CITIES IN CANADA.
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Trendsetter. The heartbeat of Canadian urban life. The 6ix is everything you would expect from a world class city. Get dinner at a one of a kind restaurant in Queen Street West, shop at the posh Yorkville district, lose yourself in the variety of the Kensington Market, then visit one of Toronto's vibrant museums or galleries. Toronto has it all and all of it is in style.
What to do in Toronto
Toronto is famed for its colorful, lively neighbourhoods. Perhaps the best known is the pedestrian-only Distillery Historic District east of downtown, with some of the best-preserved 1800s-era industrial architecture in North America. It’s a national historic site and you’ll see why: the area showcases the handsomely refurbished 1830s Gooderham and Worts Distillery, once the world’s largest whiskey producer.
One of Canada’s greatest landmarks and one of the seven wonders of the modern world, the CN Tower has come to define the Toronto skyline. At 553 metres in height, this engineering wonder is hard to miss during any trip through the city and you don’t want to miss it. Beyond being a very cool building you can take an elevator up to the revolving 360 Restaurant for world-class dining. Feeling a bit bold? Walk across the glass floor, only 2.5 inches thick, 113 storeys above the ground. Want an even bigger thrill? Travel up another 33 storeys to the Skypod lookout. Still not daring enough? Strap on a harness, head outside, and take a thrilling walk along the building’s edge with nothing but air between you and the ground, in the not-for-the-faint-of-heart EdgeWalk experience. This adrenaline-inducing activity is actually the world’s highest ‘hands-free walk,’ so you can brag about that one to your friends.
The Royal Ontario Museum is the biggest museum of world cultures and natural history in Canada. Located right in downtown Toronto, the striking main entrance to the museum, known as The Crystal and designed by Michael Lee Chin, will draw you in right away. Inside, the museum houses exhibits that run the gamut from dinosaurs to ancient Egypt to Canada’s First Nations. It’s hard to categorize the, oh, six million-or-so objects the museum has in its collections, but trust us, you’ll be able to find something you really enjoy. As you walk from floor to floor, past the 25-metre totem pole, you’ll encounter art, history, archeology, mineralogy, geology, paleontology, zoology, and elements of any other -ology you could probably imagine! With something new to discover every time you visit, the 100-year-old museum is a favorite of locals and tourists alike.
Do you like the idea of coming face to face with a shark, separated only by a pane of glass? The Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada allows you to live that experience, while exposing you to another 16,000 marine animals hosted on site. It takes 5.7 million litres of water to host all of those animals, from southern stingrays, to 65-year-old giant lobsters, to giant pacific octopus, to nettle jellyfish. Explore life on the reef, walk in safety under a dangerous lagoon, stick your head in an underwater viewing bubble, or take in a stingray dive show. Open 365 days a year, you can always turn to the Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada for an exciting day—whether it’s an angelfish on Christmas Day, or a stingray on your birthday.
Once home to the First Nations people, this island gem on the magnificent St. Lawrence River in time saw travellers from far and wide land on its shores before becoming a bustling port city. The French colonists were the first to arrive, followed by the English, the Scottish and the Irish. Later, myriad peoples from around the world settled the lush swaths stretching up to Mount Royal.
Today, 120 distinct ethnic communities are represented in its population of more than 3.6 million, making Montréal a veritable mosaic of cultures and traditions. The world’s second largest francophone city after Paris, it merits the moniker ‘international’ city, a cosmopolitan centre with proud roots in the past that enthusiastically embraces the future. A world leader in such industries as aeronautics, information technology and biotechnology, the city has also made significant innovations in medicine, multimedia, the arts and urban planning. Its avant-garde spirit has not gone unnoticed: in 2006, Montréal was named a UNESCO City of Design.
What to do in Montreal
In 1904, Brother André, a simple porter renowned for his miracle cures (which he attributed to God through Saint Joseph), set out to construct a small wooden chapel, which would ultimately become one of the city’s most impressive religious buildings. It wasn’t until 1967, thirty years after his death, that the immense sanctuary was completed.
An international symbol of Montréal, the Olympic Stadium — and its Tower, the world's tallest inclined tower — was designed by French architect, Roger Taillibert, and built in the 1970s as the main venue for the 1976 Summer Olympics. It is known by locals as "The Big O", a nickname that references both the Olympics and the circular shape of its roof. Its Esplanade, an urban park made up of nine platforms, also offers a breathtaking view of the Stadium and the Tower.
From west to east, Sainte-Catherine Street stretches 11 kilometres (9 miles) across the city. It is Montréal’s main commercial artery and one of North America’s longest and liveliest, for good reason. From Saint-Laurent Boulevard, going west, the street is home to the major department stores, an array of boutiques, restaurants and several shopping centres. Out the other way is a mix of boutiques, nightlife hotspots, cafés, theatre venues and more. From the great festivals to sidewalk sales to red carpet events, there’s always something happening along Sainte-Catherine!
No stroll through Old Montréal would be complete without a stop at Place Jacques-Cartier, a lively spot steeped in heritage. A meeting place for centuries, Montrealers and visitors alike gather here to admire the view of the Old Port, sit for a spell at an outdoor terrasse, take in performances of the many street artists and enjoy entertainment at every time of year. In fact, one could say that Place Jacques-Cartier is at its most magical during the Christmas season.
Toronto: Explore more here!
Toll-free phone: 1-800-499-2514
Phone: 416-203-2500
Email: info@destinationtoronto.com
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Toronto Convention & Visitors Association
P.O. Box 126, 207 Queens Quay West
Toronto, Ontario
M5J 1A7 Canada
Toll-free phone: 1-800-499-2514
Phone: 416-203-2600
Fax: 416-203-6753
Montreal: Discover endless posibilities!
Montréal area: 514 844 5400
Toll free, from Canada and U.S.A.: 1 877 BONJOUR (266-5687)
Email: info@mtl.org
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