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Toronto is the capital of Ontario province located in the Canadian city. The place is known for its diversity and culture. Toronto is the largest city in Canada. With a population of around six million, Toronto is one of the busiest cities in North America.
Toronto is also known as the international hub for business, finance, music, art, and culture. In this article, we will be looking at the top lesser-known and interesting facts about Toronto, Canada.
The Interesting Facts About Toronto, Canada
Mentioned below are the most interesting facts about Toronto, Canada; its people, culture, economy, place, and tourism.
1. Population
Toronto is the largest city in Canada and has a diverse population. People across the country visit Toronto every year, with a large percentage of people inhabiting the Greater Toronto area reflecting its culture and diversity. Toronto accounts for many immigrants coming to Canada and is one of the busiest places in North America. According to the latest reports, the current population of Toronto accounts for 6,197,000.
2. Formerly Named As York
The city of Toronto was first established in the 18th century by British Army General John Graves Simcoe. He named the place York in the year 1793 and was announced the permanent capital of Upper Canada on 1st February 1796. The site was finally given its name Toronto in the year 1834, which is one of many interesting facts about Toronto, Canada.
3. Home To Around 8000 Restaurants
There are a lot of interesting facts about Toronto, Canada. It is the home to around 8000 restaurants and even more. People residing here take their business very seriously.
Toronto is the perfect place for food lovers. One can enjoy various kinds of cuisine; Italian, Thai, or Mexican throughout the city, especially in Downtown Toronto.
4. Toronto Stock Exchange
Another one of many interesting facts about Toronto, Canada is that it is the home to the 8th largest Stock Exchange globally and the largest stock exchange in Canada based on market capitalization. Toronto is the financial center in Canada and one of the largest economic hubs in North America. It is one of the leading stock exchanges globally, located on Bay Street, operating from 09:30 am to 04:00 pm ET and 4:15 pm to 5:00 pm ET except for Saturdays and Sundays.
5. Largest Underground Pedestrian System PATH
PATH is the most extensive underground pedestrian walkway system of North America, connecting over 1200 restaurants, 50 office towns, 5 union and subway stations, 6 major hotels, around 70 buildings, and several other entertainment hubs. According to the Guinness World Records, PATH is a 30-kilometer-long channel connecting several underground tunnels and walkways and is the largest shopping complex in the world.
6. Longest Street In The World
Yonge Street is the longest street globally, with a stretch of 1896 km from the Lake Shore to Rainy River at Ontario border intersecting with other major highways in Toronto’s downtown area. The road was able to take its place in the Guinness Book of World Records and is also the most prominent street in Toronto.
7. Days Of Measurable Sunshine
Toronto gets 301 days of measurable sunshine per year, with December having the fewest days and the months of July and August having an average of 30 days. Toronto experiences four seasons and the temperature varies from day to day, depending on the seasons. The highest temperature ever recorded is 41 degrees Celsius in the summer, and the lowest is -31.3 degrees Celsius in the winter. This is yet another one of many interesting facts about Toronto Canada.
8. Languages And Dialects
Over 180 languages and dialects are spoken in Toronto, which reflects its diversity and population. English is the most spoken language in Toronto, following other languages such as Mandarin, Cantonese, French, Urdu, Punjabi, Tagalog, Korea, Italian, Russian and Farsi.
9. Cursing Is Not Allowed In Toronto Parks
Out of many interesting facts about Toronto, Canada, the most interesting one is that cursing and swearing are illegal in Toronto parks. Nobody shall use abusive language or indulge in any violence or any threatening activities against the law. Those found swearing or being impolite and rude in the Toronto parks are charged a fine.
10. Transformer House
Toronto has transformer houses disguised as ordinary houses; initially, the residential substations that convert high voltage electricity into low voltage current can be distributed. There are currently 90 such substations throughout the place. These houses are no longer built by the Toronto Hydro, taking into account the risks of such high voltage transformers in the neighborhood. Nevertheless, these houses add an aesthetic view to the place.
11. Invention Of The Pacemaker
Winnipeg engineer John Hopps developed the first artificial pacemaker, a life-saving medical device, in 1950 while doing his assignment at the Banting Institute at the University of Toronto; which is yet another one of many interesting facts about Toronto, Canada. The pacemaker was first planted on a human body in the year 1958. John Alexander “Jack” Hopps was also the founder of the Canadian Medical and Biological Engineering Society and was called the Father of biomedical engineering in Canada.
12. Caribana Festival
There are many interesting facts about Toronto, Canada. Another one of them is the Caribbean cultural festival. The Toronto Caribbean Carnival is the most significant cultural celebration of North America that showcases the Canadian Caribbean culture, arts, and heritage. The festival carries various events throughout the week and finally ends with a Grand Parade, which is also the longest parade in North America.
Over ten thousand costumed performers take part in this parade. There are also the bands that compete with each other and are the main attraction of the train. The parade covers a distance of about 3.6 kilometers. The parade begins at 10:00 am ending at 8:00 pm sharp in the evening.
13. Popular Location For Hollywood Movies
Around 25% of Hollywood movies are filmed in Toronto. Casa Loma is one such popular location where a quarter of the movies had been filmed. It is a huge historic mansion located in Toronto, which is now a famous landmark.
The location was used for movies like; Strange Brew, X-Men, Descendants, Titans, Warehouse 13, and many more. This is another one of many interesting facts about Toronto, Canada.
14. TIFF- Toronto International Film Festival
Toronto is the home to the famous film festival TIFF, Toronto International Film Festival, one of the world’s largest. It is a place where the latest films are promoted. This festival was first founded in 1976 and later named as Toronto International Film Festival in 1995.
It is a 10-day festival starting just after the day of Canada’s Labour Day. TIFF was originally called the celebrations of festivals, and it attracts an average of 400000 people annually.
15. The Busiest Airport
The Toronto Pearson International Airport is the busiest in Canada. It is one of the largest airports in Canada and the second busiest airport in the Americas. It is also the 30th busiest airport in the world based on passenger traffic. The airport was named in honor of the 14th Prime Minister of Canada, Lester B. Pearson.
16. Half A Home
Another interesting fact about Toronto is that it is the home to Half a Home. Located at St. Patrick Street, 54 1/2 is suitably called “Half a House.” The house was originally built in the 19th century and was apart of the plan, which included several rows of houses; 52 1/2, 54 1/2, 56, 58, and 60. All the other buildings were either demolished or broken down, and only 54 1/2 remained.
17. Home to The Skyscrapers
Toronto is the home to a large number of skyscraper buildings. The first skyscraper in the city was built in the year 1894, the Beard Building. During the time period between the late 1920s and early 1930s, many high-rise buildings in Toronto city.
Many of these tallest buildings in Toronto are also the tallest buildings in Canada as a whole. For example, the CN Tower, the highest rising structure of Toronto with a height of 553 meters or 1814 feet, was considered the tallest freestanding structure on land from 19975 until 2007. The current tallest habitable building in Toronto is the First Canadian Place, with 298 meters. It is also considered the tallest building in Canada.
18. The Toronto Zoo
The Toronto Zoo is the largest in Canada, located at the 2000 Meadowvale Road, Toronto, Ontario Province, Canada. The zoo is set up on 710 acres of land. The zoo was formerly known as the Riverdale zoo when it was established in 1888 with some deer’s donation.
The zoo currently has over five thousand animals, excluding invertebrates representing over 495 different species. It has four main pavilions; African Rain forest, Americas, Australasia, Indo Malaya, and several other exhibits, including the greenhouses, restaurants, and other buildings. The zoo also has over 10 kilometers long walking trails and zoo mobile running seasonally.
19. Toronto Islands
The Toronto Islands, previously known as the Island of Hiawatha, are 15 islands connected by bridges in Lake Ontario. It covers about 820 acres and is the only chain of islands located in the western part of Lake Ontario, near the city’s downtown area.
The Toronto Islands provides shelter to the Toronto Harbor. It is also home to several beaches and parklands, the Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport, Centreville Amusement Park, and other yacht clubs. The Toronto Islands is now a popular tourist destination and recreational sport enjoyed by visitors. The community of Toronto Island is also known as the largest car-free community in North America.
20. The Rogers Centre
The Rogers Centre, formerly known as SkyDome, is a multi-purpose stadium located near the northern shore of Lake Ontario. It was named Rogers Centre after the purchase of the stadium by Rogers Communications. It is also home to the Toronto Blue Jays.
The Rogers Centre stadium is famous for being the first stadium to have a fully retractable motorized roof. It also has a 348-room hotel attached to it.
21. Babe Ruth’s First Home Run
A famous American baseball player named George Herman Ruth, also known as Babe Ruth, hit his first home run at Hanlan’s Point located in the Toronto Islands, on behalf of his team Providence Grays against Canada’s popular team Toronto Maple Leafs, the then famous baseball club located in Toronto, Canada.
22. Home To Professional Sports Teams
Toronto is home to 8 professional sports teams. These are the; Toronto Maple Leafs (NHL), Toronto Raptors (NBA), Toronto Blue Jays (MLB), Toronto Argonauts (CFL), Toronto Rock (NLL), Toronto Marlies (AHL), Toronto Nationals (MLL), and Toronto F.C. (MLS).
Toronto is one of the largest cities in North America, following big cities like Mexico City, New York City, and other big cities. It is also one of the most business-friendly cities after Hong Kong, according to several reports. Not only that, but Toronto is also one of Canada’s leading tourist destinations and thus is a must-visit for those around the world planning for a trip or simply business affairs.
Last Updated on by Sanjana