For most people, the first city that comes to mind when thinking of Canada is Toronto. Indeed, the city serves as Canada’s cultural and financial centre, while also being the nation’s most populous metropolis and the fourth most populous in all of North America, with over 5 million inhabitants. Frequently compared to New York, the Canadian city excels in organization and hospitality, featuring first-world infrastructure and very friendly residents.
People from around the world migrate to Toronto in search of a better quality of life. The city was ranked as the fourth best in the world for livability by The Economist magazine in 2017, and it is one of the safest on the continent. More than 50% of the population consists of immigrants, making it one of the most multicultural cities globally. Although English is the official language, over 160 languages are spoken by residents. Communities include those from Chinese, Korean, Italian, Portuguese, and even Brazilian backgrounds. Diversity is respected and celebrated.
Toronto is not only an excellent city for living but also for visiting, offering numerous tourist attractions and leisure options, while being close to other popular destinations such as Niagara Falls, Ottawa, Montreal, and New York. The city welcomes over 28 million tourists annually.
Employment in Toronto, Canada
Toronto is a city of opportunities. Its job market is the largest in Canada and the third largest in North America. According to a study by the website Movinga, Toronto ranks as the 4th best city in Canada and the 48th best in the world for finding employment.
Nearly half of Toronto’s workforce is employed in offices, primarily in the financial and real estate sectors. Nine of the top 20 companies to work for in Canada, according to Forbes, are headquartered in Toronto.
However, the technology sector is one of the fastest-growing. Toronto serves as the Canadian headquarters for giants such as Microsoft, Apple, Google, and Facebook, making the city a highly popular destination for IT professionals.
Additionally, Toronto is a hub for startups, hosting some of the largest incubators in the country and the world, which attract many Brazilian entrepreneurs. The small business incubators at Ryerson University and the University of Toronto rank among the top 10 globally, according to the UBI Global ranking.
The city’s unemployment rate at the end of 2019 was 6.7%, slightly above the Canadian average. According to the website PayScale, the average salary in Toronto is approximately CAD $63,000 per year, though technology sector workers can earn over CAD $100,000. As an expensive city, the minimum salary required for a decent standard of living is CAD $49,545, according to LowestRates.ca.
Education in the City of Toronto, Canada
Toronto is ranked as the 11th best city in the world for students by QS, and it is one of the most sought-after, trailing only Sydney and Tokyo.
The University of Toronto (U of T) is considered one of the top 20 universities globally by the Times Higher Education ranking and one of the top 30 by the QS World University Rankings. York University, the third largest in Canada, also appears on the list of the world’s top 500. Among colleges, the most renowned are George Brown, Seneca, Humber, and Centennial.
Toronto receives more international students than any other city in Canada, hosting approximately 168,000 foreigners in 2017, according to CBIE data. Along with Vancouver, it is the most popular destination for Brazilians seeking study abroad programs. The city features high-quality English language schools such as EC, ILAC, ILSC, Kaplan, Hansa, and Tamwood.
Housing in Toronto, Canada
The average rent for a one-bedroom apartment is CAD $2,125, according to the website Rentals.ca, competing with Vancouver for the title of Canada’s most expensive city to live in. Both cities are experiencing a real estate bubble that has driven housing prices to soar in recent years.
Nevertheless, areas farther from the centre offer affordable housing, good quality of life, and easy access to public transportation.
Toronto is known as the “city of neighbourhoods,” officially divided into 140 districts, though there are over 240 unofficial neighbourhoods within the municipality’s boundaries. Ideally, seek housing near a subway station, which provides quick and affordable connections to the city centre or workplace. Some neighbourhoods and more distant cities are connected by the GO Train, but transportation costs and commute times to the centre must be considered.
Climate
Toronto’s location along Lake Ontario results in a milder and more humid climate than might otherwise be expected. Still, winters in the city are quite harsh, especially for Brazilians unaccustomed to the cold. From December to March, snow falls on most days.
Despite this, the city is well-prepared for the cold, featuring the world’s largest underground shopping complex, the PATH, which connects over 70 buildings through more than 30 km of climate-controlled tunnels.
The city’s summers feature long, warm, and sunny days, ideal for visiting parks and beaches. However, the best season to explore Toronto is autumn, with mild temperatures and stunning landscapes created by the colourful foliage.
Transportation
The TTC, which operates Toronto’s subway, train, and bus lines, was named the best public transportation company in North America in 2017.
The subway system includes 4 lines and 75 stations in operation, running from 6:00 a.m. to 1:30 a.m. (8:00 a.m. to 1:30 a.m. on Sundays). It is integrated with over 150 bus lines and 10 streetcar lines that connect much of the city to the centre.
Public transportation has a flat fare, regardless of distance travelled. A single ticket costs CAD $3.25 (or CAD $3.20 with a PRESTO card). Daily and monthly passes are available for CAD $13.50 and CAD $156, respectively. Seniors and students qualify for reduced fares.
Toronto also has a suburban train and bus system, GO Transit, which connects Union Station to surrounding cities and is widely used by commuters living in the outskirts. The system accepts the PRESTO card, and fares depend on distance travelled. For more distant cities, Via Rail offers frequent trains to Ottawa, Montreal, Vancouver, and New York.
A unique feature of Toronto is Billy Bishop Airport, located on an island very close to the centre. It is accessible by walking through an underwater tunnel. The airport provides frequent flights to cities such as Montreal, New York, Chicago, and Washington.
However, the largest airport is Pearson, which handles the second-highest volume of international passengers in the Americas. It is connected to the city centre by the UP Express train, which transports passengers to and from Union Station in just 25 minutes.
Tourism and Leisure
The list of things to do in Toronto is extensive, with attractions for all tastes, ages, and seasons. The city offers a wide variety of museums, parks, beaches, markets, and cuisine featuring flavours from around the world. Additionally, it hosts internationally renowned events, such as the Toronto International Film Festival—one of the world’s premier film festivals—the Toronto Comic Con, and Caribana, a carnival celebrating Caribbean culture.
CN Tower: One of Toronto’s most iconic attractions.
A major symbol of Toronto, the CN Tower stands at 553 metres and was once the world’s tallest structure for many years. Its observatory includes a glass floor section that is completely transparent, offering views of the city below. The more adventurous can try the EdgeWalk, a hands-free ledge walk secured by steel cables at 356 metres above ground.
Adjacent to the CN Tower are the Rogers Centre—a large stadium and event venue—and Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada, home to one of North America’s largest shark collections.
Toronto Islands
A group of 15 small islands in Lake Ontario, about 20 minutes by boat from downtown Toronto. The main island, Centre Island, features gardens, beaches, restaurants, and even an amusement park, Centreville Amusement Park. The ferry departs from the Jack Layton Ferry Terminal, and the journey provides stunning views of the city’s skyline, which boasts one of the world’s highest concentrations of skyscrapers.
Dundas Square
Toronto’s meeting point, this square at the intersection of Yonge Street and Dundas Street is one of the city’s busiest spots, often compared to New York’s Times Square and London’s Piccadilly Circus. Adjacent to the square is the Eaton Centre, Toronto’s largest shopping mall and the most visited in all of North America.
Queen Street West
This downtown Toronto street is one of the city’s most important, concentrating a large number of shops, bars, and restaurants, particularly between Yonge Street and Bathurst Street.
Nathan Phillips Square
This square is located in front of Toronto’s new City Hall, famous for its two curved towers. It features a sign spelling out the city’s name and a reflecting pool that turns into a skating rink in winter. The square also hosts the city’s official Christmas tree.
Chinatown
Until the 1970s, Toronto’s original Chinatown was located where City Hall now stands. However, the construction of Nathan Phillips Square displaced most Chinese immigrants, who resettled around Spadina Avenue, the site of the “new Chinatown.”
The area has many souvenir and novelty shops. Street signs and storefronts are in Chinese, and visitors can sample street food typical of Chinese, Thai, and Vietnamese cuisine.
Kensington Market
Adjacent to Chinatown, this is Toronto’s most hipster neighbourhood. Despite the name, it is not exactly a market but a collection of cafés, bars, restaurants, and shops of all kinds, from antiques to organic products. Be sure to visit the Blue Banana Market, a gift shop filled with creative items, home décor, kitchen utensils, and more.
St. Lawrence Market
This public market was named the best in the world by National Geographic magazine in 2012. St. Lawrence Market is ideal for purchasing fresh ingredients or sampling unique foods from its many stalls.
The Distillery District
A former 19th-century whiskey distillery that was once one of the world’s largest. Today, its Victorian-style warehouses have been revitalized and house shops, art galleries, bars, and restaurants. The site also hosts the traditional Christmas Market during the holiday season and the Toronto Light Festival, an annual luminous art event from January to March.
Art Gallery of Ontario
Spanning about 45,000 square metres, this is one of the largest art museums in the Americas, with over 95,000 works, including those by renowned artists such as Van Gogh, Picasso, and Monet. Among the masterpieces is Peter Paul Rubens’ The Massacre of the Innocents, donated to the AGO after being auctioned for CAD $117 million in 2002.
Royal Ontario Museum
Canada’s largest museum, attracting over one million visitors annually. It features an extensive collection in art, archaeology, and sciences. Highlights include gigantic totem poles, a meteorite collection, and a Barosaurus fossil—the largest dinosaur in Canada.
The nearby Museum subway station has special décor evoking the museum’s collection.
Bata Shoe Museum
A museum dedicated to footwear that appeals even to non-museum enthusiasts. Its exhibits are full of curiosities about shoe history. The collection includes over 13,000 shoes, some over 4,500 years old. It features all types, such as ballet slippers, astronaut boots, and basketball sneakers. The museum also displays items worn by celebrities like Madonna and Elvis Presley.
Yorkville
Toronto’s most luxurious neighbourhood, considered one of the world’s most expensive, filled with designer shops and upscale restaurants. The Mink Mile section of Bloor Street was ranked the seventh most expensive shopping street globally by Fortune Magazine in 2008. Even so, it is great for strolling, window shopping, and perhaps spotting a celebrity.
Casa Loma
A medieval-style castle with 98 rooms, 30 bathrooms, 25 fireplaces, and a garden spanning over 20,000 square metres. The residence was built in the early 20th century by Henry Mill Pellatt, a wealthy businessman of the era. The site has served as a filming location for many Hollywood movies, such as X-Men and Cocktail. Additionally, the castle is rumoured to be haunted, with numerous reports of ghosts sighted by staff and visitors.
Toronto Zoo
An enormous zoo divided into geographic regions featuring animals from around the world. Highlights include pandas (the only ones in Canada), polar bears, flamingos, and kangaroos. Although somewhat distant from the city, it is accessible by the 86A bus departing from Kennedy subway station.
Outlets
For shopping enthusiasts, Toronto has several outlets offering branded clothing at discounted prices. The main ones are Premium Outlets, Vaughan Mills, and Dixie Outlet Mall. All are located away from the city centre.