The Toronto Traveler

It’s not that often that I talk about politics on The Toronto Traveler, since for the most part they really have nothing to do with tourism or being able to discover the city better.  However, this is a story that I feel I should comment on since it might be one of those stories that would give potential travelers cause for concern.
If you’re not aware of the story yet, you can follow this link to see what I’m talking about.  Basically, the University of Toronto will be raising residence fees by up to 20% next year and in order to …read more

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Photo Credit: toronto subway buttons ~ looking north by striatric on Flickr, used under the CCA-SA 2.0 License
If you read The Toronto Traveler on a regular basis, then chances are you’ve seen me refer to the city’s subway system more than a few times.  Toronto is one of those cities that would not be the same without its subway system.  Besides allowing hundreds of thousands of people the chance to get to work every day, the subway and the larger public transit network within Toronto and the surrounding area is absolutely essential for tourism in the city.  This is why …read more

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Photo Credit: Sony Centre by StarbuckGuy on Flickr, used under the CCA 2.0 License
The Sony Centre for the Performing Arts in Toronto is locted at the intersection of Front and Yonge, giving it one of the most ideal locations in the city.  Close enough to the downtown core to attract people from all over the city yet far enough away from it to make great use of the nearby lake scenery, the Sony Centre is one of the most popular performing arts venues in the whole city.  One of their current productions which started yesterday and is ending on Saturday, …read more

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So, I was cruising YouTube as I do from time to time and I came across this video:

Not exactly tourism related, but I thought getting a few shots of the lightning striking the CN Tower would be cool enough to overcome that! According to the CN Tower website, lightning strikes the CN Tower about 75 times a year. According to the person that posted this video on YouTube, these strikes are from a storm in August 2003

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Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons, published under the GNUFDL
One of the things that continue to make Toronto an excellent place to visit is the city’s excellent musical tradition.  There are literally dozens of different musical groups that perform around the city all the time and while I don’t have the time to cover all of them here on The Toronto Traveler, I do try to get to the ones that I think will be of particular interest to you the readers.  This one is the Windermere String Quartet which happens to be just one of the many different smaller musical groups …read more

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Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons, Published under the GNUFDL
Well, I figured I’d continue on with one more fun facts post, this time about the Rogers Centre (formerly known as the SkyDome).  Considering the number of times I’ve been there to watch a baseball game you’d think I’d know most of these, but to be honest most of the facts below came as complete news to me when I did the research for this post.  Check them out!
1) The field level of the Rogers Centre has a full exhibition space of 143,000 square feet
2) The ceiling is more than 300 feet above …read more

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Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons, Public Domain
Here are some fun facts regarding the CN Tower pulled from http://www.cntower.com for your amusement:
1) The CN Tower is 553.33 metres tall
2) The CN Tower’s glass floor is 342 metres above ground
3) The CN Tower was opened to the public on June 26, 1976 which was was three months before its official opening on October 1st
4) The original building cost of the CN Tower was $63 million, which is over $250 million today when adjusted for inflation
5) The building time of the CN Tower was around 3 years, 4 months
6) Over 1,500 workers participated in …read more

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Photo Credit: Pink Martini by Ryan Harveyon Flickr
Once referred to by The New Yorker as being “Beautiful and sophisticated,” the Pink Martini band has been touring all around North America with their interesting blend of musical styles and part of that tour includes a stop in Toronto at Massey Hall.  Pink Martini can be lovingly called an ultra-chic orchestra and they can play everything from a Cuban rumba all the way to a Hollywood musical and everything in between as well.  Listening to them is always a good time.
Details
Event: Pink Martini at Massey Hall
Cost: $30 – $50
Date: March 15, 2008
Time: …read more

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Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons, published under the GNUFDL
Le Canadien was one of the first newspapers to be published in Canada on a regular basis.  It was published entirely in French and while that paper no longer exists, there are many sources that people can turn to today if they want news.  Reading about the area that you’re visiting is something that many tourists enjoy doing because it gives them a sense of connection with the city they’re visiting.  If you enjoy reading the local news wherever you travel, here are some places you might turn to for indulging that habit …read more

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Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons, published under the GNUFDL
Looking for a good place in Toronto to find some music being played?  Well, here are some venues in Toronto that are dedicated solely to music or alternatively that host music events on a fairly regular basis:
1) The Air Canada Centre
2) Exhibition Place
3) The Four Seasons Centre
4) The Harbourfront Centre
5) The Sony Centre for the Arts
6) Massey Hall
7) The Phoenix Concert Theatre
The Rogers Centre
9) Roy Thomson Hall
10) The Toronto Centre for the Arts

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