The Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibition (TOAE) can easily claim to be one of the oldest annual traditions within the City of Toronto.  It’s certainly one of the oldest contemporary traditions, with 2008 being the 47th year in which the exhibition is being held.

One of the reasons that people tend to find the TOAE so special is the fact that it is a rarity not just in Toronto, but across all of Canada as well.  It is an exhibition taking place completely outdoors, allowing people to walk around one of the biggest outdoor squares in Toronto, taking in the great weather as well as the beautiful works of art.

The TOAE takes place in Nathan Phillips Square, which is located in the heart of downtown Toronto.  It’s about equidistant from both the Queen and Osgoode Subway Stations and is around many other Toronto attractions, allowing you to easily combine a visit to the TOAE with other events you might want to visit on the same day.

Admission to the TOAE is completely free and the exhibition will be held on Friday July 11 (10 AM to 8 PM), Saturday July 12 (10 AM to 7 PM) and Sunday July 13 (10 AM to 6 PM).

Overall, it’s expected that around 500 different artists will be showcasing their works at the various displays available around the square and the styles of art are expected to encompass everything under the Sun.  Many of the artists will be recognizable to people that follow the art industry whereas many of the others will be complete unknowns or alternatively students looking to make some cash to help pay the next year’s tuition.  It’s this melding together of the known and unknown that is one of the reasons that this year’s exhibition is expected to draw over 100,000 visitors during the 3-day event.

More information about this event is available on the TOAE 2008 website, including a list of artists, gallery of past events and contact information.

Photo Credit: Flickr Creative Commons

Post from: The Toronto Traveler

Spring

Spring is a rather weird season in Toronto.  Weather wise, the snow is starting to melt and while floods can get into the city from time to time, the receding layers of white can be beautiful for photography.  The warming weather combined with the regular breezes from Lake Ontario can create heavenly weather for those that enjoy weather ranges between 5 and 15 Celsius and breezy conditions.

In terms of the attractions, all of the major city attractions are available around the calendar, so you’d be able to see them regardless of when you choose to travel.  However, special events at places like The Canadian National Exhibition usually don’t start until the summer, so if you’re visiting the city in the hopes of going to a lot of events, this is not the best season to do that.

Summer

In my rather humble opinion, Summer has the worst weather of all four seasons in Toronto.  Of course, I’m partial to cold weather and vacationing in a tropical paradise isn’t exactly my idea of a good time.  If you’re partial to warm weather, then Summer is a great time to visit Toronto because the moderating influence of the nearby lake creates temperature ranges that frequently break 25 Degrees Celsius.

Summer is also the high period of tourism in the city, which means that all of the major and minor attractions will be in full swing.  The baseball season is well underway by the time summer comes and the football season is not too far off.  There’s usually extra public transit service in anticipation of higher traveller numbers, but by the same token finding transportation to and accommodation in the city can be harder and end up costing a lot more money.

Fall

Fall is a lot like Spring, except without the great view of melting snow.  Towards the end of Fall however, snow will start to fall on the ground and provide a wholly different set of photographic opportunities.  The weather ranges are about the same as they are for spring, although you can expect more wind in the Fall months.

Fall is a great time to visit Toronto if you’re looking for deals, because it is right after all of the Summer tourism peaks have passed.  Attractions are looking for people to sustain themselves and many airline and hotel companies are doing the same thing.  Rates in a lot of the city’s hotels tend to fall during this period and many of the attractions are silent enough that you can enjoy them alone.  For the various parks, water bodies and beautiful religious structures in the city, this can really make all the difference in your overall experience.

Winter

As a Canadian for the last two decades, I’ve really developed an affinity for cold weather that makes me prefer winter over all of the other seasons.  In terms of weather, you can often expect conditions that are below freezing, with a wind chill factor that can often make temperatures seem like they’re 20 to 25 below zero on the Celsius scale.

The major attractions are all still open, although the number of events that tend to be hosted during this time dips slightly.  However, if you’re a big fan of photography, then getting the chance to take pictures of all of Toronto’s most beautiful buildings when they’re covered by snow might definitely be worth the colder weather.

As I said in the introduction, visiting Toronto is ultimately a personal choice.  There are good points and bad points in visiting the city at different points during the year, but aside from personal opinion there is really no season that is better than the others.

Post from: The Toronto Traveler

One of the major reasons that people tend to visit Toronto is that they enjoy how nice the city looks.  From the creatively built buildings in old Toronto to the beautiful suburbs that have managed to preserve a large section of the natural environment, Toronto has really done more than most cities in terms of preserving its green space.

Now, they’re taking aim at reclaiming some of that space for the green world through the beautification of many areas near the major highways that run through the city.  The Don Valley Parkway is the first candidate for this flowering beautification and specifically, this is happening right where the Don Valley Parkway and Eglinton Avenue East meet.

But there are more than just daffodils involved.  There are also rows of Scilla and Muscari flowers along the road as well, all of which are starting to flower for the first time after being planted last March.  This is part of what will eventually be a larger strategy on the part of the city to make its roadways easier on the eyes.  If they have the same amount of success as they did with this first venture, then things should be very beautiful in the city indeed.

So, if you visit Toronto sometime this summer, make it a point to drive past that intersection at least once and take in the view!  In the meantime, I’ll try to see if I can get out there and get some pictures posted sometime before the end of the summer.

Photo Credit: Flickr Creative Commons

Post from: The Toronto Traveler

Post from: The Toronto Traveler

Are you interested in visiting Toronto sometime in the near future?  Well, whether you’re planning to drive across the border from the US, hop into Pearson International Airport from another continent or simply take a bus or train ride into the city from elsewhere in Canada, the upcoming weekend of May 24th and 25th should be your top priority when doing the scheduling.  The reason for this is that a great event will be taking place during this time. 

Known as Doors Open Toronto, this event will showcase some of the best of the city as 150 buildings will open their doors to the public over the weekend.  These include places that show off Toronto’s distinct multicultural heritage and religious diversity as well as the historical heritage that the city has come to be proud of over the years of its existence.  Some of these buildings would not normally be open to tourists because of their private nature, but during Doors Open Toronto you can tour them to your heart’s content.

Event Details

Doors Open Toronto 2008 is the 9th incarnation of this event and it is going to be the biggest one yet.  Admission to all of the buildings participating under Doors Open Toronto is completely free during the May 24-25 weekend.  To get an idea of how remarkable that is, every single building on the list is either a building that would not normally be open to the public during those hours or alternatively would charge an entrance fee for you to enter.  However, during the weekend that Doors Open Toronto is going on, admission is free and accessibility is universal.

More information about the event can be found by visiting the Doors Open Toronto Website, by e-mailing doorsopen@toronto.ca or by phoning 416-338-0628.

Buildings on Display

A full list of buildings on display is readily available from the Toronto City Website, but in looking over it I’ve come up with some highlights that I think warrant special attention:

Allan Gardens, located on 19 Horticultural Avenue, is one of the premier botanical garden sites in Toronto.  It was created in an act of philanthropy more than fifteen decades ago and ever since that time it has been a must see site within the City of Toronto.  During Doors Open Toronto, it will be open on both days from 10 in the morning until 5 in the afternoon.

The City of Toronto Archives is a site that doesn’t get mentioned much in traditional tourism, mostly because access to the archives is restricted by the city’s governing council.  However, all of the information that you could ever want to know about Toronto’s rich cultural and historical tradition can be found inside the archives and for people that love to totally immerse themselves in a city both past and present, the accessibility to the archives during Doors Open Toronto is an opportunity that can’t be missed.  The archives will be open on Saturday from 10 in the morning until 4:30 in the afternoon and will be closed on Sunday.  It is located on 255 Spadina Road.

There’s no specific reason for me to mention these two out of the 150 that will be available aside from the fact that I haven’t covered either before on The Toronto Traveler.  The fact of the matter is that every single site on the list is an important one for understanding Toronto, so you can quite easily scan the list and pick out the buildings that interest you the most.

Photo Credit: Flickr, Flickr

Post from: The Toronto Traveler

Who says Toronto isn’t a city where you can kick back and just have some extremely silly fun?  I admit that when I first heard about this event from a friend of mine I was a bit skeptical, but as I started doing some checking around I discovered that it’s no joking matter.  There actually is going to be a gigantic pillow fight in downtown Toronto at the end of this month and anyone that wants to participate is invited to do so!

Event Details

Event: Pillow Fight Toronto 2008

Location: To be decided.  Make sure that you E-Mail the Organizer in order to be notified when the exact location has been determined.

Time: The event is on May 31, 2008 and starts at 7 PM, going until the sun sets.

More Information: You can either e-mail love@newmindspace.com or check out the Facebook profile for the event.

Event Rules

I don’t think anyone can claim to be an expert on gigantic urban pillow fights (I certainly am not), but it seems like there are a number of problems that could crop up during such things.  Well, the organizers of the event seem to be thinking along those lines as well, which is why the following rules have been put forward:

- only soft pillows are allowed

- make sure that you are very light on the swinging, because many people will be doing it at once

- only people with pillows and without cameras can be targeted for swinging

- make sure that you remove your glasses before participating in the pillow fight

- a signal to start will be given, before which no swinging is to occur

- make sure that you take your pillow home with you

- by participating in the event, you are agreeing to clean up twice the mess that you made

Those appear to be all of the rules that they currently have in place, although if you e-mail the organizer and get yourself on the list for updates, you’ll be well informed about anything else that comes across the wire.  It certainly sounds like a fun event though, so definitely think about going if it sounds appealing to you.

Photo Credit: Flickr

Post from: The Toronto Traveler

Toronto, like many of the other cities, is responsible for the maintenance and upkeep of many different pools around the city.  Swimming is a great exercise to pursue if you are in the city not only because it is extremely fun for the whole family, but also because swimming is considered one of the best forms of exercise you can do; it works all of the muscles in your body.  This combination of fun and fitness makes it the perfect tourist activity and in Toronto during the summer there is no dearth of places for you to go if you’d like to swim.  The swimming areas in Toronto are divided into four distinct areas, each with its own set of rules and opportunities.

Some General Rules

Here are some general swimming rules to be followed when you are in one of the city pools:

- Those with serious medical conditions should consult a doctor before swimming and should also have someone with them that understands their condition; they should also notify the lifeguard before entering the pool

- Children seven years of age or older need to use the change room of their own gender, unless special arrangements are made with the pool staff beforehand

- No street shoes are allowed in the shower or in the deck areas and a pre-swim shower is recommended in order to keep the pool clean

- Using devices like cell phones is prohibited anywhere in the change room or washroom

- Children 5 years of age and under must have at least one adult supervising per two children; Children 6-9 years have that ratio at four to one unless they can pass the faculty’s swim test in which case they may swim alone.

Different Pools

There are dozens of different pools across the city (both indoor and outdoor) available to people that are interested in grabbing a swim.  The city catalogues their pools through the use of four different regions.  The links below will lead you to a listing of pools and special events being put on by each region during the upcoming summer months:

Etobicoke Region
East York Region
Scarborough Region
North York Region

Post from: The Toronto Traveler

Monsoon is a Japanese restaurant located in Toronto.  However, their menu is a little bit different as it combines the great Oriental cuisine that we’ve all come to know and love with North American influences in order to create a final taste sensation that is wholly unique.

Location

Monsoon is located at 100 Simcoe Street, which places it very close to the intersection of Adelaide Street West and University Avenue (MAP).  It is also just southwest of the Osgoode Subway Station located on the University line at Queen Street West and University Avenue.  If you’re traveling there by subway, simply get off at Osgoode Station, walk west along Queen Street until you get to Simcoe and then walk south on Simcoe until you get to number 100.

Interior

The interior of Monsoon is one of the coolest experiences that you can get in the city.  The overall restaurant seats 150 people in a subterranean setting with a dark ambiance that is partly the effect of the lighting and partly the effect of the colours used in decoration.  If you want to get an up close and personal tour of the restaurant’s interior, simply visit Monsoon’s website and take a look through their gallery of pictures, conveniently presented to you in slide show format.

Food and Drink

The main reason to go to Monsoon is ultimately the quality of the food that they have.  They have menus for lunch, dinner, corporate events and weddings.  Their lunch menu features such excellent dishes as Asian Salmon Tartar and Indochine Spiced Sirloin Beef, while for dinner you can get entrees like Kobe Beef and Organic Vietnamese Pork Tenderloin.  The menu also has wonderful selections for the vegetarian-minded, with vegetarian dishes such as the Butternut Squash Gnocchi clearly marked on the menu.  Monsoon also offers a large assortment of wines for you to choose from, allowing you to get the perfect wine to go with your meal.

Other Useful Information

Reservations can be booked online through the Monsoon Restaurant Website, with reservations for normal parties and large groups required.  More information on Monsoon Restaurant can be discerned through a visit to their website or alternatively through phoning them at 416-979-7172. 

The Monsoon Restaurant, like the recently blogged about Mink Nightclub in Toronto, is one of Toronto’s happening hotspots.

Photo Credits: Flickr, Flickr

Post from: The Toronto Traveler

The Art Gallery of Ontario is one of the largest art galleries in the world and the current construction that is proceeding on the building will make it even bigger and better.  According to their website, when the construction is finished there will be over 110 galleries in the building.  While I’m not entirely sure how many were there before the construction started, I know from being there personally that it was nowhere near that amount.  The construction has been going on since October 7, 2007 and for the whole time that the construction has been proceeding, the gallery has been closed to visitors.  The latest update puts a rough date of opening in the fall of this year, but no firm date has been set.  For more information on this, check out the Art Gallery of Ontario Director’s Message.

Art Gallery of Ontario Location

The Art Gallery of Ontario is located at 317 Dundas Street West, which puts the gallery between University Avenue and Spadina Avenue on Dundas, right near Beverley Street and McCaul Street (MAP).  You can easily get to the Art Gallery of Ontario from Dundas Subway Station, which is located at the intersection of Dundas and University.  From that point it’s only about a three block walk west to get to the Art Gallery of Ontario.

Art Gallery of Ontario Collection

One of the main reasons that the Art Gallery of Ontario is famous is the fact that it has one of the largest collections in the world.  Before the renovation started, there were roughly 70,000 pieces of art in the collection and they spanned the course of history from approximately the year 100 AD to the present moment in time.  In particular, the Art Gallery of Ontario has focused on promoting Canadian art to people both inside the country and those visiting.  This is why two out of every five pieces in the pre-renovation collection were from Canadian artists.  Canada has had many famous artistic talents such as the Group of Seven and Emily Carr.  There have also been rich artistic traditions amongst Inuit living in Canada and that tradition is displayed proudly within the walls of the Art Gallery of Ontario.

Transformation AGO

Transformation AGO was a project that was envisioned by a new board of directors at the Art Gallery of Ontario.  Their aim was to create a bigger and better version of the gallery that so many had come to love.  Indeed, looking at the construction over time shows that the physical building appears to be getting larger and that definitely bodes well for the insides which pre-renovation were stuffed full of artistic works.  The main goal of the transformation is to add new art, create new collections, add volume to the building and increase the overall exposure that artists can get through having exhibits at the Art Gallery of Ontario.  While construction has been long, it is also close to being over and the executives are promising that what you see when it re-opens will be more than worth the wait.

Photo Credits: Personal Collection

Post from: The Toronto Traveler

A well-placed ambulance means that text doesn’t even need to be added to this picture; you already know it’s Toronto from the markings on the back of the vehicle .  The picture is of course of The CN Tower, one of Toronto’s most popular tourist attractions.

Photo Credit: Personal Collection

Post from: The Toronto Traveler