North York  |  Etobicoke  |  Mississauga  |  Chinatown  |  Little Italy

On this page you will find a quick overview of the great City of Toronto. At the top and bottom of the page there are links to more detailed description of the Toronto's area, suburbs and cities around. You will also find links about Toronto's attractions and useful links for living in Toronto. If you want to learn up to date information about Toronto Real Estate check out my blog.

Toronto Overview

Toronto is a metropolitan city with one of the world’s most multicultural and ethnically diverse population. It is Canada’s financial centre and economic engine, as well as one of the country’s most important cultural, art, and science centers. With a population of almost 2,5 millions it is the most populated city in Canada and fifth in North America (after Mexico City, New York City, Lost Angeles, and Chicago). The city is the centre of Great Toronto Area (GTA) which is home to  8 million people – roughly one quarter of Canadian population.

The current city’s boundaries became in effect after 1998 when it amalgamated its six prior municipalities and regional government. The current mayor of Toronto is David Miller. In January 2005, it was designated by the federal government as Canada’s cultural capital.

Demographics

Toronto is the most multicultural city in the world. In 2004 United Nations Development Program ranked Toronto second, behind Miami, in its “List of World Cities with Largest Percentage of Foreign-Born Population.” However, Miami’s foreign born population is mostly Hispanic, whereas Toronto’s is significantly more diverse – in 2001 census indicated that more than 42% of Toronto’s population are visible minorities.

The resulting cultural diversity is reflected in the numerous ethnic neighbourhoods of the city. The proliferation of shops and restaurants derived from cultures around the world makes the city one of the most exciting places in the world to visit. Moreover, the relative tranquility that mediates between such diverse populations is a testament to the perceived tolerant character of Canadian society. Some of the areas of Toronto are called by locals Chinatown, Little Jamaica, the India Bazaar, Portugal Village, and Little Italy. The religious affiliations of Torontonians are roughly broken in a following way:

·  Roman Catholicism – 31.4%

·  Anglican Church – 20.1%

·  Other Christian denominations – 10.8%

·  Islam – 6.7%

·  Hinduism – 4.8%

·  Judaism -4.2%

·  Others – 4.0%

·  No religion affiliation 18.8%

Government

Torontonians elect representatives to the federal, provincial, and municipal level of governments.  Toronto’s local government consists of 44 elected councillors who along with the mayor, make up Toronto City Council. The new city government is elected every three years in November.

The city of Toronto’s represents the fifth largest municipal government in North America and has operating budget of $7.1 billions of Canadian dollars. This budget is composed of :

• $2.5 billions from Government of Ontario for the purposes they mandate such as Toronto Public Health.
• $2.0 billions go to “Special Purpose Bodies” such as Toronto Public Library or Toronto Zoo.
• $1.7 billions to the programs directly controlled by the city such as: Solid Waste Management, Parks and Recreations, Tourism
• $0.9 billions go into Capital and Corporate Financing

Transportation

Toronto’s primary airport is Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ). The Government of Ontario operates an extensive rail and bus transit system called GO Transit that links outlying areas to the city core:  38 trains on 7 train lines run 179 trips per day and carry over 160,000 passengers. An additional 288 buses feed the main rail lines.

The Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) currently operates the public transit system in Toronto. The current transit system in Toronto is comprised of the original subway line running north-south through the city in a "U" shape, a second line running east-west through the southern part of the city, a third line running east-centre through the northern part of the city, and the Scarborough RT (Rapid Transit) mini-train line running through the eastern part of the city (Scarborough). The system also includes an extensive network of buses and streetcars. The TTC is famous for its "transfer ticket", on which you can transfer to several buses, trains, and streetcars, paying only once at the start of your trip.

Toronto Links

Neighborhoods: North York, Etobicoke

Cities Around: Mississauga