Goldenbackpacker.com

TORONTO - STAY FOR LESS "$C"

TORONTO – State Capital of Ontario Province & the largest City of CANADA, is located on the Northern shores of Lake Ontario , one of the 5 Great Lakes of North America. The area was originally settled by the French as a Fur Trading Post in 1720 but the British took over in 1793 building the local Town of York & Fort York to protect. It became the Capital of Upper Canada in 1834 & renamed Toronto , a Native name for “ Meeting Place ” & is now a thriving modern cosmopolitan City.

ACCOMMODATION

NO 1 – HI TORONTO HOSTEL, at 76 Church Street (on the corner with King Street & near to the waterfront area) tele 1 877 848 8787 – www.hihostels.ca/toronto – $C 25 in 8x dorm rooms with air con. sheets & sep showers/ washrooms. Good basement self-catering kitchen, well equipped, with dining area with & also a bistro for breakfasts & different country meals each day. Busy reception/ sitting/ information area on entry, with friendly 24hour staff, then key card secured games/ relax room on ground floor - small TV room on 2 nd & open air decked patio on 5 th .

Reserve – College Hostel, at 280 Augusta Avenue (heart of the City, off College St. near colourful China Town) tele 416 929 4777 – www.affordacom.com - $C 25 in a 6x dorm incl. sheets, with TV & phone, sep showers/wc's. Small modern self-catering kitchen on ground floor with adjacent comfy lounge TV room & free Internet stations in front reception area. A no frills Hostel but clean & secure.

FOOD is readily available at a 24 hour Dominion Supermarket just around the corner from No 1 Hostel in Wellington Street & over the road is the original St Lawrence Market for really fresh produce open daily Tues. to Sat. Reserve Hostel has also a good choice of food outlets along Augusta Street .

TRAVELLING AROUND, getting into the City from Pearson International Airport is easy when you've done it! From arrivals take the elevator up to the 1 st Floor & to the outside Bus stops, then find the # 192 “Rocket” post & wait. Get onboard & place $C 2.50, exact fare only, in the shute, asking for a transfer & the Bus takes you on a 20 mins. trip to Kipling Subway Station where you get off. Next go into the Station & down onto the platform & join a Train going East to St George Station. Change here to the South line & leave at Kings Station & emerge into Kings St. where the HI Hostel is only a couple of blocks away – got it?. For long haul Bus arrivals the Main Station is in the Centre of Toronto off Dundas St. Local City travel is by TTC - Busses, Trams, Subways work the on the same ticket so go where you want; I never worked out how long you can travel as GB walked most of the time

FREE SIGHTS TO SEE

1. CN TOWER – highest free - standing structure in the World at 553mtrs with 1769 emergency stairs
2. SKYDOME – 1989, first Sports Stadium to have fully retractable roof, home Argonauts/ Blue Jays
3. HARBOR FRONT– grassy parks, walks, apartments/ hotels & Music Garden to Bach's Suite No 1
4. QUEEN ST WEST GRAFFITI – at Bathurst , a Mecca of collage & the City's best street art
5. CHINA TOWN – thriving area of cheap shops, open air markets, restaurants & bustling streetlife
6. PROVINCIAL LEGISLATURE – 1893, outside a few stray demonstrators, inside attend a Session
7. FLATIRON BUILDING – unique 1892 red brick Building with melting Mural on flat side
8. ST LAWRENCE LIBRARY – handy for No1 Hostel with free Internet but only opens from 1200
9. FORT YORK – 1793 to protect York Town burnt down by Americans 1812 but now reconstructed
10. HENRY MOORE SCULPTURE – bronze “ Large Two Forms” at corner of Dundas & McCaul

CHARGE SIGHTS NOT TO MISS

1. ONTARIO SCIENCE CENTRE – “hands on” with over 800 interactive, hightech science exhibits
2. CN TOWER TOP – look over the Toronto skyline; if really daring down through the glass floor!
3. HOCKEY HALL OF FAME – 1885 Rococo building, home of the greatest in The Sports history

* Bruce, Newland, David.