Toronto – Around Town – Greater Toronto (part 1)

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The area surrounding the city
proper has expanded rapidly in the last few decades, with suburban
bedroom communities popping up around the urban fringe, engulfing
fertile farmland. While highway development ensures convenient access to
the many sites outside the city, roads can be extremely crowded at rush
hour, and it is a good idea to plan excursions for off-peak times. Many
delightful parks and natural areas lie just outside the city, along
with spacious beaches. Toronto Zoo, set in the huge wilderness area of Rouge Park
on the eastern edge of the city, is a delightful place to spend a day,
as is, for family thrills, Canada’s Wonderland. Several historic
attractions, such as Black Creek Pioneer Village, where costumed guides
demonstrate pioneer life, or Bradley Museum, a restored farmhouse,
provide a glimpse into mid-19th-century country life. Art lovers are
drawn due north to the renowned McMichael Canadian Art Collection in the
charming village of Kleinburg.

R. C. Harris Filtration Plant

Built in the late 1930s, in
an era when public works buildings were grand statements – expressions
of engineering mastery – this filtration plant has been dubbed the
“palace of purification.” Monumentally perched atop a gentle hill, this
Art Deco structure holds the machines that treat the city’s drinking
water, which is pumped into the facility from a pipe that begins 1.5
miles (3 km) offshore, in Lake Ontario. Close to 200 million gallons
(757 million litres) of water are processed daily, supplying about half
of Toronto’s needs.




Sights

  1. McMichael Canadian Art Collection

    Located
    in Kleinburg, 18 miles (30 km) from downtown Toronto, this outstanding
    gallery features a stellar display of works by the seminal Group of
    Seven painters, their contemporaries such as Tom Thomson and Emily Carr,
    and the artists they inspired. The gallery also exhibits an impressive
    collection of First Nations and Inuit artists.

    • 10365 Islington Ave, Kleinburg

    • 905 893 1121

    • Open May–Oct: 10am–5pm daily; Nov–Apr: 10am–4pm

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    White Pine, McMichael Collection

  2. Toronto Zoo

    You
    will want a full day to explore this 710-acre (287-ha) zoo and its some
    5,000 animals representing about 450 species. Roaming freely within
    outdoor enclosures, large creatures such as African elephants can be
    seen along 6 miles (10 km) of trails. Also along the trails are four
    tropical pavilions, each representing a distinct geographic habitat.

    • 361A Old Finch Ave

    • 416 392 5929

    • Open Mar–Apr & Sep–Oct: 9am–6pm daily; May–Aug: 9am–7:30pm daily; Oct–Mar: 9:30am–4:30pm daily

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    Polar bear, Toronto Zoo

  3. The Beach

    This
    is one area of the city that takes full advantage of its lakeside
    setting, with an atmosphere that feels more like a small resort town. In
    summer especially, crowds throng to the white sand beaches, stroll the
    2.5-mile (4-km) boardwalk, picnic in Kew Gardens, a
    turn-of-the-19-century park, and shop along Queen Street (see A Day at the Beach). The area is at its busiest best in late July, during the Beaches international jazz festival.




    Ashbridges Bay Park, The Beach

  4. Canada’s Wonderland

    This
    theme park north of Toronto draws crowds with its more than 50 rides,
    huge water park, and live entertainment. Thrills abound, the biggest
    pleasers being the roller coasters.

    • 9580 Jane St, Vaughan

    • 905 832 8131

    • Open May 1–Victoria Day: 10am–8pm Sat–Sun; Victoria Day–Labour Day: 10am–10pm daily; Labour Day–Thanksgiving: 10am–8pm Sat–Sun

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    Canada’s Wonderland

  5. Ontario Science Centre

    Exhibits
    in this museum are interactive and geared toward youngsters, all in the
    name of making science education fun. Eleven themed areas cover a
    diverse range of topics, including Earth’s ecosystems, space, sport,
    communication, energy, and the human body.

    • 770 Don Mills Rd

    • 416 696 1000

    • Open 10am–5pm daily

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    Ontario Science Centre

  6. Black Creek Pioneer Village

    For
    an authentic taste of early settler life, visit this re-creation of a
    19th-century rural Ontario community. Among the dozens of buildings – a
    handful original to the site, the rest moved here and restored – are a
    school, a church, village shops, houses, and barns. The grounds include
    an orchard, millpond, restored gardens, and grazing livestock. Costumed
    staff demonstrate pioneer crafts and carry out tasks such as tinsmithing
    and milling flour (the flour is available for sale). Free wagon rides
    are popular with the kids.

    • 1000 Murray Ross Pkwy, Downsview

    • 416 736 1733

    • Open
      May–Jun: 9:30am–4:30pm Mon–Fri, 11am–5pm Sat–Sun; Jul–Labour Day:
      10am–5pm Mon–Fri, 11am–5pm Sat–Sun; Labour Day–Dec 31: 9:30am–4pm
      Mon–Fri, 11am–4:30pm Sat–Sun

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    Black Creek Pioneer Village

  7. Gibson House Museum

    While
    North York is a relentlessly modern part of the city, it is also home
    to this historic gem – an elegant Georgian farmhouse built in 1851. The
    original owner, land surveyor and mapper David Gibson, was a leader of
    the Upper Canada Rebellion in 1837 who was forced to flee to the US when
    the uprising failed. Following his pardon, Gibson returned and built
    this home for his wife and seven children. The museum hosts guided tours
    and also holds classes in such forgotten arts as hearth-cooking.

    • 5172 Yonge St

    • 416 395 7432

    • Open Oct–Aug: noon–5pm Tue–Sun

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  8. Colborne Lodge

    This
    1837 house was the residence of land surveyor John Howard and his wife,
    Jemima. Howard deeded the estate to the city, thereby forming the basis
    for High Park.
    Located at the south end of the park, the Regency-style house, with its
    gorgeous circular verandah, has been fully restored and includes many
    of the Howards’ original belongings, including John Howard’s original
    watercolors of early Toronto scenes. Costumed guides lead tours. Don’t
    miss the garden, planted with kitchen herbs and flowers. Seasonal
    celebrations, such as the Harvest Festival and the lamplit processions
    at Christmastime, are particularly popular.

    • Colborne Lodge Dr

    • 416 392 6916

    • Open Jan–Apr: noon–4pm Sat–Sun; May–Sep: noon–5pm Tue–Sun; Oct–Dec: noon–4pm Tue–Sun

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  9. Bradley Museum

    This
    collection of early-19th-century buildings offers a window on the past.
    The 1830 farmhouse was built by Lewis and Elizabeth Bradley, United
    Empire Loyalists who left the US and settled in Ontario, raising seven
    children. The restored house features period artifacts. The Anchorage,
    also on the grounds, is a Regency-style cottage originally home to Royal
    Navy officer John Skynner. It offers rotating exhibitions and, the last
    Sunday of the month, afternoon tea.

    • 1620 Orr Rd, Mississauga

    • 905 615 4860

    • Open 1–5pm Sun; Jul–Aug: 1–5pm Wed–Sun

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    • Bradley House not wheelchair accessible

  10. Toronto Aerospace Museum

    Housed
    in the 1929 de Havilland Aircraft of Canada building on the grounds of
    the former Downsview Airport – an air-force base now being converted to a
    public park – this museum celebrates Canada’s aviation history. Along
    with archival photos, it exhibits artifacts and full-sized aircraft,
    such as the 1950s jet trainer and an anti-submarine aircraft built for
    the Royal Canadian Navy. Particularly unusual are the exhibits of
    flight-training simulators used for pilot instruction in the 1940s and
    1950s.

    • 65 Carl Hall Rd

    • 416 638 6078

    • Open 10am–4pm Thu–Sat, noon–4pm Sun

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    Toronto Aerospace Museum