Moving to Toronto

Expats moving to Toronto will find this the most developed of Canadian cities. Its population, infrastructure, economic power, architectural sophistication and cosmopolitanism is unmatched elsewhere in the country. The Ontario capital nestles between the two Great Lakes Huron and Ontario, after which the region is named. The lakes are some of the continents most distinctive features, and many tourists come to hike, swim and boat along their shores.

With a population of 2.5 million, this bustling metropolis spreads out along the north shore of Lake Ontario. Over 8 million people, more than 25% of Canada’s population, live in Toronto and the ‘Golden Horseshoe,’ the crown of cities that running past Toronto and down to Lake Eyre.

Toronto is a proud city, and rightfully so. Expats will find the city centre is littered with interesting buildings and novel projects. The Distillery District (which contains some of the worlds best examples of Victorian industrial building), and the many of the various museums and opera houses have recently been renovated. Downtown Toronto is the second highest density area in North America after Manhattan and it boasts some of the most revolutionary and luxurious condominiums in the world. Glass, metal and red-face brick compete to be the face of the city. The CN tower, which was for thirty years the tallest free standing tower in the world, can be seen from all over the city. Torontonians claim that navigating by the tower will ensure that getting lost is next to impossible, and this can be helpful for those expats recently arrived in the city.

 

The arts are widely celebrated in Toronto, and with more than fifty ballet and dance companies, six opera companies, two symphony orchestras, a number of theatres, open air Shakespeare, the Toronto International Film Festival, and one of the top European film schools in the Pinewood Studios Group. There are a lot of foreigners working within these industries. The Toronto Zoo is one of the largest in the world, and the Royal Ontario Museum, also recently renovated, is a world class institution.

 

Toronto has also earned renown as a world shopping destination. Expats who take the time to wander down and into Yonge Street, the bustling Thomas Eaton Centre, fashion centre Queen West Street, and high street Yorkville with find a host of the world’s top names. Many local stores and specialty boutiques find themselves wedged between exclusive European and American outlets.

Sights aside, expats moving to Toronto will find many different nationalities making their home in this multicultural haven. In fact, Toronto has the honour of being the city with the highest percentage of foreign-born citizens in the world. Over 40% of the population belongs to a visible minority group, with Indo-Canadians taking a 13% share, and Chinese not far behind at 12 percent. These relative newcomers mix well with the older Scottish, French, Italian and Greek expat communities in the city. Incredibly, the city’s 911 service can handle calls in all of 150 different languages. Many of Toronto’s citizens celebrate their origins in the streets, with many large scale festivals taking place throughout the year, and giving Torontonians a chance to experience a multitude of cultures.

Toronto has a highly efficient public transport system. The system is easy to use, though it is recommended that any newcomer get some help from an old hand for overland bus journeys. There is an extensive ferry system which allows pedestrian transport along the coast, and there is even a ferry route that runs between Toronto and New York State. Almost everywhere has access to the buses, and a rather unique system of street cars. The backbone of the city’s transport is its extensive subways system which links most of the outlying suburbs to the city centre, meaning that within Toronto personal vehicles been relegated to a luxury concern. It can be worth investing in a bicycle as the Toronto council has made a special effort to make its inner area cyclist friendly.

See the Toronto travel guide from Word Travels

Guide to the city: www.math.toronto.edu/toronto
City tourist office: www.toronto.ca