This is a short blog written on the go on my mob. I am in Canada for the first time - Toronto specifically. It is the first leg of 10 days of travel - unashamedly sightseeing.
Covid has obviously had such an impact on our lives over the last couple of years and curtailed a lot. Canada is a bit behind us in opening up from covid. Masks are mandatory in enclosed spaces until sat down. Travel is still not plain sailing with covid testing required before each flight despite full vaccination - a pain but doable! It is good to be here.
Why Toronto? Mainly because it offers access to Niagara Falls - somewhere on my bucket list - ha! My friend Tina had planned to visit the falls before flying over to NY for a family celebration. I tagged along to see Toronto and Niagara but not NY. I plan to take the opportunity to see Chicago and then Washington DC.
The flight here was about 7 hours. I sat next to a very talkative Canadian and gleaned a lot about life here. Same themes you come across a lot. Too much development. Too much tax. Too much liberalism - ha! He didn't have a good word to say about Trudeau and predicted he will lose at the next election unless he is impeached before - for breaking constitutional rules. The case against him is heading for the Canadian High Court.
Toronto is on the shore of Lake Ontario. As with the Great Lakes Lake Ontario is a fresh water lake. It is vast - looks like an ocean. The Great Lakes taken together hold 20% of our planets fresh water.
I have taken this from Wiki if you would like to read a bit more. I seem to remember learning about The Great Lakes in junior school.
The Great Lakes, also called the Great Lakes of North on or near the Canada–United States border. Hydrologically, there are four lakes, because lakes Michigan and Huron join at the Straits of Mackinac. The Great Lakes Waterway enables modern travel and shipping by water among the lakes.
The Great Lakes are the largest group of freshwater lakes on Earth by total area and are second-largest by total volume, containing 21% of the world's surface fresh water by volume. The total surface is 94,250 square miles (244,106 km2), and the total volume (measured at the low water datum) is 5,439 cubic miles (22,671 km3), slightly less than the volume of Lake Baikal (5,666 cu mi or 23,615 km3, 22–23% of the world's surface fresh water). Because of their sea-like characteristics, such as rolling waves, sustained winds, strong currents, great depths, and distant horizons, the five Great Lakes have long been called inland seas. By surface area, Lake Superior is the second-largest lake in the world, and is the largest freshwater lake. Lake Michigan is the largest lake that is entirely within one country.
The Great Lakes began to form at the end of the Last Glacial Period around 14,000 years ago, as retreating ice sheets exposed the basins they had carved into the land, which then filled with meltwater. The lakes have been a major source for transportation, migration, trade, and fishing, serving as a habitat to many aquatic species in a region with much biodiversity.
TORONTO
We really enjoyed Toronto. It is an up together place. Big city feel. Spectacular buildings. Economically successful. Culturally rich and diverse. When you think of Canada you imagine cold winters and this is the case. It was snowing when we arrived and the air sharp but actually it was lovely - not extreme as Toronto is pretty far south. Having said that we were lucky I think especially for the Niagara visit.
Other impressions - only personal broad brush impressions in no particular or logical order - ha!
- Canadians are solid grounded people. Not flaky or loud. They are polite a touch reserved and easy to deal with.
- Canada is culturally diverse. Toronto especially is. Many have an oriental background. My impression is integration has been successful.
- Although Toronto is a major city - the largest populated in Canada is is not loud. Drivers rarely use their horns. Cars do not speed. The atmosphere is not a stressing one.
- Craft beers are a big feature - smart bars -serving beers brewed on the premises. Caution - beer strength. 5 about is weak!
- We were in downtown Toronto so probably not typical - but not so many obese people as I think you would expect to see in the UK for instance. Very good range of food stuffs available with lots of reference to natural and sustainable.
- I am not planning to emigrate but if I was I think Canada would be very high on the list. As the guy on the plane said - Canada can be frustrating because it is such a large country with a relatively small and scattered population but overall probably the best place to live in the world. He has a case.
- Toronto is of course a port despite being miles inland. The entrance to the Great Lakes from the Atlantic Ocean is the St Lawrence Seaway.
- Didn't see one Mountie!
- Couldn't get a consistent answer about their main sport. Ice Hockey. A lot of basketball on in the Sports Bars. Baseball. American Football. One guy mentioned Lacrosse as the national game. Soccer really emerging apparently. They also have a decent rugby union team!
- We had a really special dinner in the CN Towers revolving restaurant. It was night-time. The lights were incredible. What a privilege. A standout memory for sure.
- I will come up with some more as they occur.
TORONTO - from Wiki :
With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the anchor of the Golden Horseshoe, an urban agglomeration of 9,765,188 people (as of 2021) surrounding the western end of Lake Ontario, while the Greater Toronto Area proper had a 2021 population of 6,712,341. Toronto is an international centre of business, finance, arts, and culture, and is recognized as one of the most multicultural and cosmopolitan cities in the world.
THE CN TOWER TORONTO wiki :
The CN Tower (French: Tour CN) is a 553.3 m-high (1,815.3 ft) concrete communications and observation tower located in the downtown core of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Built on the former Railway Lands, it was completed in 1976. Its name "CN" originally referred to Canadian National, the railway company that built the tower. Following the railway's decision to divest non-core freight railway assets prior to the company's privatization in 1995, it transferred the tower to the Canada Lands Company, a federal Crown corporation responsible for real estate development.
The CN Tower held the record for the world's tallest free-standing structure for 32 years, from 1975 until 2007, when it was surpassed by the Burj Khalifa, and was the world's tallest tower until 2009 when it was surpassed by the Canton Tower. It is currently the ninth tallest free-standing structure in the world and remains the tallest free-standing structure on land in the Western Hemisphere. In 1995, the CN Tower was declared one of the modern Seven Wonders of the World by the American Society of Civil Engineers. It also belongs to the World Federation of Great Towers.
It is a signature icon of Toronto's skyline and attracts more than two million international visitors annually. It houses several observation decks, a revolving restaurant at some 1,151 feet (351 metres), and an entertainment complex.
Mob photos of the CN Tower and around Downtown Toronto, the lake front on a cloudy day and Kensington.
NIAGARA FALLS The main purpose of our visit to Toronto was to see the falls. A kid of the 50's - I remember picture books of exotic places - wonders of the world. It means something extra to have now seen the falls and experienced the noise of the crashing water and resultant mists of water vapour.
The visit certainly did not disappoint. Niagara Falls are spectacular. It was a wonderful day.
Personally I am interested in geography and geology but won't try and go into too much detail. Simply L Eerie drains into L Ontario via the Niagara River. Because of different rates of erosion and hardness of rocks a falls has been created - the min one of which is Horseshoe Falls. Because of erosion the Falls are very slowly moving back to L Eerie each year. It was great - a privilege to be there.
Ps we visited late winter. We were so lucky with a crisp sunny bright still day. More typically it is not like that - the day before vicious cold winds. We were told the summer months while beautiful are very very crowded with tourists. The other thing to acknowledge is commercial/tourist development near the falls is pretty tacky - but to emphasise Niagara Falls were special.
Mob photos of Niagara Falls - none of which capture the scale or noise of crashing falling water.
FROM WIKI
Niagara Falls (/naɪˈæɡərə/) is a group of three waterfalls at the southern end of Niagara Gorge, spanning the border between the province of Ontario in Canada and the state of New York in the United States. The largest of the three is Horseshoe Falls, also known as the Canadian Falls, which straddles the international border of the two countries. The smaller American Falls and Bridal Veil Falls lie within the United States. Bridal Veil Falls is separated from Horseshoe Falls by Goat Island and from American Falls by Luna Island, with both islands situated in New York.
Formed by the Niagara River, which drains Lake Erie into Lake Ontario, the combined falls have the highest flow rate of any waterfall in North America that has a vertical drop of more than 50 m (160 ft). During peak daytime tourist hours, more than 168,000 m3 (5.9 million cu ft) of water goes over the crest of the falls every minute. Horseshoe Falls is the most powerful waterfall in North America, as measured by flow rate. Niagara Falls is famed for its beauty and is a valuable source of hydroelectric power. Balancing recreational, commercial, and industrial uses has been a challenge for the stewards of the falls since the 19th century.
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