A Day Well-Spent in Downtown, Toronto

Canada is the second largest country in the world after Russia, yet is very sparsely populated with 90% of its 40 million people living within 150 miles of its USA border. Being a holder of a Jamaican passport, I required a visa to visit and that process was very lengthy since I applied in the first few months of the pandemic. By lengthy, I mean TWO whole years. Things seem back to normal now as my partner got his within in a fortnight, so my experience was likely the exception and not the rule. Nonetheless, my multi-entry visa came through eventually and we got around to visiting three cities in Canada’s largest province of Ontario before I settled down for an observership in respirology, my main reason for visiting Canada.

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For the record, Canada has ten provinces and three territories. For this trip, I only had time to visit Ontario, its largest province, as getting around a country this massive is very exhausting and expensive. Toronto was one of the three cities I visited, and my partner and I were fortunate enough to stay and reconnect with our Jamaican-Canadian relatives. We did years of catching up over several meals, staying up late and chatting until we dozed off, ha! Jamaica has one of the highest emigration rates in the world so most Jamaicans, myself included, have family in the USA, Canada and the UK. Migrating to a climate and culture so different from Jamaica for a better life is certainly admirable. Who would’ve thought there’d still be snow on the ground in late March? Everyone but me obviously, ha! I’m cold at any temps below 20°C but I survived. Seeing snow for the first time? Check!

Toronto is the most populated city in Canada, with a population equaling that of Jamaica but with less landmass. To compensate, Toronto has built numerous skyscrapers with many exceeding 40 storeys. The tallest skyscraper yet at 105 storeys is under construction and will break Canada’s record for tallest residential building upon completion. Across two days, my family took us to the Yorkdale and Scarborough Shopping Centres, holding the record for Canada’s fourth and sixth largest malls respectively. These malls were great for window shopping and people watching, making me realize the true extent of Canada’s melting pot. My aunt purchased pastries for us from the Danish Pastry House. The chocolate cinnamon swirl was flaky, soft and flavourful– so good! We even went into an IKEA store, and while their furniture prices are way better than what’s available locally, it’d be impossible to fit any into my luggage, ha!

While the malls in Toronto are a must-see and I enjoyed the sights and sounds of the ones we visited, nothing screamed big city like Downtown. My partner’s aunt took us to Downtown Toronto on our last day in the city where we got to see major landmarks like the Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada, Rogers Centre, Toronto Railway Museum and the CN Tower. We only had enough time for one attraction, and thought the CN Tower would be the best pick as it gave us a view of the city’s entire skyline.

Touring the CN Tower

The CN Tower was completed in 1976 and built by the Canadian National Railway to showcase the strength of Canadian construction. It once held the world record for tallest free-standing structure but now clocks in at # 10 despite remaining as the tallest free-standing structure on land in the Western Hemisphere. The CN Tower is an iconic feature of Toronto’s skyline, and attracts over two million visitors each year. It houses three observation decks, one of which has a floor made partially out of glass, as well as a revolving restaurant, entertainment complex, gift shop and even a ledge for daredevils who don’t mind being suspended 116 storeys above Toronto with only a harness. General admission starts at $45CAD per person, and you can get a 15% discount with your PRESTO card (more on that in a later post). While the price is steep, with the remarkable view, I’d say a visit to the CN Tower is worth it.

It was sobering (and reassuring) that all guests had to walk through a scanner, and that security checked all bags to ensure we weren’t carrying anything that could pose a threat to society, in terms of terrorism. Their high speed glass elevator whisked me up to the Main Observation Level at 346 metres (1,136 feet) above ground in only a minute. From there, the floor to ceiling glass walls ensured sweeping views of the stunning Toronto cityscape, and their mirrored ceilings added to the excitement. This was my first time ever being this high above ground in a manmade structure, and it was certainly an experience for the senses. It was amusing to see how unbothered the children looked– they’re always so brave and unfazed.

After that, we took the stairs to the lower deck which had a few transparent glass panes for tiles. My heart lurched after seeing all the tiny dots for people down below, so I didn’t spend too long here at all. After taking tons of pictures and reading all the signs, including the one for the Time Capsule which should be opened in 2076 for the tower’s 100th birthday, we headed to the gift shop to get a few souvenirs then called it a wrap. In all, we spent about 1 hour in the tower and I enjoyed every bit of it.

Wrap Up

I enjoyed my daytrip to Downtown immensely as it’s my first real taste of big city life. That being said, big city life isn’t for me at all. Too much concrete and not enough nature, but it’s great to visit every now and again. I have plenty of reasons to revisit Toronto. Even better, I’ve mastered how to get around on my own with their excellent public transport system too for which I’ll publish a free guide soon. Have you visited Toronto before? Would you like to? Sound off in the comments section below.

If you liked this post, you may also enjoy:

• Exploring Port of Spain, Trinidad & Tobago
• My guide to Machu Picchu in Peru
• A Day Trip from Venice to Padua, Italy (guest post)

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