Spawned out of post-glacial alluvial deposits and bluffs, the area was populated at different times by Iroquois and later Wynadot (Huron) peoples. The settlement by Europeans started with the French building a seldom occupied fort near todays Exhibition grounds in the mid-1700s, then grew out of a backwoods English trading post established as York in 1793 (reverting to the current name Toronto in 1834). Later in the 19th century, it grew to become the cultural and economic focus of English Canada. Owing largely to the country's liberal immigration policies starting in the 1960's, and the region's strong economy, Toronto has, in recent decades, been transformed into one of the most culturally and ethnically diverse cities in the world. More than 80 ethnic communities are represented, and over half of the city's residents were born outside Canada.
Districts in Toronto
When Metropolitan Toronto amalgamated its six internal cities into one in 1998, it created a new "mega-city" known simply as Toronto, now made up of varied and unique neighbourhoods. Covering more than 600 square kilometres, Toronto stretches some 32 kilometres along the shores of Lake Ontario, and includes a dense, urban core surrounded by a inner ring of older suburbs followed by an outer ring of post-war suburbs. The city is laid out on a very straightforward grid pattern and streets rarely deviate from the grid, except in cases where topograhpy inteferes such as the indented, curved Don River Valley and to a lesser degree the Humber and Rouge valleys at opposite ends of the city. Some main throroughfares do intersect the grid at angles. The six Toronto districts are:
Old Toronto (Downtown, West End, East End, Midtown): Downtown Toronto is the heart of this urban core, with Yonge Street running almost directly in the middle of this district.
Etobicoke: is largely industrial and suburban in urban makeup. The airport service area and hotels, most airport facilities are located within Mississauga, just to the west.
York: is formerly a separate city, the second smallest of the six former municipalities, yet it is one of the most ethnically diverse.
East York: was formerly a semi-autonomous borough within the overall municipality of Metropolitan Toronto. One of East York's claims to fame was that, before the amalgamation, it was Canada's only borough.
North York: is home to Parc Downsview Park, Canada's first national urban park, Downsview Airport and the North York Performing Arts Centre.
Scarborough: has characteristics of a suburb of old Toronto, but retains much of its own character and flavour. Because of the topography of the Bluffs, the Rouge Valley, and other creeks and minor tributaries, Scarborough is said to be the greenest and leafiest part of Toronto.
Understand the Toronto city
In 1998, the cities of Toronto, Scarborough, North York, Etobicoke, and York and the Borough of East York amalgamated to form the current City of Toronto. This is also known as Metropolitan Toronto or "the 416" after its area code (although now there are some new area codes, the overwhelming number of area codes in the Toronto are still "416") and has a population of over 2.6 million people. More than half of these were born in some country other than Canada: a fact obvious to any visitor immediately, as the city has many vibrant bustling neighbourhoods with street signs in several languages.
Toronto and its surrounding suburbs are collectively known as the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). Outlying suburbs are also known as "the 905" after their area code, although technically this code is also used in both Hamilton and the Niagara Region, stretching to the border in Niagara Falls. The entire area including Toronto is known as the "Golden Horseshoe" and has a population of over 8 million people. Distances between cities in the area can be great as it spralws along, outward and even wraps around the western end of Lake Ontario, public transit not always effective enough to make it a quick or seamless trip. Many suburban residents rely on motor vehicles to get around.
Climate in Toronto
Toronto's climate is on the whole on the cool side and varibale conditions can be expected, temperatures average -3.5°C (26°F) in January downtown, however the type of extreme cold experienced in parts of Canada further north do not hold a tight grip for usually more than a day or two, despite this come prepared, winters are still cold and at times, snowy and windy. Contrary to Canadian climate stereotypes, the city experiences warm and humid summers with an average high of 27°C (80°F) and a low of 18°C (65°F) in July/August with many muggy evenings but rarely extreme heat. Late spring and early fall are generally considered to be the most pleasant times to visit, summer is the peak tourist season, but visitors will find that Toronto's vibrancy extends through the winter with outdoor ice-rinks and bundled up clubgoers, etc. Toronto's public buildings are nearly all air-conditioned and fully heated.
Sometimes during the winter, severe storms can slow down transportation and activities in the city for a day or two. In the summer, thunderstorms are common, most lasting less than an hour.
Source and more info: http://www.world66.com; http://www.wikitravel.org
No comments:
Post a Comment