TORONTO ... is the largest city in Canada, with a population of 2.4 million, 4.7 million in the Greater Toronto Area. Being one of the most multicultural cities in the world, Toronto is home to more than 80 ethnic groups and more than 100 languages, and is marked by the diversity of distinct neighbourhoods, cultures and communities.

Yonge Street, known as the longest street in the world, is the main north-south road and divides the city into east and west. Major intersections include: Bloor/Yonge, King/Bay, Yonge/Dundas, Yonge/Eglinton, Yonge/Sheppard, Queen/Spadina, Broadview/Danforth. Main east-west avenues include Eglinton Avenue, Lawrence Avenue, Steeles Avenue, Wilson Road, and Bloor Street-Danforth Avenue.

Distinct neighbourhoods include Little Italy (College/Bathurst), Queen Street West (east of Spadina Avenue), the Entertainment/Fashion district (King/Spadina), Greektown on (Danforth E), Little India (Gerrard E.) and Chinatown (Dundas/Spadina).


LANGUAGE
English is the predominant language of Toronto, although both English and French are official languages; most government services are available in either language. But there are also large ethnic populations -- 350,000 Chinese, 400,000 Italians, 127,000 Greeks and many others -- so those languages are prominent in many neighbourhoods. Dual-language street signs can be found in areas such as Chinatown, Little Italy, Little Portugal, and other communities.

MONEY
Commonly used small coins are the 1-cent (penny), 5-cent (nickel), 10-cent (dime) and 25-cent (quarter) pieces. The two main coins are the $1 gold-coloured coin, commonly called a "loonie" and the $2 silver & gold toned coin (the "toonie"). Paper bills come in $5, $10, $20, $50, $100, and $1,000 denominations. The Canadian exchange rate fluctuates between 40-50 cents to the U.S. dollar.

Taxes
On most purchases, both the provincial sales tax of 8% and the 5% federal goods and services tax (GST) apply. There is no GST on most grocery items, but restaurant meals are taxed both GST and PST. PST is not charged on reading materials. If you are a visitor to Ontario, you may be eligible for tax rebates; rebate forms are available at the airport. For more info, call (613) 991-3346 (for GST); or (800) 668-5810 (for PST).


Service
Restaurant tipping is left to customer discretion, but the customary (and expected) amount is 15 per cent (the debate rages about whether this is calculated before or after tax). Many restaurants automatically add a gratuity (tip) to the bill for large groups (six to eight or more). It is also customary to tip bellhops, luggage handlers and taxi drivers, at your discretion.

The minimum legal drinking age in Ontario is 19 years. Bars and restaurants
must stop serving alcohol by 2 a.m.


PASSPORTS AND I.D.
Entering Canada, U.S. citizens, including children, need proof of U.S. citizenship: either a birth certificate together with photo identification or a passport. U.K. citizens and Australian citizens require a passport and proof of onward passage out of Canada. Visitors from other countries require a passport and may also require a visa.
You may also be asked to provide proof of necessary funds for your visit. Illegal drugs and firearms are not allowed into Canada.


GETTING AROUND

Public Transit
The Toronto Transit Commision (TTC) operates a world-class public transit system.
The clean and easy-to-follow system includes subway, bus and streetcar routes.
Single adult fare is $2.25.

Note: Exact change or token/ticket is needed for boarding buses and streetcars and some subway stations.
Transfers between vehicles (subways included) and lines are available for continuous trips.

Taxis
Meters start at $2.50, and increase at $0.25 increments. A typical trip in downtown Toronto will cost $7 to $10, depending on traffic, and up to $20 for longer trips in the city.
Make sure that the meter rate is set at 1 (one) unless the driver has explained why it isn't, such as a large number of parcels or many passengers. Official rate and fee schedules (including baggage) should be displayed in the cab, along with a taxi driver's license bearing a photo of the driver.

Rush Hour
As in most heavily populated urban cities, rush hour (6:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. to 7 p.m.) traffic can be heavy in the downtown core and on the highways. The subway and transit systems will also be more crowded, but the TTC operates more vehicles during these peak hours. During rush hour, expect bumper-to-bumper traffic on highways such as the 401 and the Queen Elizabeth Way (QEW).


TIME AND DATES

Business Hours
Most office hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday to Friday. Most shops are open 10 a.m. to 5:30 or 6 p.m.,
Monday to Saturday. Many store hours are extended to 8 or 9 p.m. on Thursdays and Fridays, and most stores are open Sundays 12 noon to 5 p.m.

Time Zone
Eastern Time (ET) is five hours behind Greenwich Mean Time (GMT). During
Daylight Savings Time (DST),
March to October, clocks are turned ahead one hour.


WEATHER
Toronto has nine months of winter and three months of poor skating -- atleast that's what it feels like.
Although we do experience the four seasons, Toronto has a long winter (about five months, mid-November-mid-April), short spring (mid-April-May) and fall (October-mid-November) and a four-month summer (June-September).


TELEPHONE
The emergency number for all health, safety and crime emergencies is 911.
Dial 411 for an operator to aid with locating a number. Dialing 0 will alsoget you an operator for general assistance.
Pay phones cost 25 cents. Phone credit cards for multiple calls are also available in many convenience stores.
Local calls require 10-digit dialing: the area code followed by the seven-digit phone number.
When dialing long-distance numbers, start with a 1 or 0 (for operator-assisted calls), then area code followed by seven-digit number.

For More Info on The City of Toronto... See www.Toronto.com