Over the next four months of the summer, Press+1 will be exploring the many delights that one of Canada’s most popular cities has to offer. Exploring more than the typical tourist spots, Press+1 has taken to the streets in search of Toronto’s diverse beauty. This first travel blog will uncover what makes Toronto a cultural catalyst of North America....

Visiting Toronto in style might be a great alternative to that European trip this year; and for quite a reasonable budget, you can discover the best of what Toronto has to offer. Quickly discovering that the best way to explore the city core is on foot, taxi, or the distinctly tourists way of taking the tram. Being a perennial pedestrian, I took to discovering the city by walking most of the time and as the weather was amiable enough for May, it was a great way to get around the city without missing anything in between.

My first stop however was the hotel...

The Charismatic Hotel – Fairmont Royal York

The days of thinking that a Fairmont Hotel is only suited for a certain international jet-setting type is over. While The Fairmont Royal York has made many efforts to remain sophisticated, and a celebrity hot spot, the hotel has also gone to great lengths to be affordable enough for those wanting to spend the night wanting to feel like they are one of the first two options (especially when the beds are this comfortable!). I did my research on this one and discovered that the Royal York is competitive enough to launch its newest travel package called the “Much More Toronto Experience” – rates as low as $129.00 and a package that allows you discounts on 22 cultural attractions, such as, the AGO, Bata Museum, Gardiner Museum, Ontario Science Centre, ROM, CN Tower, and even discounts on meals and Dancap Productions like Jersey Boys! You can also receive discounts of the in house restaurants at the Royal York - Epic & Benihana. This package goes from May 15^th until mid-September, so find out about it as soon as you can.

For me the experience was felt in the heart of the building. Recent renovations gave the Royal York a fresh new face lift with all the great modern amenities, but meeting 86 year old former writer for the Toronto Star business & finance section Roland Hall, on the second tier of the Lobby overlooking the incomings and outgoings of hotel guests, was through the eyes in which I saw history from brick and mortar. Roland told me of the day he was brought to see the foundations built of the Royal York eighty years ago, and the many times he would frequent the conference rooms as a journalist doing coverage, and the fabulous concerts that were held in the Imperial Room that he attended with the likes of Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby and Ella Fitzgerald voices echoing into the Lobby. What was most striking about Roland was how, after eighty years, he still relished being surrounded by the sophisticated elegance of the Royal York, even as a way to spend a pleasant afternoon. www.fairmont.com

The Summer Events

Andrew Weir, VP of Communications for Toronto Tourism tells me the city will be revelling in festivals of all varieties this season. "Summer is festival season in Toronto and people take to the streets every weekend. Beginning with the city-wide arts festival Luminato in June, through several jazz festivals, the Just For Laughs comedy festival and Toronto's signature Caribana parade in early August, this summer promises great music, food and energy, every weekend, all summer long."

I couldn’t agree more as the festival season started this May with the largest photography festival in the world was held throughout the entire month, and in multiple venues all around the city. CONTACT, the Toronto Photography Festival set its focus on the theme of “Still Revolution: Suspended In Time” – powerful and evocative still imagery that captures both the history and revolution of the still image, and what that lens has provided a wider audience. Each year the festival integrates the photography into the fabric of the city and this 13^th edition was no different. A particularly riveting display were the full sized cut out images of homeless people holding up signs that said things like “I’d rather die than be homeless another winter,” displayed outside and inside the Royal Ontario Museum, an engaging exhibit by Dan Bergeron.

Other festivals of note are the Toronto Fringe Festival, the Virgin Music Festival and the Toronto International Film Festival. Toronto is truly a city of festivals, with a mass amount of cultural and artistic festivals that will brighten any travelers day. Check out what festivals are happening before you arrive so you don’t miss out!

Aside from the hundreds of art galleries and studios that are a perpetual cornucopia of colour and texture throughout the streets of Toronto, the most popular and most elaborate one is the Art Gallery of Ontario – or the AGO to anyone  “in the know”. I was lucky enough to visit the gallery on the exact day that one exhibit was closing, the William Holman Hunt collection and the Surreal Things (May 9^th – August 30^th) exhibit was opening.  Hunt was a part of the famous Victorian Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood and this exhibit featured some of his finest creations, in a fabulous juxtaposition the Surreal Things exhibit was vibrant, quirky and full of imagination. Clearly a signature of the collection was the Salvador Dali pieces, but the whole exhibit was full of objects being turned into art. The surrealists came out Freud and Karl Marx teachings. Up and coming to the AGO is the Tutankhamun: The Golden King and the Great Pharaohs exhibit, which will run from November 2009 until April 18^th 2010. www.ago.net

The Bata Museum might be a pleasant second stop as the Shoe Museum has an extensive collection where you can get a grasp of what humanity wore from all different cultures and times periods in history. The museum is setup among four layers, so you can either take the elevator to see each exhibit or simply bring your favourite walking shoes. Probably the highlight of this season is the Wayne Gretzky skates seen in the “Bound For Glory” exhibit. Although I enjoyed the historical aspect of footwear, I was in excited anticipation of some shoes worn by some celebrities, preferably some outrageous features like Elton John circa late 1970s or Gerri Halliwell’s famous Spice Girl knee high boots, but did not find a consistent exhibit geared towards famous shoes. The Bata Museum does have an online exhibit and has a collection of over 12,500 shoes which they are constantly putting new exhibits on to display such a variety. www.batashoemuseum.ca

If you are headed towards one museum while in Toronto, the Royal Ontario Museum might be the ideal place to visit. A mere two blocks away from the Bata Museum, the Royal Ontario Museum is a playground of international history. You get the most fantastic sense of grandeur and reverence towards statues, paintings, textiles, pottery, and simply items of historical interest. You can spend all day meandering around this building and enjoying multiple cultures from around the world brought to your very doorstep; such as the Ancient Egypt Book of The Dead exhibit recently concluded or the Chinese Temple Art Gallery where you can catch the very cool tomb of General Zu Dashou of the Ming Dynasty.

Don’t go to the ROM with a particular exhibit in mind, it distracts from the exciting finds you will unearth throughout the distinct areas of the museum. And yet, if you were interested in going for a particular reason, one I will look forward to is the Dead Sea Scrolls exhibit starting June 27^th and ending January 3^rd 2010. www.rom.on.ca

The cultural energy of Toronto tends to linger long into the night with an array of events from headlining concerts at the Air Canada Centre (This summer includes, Elton John, Billy Joel, P!nk & Aerosmith – www.theaircanadacentre.com ), Soulpepper Theatre (www.soulpepper.ca), Canadian Opera Company (www.coc.ca), The National Ballet of Canada (www.national.ballet.ca), Toronto Symphony Orchestra (www.tso.ca), DanCap Productions (www.dancaptickets.com) of Anne of Green Gables – The Musical or Jersey Boys.

Taking the time to meander through the downtown of Toronto streets to uncover art galleries and great little restaurants is what makes up a great holiday. Pairing a museum, an art gallery and an evening live performance could give you the most of the cultural Toronto experience. Watch for June’s blog on what Toronto’s diverse neighbourhoods has to offer those inspired by fantastic food!

Sneak Peak Ahead – July will showcase what shopping trips you can take to Toronto and August is all about Eco-Travel in the city!

Written by :

Kindah

 

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