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Show Canada The good things in life can now be found in Toronto text and photos by Michael and Carolyn Manheim IT WASNT TOO long ago that Toronto residents had to shuffle off some 96 miles to Buffalo, New York, for the good things of city life. Now theyre more content to view that American city fron the Canadian National Tower. t, The tallest freestanding structure on earth symbolizes the heights to which Toronto has risen. 1815-foo- Five boroughs and a central core have evolved into a contemporary, exciting metropolitan area of cultural diversity. Dubbed a mosaic rather than a melting pot, Toronto boasts more than four dozen ethnic and nationality groups living within its borders, and celebrations during Sports collections fill the Hockey Hall Fame and Canadas Sports Hall of Fame; and inland bating memorabilia highlights the Marine Museum of Upper Canada. These three museums are located at Exhibition Place, 350-achome of the Canadian National Exhibition that begins August 18 and runs to September 6, 1982. The CNE, said to be the worlds largest annual exposition, is a state fair, agricultural exhibition, circus, and long midway all rolled into one, attracting 3 million people annually. It hosts big-naentertainers and events ranging from a Mayors Bathtub Derby to lumberjack demonstrations to the Scottish World Festival Tattoo. AND AS IF that werent enough, walk through Exhibition Place and over a bridge, and youre at Ontario Place. Three man-mad- e islands plunked into Lake Ontario hold 96 acres of family entertainment, from Cinesphere, with movie screen; to the its Forum, an open-a-ir amphitheater which attracts star performers, symphony, ballet, and more to its revolving stage; to Ontario north Now, with its theme pavilions showcasing northern Ontarios natural resources, business and industry, sports and recreation; and Childrens Village, featuring imaginative landplay and waterplay areas of supervised fun for children 12 and under. All of this family pleasure and more is included in the low Ontario Place admission price (during the CNE, its own admission price includes Ontario Place as well), which leaves only commercial enterprises such as boutiques, pedal boats, and dining establishments to make a pitch for any additional cash. Family enjoyment can also be found, thirty miles from town, at Canadas Wonderland. This theme park, Canadas first, offers 370 acres of entertainment, restaurants, rides, games, and fantasy. of mile-and-a-h- s Michael and Carolyn Manheim are a e travel writing team from Marblehead, Massachusetts. free-lanc- Foundation Automobile Museum, for those who would rather regard mechanical beauty, and the Ontario Science Centre, where over 550 please touch exhibits make it more of a funhouse than a learning institution. re the summer months bring some of that diversity right onto the city streets. After all, the name Toronto, from a Huron Indian word, does mean place of meeting. One year-roun- d meeting place is the landmark City Hall complex, with its two towers curving in around a domed Council Chamber. Tours, visitor information services, and an observation deck attract people into the buildings. Their plaza, called Nathan Phillips square, is frequently the site of art shows, open air concerts, and other activities. Plants arranged here, to form striking designs of floral art, flourish during the outdoor growing season. PLANT LIFE OF A different sort at the Metro Toronthrives year-roun- d to Zoo. This zoo demonstrates the relationship of natures work throughout 710 acres, and comes up with some pleasurable esthetics in the process. Natural habitats of five continents are recreated as realistically as possible, with rain forests, woodlands, deserts, and swamps hosting a wonderful array of wildlife. Toronto has many other collections of note, including the Royal Ontario Museum reopened July 1 with its addition and renovation), famed for its Chinese art. The adjoining McLaughlin Planetariums Theatre of the Stars puts viewing into yet another dimension. The Art Gallery of Ontario houses the biggest and best collection of Henry Moore sculptures, and the works artists and old masters as well. Theres the Craven of other contemporary six-sto- ry attracts tourists from near and far. Torontos CN Tower looms in the background. The TORONTO IS NOT, however, overattractions. whelmed by space-ag- e Theres a genuine respect for the past. Historical attractions throughout Metro Toronto are there for the touring, including Campbell House, Calbome lodge, Fort York, Bigson House, the Grange, Mackenzie house, Todmorden Mills, and the castle on the hill: room Casa Loma is a ninety-eight castle, completed in 1914 at a cost of several million dollars. Over at Black Creek Pioneer Village, people recreate the roles of their 1800s counterparts in this typical early Ontario farm settlement. So theres an ongoing respect for the past in Totonto, although some of the older architecture has encountered Toronto offers a wide range of shopping areas, from Kensington Market to The Galleria of Eaton Centre, shown here. . contemporary touches. The Yorkville area of Victorian house has been transformed into boutiques, restaurants, outdoor cafes, galleries, and such. The Mervish Village restorations have followed suit on a smaller and more flamboyant scale, thanks to the efforts of Ed Mervish. Hes also known for such enterprises as Honest Eds, a discount- - W arehouse,- Eds' Which IS ttttUQIy a restaur-- ' atore-'-with'-Ha- if; - ant whose furnishings conof exquisite antiques; and his more sedate undertaking, the tastefully ornate, Victorian-styl- e Royal Alexandra theater. TORONTO HAS ABOUT 30 other live theaters and an abundance of other pleasures going for it, from parades, festivals. City Hall plaza functions, and more, to the activities of one area known as much for its local color as for its gastronomic offerings. Kinsington Market is an assemblage of stores and stalls, up and down the streets of its section of town. Food is the biggest draw here, including produce, cheeses, live chickens, and countless ethnic specialties. Its a cultural microcosm of the city, where the bargainings bound to go on in a variety of languages. When I was young, recalled a we shopped in KenTorontonian, sington Market because we were too poor to go anywhere else. Now, he marveled, Its a tourist attraction. And so is the rest of Toronto. Buffalo residents might be more inclined to be visitors than hosts these days. Metro .Toronto .has become a great JestnwtionJn Its own fight, thrift-stor- e Salt trast with a cluttered decor .ggj Lake Home August 8, 1982 H 1 5 |
