Get to know Toronto, Canada in today’s Exploring Geography Post, brought to you by Jen of Kitchen Counter Chronicles! Drop by her blog for all sorts of great ideas, like this post about sewing with children, this one about making crock pot yogurt, and this kid boredom solution!
I am so pleased to be sharing the city we live in: Toronto, Canada. Toronto is the largest city in Canada, with a population of over 2 million people. Might not seem large when compared with other major cities in the world, but for Canada it’s big. If you know anything about Toronto, it is probably that we are the home of one of the largest free standing towers in the world…the CN Tower.
While the CN Tower is a fabulous marvel in modern architecture and technology, it is not really the treasure of Toronto. To find the true treasure you have to hop on a ferry and visit the Toronto Island. The Toronto Island is situated only a 5 minute ferry ride from downtown. Hop off the ferry and you enter a beautiful world. There is a quaint amusement park, paved trails (and no cars), beaches to swim and plenty of spots to spark your imagination.
Another great spot to visit in the city is the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM). The ROM is home to a large collection of dinosaurs, which all kids love. There is also a fun discovery area, where kids can explore history with their very own hands.
Now, if you don’t have a chance to make it to our lovely city, don’t fret. Pick up the wonderful book of poetry, Alligator Pie by Dennis Lee. Dennis Lee is an award winning poet who was born and raised in Toronto. He writes wildly creative children’s poetry that reflects the spirit of Toronto. Here is an example of of one of Lee’s comical poems, featuring famous streets and landmarks in Toronto.
Bed Song
"Yonge Street, Bloor Street,
Queen Street, King:
Catch an itchy monkey
With a piece of string.
Eaton’s, and Simpson’s
and Honest Ed’s:
Give him his pyjamas
and throw him into beds!"
I hope you have enjoyed this little introduction to Toronto. There is so much that I would love to share with you. Toronto is a multicultural city bustling with fabulous cultural and artistic events. Stop by anytime!
In her "previous life" Jen was a mental health professional… in her current life she’s a stay-at-home mom, living in Toronto, with 2 beautifully adventurous kids. Jen shares everything that lands on her kitchen counter over on her blog, Kitchen Counter Chronicles. Swing by and learn how they are greening their lives; what they are crafting and what they are cooking. While you will often find Jen and her girls inside the kitchen, you will also find them out and about getting their hands dirty, exploring their great city.
Thank you, Jen, for this engaging introduction to Toronto! I hope to visit your beautiful city someday, and in the meantime we’ll be checking out some of Dennis Lee’s poetry!
Would you like to share your city, state, or country through this blog? Email mamasmilesblog at gmail dot com!
MaryAnne is a craft loving educator, musician, photographer, and writer who lives in Silicon Valley with her husband Mike and their four children.
This is great site to discover, love the pictures of our beloved Toronto and the chronicle is so interesting. Wish something like this was written on my beautiful town. Congratulations to Jenn
How neat to have a car-free area so close to the city! I knew the CN Tower was Canadian, but I didn’t know what city or the tower’s name. Thanks for the information!
How neat to have a car-free area so close to the city! I knew the CN Tower was Canadian, but I didn’t know what city or its name. Thanks for the information!
I’m just down the highway from you in Hamilton!
*waving*
We have lots of friends from Toronto. I’ve visited near there but never actually been to Toronto.
I love Toronto! I have so many cousins there. When we lived in Chicago we used to drive up at least once a month. Beautiful city, great post!
It does look like a fun place to visit.
We were so close, but we didn’t have our passports? :(
I love your geography posts! They are fantastic!