Canadians in/from Toronto, Canada!

[IR5FORMUMSIE 850]

I don't think it was Purdy...I would remember that name (one of my fav Canadian authors was Al Purdy)

One of my English teachers told me about Al Purdy. She was at one of his poetry readings and, as usual, he was sh*t-faced. Ever the gentleman he didn't proposition her for sex, he asked her to marry him. I seem to recall that Al Purdy broke out of jail once too.

[JillA 2]

Something happened in Toronto last night that really upset me.... A friend of a friend (I didn't know the victim personally) was beaten to death and run over by 4 men in the Entertainment District. He happened to be gay, and it could *possibly* be a hate crime but the police will not yet speculate that it was in fact a hate crime, but it's possible. To hear about something like that in TO.... I mean you hear about hate crimes against gays in the Southern US, but rarely in Canada. It really made me so sad and for my friend too, who lost a good friend.

http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/crime/arti...n-man-s-killing

[CanAmerican 0]

From Toronto....Brampton more specifically...We just like to say Toronto b/c ppl dont usually know where Brampton is

Went to U of T for Bachelors Degree...then went to UWO for my Masters Degree. Now im back home...and waiting for my VISA!!!

this is exactly WHY they need to do VISA processing in T.O. There are so many ppl close to T.O!!

[darkchilde794 5]

From Toronto....Brampton more specifically...We just like to say Toronto b/c ppl dont usually know where Brampton is

Went to U of T for Bachelors Degree...then went to UWO for my Masters Degree. Now im back home...and waiting for my VISA!!!

this is exactly WHY they need to do VISA processing in T.O. There are so many ppl close to T.O!!

AMEN.

[CdnMN 0]

Hi Everyone,

I was reading the VJ posts here on the Canada forum and couldn't help but notice that there are quite a number of Canadian VJers have travelled through and/or are actually from Toronto, Canada...

So I was thinking: Why don't we start a message thread about this Canadian city?

Who knows, maybe this will help other VJers here too to learn more about Toronto too....

Anyone else from Toronto? Anyone else interested in talking about Toronto?

What do you like about Toronto? What do you hate about Toronto?

What places do you like to visit in Toronto? What places would you like to visit?

Feel free to share your thoughts, ideas, suggestions, etc. about the big city of T.O. here on this message thread!

Happy Toronto Travels!

Ant (A former Torontonian...)

I'm originally from Brampton. Spent lots of time in Toronto when I was a kid. Rush concerts at Maple Leaf Gardens every New Years Eve. Summer concerts at the EX. Ahhh those were the days.

I loved driving around the different districts in TO. The food you could get was awesome. It almost made up for the horror of having to drive around. Spadina was one of my favorite places.

I suppose I should be thankful for the driving experience I got from driving around TO; Driving around the Twin Cities is a pain.

What do I miss most about back home? I loved pubs....they just don't seem to have thesame atmosphere here....and English Style fish and chips.

Ken

[CdnMN 0]

Something happened in Toronto last night that really upset me.... A friend of a friend (I didn't know the victim personally) was beaten to death and run over by 4 men in the Entertainment District. He happened to be gay, and it could *possibly* be a hate crime but the police will not yet speculate that it was in fact a hate crime, but it's possible. To hear about something like that in TO.... I mean you hear about hate crimes against gays in the Southern US, but rarely in Canada. It really made me so sad and for my friend too, who lost a good friend.

http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/crime/arti...n-man-s-killing

Toronto sure has changed for the worse...as well as surrounding cities. Every time I go back for a visit, it seems there is another shooting or other violent attack on the streets.

I remember walking around at night all over the place...TO, Bramptonn Mississauga; you never had to worry. Now when we go back for a visit, I won't let my wife go to the corner store alone.

It's sad what has happened.

[antda 13]

Hi Everyone,

Wow, I'm surprised that this message thread about Toronto became very popular here on VJ, indeed!

I guess in some way or other, we can relate to this big city in Canada!

It sure brought back a lot of memories to me, growing up in Toronto, from what you have posted here...

Lol..On that note, I almost to forgot to post about my thoughts about Toronto, so here is what I would like to say about that:

What I like about Toronto:

-There's always something to do there...Lol..sometimes a little too much to do!

-Favourite places and things to do: Parks (Centre Island, Bluffer's Park, High Park), The Beaches, Royal Ontario Museum, Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto Zoo, CN Tower, Skydome, Nathan Phillips Square (skating there in the middle of winter), CNE/The Ex, Ontario Place, etc.

-Favourite events: Doors Open, CN Tower stair climbs for charity, Taste of Toronto, Canada Day (fireworks), Multicltural Events throughout the year....

-It's Multicultural, Diverse, and welcome to new immigrants..."A Multicultural Moasic..."

-It has its share of interesting stories, and characters.....

What I don't like about Toronto:

-Traffic jams, noise, "too busy and chaotic"

-The significant amount of homelessness and poverty..

-The high crime rate/not very secure

How about you, what are your thoughts about Toronto? Keep those thoughts coming!

Ant

Edited October 24, 2009 by Ant+D+A

[Rhiannercakes 14]

I don't live very close to Toronto, but close enough.

I haven't really been there enough to really say anything about the city though.

All I've ever used it for is terminals for transportation.

[Tina&Roland 4]

I'm from Scarborough, a fellow Scarberian, if you will....been here ever since I came to Canada 17 years ago.

Anyone heard of the show "Cash Cab"? I once had the crazy idea to 'catch' the cash cab before leaving T.O. Anyway, that's one thing I'll miss. Love the show and the host

Tina

[Rhiannercakes 14]

I'm from Scarborough, a fellow Scarberian, if you will....been here ever since I came to Canada 17 years ago.

Anyone heard of the show "Cash Cab"? I once had the crazy idea to 'catch' the cash cab before leaving T.O. Anyway, that's one thing I'll miss. Love the show and the host

Tina

There's an American version of the show, I think it's even the same host.

He drives around New York.

[Tina&Roland 4]

I'm from Scarborough, a fellow Scarberian, if you will....been here ever since I came to Canada 17 years ago.

Anyone heard of the show "Cash Cab"? I once had the crazy idea to 'catch' the cash cab before leaving T.O. Anyway, that's one thing I'll miss. Love the show and the host

Tina

There's an American version of the show, I think it's even the same host.

He drives around New York.

I know there's the American version, but the host's not the same.

[antda 13]

Hi Tina&Roland,

No way! I'm a former Scarberian (lol..is that the right word?) too....Well, actually that's where I spent most of my childhhood in that part of the city too, as a former Canadian immigrant, and then became a Canadian citizen as a child. After that, I moved to other different parts of the city during my teenage years and adult years...

And years later, I'm now happily married in America, with a family, and am going for American citizenship.....

Funny how life takes a turn, and we all end up meeting at the same place here on vj..lol...

Wow, we have something in common there, definitely worth talking about here (or via pm)!

As for cash cab, funny..I just watched that show (the American version? never knew there was a Canadian version...) on tv about an hour ago..It's on the discovery channel here in the USA, so you can watch that show here too while you are here. Yup, gotta love Ben Bailey in NYC....especially with his weird accents when he lets the passangers in the cab...lol..

Good luck on your journey to America too, fellow Scarberian, Tina&Roland!

Ant

I'm from Scarborough, a fellow Scarberian, if you will....been here ever since I came to Canada 17 years ago.

Anyone heard of the show "Cash Cab"? I once had the crazy idea to 'catch' the cash cab before leaving T.O. Anyway, that's one thing I'll miss. Love the show and the host

Tina

Edited October 27, 2009 by Ant+D+A

[Tina&Roland 4]

Wow, great to know a fellow former Scarberian! Which high school did you go to? I went to Agincourt Collegiate Institute. Yeah, I've heard people call it Scarberia before, though many people now just say Toronto or GTA because of the amalgamation. I think when it comes to VJ, it's a small world

Tina

[antda 13]

Hi Tina&Roland,

Yeah..I spent about 10-15 or so years in that part of the city...lol..does that count as being a Scarberian? By the time I got to high school though, I moved to a different part of the city, so I didn't spend my high school years there in Scarborough. I have though, heard of and been inside Agincourt Collegiate, as I remember they had some weekend language/math program there for elementary school kids, which I attended for a brief time on weekends (yeah, my parents wanted me to study on weekends for extra credit..lol..). Hey, did you know that Jim Carrey (the actor) spent some time as a high school student at Agincourt too? There's also a community centre next to/nearby that high school too, which has a cool skating rink and swimming area in it. (lol...took my husband skating there once..back in our old dating days....and we also went to the Scarborough Bluffs....which we go back to visit every time we're in Toronto, as it holds a special meaning to us...lol....but that's another story..). I still though, have some family that live in the Scarborough part of the city (my grandparents, actually), and the other part of my family in another part of the city..Sure makes for good travelling around Toronto...lol....Toronto is so big indeed!

Hey, you remember when Scarborough celebrated its 200th anniversary, about 10 years ago or so? Think they had some sort of celebration or something like that there.

Lol..we as Torontonians (spelling error?) know that there are different "parts" of the city! Oh I still remember the days before Toronto became the "mega city". Each part of the city is so different...wish they could have kept it this way....Now Toronto is way too big for it's own good!

Though big city aside, it's a funny co-incidence that we all meet here on VJ...Small world..Welcome from Scarborough to America!

Ant

Wow, great to know a fellow former Scarberian! Which high school did you go to? I went to Agincourt Collegiate Institute. Yeah, I've heard people call it Scarberia before, though many people now just say Toronto or GTA because of the amalgamation. I think when it comes to VJ, it's a small world

Tina

Edited October 27, 2009 by Ant+D+A

[Tina&Roland 4]

Hi Tina&Roland,

Yeah..I spent about 15 or so years in that part of the city...lol..does that count as being a Scarberian? By the time I got to high school though, I moved to a different part of the city, so I didn't spend my high school years there in Scarborough. I have though, heard of and been inside Agincourt Collegiate, as I remember they had some weekend language/math program there for elementary school kids, which I attended for a brief time on weekends (yeah, my parents wanted me to study on weekends for extra credit..lol..). Hey, did you know that Jim Carrey (the actor) spent some time as a high school student at Agincourt too? There's also a community centre next to/nearby that high school too, which has a cool skating rink and swimming area in it. (lol...took my husband skating there once..back in our old dating days....and we also went to the Scarborough Bluffs....which we go back to visit every time we're in Toronto, as it holds a special meaning to us...lol....but that's another story..). I still though, have some family that live in the Scarborough part of the city (my grandparents, actually), and the other part of my family in another part of the city..Sure makes for good travelling around Toronto...lol....Toronto is so big indeed!

Hey, you remember when Scarborough celebrated its 200th anniversary, about 10 years ago or so? Think they had some sort of celebration or something like that there.

Lol..we as Torontonians (spelling error?) know that there are different "parts" of the city! Oh I still remember the days before Toronto became the "mega city". Each part of the city is so different...wish they could have kept it this way....Now Toronto is way too big for it's own good!

Though big city aside, it's a funny co-incidence that we all meet here on VJ...Small world..Welcome from Scarborough to America!

Ant

Wow, great to know a fellow former Scarberian! Which high school did you go to? I went to Agincourt Collegiate Institute. Yeah, I've heard people call it Scarberia before, though many people now just say Toronto or GTA because of the amalgamation. I think when it comes to VJ, it's a small world

Tina

Yeah, I totally knew that Jim Carrey went to ACI and yes, there still is a community centre nearby. Since we didn't have a pool at our school, that's where we went for swimming. I don't quite remember when Scarborough celebrated its 200th anniversary, though. I think I was probably too focused on my university studies to bother with that...lol.

Anyway, thanks for the big welcome to the US. I see that you are in New York now. Was it a big change for you? I'm going to Indianapolis, which is a much smaller city than Toronto. I'm so afraid that I'll get a culture shock..haha. At least now my fiance is there and I'm not going there blind

Take care,

Tina