Explore Toronto by applying for Canada working holiday. For a traveler, the best way to orient yourself in a new city is to have a smattering of wisdom up your sleeve to be spontaneous, but not so much that the mystique of the destination is dimmed. Start planning your next vacation in Canada by taking a sneaky peak at these fun facts about Toronto, one of the biggest and most beloved cities in North America. This is the most multicultural city in the world.
A staggering half of the city’s population was born outside of Canada. People from around the world have migrated here for a number of reasons, notably because it ranks as the 7th most livable city in the world. The result? Toronto boasts some 200+ ethnic groups who speak over 180 languages and dialects, making it one of the most diverse and welcoming cities in the world too. Not only does this make for vibrant city energy, but the cultural melting pot of Toronto also offers no shortage of neighborhoods with their own customs and styles, just begging to be explored.
Toronto features many international neighborhoods that are waiting to be explored, including Chinatown, Greektown, Roncesvalles Village (Little Poland), Little Italy, and Little India.
There’s nothing Torontonians love more than a street festival, and with so many different cultures around it seems like there’s always an excuse to get together and celebrate. Some of the city’s most popular festivals include the Roncesvalles Polish Festival, which serves up Polish culture with Polka music and pierogi dumplings, and the Toronto Chinatown Festival, where you’ll find martial arts performances, authentic Asian street foods, and lion and dragon dancing.
For every nationality that’s represented in Toronto, there’s probably a corresponding neighborhood that proudly represents its cultural heritage. Some of Toronto’s coolest neighborhoods to check out include Greektown, with lively Greek tavernas and pastry shops, super cool Koreatown, and trendy Annex, just adjacent to the University of Toronto St. George campus. Here you can check out the historic Philosopher’s Walk, a scenic footpath through beautifully preserved campus buildings from the 19th century.
Be sure to also put aside time for exploring Chinatown…because there are six of them! Toronto has one of the largest Chinatowns in North America in its downtown core but has five other primarily Chinese neighborhoods in the Greater Toronto area, including Markham and Mississauga. Is there anything that brings people together more than food? You might be confident that nothing beats your national cuisine, but spend a bit of time in Toronto and you’ll be humbled by the incredible variety of flavors you’ll come into contact with. But as the most multicultural city on the planet, you can expect to learn as much about the rest of the world as you can about Canada when you spend time here.