Trip to Canada

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I am planning a trip to Toronto for the World of Commodore Exhibition in December 2010. I will be staying at the Admiral Inn Mississauga which I believe is about twenty miles from the city centre and about an hour away from Niagra Falls.

I would welcome any advice about things to do and places to see -- especially train journeys through the mountains etc.

Also, if any Aspies in the Toronto/Mississauga area are interested in doing a meet-up at some point, let me know.

If you wanna blend in with the locals, follow every sentence with "eh?", and in words like "about", you make them sound like - "Ab'oh't"; Simply replace "ou" with "oh". They're a special bunch, those Canucks!

First thing to realize is that we have a vast country. A train journey through the mountains (say from Edmonton to Vancouver) is a couple of thousand kilometres away from Toronto and Mississauga!

That being said, there are no end to the possibilities of diversion in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). What I can recommend, though, depends upon your interests.

Feel free to be a bit more specific about your interests and your budge, and I (and others I am sure) will be happy to make constructive suggestions.

No mountains in Ontario, but your welcome to come out to Alberta or British Columbia

Unlike some of out american friends who end every other word with "you alll" or "you know", they are a very special bunch those Yanks ; P

Besides the health care, what are some other differences between Canada and the U.S.?

Anyway, the closest Canadian province to me is Manitoba, closest metro area is Winnipeg.

I have seen people on here representing every province except Prince Edward Island and Nunavut.

I'm sure that you'll have a great time in Canada. I live in BC right now. It's very nice.

The truth is Tim there isn't that much different between Canadians and Americans, and these days most cities look exactly the same when you drive between them, all the same stores and restaurants, even people sound the same now, its not true that people here say ehh or aboot, and the only Americans I have met talked just like me.

I know, Canada's health care is so good that Canadians keep coming over to Buffalo and Detroit to take advantage of it!

Anyways, a bit closer to Toronto is Sault Saint Marie, ON (aboot 7-8 hours' drive time) and their Agawa Canyon tour train. Their daytrip goes through some of the unique Lawrentian Shield area north of Lake Superior - it is incredibly rugged and GORGEOUS. When you are done there, a quick drive into the USA (aboot 30 minutes south of SSM on I-75) is the famous Mackinac Bridge, one of North America's engineering marvels.

One thing that Europeans have troubles with is grasping just how VAST North America, both Canada and the USA, is. USA states and Canadian provinces are similar in geographic size to average European COUNTRIES. Chicago is at least one day's drive time from NYC and Los Angeles is three to four days beyond there. Distances and drive times in Canada are similar.

Enjoy!

Mike

Me and another user nansnick are planning to have a meet-up in December. Do you have a specific date in mind? It all depends on the day that you're going to be free. A few other members have expressed their interest in meeting up, and as far as I'm aware, they're available on most days.

If you want to meet up with us, as soon as you know of the specific date(s), let me know. Meeting new Aspies is always fun

I was born there and lived there for 38 years, about 15 of them in Toronto.

I recommend that you go up the CN Tower and take pictures from the observation deck. You can't miss it, it's the tallest structure on the horizon. You won't find any mountains in Toronto, though. That's another 3000 mile journey west. If you've never been on a modern subway, go on the TTC. There are two lines, north-south and east-west. Much of the city also has electric streetcars on major streets. It's better than driving, and you can buy a day pass for unlimited travel on the subways, buses and streetcars and not have to worry about getting transfers. You may like the Art Gallery of Ontario. If you have, or can borrow ice skates, you could go for a skate on the public rink at City Hall (Nathan Philips Square) on Queen Street just west of Yonge (pronounced Young, the city's main drag). There are all manner of theaters and clubs with live entertainment. There is a series of underground shopping malls, in the basement level of all the skyscrapers down Yonge Street from Dundas all the way to Union Station on Front Street, where all the trains come in. It's an interesting walk through all of them until you get to Union, and then you can go look at the architecture of the train station - all without having to go outside.

There are restaurants of every ethnicity's food you can think of, in different areas. Find a Greek restaurant, and have a real souvlaki. There's Chinatown, on Dundas St., west of Yonge. Italian, Polish, Japanese, you name it, there's a restaurant serving their kind of food somewhere in the city. You MUST try poutine. This is french fries with thick chicken gravy and melty cheese curds. It is the best indigenous Canadian food, imported from Quebec. Now you can get it just about anywhere (well, not everywhere - most Americans have never heard of it, so I haven't had any since I came here 11 years ago). Ask any person on the street where to find some good poutine, and you'll be directed to a place to find it.

Niagara Falls is about an hour's drive around the lake (probably more, due to traffic) down Queen Elizabeth Way (QEW) (called "the Queen E" by the locals) past Hamilton, at the end of Lake Ontario, continuing east. If you are unlikely to be visiting the area again anytime soon, you may wish to set aside some time to see the falls, and get some pictures. They are lit up at night, which is a pretty sight, and in December, there may be lots of ice hanging off the cliffs and in the river. That reminds me - dress warmly, in layers. Get some good gloves, made of Thinsulate, and some warm boots with good tread, and a winter coat with a hood. A scarf will be handy, too. You probably are not ready for how cold it can get there. Toronto's cold is compounded by the humidity of the area, and the winds blowing in off the lake. I have experienced wind chill of -30 degrees Fahrenheit.

I've only scratched the surface of the possibilities. You're sure to enjoy the city. Here's a link to a Google map of the area:
http://www.mto.gov.on.ca/english/travel ... 59648&z=10

As mentioned, Canada is a VAST place. You could fit several European countries just in the space of the province of Ontario. Wisguy's suggestion of a visit to Sault Ste. Marie is a nice one, but it's just incredibly freakin' far away from Toronto. I am confident that I wouldn't be wrong in saying that most people from Southern Ontario have never been there. It's pretty far north, which means they could be buried in snow. That's sort of a deterrent. It's beautiful in the summer, but as a native, I wouldn't really go out of my way to visit the Soo in winter unless I had an amazingly good reason (and in 38 years, one never came up). If you want to go to the States, you're MUCH closer at Niagara Falls.

Have fun!