Toronto in the Cold
Rogers Centre, PATH, Nathan Phillip's Square and the CN Tower
Even in winter you cannot fail to enjoy the delights of Toronto, Canada. Check out the world's tallest free-standing building or the former SkyDome arena.
If you're daft enough to visit Toronto in December then thermal undies are essential together with numerous layers of lightweight clothing and good boots. Toronto is a double-decker city, existing at two levels, above and below ground, and offering double value for your money.
CN Tower and Rogers Centre
First stop for any visitor must be the CN Tower. The external glass-fronted elevator rockets skyward at over six metres per second taking 58 seconds to reach a height of 346 metres. The viewing galleries provide panoramic views of Toronto and the surrounding Canadian countryside. On a clear day you can see for nearly 75 miles to Niagara Falls and Buffalo, U.S.A.
Down one level at 342 metres is the Glass Floor. Covering an area of about 250 square feet it is strong enough to support fourteen large hippos. Step on if you dare!
At the top of the Tower you’ll find a revolving restaurant, a nightclub, souvenir shop, and café, in addition to many exhibitions and displays.
Back at ground level the Rogers Centre (formerly the SkyDome) is just a short walk away. Take a guided tour of this massive sports stadium, home to Toronto's famous Blue Jays and Toronto Argonauts football team.
The stadium has the world's first fully retractable roof taking twenty minutes to open or close, at a rate of 21 metres per minute. The stadium is massive: a 31-storey building would fit comfortably inside the closed dome!
Going underground
You can warm up below ground in Toronto’s “underground”, known as PATH. The PATH can be accessed from the subway system and also from almost every office block, department store or large building at surface level.
This is a vast complex of walkways and shopping malls where you can shop 'till you drop protected from the extremities of the weather. It offers everything from hotels to healthcare, dog parlours to dentists. There are even indoor gardens where you can enjoy your picnic.
Go skating!
If you can face going out in minus zero temperatures then it’s worth taking a walk round Nathan Phillips Square located immediately in front of Toronto City Hall, on the northwest corner of Queen and Bay Streets. The centre-piece of the Square is a man-made lake that doubles as an outdoor ice rink in winter. Visitors can hire skates for a modest fee.
The Square is at the heart of Toronto’s Cavalcade of Lights festival, a month of spectacular events and amazing lighting displays. The First Lighting Celebration will take place on 24th November 2007 when 100,000 lights will illuminate the square and a gigantic Christmas Tree. Party-goers will enjoy live music and Toronto City Hall will be lit up by a tremendous fireworks display. Celebrations continue every Saturday night during December. In 2006 the lighting displays spread beyond the boundaries of Nathan Philips Square with displays in nineteen neighbourhoods.
CN Tower - 310 Front Street West.
Rogers Centre - 1 Blue Jays Way.
