Toronto: Canada's Biggest City in Constant Search of Identity
Toronto is the most diverse city on Earth - over half its population was born outside Canada, representing every nationality, speaking over 200 languages. The city that exists today is unrecognizable from the conservative 'Toronto the Good' of mid-20th century, when Sunday shopping was banned and entertainment was suspect. Immigration transformed everything: the neighborhoods became global villages, the food became world-class, the culture became whatever culture 6 million people from everywhere brought with them. Toronto spent decades in the shadow of Montreal's sophistication and New York's importance; it emerged as something different: a city defined by diversity rather than any single identity, perpetually uncertain whether that's enough.
The Tower
The CN Tower dominated Toronto's skyline from 1976 until condominiums began catching up. At 1,815 feet, it was the world's tallest free-standing structure for 34 years, a concrete needle transmitting broadcast signals and national ambition. The tower was built by Canadian National Railway (thus 'CN') to solve a practical problem - Toronto's growing skyline was blocking TV signals - but it became symbolic of a city asserting itself. The observation deck and glass floor attract tourists; the revolving restaurant rotates once per hour; the EdgeWalk offers controlled terror at 1,168 feet. The tower remains Toronto's most recognizable structure, even as condos crowd around its base.
The Neighborhoods
Toronto's neighborhoods are global territories: Chinatown (actually multiple Chinatowns), Little Italy, Greektown on the Danforth, Little India on Gerrard, Korea Town, Little Jamaica. The Kensington Market area resists gentrification through sheer diversity; the St. Lawrence Market has been selling produce since 1803. Each neighborhood maintains distinct character: restaurants, businesses, community centers, and street signage in languages that reflect the residents. The diversity isn't segregation - people move between neighborhoods constantly - but each area maintains identity. Toronto is both a single city and a collection of villages, depending on where you stand.
Rob Ford
Rob Ford was elected mayor in 2010 on a platform of fiscal conservatism and got international attention for something else entirely: in 2013, reports emerged that he'd been filmed smoking crack cocaine. Ford initially denied it, then admitted it ('probably in one of my drunken stupors'), then refused to resign. His subsequent behavior - including knocking down a city councillor and making references to oral sex at press conferences - made Toronto international entertainment. Ford's supporters remained loyal; his brothers continued in politics. He died of cancer in 2016. The Ford era remains Toronto's strangest political chapter and evidence that dysfunction isn't exclusively American.
The Raptors
The Toronto Raptors won the NBA Championship in 2019 - Canada's first major North American sports championship in decades. The celebration shut down the city; 'We The North' became a national slogan; briefly, Toronto felt unified around something other than anxiety about identity. The Raptors matter because Toronto sports fans had suffered: the Maple Leafs hadn't won the Stanley Cup since 1967; the Blue Jays' 1990s championships were fading memory. The basketball team, born in 1995 with a dinosaur mascot, became the championship Toronto needed - proof that Canadian teams could compete and win.
Visiting Toronto
Toronto is served by Pearson International Airport (YYZ), connected to downtown by UP Express rail. The CN Tower is obligatory; the views extend across Lake Ontario to the Niagara escarpment on clear days. The Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) is excellent; the Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO) was renovated by Frank Gehry. St. Lawrence Market operates Saturday mornings; Kensington Market is best on weekends. The PATH underground walkway connects downtown buildings, useful in winter. The Toronto Islands offer beaches and skyline views, accessible by ferry. The neighborhoods reward exploration - pick a cuisine and find the neighborhood that does it best. The experience reveals Canada's most diverse city, still figuring out what that diversity means.
From the Air
Located at 43.65°N, 79.38°W on the northern shore of Lake Ontario. From altitude, Toronto appears as a dense urban core surrounded by suburban sprawl extending toward the horizon. The CN Tower is unmistakable, rising from the waterfront. The Toronto Islands arc in front of downtown, creating a protected harbor. The lake stretches south, America visible on clear days. The grid of the city extends north, interrupted by ravines that cut through the urban fabric. What appears from altitude as Canada's largest metropolitan area is the most diverse city on Earth - where half the population was born elsewhere, where the mayor once smoked crack on camera, and where the question of Canadian identity is asked and answered differently in every neighborhood.