Passport, please
International visitors (including our U.S. friends!) to Canada do need a passport to cross the border in either direction as of June 1, 2009. All visitors may be asked to verify citizenship (birth certificate, naturalization certificate, green card or passport) and show photo ID (e.g. driver’s license). If you’re under 16 and traveling parent-free—and good for you!—you should have a letter of authorization from a parent or guardian to travel to Canada. Anyone with a criminal record (including a drunk-driving charge) should contact the Canadian Embassy or nearest Consulate General before travel. U.S. citizens entering Canada from a third country must have a valid passport. In general, non-Americans will require a passport. For more information, call 1-800-992-7037 (from outside Canada), 1-888-242-2100 (from within Canada).
Tourist Info
Ontario Travel Information Centre: (Mon-Fri 8 am-8 pm, Sat-Sun 9 am – 6 pm, 1-800-668-2746) is located inside the Atrium on Bay Street.
Tourism Toronto: Keeps track of the city’s events and places of recreational interest. Also provides hotel information. 207 Queens Quay W, 4th floor. Maps, brochures available. 416-203-2600, www.SeeTorontoNow.
Toronto on tour: Toronto’s not hard to navigate on foot—the CN Tower makes a pretty nifty compass needle and the downtown core is fairly compact. Public transportation is clean, safe and straightforward. But if you’d rather someone show you around, here are a few options:
Gray Line Bus Tour: A two-hour narrated bus tour on a double-decker bus, offering a hop-on/hop-off option of the Toronto area departing from downtown hotels at various times and from the Bay Street bus terminal (610 Bay) twice daily. Year round except Dec 25. $34, srs $30, child $19. 416-594-3310, www.grayline.ca.
Hippo Bus Tours: This colourful vehicle, made up of a school bus chassis, flotation devices and a glass-roofed body, offers 90-minute narrated (Japanese, Mandarin, Spanish, French and German) urban safari tours of downtown and then enters the lake for a ride around Ontario Place. May-Oct daily, hourly 11 am-6 pm. $38, srs/stu $33, child $25. 151 Front W, 416-703-4476,www.torontohippotours.com.
Tall Ship Tours: A three-masted schooner sails the Toronto harbour and Lake Ontario. Various times. All tours depart from Queens Quay Terminal. 207 Queens Quay W. $10.95-$19.95. Reservations 416-203-2322, www.tallshipcruisestoronto.com.
Toronto Helicopter Company: For the ultimate Toronto sightseeing experience, take in the whole city from 2,000 feet. The flights are short (choose between a 9- and 14-minute flight) and they aren’t cheap (close to 100 bucks for the shorter tour), but the view—and the experience—is hard to top. Departs from Toronto City Centre Airport (Bathurst ferry). Reservations 416-203-3280, www.HeliTours.ca.
ACCOMMODATION
Best bet is the Hyatt Regency Toronto, NXNE’s official headquarters during the festival. To find out about other hotel options, no better place than TorontoHotels.ca. Based in Toronto, the site was designed and developed by local experts. You’ll find everything from downtown boutique suites to airport room deals, plus info on attractions and restaurants.
MONEY, TAX, DUTY and TIPPING
CURRENCY: Canada’s currency is the dollar. For denominations under $5 we use coins, including the loonie ($1 coin) and toonie ($2 coin). Paper money comes in different colours and designs: $5 bills (blue), $10 bills (purple), $20 bills (green), $50 bills (red) and $100 bills (brown). DO NOT accept $100 bills. Many businesses won’t take them because of counterfeiting. American money is widely accepted, although exchange rates can vary and change will be returned in Canadian currency. Currency exchange is available at banks and kiosks (look for the Thomas Cook sign) throughout the city, as well as in the airport. Cash machines/ATMs (Plus/Cirrus/Interac) are numerous and easy to find, and even the pay-and-display parking machines accept credit cards (Visa, MasterCard, American Express).
SALES TAX: The Goods and Services Tax (GST) is a 5- per cent tax charged on most goods and services sold or provided in Canada. Purchases are also subject to the 8 per cent Provincial Sales Tax (PST). Foreign visitors can apply for a GST rebate (similar to the European VAT rebate) on accommodation (up to 30 nights per visit) and on goods exported within 60 days of purchase, so keep your receipts. For more info, visit www.cra.gc.ca/visitors or call 1-800-668-4748 (within Canada) or 1-902-432-5608 (from outside Canada).
DUTY-FREE BOOTY: Visitors should check the customs regulations in their home country regarding what items they may bring back. American citizens, for example, are allowed to bring back $400 (retail value) in merchandise duty-free from Canada, provided they have been out of the U.S. for 48 hours. This amount may include:
- 1 carton of cigarettes
- 100 cigars (not Cubans)
- 2 kilograms of smoking tobacco
- 1 litre of alcohol
If the stay is less than 48 hours, $200 in merch may be taken back, including 5 ounces of alcohol and 50 cigs.
The following items are not permitted:
- Cuban or Iranian products
- fruits and vegetables
- uncooked grains
Goods bought in Canada but manufactured in the U.S. are duty free, as are handmade crafts and works of art (although make sure to keep your receipts handy). For more info on U.S. customs regulations, visit www.customs.ustreas.gov or call 905-676-2606.
TIPPING: If the food was good and the service friendly (as in all NXNE venues!), a 15- to 20-per cent tip on the pre-tax bill is standard. (Note: some restaurants automatically add the gratuity, so check your bill.) The same goes for services such as haircuts and taxi rides.
METRIC SYSTEM: Distance is measured by kilometres (km); speed signs are in kilometres per hour (km/h). Miles x 1.6 = kilometres; kilometres x 0.6 = miles (50 mph = 80 km/h; 100 km/h = 62 mph). Volume, baby, is measured in decibels, and after midnight, certain NXNE venues have been known to challenge supersonic jets for sheer ear-splitting intensity.
PUBLIC HOLIDAYS:
- New Year’s Day: January 1
- Good Friday: Friday before Easter
- Easter Monday: Monday following Easter
- Victoria Day: Monday before May 24
- Canada Day: July 1
- Civic Holiday: first Monday in August
- Labour Day: first Monday in September
- Thanksgiving: second Monday in October
- Remembrance Day: November 11
- Christmas Day: December 25
- Boxing Day: December 26
LANGUAGES: Canada has two official languages, English and French. In addition, the top five languages spoken in Toronto are Cantonese, Italian, Tamil, Portuguese and Spanish.
TELEPHONE: The GTA has three area codes: 416, 905 and 647, with 416 the most central.
INFO LINES: “access Toronto”: Public info, general inquiry service and referrals for the City of Toronto. Call centre Mon-Fri 8 am-5 pm, access in person at City Hall and civic centres Mon-Fri 8:30 am-4:30 pm. 416-338-0338, www.toronto.ca.
Arts, Culture & Heritage: Responsible for operating and administering many museums, historic sites and performing and visual arts centres.�
416-338-3888.
BEACH HOTLINE AND SUN REPORT: Starting in June, a recorded message on the hotline indicates which T.O. beaches are safe for swimming. 416-392-7161.
Children’s Services: Provides info and referrals to families seeking licensed childcare in group or private home settings, before- and after-school care, summer camps, family support services and special needs resources. 416-392-KIDS (5437).
Community Info Toronto: This free, multilingual community, social, health and government information and referral service runs 24 hours a day.
Dial 2-1-1, www.211toronto.ca.
Government of Canada: Dial 1-800-O-Canada (622-6232).
HERITAGE TORONTO: Gatekeeper of the old amid the new, Heritage historical sites are maintained by the City of Toronto. St. Lawrence Hall, 157 King E, 416-338-0684, www.heritagetoronto.org.
Marriage Licences: Issued for gay, lesbian and straight marriages at City Hall and civic centres. Ceremonies can also be held at City Hall. 416-338-0338.
PARKS AND RECREATION INFO: Information on T.O. recreation programs such as tree planting, nature-trail hiking, swimming and tennis. 416-338-4FUN (4386), 416-392-1111.
POOL HOTLINE: Information on locations and opening hours of Toronto’s outdoor pools. 416-338-POOL (7665).
Province of Ontario: Dial 416-326-1234.
Shelter, Housing & Support: Provides emergency shelter to single people and families. 416-397-5637.
Tenancy Issues: Referral service for tenants and landlords. 416-397-4502.
Toronto Animal Services: Licenses and registers pets, picks up stray and injured animals, gives advice and info on city wildlife. 416-338-PAWS (7297).
Toronto Community Housing: Provides affordable housing for seniors, families and individuals with low to moderate incomes. 416-981-6111.
Toronto Parking Authority: 416-393-7275.
Toronto Public Health: Provides programs for new mothers, dental care, drug and substance abuse treatment, immunizations and restaurant inspections.
416-338-7600.
Toronto Social Services: Provides employment assistance programs and support services. 416-392-2956.
Waste Management Services: Collects and disposes of garbage and recyclable materials. 416-338-2010.
Parlez-vous Français?
Canada is officially a bilingual country; yet, in Toronto, French culture can seem invisible because there’s no geographic region in the city to anchor the 300,000-strong community.
The Alliance Française de Toronto (24 Spadina Road, 416-922-2014, www.alliance-francaise.ca) acts as the de facto cultural hub of Franco-Ontarian cultural activities, offering art shows, event listings and French lessons designed to make you feel smarter than you did in high school. It has a hand in organizing events on French holidays such as Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day (June 24) and the Semaine de la Francophonie (mid-March).
Toronto-Franco (www.toronto-franco.com) is a fairly new organization dedicated to bringing together Franco-Ontarians on the Web. The only French-language Toronto newspaper is L’Express (www.lexpress.to), while TV needs are served by TFO (www.tfo.org), screening a selection of kids’ shows, educational programs and documentaries. French films are often screened at Cinematheque Ontario (www.e.bell.ca/filmfest/cinematheque), while the National Film Board (www.nfb.ca) screens films from France and Quebec on the first Thursday of the month at its Mediatheque (150 John) as part of the Ciné Jeudi series (www.onf.ca).
If you’re looking for a good French book to read (or a good book en français), then check out Maison de la Presse International (99 Yorkville Ave, Toronto, 416-928-2328).
There’s a healthy selection of live theatre in French, offered by the Théâtre Français de Toronto (www.theatrefrancais.com) and Théâtre la Tangente de Toronto (www.theatrelatangente.ca). For kids, the Harbourfront Centre (www.harbourfrontcentre.com) provides art workshops in French, as well as a few plays staged as part of the superb Milk Festival. The Royal Ontario Museum (www.rom.on.ca) has succeeded in spawning Les Amis Francophile du ROM.
For a more informal scene, check out the Wednesday-night parties at the Bedford Academy (36 Prince Arthur, 416-921-4600) and practice your best French bar talk.
Toronto is a city of film festivals, and each spring it hosts Cinéfranco (www.cinefranco.com), a 10-day feast of French-language cinema from around the world. All films include English subtitles, and many of them (particularly the comedies) won’t receive a commercial release in North American theatres. Almost as much fun as the films themselves is watching the double- and triple-cheek kissing in the queues to get in.
Finally, if you need a place to stay, the French Connection B&B (102 Burnside, 416-537-7741, www.thefrenchconnection.com) will meet all of votre besoins et désirs.
Weather
Weather Info Line: 416-661-0123. A 24-hour, regularly updated,
recorded weather report from Environment Canada. See also www.theweathernetwork.com.
Contrary to some perceptions, Canada is not an Arctic wasteland (at least not all of it, and especially not Toronto during North by Northeast!). While conditions vary from season to season (and sometimes hour to hour), Toronto’s climate is among the mildest in Canada, and the city experiences weather similar to New York and Detroit. Toronto is also on the same geographic latitude as the French Riviera, although that’s where the similarities – geographic and otherwise – end.
Toronto summers are warm and sunny and often pretty damn humid. Shorts, T-shirts and a good antiperspirant are definitely needed. The respiratorily challenged might want to pack inhalers and oxygen masks due to Toronto’s frequent smog alerts. Other than the occasional need to chew your air before swallowing, it’s perfect weather for seeing the sights.
Yeah, but what about the winters? Sure, there’s snow – Canada isn’t called the Great White North because of a cocaine habit – and Toronto routinely gets a few inches of powder here and there. There’s the occasional freezing-rain shower, but for every bitter cold snap there’s a mild period that triggers a midwinter afternoon of premature patio sitting. Really, though, it’s the wind chill that most locals complain about. For the uninitiated, wind chill is the “feels like” temperature created by that little breeze off the lake that in summer is pleasantly cooling and in winter is just plain ass-numbing, as in “If it weren’t for the wind chill I could still feel my ass.” Fortunately, such bitter cold days are becoming fewer and fewer (thank you, global warming!) and besides, much of the downtown area is linked by enclosed walkways and underground tunnels. If you do have to venture out on one of these cold days and you don’t want to risk frostbite, dress in layers, lots and lots of layers. And gloves. And hats. And scarves. And boots. (As you can tell, fashion takes a back seat to a Toronto winter.) The rest of the year – that’s spring and fall – the temps are moderate (and occasionally quite balmy).
Bottom line? During NXNE, don’t pack the parkas, Virginia.
24-hour places
Bloor Super Save: All-night grocery store with a good – and crunchy – selection of fresh vegetables and fruits. 384 Bloor W, 416-964-8318.
Metro: Large supermarket open daily around the clock. 580 Bloor W, and others, 416-923-9099.
Kinko’s Copies: For late-night workaholics. Well equipped with assisted and self-serve photocopying equipment. 459 Bloor W, 416-928-0110.
Rabba’s Fine Foods: For the best ingredients in trendy cuisine for late-night noshing. 252 Queens Quay W, and others, 416-260-8869.
