2 Answers

Here are some fun, weird and just plain interesting facts I’ve dug up about the city of Toronto.

Toronto is Canada’s largest city with a population now of almost 5.6 million. The Greater Toronto area boasts 6,054,191 residents.

Toronto is the capital of Ontario.

Toronto is the 5th largest city in North America. Larger cities include Mexico City, New York City, LosAngeles and Chicago.

The city of Toronto started off as York, the capital of Upper Canada in 1793. York was incorporated and renamed Toronto in 1834.

Toronto is the world’s fourth most livable city.

Toronto has more than 8000 restaurants. And some restaurants are now encouraging a 20% tip.

The St. Lawrence Market is one of Canada’s great markets. The selection of food is outstanding. Runner up in my books is Kensington Market.

• Toronto has 301 days of measurable sunshine. December has the fewest days – only 19, while July and August have on average 30 days.


• On the summer solstice the sun rises at 5:37 am and sets at 9:03 pm. On the winter solstice the sun rises at 7:50 am and sets at 4:45 pm.


• The coldest temperature ever recorded in Toronto was -31.3C (-24.3F) on January 4, 1981. The windchill on that day was -44.7C (-48.5F), the coldest ever.


• The highest temperatures ever recorded were 41C (105F) from July 7-9 in 1936.


• Toronto had to deal with two major snowstorms two weeks apart in January 1999. The first dumped 40 centimeters (15.75 inches) and the second dumped 118 centimeters (46.5 inches).


• Over 30% of Toronto residents speak a language other than English and French. Just ride the subways and that fact will hit home. Dual language street signs can be found in Little Italy, Little Portugal and Chinatown.


• Caribana is the largest single day parade in North America. The parade route is 3.6 kilometers long. It starts at 10 am and finishes sometime around 8 pm. Over one million spectators come to see over 10,000 costumed participants.


• The Toronto Stock Exchange is the third largest in North America and the seventh largest in the world based on capitalization.


• Toronto ranks second as the world’s most business competitive global city.


• Toronto ranks as the twelfth most economically powerful city city in the world – based on economic output, innovation, its’ global economic power score and its’ financial center score.


• Yonge Street was once considered to be the longest street in the world. No more. It starts at Queen’s Quay and ends at a farm access lane west of Keswick – not 1,896 kilometers later in Rainy River as was originally thought.


• The Toronto Zoo is the largest in Canada. It is home to over 16,000 animals representing 491 species.

No, Toronto is located in Canada only it seems…….