Reuters Business Traveller

Toronto – Overview

Toronto lies on the northern shore of Lake Ontario, the easternmost of the Great Lakes, and the view of the skyscraper-strewn, grid-patterned city from across the water is stunning. The CN Tower, the tallest freestanding structure in the Americas, dissects the sky near the water’s edge.

Canada’s largest city — with a population of over 2.5 million — Toronto is home to a stock exchange and the country’s largest banks and insurance companies. One of the safest big cities in North America, it is also one of the most diverse, with a population that is half foreign-born: sing karaoke in a Vietnamese bar, sip espresso in Little Italy, eat well and cheaply at ethnic restaurants in Greektown, Little India or bustling Chinatown.

The museums in Toronto are world class, and the city’s industrial zones have been re-galvanised into gallery districts, while the large student population adds to the buzz.

Toronto is also becoming something of a retail sensation. After window-shopping on posh Bloor Street, well stocked with the signature designer names (Tiffany, Louis Vuitton, Cartier, Gucci, Hermès, Chanel, Prada), head to Queen Street West to discover boutiques seeking to redefine the zeitgeist (repurposed vintage, animé, unusual gifts).

By night, Toronto is all about bars, clubs, the opera and theatre. But the most dynamic scene in Toronto must be its dining, where an emerging local-food movement is enjoying many a celebratory column inch.

-Money: Canadian Dollar (CAD; C$)

Notes are in denominations of C$100, 50, 20, 10 and 5.

Major credit cards are widely accepted. Use an ATM affiliated with a major bank to reduce service charges. Independent machines in locations such as casinos and convenience stores may carry high charges.