Top 5 Things to do in Toronto and Beyond

Toronto is one of the best cities to live in Canada. It offers residents and visitors a maelstrom of activities from arts and culture, restaurants and nightlife, spas, shopping and so much more.

Here’s our pick of top activities to do in this culturally rich city:

Visit The ROM – Chihuly Exhibit

Dale Chihuly is a phenomenal artist who has (using just his own breath, centrifugal force, gravity and fire), transformed glass-blowing to an unbelievable art form. I originally saw his work in Florida, and now his brilliant glass creations are featured at Toronto’s Royal Ontario Museum (ROM). After becoming intrigued with the medium, he studied Italian traditional glass blowing, on the Island of Murano, honing his skills. He returned to America and started a glass program (1971) at Rhode Island’s School of Design (the oldest and largest art school in the U.S.) There are too few words that can do justice to this artist’s work – this is a display you must see for yourself. I hope these photographs will help lure you to the Museum. The exhibition will run until January 2nd, 2017. Visit www.rom.on.ca for more information.

Photo courtesy of ROM

photo courtesy of ROM

Go Sailing on the Kajama Tall Ship

I had a wonderful afternoon cruise on the Kajama, a traditional 165 foot, three-masted schooner, a Tall Ship that has daily cruises out of Toronto Harbour. Passengers can relax with a cold drink (they have a fully licensed bar) and watch the skyline drift by, or maybe help the crew hoist the sails. It’s a great day (or evening) on the water for sailors of all ages – but a particularly wonderful experience for kids. The Kayama is part of a fleet of sail boats and cruise ships operated by Great Lakes Schooner Company in Toronto. Visit www.tallshipcruisestoronto.com for booking information.

See a Comedy Sketch at Second City

Second City, the world’s premier comedy club, was born in Chicago in 1959. It’s a school of improvisation and dinner-theater, serving side-splitting live shows. The concept was founded as a place to create scenes and stories ‘improvisationally’ using innovative techniques. They’ve produced TV programs in the U.S. and Canada including SCTV Second City Presents and have helped launch the careers of such legends as Tina Fey, Bill Murray and John Candy. We are extremely fortunate to have Second City in Toronto; you’ve seen it all on TV, but if you’ve never seen it live you should definitely give it a try. Visit www.secondcity.com for details on shows and tickets.

Go to the Woodbine Racetrack

There’s nothing like a day at the races, and Woodbine Racetrack is the place to be if you want to take in the sport of ‘Kings’, and of course Queens, as Queen Elizabeth II attended the Queen’s Plate in 2010. This location on Rexdale Blvd. is the second home for this club as it was located on Queen Street (at the south end of Woodbine, hence the name) from 1874 to 1993. Whether you like to gamble a little on the ponies, try your luck on the slot machines or just relax and watch the amazing animals do what they were bred to do, this is your spot. You can enjoy a lovely meal at Willows Restaurant or while taking it all in. Visit www.woodbineentertainment.com/Woodbine for information and dining options.

Go Ziplining at Heart Lake Conservation Park

Cruise the tree-tops and skim the waters at Heart Lake Conservation Park; an adventure park with Zip Lines and Aerial Game Treks. This is a wonderful experience for kids and adults alike. It’s an adventure for the whole family and no previous experience is necessary as they have beginner courses; they actually have 7 zip lines and over 65 aerial games, including twin 1000ft. zip lines crossing over beautiful Heart Lake. This would be an exciting adventure for a group of friends, corporate groups or even a school class trip (from 9 years of age and a height of at least 4’7”). For directions and information visit www.treetoptrekking.com/en/brampton/