Travelling by the Book: Toronto

Described as ‘a whole world in a city’, Toronto is one of the most ethnically diverse cities in the world. Senior Library Assistant, Colleen Marshall, is definitely going back for a second visit.

In June last year I packed my bags and headed off to Canada, to spend a month with my son, who has decided to make Toronto his new home. I knew very little about Toronto, but like many Kiwis I have always wanted to visit Canada. Two of my favourite authors, Alice Munro and Margaret Atwood, are Ontario-born Canadians, and both are renowned for writing in a style called Southern Ontario Gothic.* I borrowed some travel guides to read about Toronto’s history and culture, which told me that, at around 2.8 million inhabitants, it is the largest city in Canada, the fourth largest in North America, and apparently 140 different languages are spoken.

I arrived in Toronto on a very warm evening. From the subway, my son and I walked to his apartment through beautiful Dufferin Grove Park, which was full of people enjoying the outdoors and the summer heat. There were families and groups of friends picnicking; walkers and cyclists; people playing basketball and soccer and practising yoga. I found out later that the park hosted an organic farmers' market once a week, and that there is a community vegetable and herb garden, two wood fired ovens, and two fire-pits, all for public use. After the cold winter months, Torontonians live their lives outdoors as much as possible over the summer, and parks are popular places to gather. Toronto reminded me of Melbourne, with its Victorian architecture, streetcars and flat terrain, only much greener and more humid – there are parks everywhere and many streets are lined with beautiful leafy trees, including maples, which are full of birds and black squirrels. Despite the size of the city, it is relatively easy to get around, well served by subways, streetcars, buses and Bike Share Toronto bicycles. My days were spent strolling through the different neighbourhoods, enjoying the warmth and humidity, visiting cafés, markets, parks, museums and art galleries. And of course I popped into any libraries that crossed my path – this happened more often than you might think - Toronto has 100 libraries!

My son and I spent my last week visiting Québec City and Montréal. As my son is a chef, the first thing we did when we arrived in Québec City was to try poutine - a Québécois speciality made from French fries, fresh cheese curds and gravy. The sign of an authentic poutine is that the curds must squeak when you chew them (ours squeaked!). Old Québec, founded in 1608 by French settlers, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is the only fortified city north of Mexico, situated on an outcrop of rock overlooking the St Lawrence River, with beautiful French colonial architecture and cobbled streets. One of the city’s most recognisable buildings, Château Frontenac, dominates the town. We were in Québec City for Fête du Canada (Canada Day), and there was a fireworks display on the Plains of Abraham where a battle between the French and English had taken place in 1759. Montréal, our next stop, had a totally different vibe. There were several summer festivals in full swing - the International Jazz Fest, ComicCon, Latina Fest, Poutine Fest, and many more - it was loud, hot and crowded. One foodie highlight for us was a trip to Montréal's famous Hebrew deli Schwartz's, where we waited in the obligatory queue before eating smoked beef sandwiches with fries, coleslaw and pickles, elbow to elbow with fellow diners.

I left Toronto with a heavy heart, but feeling happy that my son had chosen well – Toronto is a wonderful city, and I can’t wait to go back.


Colleen Marshall  |  Senior Library Assistant

* In this form of Gothic, “the threat to the female protagonist can come from the wilderness, from cabin fever, or from uncommunicative husbands.” The Oxford Companion to Canadian Literature.


RECOMMENDED BOOKS

Discover Canada. (Wheeler’s ebook) Karla Zimmerman
Québec. Steve Kokker
The Rough Guide to Toronto. Phil Lee
Toronto. Lesley Gordon
The View From Castle Rock. Alice Munro. A must read for visitors to Huron County, Southern Ontario