Toronto, during the Christmas season, is spectacular even with temperatures well below zero.

Toronto, during the Christmas season, is spectacular even with temperatures well below zero.

You've got lots of choices. Toronto is jam-packed with attractions from Scottish bagpipe players serenading shoppers with Christmas carols to the Hockey Hall of Fame, outdoor skating, or of course, there's the spectacular CN Tower.

A glass-fronted elevator whizzes up the outside of the tower at over six metres per second. In just 58 seconds you've reached a height of 346 metres. The Look Out provides panoramic views of Toronto, its suburbs and surrounding countryside, with Niagara Falls, nearly 75 miles away, visible on a clear day. Visitors, young and old, will want to step onto the glass floor, strong enough to take the weight of a dozen elephants.

If you want to shop where tourists shop then go to the Eaton Centre. This vast shopping mall is linked to an underground network of walkways and shopping malls, well insulated from the cold. The Underground, aptly named, offers all you could possibly need to live underground without ever venturing out into the snow.

If you prefer to shop as Torontonians do, then a visit to the St. Lawrence Market will prove fascinating. Fixed stalls offer a wide choice of meats, seafood, cheese, general groceries and provisions, as well as cafes, deli's and restaurants.

Within the market is the Market Gallery. This is the official exhibition gallery of the City's archives. Exhibitions change regularly and focus on different aspects of Toronto's history using documents, photographs, maps, artefacts and art, together with public records from the City's archives. The gallery overlooks the market and it is mesmerising to watch the buzz of activity below.

If you're keen on sports, or even if you're not, then the Hockey Hall of Fame is a good place see. This lively and fascinating museum is devoted to celebrating the lives of the sporting heroes who have developed Canadian hockey.

Whilst most attractions are in the heart of Toronto a short journey beyond the city limits will be well rewarded. Black Creek Pioneer Village is popular with families. At this 19th-century Victorian village time stopped two hundred years ago and you can really appreciate how hard life for the early settlers must have been. Some of the thirtyfive buildings have been re-located from their original sites in order to restore and preserve them. During the Christmas season the Village puts on special events, such as craft workshops, that will make your visit to Toronto even more memorable.

If you're in Toronto over New Year then you can't miss the traditional seasonal gathering at Nathan Phillips Square. This is a little like going to Trafalgar Square to hear Big Ben ring in the New Year. On one side of the Square is the futuristic New City Hall and on the other the Victorian Old City Hall still stands, both splendid examples of contrasting architecture.

By day, the Square is a large skating rink, a great favourite with the children. Many Torontonians often enjoy a lunchtime break on the ice. Visitors can hire skates for a modest fee.

If you return to the Square early in the New Year you can take a look at the annual ice-carving exhibition where local artists show off their skills by carving life-size sculptures in great blocks of ice.

Well, if you haven't chilled out by now you never will. So dress up warm in those thermal undies and have an amazing holiday in Toronto.


Useful sources of information:

CN Tower -
Tel: 001 416 868 6937
www.cntower.ca

Hockey Hall of Fame -
Tel: 001 416 360 7765
www.hhof.com

Tourism Toronto
Tel: 001 416 205 2500
www.tourism-toronto.com

www.toronto.com
www.ontario-canada.com
www.travelinx.com