www.globalvillagefestival.ca Global Village Festival 2015 Publisher: Silk Road Publishing Founder: Steve Moghadam General Manager: Elly Achack Production Manager: Bahareh Nouri Team: Mike Mahmoudian, Sheri Chahidi, Parviz Achak, Eva Okati, Alexander Fairlie Jennifer Berry, Tony Berry Phone: 416-500-0007 Email: offi[email protected] Web: www.GlobalVillageFestival.ca Front Cover Photo Credit: © Kone | Dreamstime.com - Toronto Skyline At Night Photo Contents 08 Greater Toronto Area 49 Recreation in Toronto 78 Toronto sports 11 History of Toronto 51 Transportation in Toronto 88 List of sports teams in Toronto 16 Municipal government of Toronto 56 Public transportation in Toronto 90 List of museums in Toronto 19 Geography of Toronto 58 Economy of Toronto 92 Hotels in Toronto 22 History of neighbourhoods in Toronto 61 Toronto Purchase 94 List of neighbourhoods in Toronto 26 Demographics of Toronto 62 Public services in Toronto 97 List of Toronto parks 31 Architecture of Toronto 63 Lake Ontario 99 List of shopping malls in Toronto 36 Culture in Toronto 67 York, Upper Canada 42 Tourism in Toronto 71 Sister cities of Toronto 45 Education in Toronto 73 Annual events in Toronto 48 Health in Toronto 74 Media in Toronto 3 www.globalvillagefestival.ca The Hon. Yonah Martin SENATE SÉNAT L’hon Yonah Martin CANADA August 2015 The Senate of Canada Le Sénat du Canada Ottawa, Ontario Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0A4 K1A 0A4 August 8, 2015 Greetings from the Honourable Yonah Martin Greetings from Senator Victor Oh On behalf of the Senate of Canada, sincere greetings to all of the organizers and participants of the I am pleased to extend my warmest greetings to everyone attending the 2015 North York 2015 North York Festival. Festival partnered with the Healthy Marrow Canada charitable organization. The North York Festival provides an opportunity to celebrate Canada and the diverse cultural North York Festival helps build bridges of understanding between different cultural groups. This year’s festival showcases a diverse repertoire of artists, representing various backgrounds of Canadians, featuring the rich traditions from a diverse group of performers and cultural groups. Such initiatives encourage members of our community to explore their artists. cultural identity while fostering cross cultural exchanges with fellow Canadians. These efforts greatly contribute to the broader goal of promoting the richness of our nation’s cultural diversity and Canadian values of mutual respect and multiculturalism. I would also like to acknowledge the organizers, volunteers, entertainers and sponsors for their contributions to make the North York Festival possible. I would like to thank all organizers, performers and volunteers who made this event successful. Your contributions to the inclusive character of our wonderful country are much appreciated. Best wishes for a successful festival. Please accept my best wishes for a memorable and enjoyable event. Sincerely, Sincerely, The Honourable Victor Oh The Honourable Yonah Martin Senator ­ Ontario Deputy Leader of the Government in the Senat e 胡子修 联邦参议员 August 8, 2015 Dear Friends, As Leader of the Official Opposion, I am pleased to extend warm greengs to everyone gathered at the 2015 North York Fesval. The North York fesval brings together members of the community from all backgrounds and walks of life—community leaders, cultural groups, local businesses and arsts—to celebrate Canada’s diversity through music, dance and arsc performances. It’s a great opportunity to share in the tradions and experience the richness of the many cultures that make up our country. Thank you to all those who worked so hard to make this fesval a resounding success! Again, on behalf of Canada’s New Democrats, I wish you an enjoyable celebraon. Sincerely, Hon. Tom Mulcair, P.C., M.P. (Outremont) Leader of the Official Opposion New Democrac Party of Canada A Personal Message from MPP Bas Balkissoon It is with great pleasure that I extend warm greetings to all those attending August 8, 2015 the 2015 North York Festival today at Mel Las tman Square. The festival highlights Toronto as one of the most multicultural cities in the world as it Greengs, welcomes members from all over the city to share their cultures and traditions with others. I would like to thank the countless volunteers who support this event for all your hard work and dedicaon in making the North York Fesval The North York Festival is a wonderful family oriented event that welcomes such a great success. all residents and visitors to enjoy in the Diaspora Book Fair, magic show, The North York Fesval promotes our cultural diversity in a country where dance performances, music, stilt walkers and more. The North York Festival we are free to do so. This fesval, partnered with the Healthy Marrow recognizes the cultural diversity that makes Ontario a great and inclusive Canada charitable organizaon encourages community members to share province where everyone can enjoy being Canadian. their cultures and tradions, not just with each other, but with the world. I would like to commend everyone involved for their hard work and Thank you for your commitment to preserving our rich mulcultural dedication in theplanningand organizing ofthe 2015 North York Festival. history. On behalf of the Ontario Legislature, please accept my best wishes for a successful event and thank you for theoppor tunity to share this occasion with you. I wish you continued success and prosperity. Sincerely, Sincerely, Bas Balkissoon, MPP Queen’s Park, Toronto Paul Calandra, MP Scarborough-Rouge River August 8th, 2015 Oak Ridges‐Markham As the Member of Provincial Parliament for Davenport, I extend my sincerest congratulations to the organizers of the 2015 North York Festival. This annual celebration emphasizes Ontario’s dynamic and engaged community through a variety of entertaining performances and fun activities. The North York Festival plays a significant role in promoting Ontario’s diverse community, making our province a brighter place to live. Congratulations on the continued success of your festival. Cristina Martins MPP Davenport Marie-France Lalonde, MPP / Députée Ottawa-Orléans August 8th, 2015 Thank you I am delighted to offer greetings and welcome to for attending the 2015 North York Festival North York Festival. This is an exciting and fun-filled day to explore and celebrate our diversity. This festival, offers many activities, performances and food, with something for everyone to enjoy. August 8th 2015 It is exciting to have so many community members, local On behalf of the riding of Oawa‐Orléans, I would like to extend my warmest businesses , and artists, co ming together in Willowdale today. I greengs to those aending the North York Fesval 2015. In sending you my regrets, I hope everyone has an opportunity to experience and celebrate the would like to thank you for the kind invitaon to this wonderful event. many cultures and traditions during today’s festivities This fesval gives Canadians the opportunity to create friendships and experience the heritage, food and arts of all those communies that create the fabric of our great I offer the attendees, organizers, and volunteers my best wishes for province. a successful festival. I would like to thank all the organizers, performers, and volunteers for your hard work and talents in making this event successful. Best wishes, Hon. David Zimmer, MPP Willowdale Marie‐France Lalonde, Member of Provincial Parliament, Oawa‐Orléans Constuency Office / Bureau de circonscripon 206‐250, boul.Centrum Blvd., Orléans, ON K1E 3J1 Tel / Tél. 613.834.8679 | Fax / Téléc. 613‐834‐7647 | Email / Courriel mfl[email protected] Queen’s Park 5th Floor/5e étage, Édifice Mowat Block, 900 rue Bay St,Toronto ON M7A 2E1 Tel / Tél. 416.325.1400 | Email / Courriel mfl[email protected] www.mariefrancelalonde.onmpp.ca Image Source: Flickr by Christine Wagner at http://flickr.com/photos/68807626@N04/15793926555 Etymology The term Greater Toronto has been used in writing as early as the 1900s, although at the time, the term only referred to Greater the old City of Toronto and its immediate townships and villages, which became Metropolitan Toronto in 1954 and Toronto Area became the current city of Toronto in 1998. The usage of the term involving the four regional municipalities came into formal use in the mid-1980s, after it was used in a widely The Greater Toronto Area (GTA) is the discussed report on municipal governance restructuring in most populous metropolitan area in the region and was later made official as a provincial Canada. At the 2011 census, it had a planning area. However, it did not come into everyday population of 6,054,191, and the census usage until the mid- to late 1990s. In 2006, the term began metropolitan area had a population of to be supplanted in the field of spatial planning as provincial 5,583,064. The Greater Toronto Area is policy increasingly began to refer to either the "Greater defined as the central city of Toronto, Toronto and Hamilton Area" (GTHA) or the still-broader and the four regional municipalities that "Greater Golden Horseshoe". The latter includes communities surround it: Durham, Halton, Peel, and likeBarrie, Guelph and the Niagara Region. The GTA York. The regional span of the Greater continues, however, to be in official use elsewhere in the Toronto Area is sometimes combined Government of Ontario, such as the Ministry of Finance. with the city of Hamilton, Ontario and its surrounding region, to form the Greater Census metropolitan area Toronto and Hamilton Area. The Greater Some municipalities that are considered part of the GTA are Toronto Area is the northern part of the not within Toronto's Census Metropolitan Area (CMA) Golden Horseshoe. whose land area (5,904 km in 2006) and population (5,583,064 as of the 2011 census) is thus smaller than the land area and population of the GTA planning area.