|
A military fort at the time of the War of 1812, and prized for its natural harbour, Toronto quickly grew as a trading and manufacturing centre, with
the Don River home to brewers, distillers, brickworks, and textile manufacturers. The railways connected Toronto to the vast forests and mineral resources of northern Ontario, and made Toronto the export gateway for Candian manufacturing.
Toronto has long been the provincial capital, and also grew to be the head office capital of Canada's industry, retailing and finance.
Downtown became home to ever-higher buildings, culminating in the CIBC building which was for a time the tallest building in the British Commonwealth. After World War II, the downtown grew into a modern skyline, including the CN Tower.
The post-war period attracted immigrants from all around the world, and the city expanded beyond its boundaries to become the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) of today.
Toronto added the subway system to speed communters into the downtown and across the city. To the north, in North York, Highway 401 was built with 16 lanes of traffic to speed cross-town automobile traffic.
Toronto has the second-highest proportion of immigrants in the world (over half were born outside Canada), after Miami, Florida. Toronto's however reflect a much more diverse cultural & linguistic mix, with a tranquility and tolerance that is the hallmark of Canadian society. The resulting proliferation of ethnic neighbourhoods, ethnic shops and restaurants representing cultures around the world is second to none.
Oakville-Burlington,
Mississauga-Brampton, Etobicoke, North York, Scarborough, York Region, Oshawa-Durham.
|
|
|
