BY ROYSON JAMES
Toronto Star columnist
elcome to my city, home to the world and your home for the next 10 days.
Toronto looks American in many ways. In language, architecture, street layout, and commercial signs, there is much that is familiar to our cousins to the south.
But look deeper, feel closer, and you'll catch the subtleties, the European flavor, the cosmopolitan profusion that makes this one of the world's great cities.
Toronto's tourism slogan is "The world within a city." The motto is "Diversity Our Strength." Both sum up the city's reality. It is among the most multicultural, cosmopolitan cities on earth.
It's literally home to the world, and the world church will find friends here. Whether you are from Fiji or Finland, Ethiopia or Thailand, there is likely a restaurant that carries your food and a community that speaks your language.
The Adventist Church in Greater Toronto reflects this. Across the region, which covers a vast 2,758 square miles (7,207 square kilometers) from Clarington to Burlington, there are churches conducting services in Italian, Ukrainian, Japanese, Korean, Hungarian, Chinese, Portuguese, Estonian, plus several Filipino, Spanish, and Caribbean-flavored congregations. The world church can look at Toronto and see its reflection.
Although Toronto gets some 20 million visitors a year, it is still one of the world's best-kept secrets. Montreal, the center of French Canada, is often more recognized internationally because it hosted the 1976 Olympics and the 1967 World's Fair.
But those who know Toronto sing its praises.
National Geographic calls Toronto "the most civil and civilized city in the world." Actor Peter Ustinov said the city is akin to "New York run by the Swiss." And Fortune named it in 1996 "top non-U.S. city for business" and "best international city for work and play."
Compared to other North American cities, Toronto has the second-largest transit system and the highest ridership; has the second-largest stock exchange; is the fourth-largest financial center; and is ranked by Bicycling Magazine as the number one city for cycling.
On a world scale Toronto has the third-largest English language theater production center; has the second-largest film festival; is listed among the top 10 destinations; and is ranked by various publications and groups as having the "third-highest quality of life" and being among the "top three cities for personnel recruitment and retainment."
Toronto is Canada's largest city. The city proper covers 245 square miles (630 square kilometers). Population is 2.4 million. The Greater Toronto area, which includes 24 suburban municipalities such as Mississauga (590,000), Oshawa (137,000) and Markham (184,000), has a population of 4.3 million. It'll reach 6 million in 20 years.
The city is Canada's media mecca. It has four English language mainstream daily newspapers and dozens of radio and television stations. In addition, there are scores of ethnic publications. For example, there are an Italian daily newspaper and three Chinese language dailies.
When in doubt or confused, read the Toronto Star.
There is much to see and much to do. It will take all your powers of concentration to glue yourselves to your SkyDome seat and stick to the church business at hand when so much is going on outside.
Just outside the stadium is a nine-hole downtown golf course and driving range. It's temporary, so you might want to enjoy it on this visit. When you return it will have been replaced by high-rise condominiums.
On the other side of SkyDome is the CN Tower, with an observation deck that is the highest in the city and the world. The convention centre, host to many session exhibits and, most important, the GC restaurant, is just north of the tower.
Most will be able to walk to the Royal York Hotel, Crowne Plaza, Holiday Inn on King, the Roy Thomson Hall to catch the Toronto Symphony, or several restaurants along Front Street and King Street.
On a nice day_and that's the norm in late June and July, with average temperatures of 27E C or 81E F--you can cover much of the downtown area on foot. If it rains, travel the underground PATH system from the SkyDome to the Eaton Centre shopping mall.
Or you can make use of the efficient public transit system, which is safe, reliable, and takes you everywhere in the city. Transit tickets or tokens are sold five for $9 and are good on buses, streetcars, or the subway. You can transfer from one to the other for the same fare by using a "transfer"_ a paper pass you request when you pay your fare.
Day trips can take you to Niagara Falls, a mere 90 minutes away. You can travel by boat tour or by bus. Or you can combine Niagara Falls with a side trip to Niagara-on-the-Lake, a picturesque town that's famous for a summer festival of George Bernard Shaw's plays. Another day trip takes you to Stratford, Ontario, home of an annual festival of Shakespearean plays.
Those who want a quick getaway from the stress of church politics should take the ferry at the foot of Bay Street (next to the Westin Harbour Castle and within walking distance of Novotel) for a short ride to Centre Island or Ward's Island. Spend an hour or the entire afternoon. Walk along the boardwalk between the islands or rent a bike and travel between all three islands. As dusk falls, look back in wonder at the glimmering city.
Farther west of SkyDome is Ontario Place, a complex of children's village playground, rides, Imax Theater, etc. There is an admission fee. But if you are anywhere close you can see the Symphony of Fire, a massive fireworks display. To see the entire experience of fireworks set to music, you'll need to buy a ticket and get into the grounds. But for a cost-free thrill, watch the fireworks from outside the grounds.
Other free events include the Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibition, July 7 to 9 at Nathan Phillips Square, at City Hall. Some 100,000 people will peruse the artists' work and buy if they choose. It's on rain, or shine, from 10:00 a.m. each day.
A terrific place to go and munch on a sandwich is the Music Garden. Opened last year, it provides a natural solace in a busy city, right on the edge of the water, at the foot of Spadina Avenue, within walking distance of SkyDome.
Also, if you stay in town after General Conference session, you can catch some of the World Vegetarian Congress, being held in Toronto July 10-16.
Toronto is one of the safest big cities in North America. It averages fewer than 60 homicides a year, low by North American standards.
As you'll see, the downtown core is not deserted at night. Many people live in the neighborhoods next to the commercial center. Increasingly, thousands live right in the core, in condos and lofts and converted warehouse space.
If you get a chance to travel off the main thoroughfares, you'll find out why they call Toronto a city of neighborhoods. Mere feet from the main streets are some stunningly beautiful communities--Cabbagetown, Forest Hill, Rosedale, the Annex, the Beach, Little Italy, Riverdale, and Bloor West Village_all in the inner city.
Canada is a metric country. Highway speed limits listed at 100 are kilometers per hour, not miles per hour. One hundred kilometers is roughly 62 miles. One U.S. gallon equals about 3.8 liters.
We have a dollar coin called a loonie; and a $2 coin, called, naturally, a twonie. We have pretty money. The various bills are color-coded.
Products have dual labeling in French and English, Canada's two official languages. If you are in Chinatown, you might even find labels in three languages.
This is a heavily taxed zone for those of you who hail from tax-free states or countries. But how did you think we paid for health care and other social programs?
Two taxes are levied on most products: the provincial sales tax of 7 percent and the goods and services tax (GST) of 8 percent. The GST is refundable to visitors, on application for the refund once outside of Canada. Get a brochure from your hotel.
By now it's beginning to sink in that our brothers and sisters from Quito to Quebec, from Alaska to Zimbabwe, will be worshiping together under the concrete and steel roof of the SkyDome, the world's first stadium with a retractable roof.
For some of you this is old hat--this coming together every five years. You've been to New Orleans and Indianapolis and Utrecht. You've experienced the thrill of the Parade of Nations. You've sat and waited for the nominating committee report naming our next General Conference president.
But for others, like me, this is all new, a first; an initiation made more special because it is right in my backyard.
My house is already full. Relatives from Cleveland booked their room two years ago and family from Jersey grabbed the basement early this year.
Several church members with a more active business mind than I possess are renting out homes at rates, let's say, lower than the hotel rates. Some churches, like mine (416-401-0030), are offering a bed and breakfast for the expected scores--hundreds, even--who may have difficulty finding accommodations.
Fear of large crowds and shortage of accommodation should not deter anyone. I can't imagine someone traveling all the way from the Philippines being forced to share a sleeping bag with the homeless on Toronto's streets. Somehow Toronto will find a place for you.
Meanwhile, the mayor's office is well aware of your presence. And city officials are tabulating the economic spinoffs that will come from what promises to be_if the numbers come as anticipated_the city's largest convention ever.
Let's have a glorious time, singing and worshiping with the saints of every tongue, race, and nation. Toronto welcomes you.
