subject: Toronto, Ontario Canada's Big City [print this page] Toronto, Ontario, Canada is not only the capital of the province of Ontario but even holds the title for Canada's largest city. The urban centre itself is located along the shorelines of Lake Ontario in the southwestern part of the province. The city is one of the world's largest financial centres with headquarters for the Toronto Stock Exchange and offices for large corporations making up the core of the downtown area. Facets in the economy comprise of: media, television, telecommunications, transportation, medical research, software production and others.
A large portion of the population (49%) is made up of immigrants, creating an ethnically diverse city culture. The city name "Toronto" was likely derived from an Aboriginal word referring to trees standing in the water. European settlers (mostly of Irish descent) founded the locale after the Huron tribes. The city was made official in March 1834 and has grown greatly since.
Geography
The city includes long areas of waterfront shores, a large harbour and various islands. The area of the city limits is 243 square miles (630 square km). The region of the city are marked by Lake Ontario and Etobicoke Creek in the south, the Rouge River to the east with highway 427 to the west and Steeles Avenue to the north.
Numerous ravines, escarpments and islands have been created due to other smaller bodies of water and tributaries that feed into the Toronto Harbour. Dense forests have grown in the ravine areas. Thanks to the dense forest regions, the city has developed parks, trails and sites for citizens to enjoy. Even though the ravines provide drainage solutions, flooding often still occurs due to heavy rainfall. The range in city elevation is from 686 feet (209 m) right down to 246 feet (75 m).
Demographic Facts
The city has a core population of 2.5 million people with a metropolitan population of close to 5.1 million according to the most recent census. The typical age in the city is 36.9. People aged 65 and older make-up 13.6% of the population. Nearly fifty percent of the population are immigrants (49%) with the remaining majority comprised of people from European origins. The city has many cultural centers including: Little Italy, Chinatown, Greektown, Kensington Market, Little India and others. Noticeable minorities make up 46% of the population. Some groups include: Filipino, South Asian, Latin American, Black and Chinese. Females make up 54% of the population while males make up 48%.
The cultural climate of the city is constantly changing with approximately 100,000 immigrants arriving each year. Emergency services have made it feasible to respond to calls in 150 different languages. English still remains dominantly spoken but other languages such as Chinese and Italian are often used in the workplace.
Environment
Toronto's climate is moist and moderate. The winter season is chilly while the summers are warm and humid. Seasonal changes are very specific in Toronto and the city experiences large variances in daily temperatures usually during the winter months.
The core of the city often experiences stable temperatures due to the close proximity to water and the urban structure. Often weather conditions such as fog, seasonal lags and strong winds come about because of the lake.
The city's ebb and flow on occasion is disrupted due to snowstorms that can be mixed with ice and rain. All through the snowy months (November-April), the moderate temperatures will often melt the snow at 5 to 12 C (41 to 54 F). Cold snaps dropping temperatures below -10 C (14 F) will occasionally occur. Numerous heatwaves, high humidity and precipitation are experienced during the summer months. The average summer temperature ranges from 23 C to 31 C, and surpasses 35 C during a heatwave. Thunderstorms are normal as is precipitation during the summer.
