Toronto has so much to offer teenager students, a memorable, exciting and educational experience they will never forget!

It is no surprise that Toronto's star is rising. With its colourful ethnic mix, rich history and breathtaking architecture, Toronto offers non-stop adventures for the willing tourist. To get a sense of how big, diverse and magical Toronto is, the best place to start is the CN Tower, the tallest freestanding structure in the world. From this vantage point, visitors get a bird's-eye-view of the city's striking skyline and unique geography.

In addition to being an important cultural and commercial centre, Toronto is also a city that is home to many ethnicities. The city's population is more than 4.5 million people, and its residents come from all around the world and from all various ethnic backgrounds. On any given day, and in most areas of the city, dozens of different languages can be heard on the streets, from Hindi to Greek to French. This, perhaps, explains why former Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau once said that Canada is really more a mosaic of cultures and languages than a melting pot.

Street signs in Toronto are mostly in English. Weekly and daily newspapers are published in many languages, and the city hosts a successful international film festival each September. It is also the second-largest live-theatre venue on the continent (after New York), and is home to a popular baseball team, the Toronto Blue Jays. Simply put, Toronto has something for everyone.

Toronto's hidden jewels parts include the original Chinatown, laid out west along Dundas Street and running all the way to "new" Chinatown, near the Spadina Avenue/Dundas Street intersection. From here, it's just a short walk to the colourful, European-style Kensington Market, where vegetables, poultry and meats are sold fresh daily.

Toronto is also a city filled with boutiques, restaurants, and cafes, and of course there are plenty of shopping opportunities in the Underground City, an 11 kilometre (7 mile) underground walkway lined with eateries, shops, banks, medical offices and theatres.

Often-overlooked gems of Toronto are the Toronto Islands. These eight tree-lined islands -- and more than a dozen smaller islets that sit in Lake Ontario just off the city's downtown -- offer a welcome touch of greenery. They have been attracting visitors since 1833, especially during the summer months when the more than 550 acres of parkland are hard to resist.

From the islands, you'll have spectacular views of Toronto's skyline, especially as the setting sun turns the city's skyscrapers to gold, silver, and bronze.

Summer festivals include:

(June)
Toronto International Dragon Boat Festival
International Jazz Festival

(July)
Street Festival
Caribana Festival
Brazilian Street Festival
Molson Indy Auto Racing

(August)
Canadian National Exhibition

(September)
Canadian National Exhibition
Toronto International Film Festival
Canadian International Air Show

Toronto is a city of cultures and this is reflected in a wonderful mosaic of distinctive neighbourhoods. Some can be described as ethnic while others reflect a particular lifestyle, business or leisure activity. The best way to truly experience Toronto is to visit all of the local neighbourhoods!

Cabbagetown - (School Area)
One of old Toronto's most historical sections, this fashionable community is well known for its lovingly-restored Victorian homes. It is also widely recognized as a lively centre of the arts, which boasts, among other popular annual events, the Cabbagetown Cultural Festival and the Cabbagetown Tour of Homes. Cabbagetown is the new home of the Canadian Children's Dance Theatre.

Local legend has it that Cabbagetown is so named because poor Irish and Macedonian immigrant inhabitants from the late 19th century could only afford to eat cabbage they grew themselves, supposedly in their front yards. Cabbagetown runs up Parliament and westward from there along both Carlton and Gerrard Streets.

Kensington Market
During the 1920s, it was known as the Jewish Market. Today, you can sense the city's rich, multicultural mix, obvious in the shops packed with goods from Europe, the Caribbean, the Middle East, South America and Asia. A visit to Kensington is like a sensory trip around the world!

It's also a treasure trove of vintage and second hand clothing shops, tucked in among eclectic restaurants and cafes.

Chinatown
This ever-expanding area is home to Canadians from Hong Kong, China, Singapore, Taiwan, Vietnam, and elsewhere. Many oriental shops and fruit markets spill out onto the street, and a vast selection of authentic Chinese restaurants feature delicacies such as dim sum. Toronto's second Chinatown is located in the Broadview/Gerrard area, and three other distinctive Chinatowns are located in the suburbs.

St. Lawrence Market
The St. Lawrence Market is the city's original market space. Though popular most of the week, the market truly comes to life on Saturdays when local farmers, artists and artisans sell their products. This historic area, affectionately called Old Town, also has numerous old warehouses that have been converted into residences, stores, restaurants and pubs.

Financial District & Underground City
Dozens of towering glass, concrete and steel buildings are a must-see for fans of architecture. Toronto's Financial District is quite compact and is easy to walk through, even in poor weather. That's because of the underground city - 11 kilometres (6 miles) of interconnecting passageways under the streets that feature more than 1,200 retail stores and services. "PATH" signs indicate street entrances to the underground walkway.

Entertainment District
You'll find some of the city's best theatres, bars and dance clubs in this area of town. The undisputed entertainment capital of Canada, the Entertainment District is a lively concentration of theatres, restaurants, nightspots, retail shops, and visitor attractions located in the vibrant city core. Tip: If there is a line up outside, chances are it is worth it going to!

Historic Distillery District
The best-preserved collection of Victorian industrial architecture in North America located in this historic enclave in downtown Toronto known as Old Town. Formerly known as the Gooderham, Worts Distillery founded in 1832, The Distillery has been developed as a centre for arts, culture and entertainment. It is filled with galleries, artist studios and workshops, boutiques, retail stores, restaurants, bars and cafés.

Queen St. West
Queen West (a.k.a. Queen West SoHo) is one the city's more popular shopping districts. It features trendy restaurants, cutting-edge fashion, galleries, antique shops and dance clubs. One of the landmarks is the City-TV building, home of MuchMusic and a television studio with many events that spill out onto the street.

Fashion District
Toronto's garment district has terrific bargains on local fashions, fabric, leathers and furs. If you are looking for a custom-made original design, this is the place to shop.

Harbourfront
High-priced condos dot the waterfront, where highlights include speciality shops at Queens Quay Terminal, art, theatre and cultural facilities at Harbourfront Centre and a terrific lakeside walking trail. Cruises of the harbour and ferry services run from here.

Toronto Islands
Toronto's own island community offers a quaint summer amusement park, paddleboats and bikes for rent, in-line skating paths, and grass and beaches for picnics. Best of all, there are no cars! Summer cottages from the 1920's are home to some 250 families, and feature charming English-style gardens. The Islands are a 10-minute ferry ride from the docks located at the bottom of Bay Street.

Bloor/Yorkville
This is the elite Toronto hotspot made famous by frequent visits by Hollywood celebrities. One of Toronto's more elegant shopping and dining areas, Yorkville's designer boutiques, antique shops and galleries are absolutely first-class. The area features a gallery of small courtyards and alleyways, including a contemporary park located in the very heart of the neighbourhood.

Little Italy
This lively neighbourhood (now more popular for it's Portuguese population than Italian) is the spiritual home of Toronto's Italian community. It's packed with trattorias, trendy restaurants and cafes. Similar to Greektown (see below), Little Italy's sidewalks are always busy on weekends especially in the summer, where locals and visitors alike sip espressos on the outdoor patios. (See also Corso Italia.)

Greektown
A large collection of restaurants feature authentic Greek cuisine in this lively area, which also features a fascinating mix of speciality shops. "The Danforth", the street where Greektown is located, is also a popular neighbourhood because clubs and cafes are open late into the night.

Little India
Torontos Indian community congregate here in a festival-like atmosphere, where you'll find Indian-food restaurants, grocers, and shops that specialize in traditional clothing like saris and brightly-coloured scarves.

The Beaches
Antique shops, clapboard cottages and quirky stores and restaurants are common in the Beach. The boardwalk is always crowded with joggers, dog-walkers and picnickers, and the beach itself is packed in the summer. Home to students, professors and media types; the Beach is upscale and laid-back at the same time, with a relaxed attitude unlike anywhere else in the city.

Corso Italia
This part of town is known for its fashionable shops that reflect what's hot in Europe. Top-of-the-line Italian fashion shops draw crowds, as do a multitude of cafés and restaurants offering the cuisines of various Italian regions.

Little Poland
An enclave of Eastern European and Russian residents, this area specializes in traditional cuisine, bakeries, cafés, and special events from the old country

Portugal Village
Toronto's large Portuguese community is centred in this neighbourhood, with dozens of bakeries, restaurants, cheese stores, and fish markets, especially along Dundas and College Streets West. The community is also well represented in Kensington Market. Come explore Toronto this summer with other international students from around the world!!

TEENAGER SUMMER PROGRAM IN TORONTO:

E-mail: info@teenagersabroad.com
Tel: NORTH AMERICA: 1 800 219 9924 or WORLDWIDE: +1 416 925 2112