The world is full of fascinating places to take students on study trips, and each destination presents its challenges and discoveries, in addition to the possibility for students to broaden their skills and perceptions simply by being in a new environment. One destination that will surely bring new experiences and perspectives is Ontario in Canada, a city full of history and culture that offers a fresh look at North America, yesterday and today. A multicultural city with impressive architecture, a vibrant atmosphere and great museums, Toronto is a fantastic place to find inspiration for almost any curriculum subject, so read on for a taste of what which is proposed.
As learning English is becoming more and more popular in Canada, so are the number of student travellers looking for a city to take an English course in Canada. Fortunately, Canada is an extremely blessed country with attractive destinations for travellers and students.
Even if you are faced with other dynamic urban centres like Montreal and Vancouver, Toronto is a pretty tasty proposition. Then, without further ado, here are five things every student traveller should not miss while in Toronto.
1. Bike the Toronto Islands
Anyone who lives and studies in Toronto for a while will end up on the fantastic Toronto Islands. A short ferry ride (and scenic) to Lake Ontario, they are the perfect place to escape the hustle and bustle of the city and take a walk, or better yet, a bike ride.
The islands themselves are forested and form the largest car-free urban area in North America with 230 hectares. Are you afraid of not having a bike? Don’t worry: affordable bike rental facilities can be found on the islands themselves.
2. Eat Japanese on Bloor Street
It may seem a little strange to advise coming to Canada and eating Japanese food, but Toronto is such a multicultural place that it would be difficult to avoid some kind of ethnic cuisine. By the way, from the perspective of a student traveller on an English course in Canada, Japanese cuisine on Bloor Street (which runs through the heart of the city) has the added benefit of being inexpensive.
3. See the view from the CN Tower
It’s probably something most students should save, but it’s worth it. The CN Tower is the tallest freestanding building in North America, and after taking the elevator to the top, the view of the city you’ve built is simply breathtaking.
4. Art attack! Art Gallery of Ontario
Canada’s largest art gallery is a veritable cornucopia of fantastic art. When it reopens after its renovation in early 2009, it will regain access to one of the best art collections in all of North America.
In addition to the Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto – an innate place – is full of other museums and galleries. Among them is the fascinating Royal Ontario Museum (although the decidedly cool Ontario Science Center puts it in second place!)
5. Explore the bustling Kensington Market
Toronto is a city of countless different neighbourhoods, each one offering something subtly different from the previous one. An explosion in the middle of downtown Toronto, but few are as welcoming as the network of shops, stalls and busy streets surrounding Kensington Market.
Based at Spadina and College, it’s a bustling hub for great alternative shopping whether it’s groceries, crafts, or clothing and authentic nightlife. Overall, this is one of the most exciting aspects of an incredibly exciting city.
