On Toronto

March 8, 2008 by maureen.ulrich.

Over the school mid-winter break in late February, I headed out to Toronto for a few days to visit friends and family.

The weather was less than perfect. Believe it or not, it was colder – and snowier — in Toronto than it was back home in Saskatchewan.

My brother and his wife live in Oakville. It was a crisp but sunny day as I headed towards Lakeshore Boulevard and the downtown area where I did some shopping. There’s a number of quaint furniture stores in the area. I ventured into Bookers, an independently owned bookstore and discovered in the young adult section — to my Xtreme delight – three copies of Power Plays. I enjoyed a piping hot mocha and a Greek salad at an adjoining café called the Caffee Del Libros. Delicious!

The next morning I took a cab to the Go! Station in Oakville and from there transferred onto a train to Union Station. I left around 8:30 AM and found myself in downtown Toronto by nine. I can see why the Go train would be popular with people who make daily commutes.

In the downtown area, you can get many places without ever surfacing to street level. There are a series of connected underground malls, which extend for blocks and blocks.

Randy’s cousin Keith and I spent part of the day at the Royal Ontario Museum or ROM, which has an impressive dinosaur display.

We were intrigued by the title of a new exhibit entitled Shapeshifters, Time Travelers, and Storytellers. However, we soon discovered that the title was larger than the exhibit. It was interesting – to be sure. Where else might one see a jock strap made from raccoon fur or the life-sized skeleton of some prehistoric creature made from plastic lawn chairs? 

Afterwards, I observed to Keith, “Sometimes, less is less.”

 The same could be said for lunch at the ROM’s fifth floor restaurant.

Keith and I were served a sprinkling of greens, a lobster soup, and an alcoholic beverage for $72.00.  It was delicious, to be sure, but very poor value compared to my meal at the Caffe Del Libros. If you have a hearty appetite and a tight budget, please order a hot dog from a street vendor.

That night we attended the “One Night Live” benefit concert at the Air Canada Center. The event was a fundraiser for the neo-natal ward of Sunnybrook Hospital. My ticket cost $300 – but it was worth every penny.

Performers included Jan Arden (a very entertaining host!), Sarah McLachlan, Josh Grobin, and Bryan Adams. The concert got underway an hour late, but it lasted until nearly one ‘clock in the morning. What an incredible evening! I knew I was going to hear some great singing, but I never envisioned McLachlan and Grobin collaborating on  “Arms of the Angel.” Wow! Or Bryan Adams playing for over an hour. He was everything I dreamed he would be.

I spent Friday night and most of Saturday with my friend Joanne and her husband, who live on Front Street directly across from the St. Lawrence Market.  The view from their penthouse is magnificent! Naturally it was snowing when I arrived and still snowing when I went to bed, but when I awoke once in the middle of the night, the sky had cleared and I had a spectacular view of the CN Tower and the red brick Flatiron Building. The latter, located on the east edge of the financial district, is a distinctive landmark even though it’s only five storeys high. Also called the Gooderham Building, it was the first flatiron building in a major city. 

On Saturday morning, after eating fresh bagels warm from the ovens at the St. Lawrence Market, Joanne and I ventured over to the market itself.   The night previous Joanne had introduced me to tapanade, a spread similar to antipasto, but made entirely from olives. I wanted to buy a jar, but we never did find one — although we found nearly everything else! For example, I bought cookie cutters in the shape of a guitar, ballerina, violin, and motorcycle for $1.00 each.

Another word of caution. Businesses in downtown Toronto do not shovel outside their premises. They throw down salt. The soupy slush which results is very hard on boots and clothing. If you’re visiting Toronto after a heavy snowfall, take along water proof footwear. Gumboots overtop several layers of wool socks might be a good idea!

Later we walked over to the Distillery District, an industrial area built during the time of Queen Victoria. It contains over 30 historic buildings which house a number of trendy restaurants and businesses, including the Mill Street Brewery. If you stop in the brewery, be sure to try sample their beers flavoured with coffee and raspberry. Definitely different! I highly recommend the food at their Brew Pub, especially the Brewer’s bread. The Distillery District is a very cool shopping area if you’re looking for something you might not find in the West Edmonton Mall.

On Sundays Joanne attends Little Trinity Anglican Church – affectionately known at Little T. She walked me by this beautiful church which has been sharing the power, love, and truth of Jesus since 1842!

Having grown up in Calgary and Edmonton, I still enjoy a visit to a larger center once in a while, although I’m not certain that I could ever live in one. It might sound strange, but I find it rather soothing to hear city sounds at night. I especially love the sound of cars splashing by on a rainy night.

Still, it’s might nice to be back at home on the farm – listening to the coyotes.

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