I've seen a bunch of commercials for the AGO -- Art Gallery of Ontario -- is that good?  I've been to a few art galleries... I find I prefer the more modern stuff and not the more historically important things.  Does the AGO lean one way or the other?  Or does it encompass all?

Someone last year had mentioned a market... Kensington Market?  Something like that.  What kinda market is it?  Is it interesting to see and visit?

Youthworker! Yay Toronto! Kensington market is good, lots of potheads live there, and I haven't had time to go to the Art gallery yet!! But it's brand new and everyone's talking about it. The architecture of the building is sposed to be super cool.

ahem, youthworker...

you forgot to mention the wondercafe-live session you attended, which included some of us drinking a beer.

now, given you were almost asleep at the time, i can imagine that it was easily missed...but still......there was also the mad game of cat/mouse with specialmom  on the 401

I see you didn't mention UC Church House. Go for a visit and see how the other half live. LOL

So... do we set up another WonderCafe Live?

Hey YW - I don't have any suggestions for you (since I don't live in Toronto), but I'm finding this thread useful as well since I'm planning a trip to Toronto in July.

One of my absolute favourite places in the city is Mount Pleasant Cemetery.  It's easy to get to by subway, and it is a wonderful place to walk around.  Besides looking for a wide variety of 'famous' people buried there (the Eatons' mausoleum is there, the founder of Canadian Tire, Glenn Gould, William Lyon McKenzie King, Egerton Ryerson, and plenty more), you can spend hours wandering the winding paths, admiring the trees, the nature, the silence. 

Not many people would include it on a list of 'must see' places in Toronto, but I definitely would.  If you are looking for a bit of space in this crazy busy city, this is a great place to find it. 

Check out more here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Pleasant_Cemetery,_Toronto. 

Another suggestion is to take the ferry across to the Toronto Islands.  Beautiful little cottage homes, a great trail for walking / rollerblading / biking, beaches for sunbathing (mind you don't end up on the clothing-optional one though!), and a really fantastic view of the city skyline. 

More information here: http://www.toronto.ca/parks/island/index.htm, and here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toronto_Islands.

Thanks for the tips st_oreo, that cemetery might make it on my final list.  That might be a nice Sunday morning thing.

And Namaste -- last year they suggested I get a City Pass (you can order them online, or get them at major attractions in Toronto, or if you collect Air Miles it's a reward you can order), which has admission tickets to major attractions.  It was good, it got me going to places I normally wouldn't have considered... like the Hockey Museum.  I hate hockey, but I got to see that big trophy they play for every year... what is it, the Stanley Cup?  I really know nothing when it comes to most sports.

Hey YW, that's a great idea. I'll look into the City Pass. I'm not sure if I'll go that route since I'm actually not wanting to hit up that many of the conventional tourist spots, but I will check it out. So far on my list I have: CN tower, Science Centre, some downtown shopping, Niagara Falls/ Niagara on the Lake, Muskoka, Wonderland, and just spending some time with a few wonderbuddies.

Greetings!

Never been to Toronto - no suggestions . . . but whatever you do . . . hope it's a blast!

Hope, peace, joy, love . . .

Not sure if Ontario Place will be open by then.  If it is, that's a good idea.

Church house isn't that exciting, it's basically just another cubical farm staffed by mostly overworked and underpaid men and women, with a very small group of overpaid executives whom you won't get to see.

The ROM has just been reopened after a massive, and massively hyped, expansion.  COuld be worth the look.

 When I was in Toronto, my favorite thing was just to spend a sunny afternoon wandering around different neighborhoods.  Little Italy on College and further north on St. Clair.  Bloor West, Queen Street West, Little India on Dundas East (I think, can't remember exactly where), Roncesville.  All on the streetcar lines, so if you get tired, you can just hop back on.

Also would walk down to the Waterfront.  There's often something going on down there.

I'm game for a Toronto day, and take the family, maybe ride streetcards, go as a group...BusyMom & busykids? specialmom & crew? revjohn? Birthstone? Indira? Faernach? Admin?

Any takers? Maybe do a picnic lunch at one of the parks...or the cemetery? ok..that seems creepy...or take everyone to some amazing food in say one of the regional neighbourhoods?

Hi Pinga,

A beer?  Some cheap.  How many straws?

Grace and peace to you.

John

Pinga, I'd be in! I'm in Toronto from June 29 - July 6.

hi

gerrard st east is little india; and annexes the beaches; two birds one stone for a full day trip.

ago is fab.

the noecropolis cemetary is filled with history, and will place you in cabbagetown, close to greektown and riverdale.

kensington is always great, andborders chinatown - also great.

we may have to make two different days, namaste

the first one would be sat may 30th...

If we do it during a rush hour we could picnic on the 401 and watch the planes land and take off at Pearson.

heh, busymom & I already did that for an hour...well....we sat beside the milton? correction centre .....and fed the kids homemade brownies and candies...and entertained them with ...umm...the folks around us, and just being silly

lol!! Hi folks - yeppers - and you were supposed to be bringing ME the brownies :P  (not exactly!)

wonderparties are always fun - I've got plans for Sat evening already for May 30, but Fri afternoon could be fun.

And of course, I'm in on the June/July thing with namaste... lots of room for plans there.

Church House is NOT exciting.  Wow, it is SO not exciting.  I was amazed at how NOT exciting it is.  But the pub across the road is good for lunch when you can spring a Church House inmate for an hour.

LOL Birthstone.

LOL@birthstone

The Royal Ontario Museum, across the street from Emmanuel College on Queens Park Crescent, is fascinating but I'm not aware of the current cost.  It's worth it for a one day excursion. 

I'd be up for metting people as long as I know dates and times and can get it off work

LOL at Birthstone.

Yes- I'm springing one on Monday for lunch.  She'll only be out for an hour, but I'm sure it makes all the difference!  Good sweet potato fries mmmmm

I was checking out the Lonely Planet lists of sights in Toronto and, among the many I've been to and the many I'm not interested in, these three popped up (well, four if you count the cemetery mentioned up-thread)...

Cloud Forest Conservatory

http://www.lonelyplanet.com/canada/toronto/sights/393189

Museum of Contemporary Canadian Art

http://www.lonelyplanet.com/canada/toronto/sights/393211

Redpath Sugar Museum

http://www.lonelyplanet.com/canada/toronto/sights/393231

Anybody been to any of these?  What did you think of them?

never heard of them!  (well, I've heard of Redpath - see it all the time, but didn't know there was a museum)

Are we doing wondercafe live for the friday or Saturday?  (I can't do Sat. evening or Sun)

I'm game for either date, let me know what works for the majority

Both Friday and Saturday work for me.  I should be done my stuff at noon on Friday -- so anytime after that would work.

Sorry I'm getting here late - you should let me know when you'll be breezing through Union Station (as everyone does at least once if they're in the city) so I can finally meet you!  I just work upstairs, and I can introduce you to the PATH - the underground complex that links the huge corporate-district skyscrapers.

As for fun and amusing things to do, I love to hang out around Spadina/Chinatown/Kensington, Baldwin, The Annex and Spadina/Bloor area, and Queen St. from University to Bathurst.  If you like history and haven't done Fort York, it's fun.

Option1:

Friday evening...say, a dinner or drink at a pub at around 7pm?

Option 2

Saturday morning -- St. Lawrence market?

Either works good for me as I am usually hungry around dinner time and am usually awake on Saturday mornings!

Something reachable via the subway system would be most preferable.

Pinga- can you get downtown in good time in the morning?  of course traffic would be better.  BTW _ You should check with Bethany about driving I think, in case she can come.  (based on memory of where she is)

Faerenach - Friday is better for you right?

who else? Maybe this needs a new thread closer to the date?

sure, I can... It just means I have to get up early....which is a good thing to do in the summers.

yes, we can put a new thread out closer to the date.

YW, will you have access to wondercafe when you are away, or upon your return?  just thinkin' would suck if the guest of honour couldn't figure out where to meet.

I have no idea what my internet access will be like while I am away.  I'll be back in Toronto starting on (I think) Wednesday morning, but even then I don't know what access will be like as I'll be busy with stuff.

However, when I'm done Friday at noon, I'll move to my hostel and they have four computers there.  So I'll be able to check emails / facebook / wondercafe.  So if we meet Friday evening, I should be able to find out the details in enough time to get there.  And, of course, if we meet Saturday, there should be no problem at all.

Friday afternoon, yes.  Evening is negotiable.  And on the subway line would be preferrable - if it's too far from Union, it'd be hard for me to promise myself.  I have a Strategic Planning meeting at the church on Sat. morning and need to be tip-top... no staying out late!

Hi Gang,

Friday evening is a wash for me.

It's ball night.  Sorry, I committed way back in February.  Of course, If I am on the DL by then I could hobble over.

Grace and peace to you.

John

bummer - 2 people I haven't met yet and we have to choose between you???  Ugh!  Ok, fine, I'm not choosing. Someone else can do it.

I'd say after John is done ball practice, but I have my suspicions that I'd rather meet  him after a shower rather than sweaty. 

Birthstone,

I'd skip practice to meet and greet.  I won't skip games.

It hasn't been warm enough yet to break into a sweat.  I keep moving just to avoid hypothermia.  The games are in Paris or I'd invite you all out.  We play at 6:30pm and are usually done by 8pm.  By the time I shower and hit the 403 for TO it would be 8:45pm.  With clear traffic I could be in TO by 10pm which is kind of late to get things started.

You all go ahead without me, I'm not the reason we are planning to get together in the first place.  At best I'd just be the nutty sprinkling on the donut.

Grace and peace to you.

John