Busby Bell & Biggs

2.3 Early European settlement 8.2 Census metropolitan areas, 6.3 Provincial finances 2 Organizations Toronto encompasses a geographical area formerly administered by many separate municipalities These municipalities have each developed a distinct history and identity over the years and their names remain in common use among Torontonians Former municipalities include East York Etobicoke Forest Hill Mimico North York Parkdale Scarborough Swansea Weston and York Throughout the city there exist hundreds of small neighbourhoods and some larger neighbourhoods covering a few square kilometres The many residential communities of Toronto express a character distinct from the skyscrapers in the commercial core Victorian and Edwardian-era residential buildings can be found in enclaves such as Rosedale Cabbagetown the Annex and Yorkville the Wychwood Park neighbourhood historically significant for the architecture of its homes and for being one of Toronto's earliest planned communities was designated as an Ontario Heritage Conservation district in 1985 the Casa Loma neighbourhood is named after "Casa Loma" a castle built in 1911 by Sir Henry Pellat complete with gardens turrets stables an elevator secret passages and a bowling alley. Spadina House is a 19th-century manor that is now a museum Old Toronto. . . .

. . . Nathan Phillips Square is the city's main square the square includes a reflecting pool that is converted into an ice rink during the winter.[c], Ted Kennedy 1957 Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the most populous city in Canada with a population of 2,731,571 in 2016 Current to 2016 the Toronto census metropolitan area (CMA) of which the majority is within the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) held a population of 5,928,040 making it Canada's most populous CMA the city is the anchor of the Golden Horseshoe an urban agglomeration of 9,245,438 people (as of 2016) surrounding the western end of Lake Ontario. Toronto is an international centre of business finance arts and culture and is recognized as one of the most multicultural and cosmopolitan cities in the world People have travelled through and inhabited the Toronto area situated on a broad sloping plateau interspersed with rivers deep ravines and urban forest for more than 10,000 years. After the broadly disputed Toronto Purchase when the Mississauga surrendered the area to the British Crown the British established the town of York in 1793 and later designated it as the capital of Upper Canada. During the War of 1812 the town was the site of the Battle of York and suffered heavy damage by United States troops. York was renamed and incorporated in 1834 as the city of Toronto it was designated as the capital of the province of Ontario in 1867 during Canadian Confederation the city proper has since expanded past its original borders through both annexation and amalgamation to its current area of 630.2 km2 (243.3 sq mi) The diverse population of Toronto reflects its current and historical role as an important destination for immigrants to Canada. More than 50 percent of residents belong to a visible minority population group and over 200 distinct ethnic origins are represented among its inhabitants. While the majority of Torontonians speak English as their primary language over 160 languages are spoken in the city Toronto is a prominent centre for music, theatre, motion picture production and television production, and is home to the headquarters of Canada's major national broadcast networks and media outlets. Its varied cultural institutions, which include numerous museums and galleries festivals and public events entertainment districts national historic sites and sports activities, attract over 25 million tourists each year. Toronto is known for its many skyscrapers and high-rise buildings in particular the tallest free-standing structure in the Western Hemisphere the CN Tower The city is home to the Toronto Stock Exchange the headquarters of Canada's five largest banks, and the headquarters of many large Canadian and multinational corporations. Its economy is highly diversified with strengths in technology design financial services life sciences education arts fashion business services environmental innovation food services and tourism Contents.