What you didn’t know about Toronto, Ontario.
Toronto is far more layered, historic, and ecologically unique than its polished exterior suggests, a city built on ancient shoreline, hidden rivers, and global migration unlike anywhere else in North America.
Much of downtown sits on what used to be the lakebed of Lake Ontario; the city literally expanded outward over decades, creating the waterfront people enjoy today. Beneath Toronto run buried creeks and lost waterways, remnants of the region’s glacial past, still flowing quietly under neighborhoods like Rosedale and Leslieville. The PATH system downtown forms the largest underground pedestrian network in the world, stretching for miles beneath offices, shops, and transit hubs. Toronto is also one of the most multicultural cities on the planet, with over half of residents born outside Canada, a reality that shapes everything from the languages on the street to the food in every market stall. The ravine system, an intricate network of forested valleys carved by ancient rivers, forms one of the largest urban green corridors in North America, creating habitat for deer, foxes, and hundreds of bird species. Even the CN Tower has its secrets: lightning strikes it dozens of times each year, harmlessly dispersing through its engineered grounding system. Toronto is both deeply modern and quietly ancient, a place where new stories rise over land shaped by millennia.
Five fascinations about Toronto.
5. It’s the most multicultural city on Earth.
Over half of Toronto’s population was born outside Canada, and more than 180 languages are spoken here. It’s not just diverse, it’s one of the most globally integrated cities anywhere.
4. PATH is the largest underground shopping complex in the world.
Toronto’s PATH connects over 70 blocks downtown, with 18 miles of walkways lined with shops, cafes, and connections to office towers. It’s a full underground city, especially useful in winter.
3. It’s home to the only real castle in North America.
Casa Loma, a dramatic Gothic Revival-style mansion built in 1914, looks straight out of a European fairytale. It’s been everything from a filming location to a secret wartime base.
2. The CN Tower was once the tallest freestanding structure on Earth.
At 1,815 feet tall, the CN Tower held the world record for over 30 years. It still offers a glass floor, EdgeWalk thrill experiences, and unmatched views of Lake Ontario and beyond.
1. “Toronto” isn’t its original name.
The area was originally called Tkaronto, a Mohawk word meaning “where there are trees standing in the water.” It reflects a deep Indigenous history that predates colonial borders and blueprints.
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