Port Credit, Toronto

Port Credit is found at the mouth of the Credit River on the north shore of Lake Ontario, within the south central area of the city of Mississauga (one of the small cities around Toronto). Port Credit's former town boundaries are the Canadian National Railway tracks (where the Lake shore West GO trains run) to the north, Seneca Avenue and the western edge of the Adamson Estate (Royal Conservatory School, Mississauga site) to the east and Godfrey's Lane and the town home complex located on the west side of Shawnmarr Road to the west.

The name "Port Credit" came from its roots as a trading post where goods were traded or bought on credit. The earliest reference is on a map drawn in 1757 by La Broquerie at Fort Frontenac, a fort built by the French at the mouth of the Cataraqui River, the site of the city of Kingston.The story of Port Credit is told in the book, "Port Credit, A Glimpse of Other Days" by Verna Mae Weeks, self published.

The heart of Port Credit is its harbour at the mouth of the Credit River. Once a working fishing port and a regional trading centre for grain and other agricultural products, the Port Credit Harbour has seen many roles in the community. A lighthouse was built in 1882 to serve the sailors on Lake Ontario. It served until 1918 and remained standing until destroyed by fire in 1936.

The first permanent structure to be built in the village was the Government Inn (1798-1861), once located on the east bank of the River. Lieutenant Governor John Graves Simcoe had ordered construction of the Inn to serve as a way station for travellers by land and lake, and it was leased to a succession of residents until its destruction by fire. The village plan was laid out in 1834 and for several years, Port Credit was a thriving harbour community. It acquired the status of "police village" in 1909, town status in 1961.

The port was supplanted as a trading centre for shipping by the coming of the railway, but it has always changed with the times. Later in the 19th century, it became known for its stonehooking trade. For years, a unique craft called a "stonehooker" plied the waters of Lake Ontario, near the shore, collecting stones for use in local building trades. Other industries such as the St. Lawrence Starch Works (1889-1989) and the Port Credit Brick Yard (1891-1927) provided employment for many local residents. In 1932 L.B.Lloyd built an oil refinery on the old brick yard site and operated by a succession of operators culminating in its' purchase by a division of Texaco who operated it until its closing in 1985, when Texaco opened a new much larger facility at Nanticoke on Lake Erie. The only remnant is the gas station on the south west corner of Lakeshore and Mississuaga Roads. Even the Texaco name is gone as Esso purchased all the Canadian assets of Texaco in 1989.

Toronto FC

Toronto FC, popularly abbreviated as TFC, is a professional football club located in Toronto, Ontario and the first Canadian and non-American team in the United States' pre-eminent professional soccer league, Major League Soccer (MLS). The club was founded in 2006 and was MLS' 13th team, joining the league in the 2007 season.

Toronto FC is owned by Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment, who operate the NHL's Toronto Maple Leafs, the AHL's Toronto Marlies, and the NBA's Toronto Raptors. TFC plays its home games at BMO Field, located in Exhibition Place along the Toronto lake shore.

Toronto FC's title sponsor, which can be found on the front of their uniforms and on most team merchandise, is the Bank of Montreal (BMO). TFC is known for their distinct red home colours, giving them the nickname "The Reds". TFC fans have helped make the club one of the MLS' most successful franchises, having been profitable since its first year with regular sellouts and sold-out seasons tickets.

The club are the reigning Canadian Champions as 2009 Nutrilite Canadian Championship winners, beating the Montreal Impact by the 4 goals needed on the last day of the Championship to win the title. It is known to TFC supporters as "The Miracle in Montreal".

After Toronto's expansion was announced in 2005, the name of the club was officially announced on May 11, 2006 by the team's owner, Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment Ltd. (MLSE). The "FC" in the team's name is the conventional initialism for Football Club, but in official media and documents, the team has only been referred to as Toronto FC.

The announcement followed an online consultation in which the public was invited to vote on the name during a limited period. The voting options were "Toronto Northmen," "Inter Toronto FC," "Toronto Reds," and "Toronto FC." MLSE's strategy in choosing "Toronto FC" following this process was based on two reasons. Firstly, over 40 percent of the online vote supported the simplified Toronto FC name during the consultation; secondly, MLSE hoped that the fairly generic name would help the new club earn a more organic nickname from the Toronto fans rather than having one imposed upon the club.[2] The team has been called "TFC" and "the Reds" by the media and the club.[3][4] The official team colours are red (jerseys, shorts and socks) with white trim, and light grey jerseys and socks with black shorts and dark grey trim.

Toronto Rock

The Toronto Rock are a lacrosse team in the National Lacrosse League (NLL). They play at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto, Ontario. The Rock of the late 1990s / early 2000s has been called a dynasty, having won five NLL championships in seven years. From 1999 to 2003, the Rock appeared in an NLL-record five straight championship games. In ten seasons, they have an 11-4 record in playoff games.

The Rock play their home games at the Air Canada Centre, which they currently share with both the Toronto Maple Leafs of the NHL and the Toronto Raptors of the NBA

The franchise was originally founded as an NLL expansion team for Hamilton, Ontario to begin play in the 1998 season. They were known as the Ontario Raiders, and played their home games at Copps Coliseum in Hamilton during their first year. Former Buffalo Bandits coach Les Bartley was hired to coach the new team, and he lured former Bandit Jim Veltman to join him, becoming the Raiders' captain. The Raiders finished a respectable 6-6, barely missing the playoffs.

At the conclusion of the season the team was sold to a group of investors led by Bill Watters, then the Assistant GM of the Toronto Maple Leafs of the NHL, and relocated to Toronto.[1] They were subsequently renamed the "Toronto Rock", and began play at Maple Leaf Gardens in the 1999 season.

Toronto Marlies

The Toronto Marlies are an ice hockey team in the American Hockey League that serves as the farm team for the Toronto Maple Leafs of the National Hockey League. They play in Toronto, Ontario, Canada at the Ricoh Coliseum. They are the only AHL team that currently plays in the same market as its NHL affiliate (following the Philadelphia Phantoms' move after the 2008–09 season).

The AHL had a strong presence in Atlantic Canada in the 1980s and 1990s, but by 2004 the St. John's Maple Leafs were the only remaining team in the region. Although the team was extremely popular and had excellent attendance, the desire of the parent Toronto Maple Leafs to reduce travel costs and have a tenant for its Ricoh Coliseum resulted in the team's relocation to Toronto for the 2005–06 season. Previous minor league and junior ventures in Toronto had not met with success, and there was a general feeling that Toronto fans were only interested in the Toronto Maple Leafs, and not other levels of hockey. With the Marlies as the Leafs top affiliate, it was felt that this obstacle could be overcome, however, attendance of barely 2,800 for the Marlies first home playoff game in April 2006 again raised questions about the viability of the franchise.

The team is named after the former Toronto Marlboroughs junior hockey team, but the abbreviated "Marlies" name was chosen to avoid any potential association with the similarly named cigarette brand.

Toronto Nationals

The Toronto Nationals are a men's field lacrosse team based in Toronto, Canada, which began play in the 2009 Major League Lacrosse season, becoming the first-ever Canadian team in MLL history. They will play their home games at BMO Field, which is also home to Major League Soccer's Toronto FC. [2] On August 23, 2009, the Nationals defeated the Denver Outlaws 10-9 to win their first Steinfeld Cup in their inaugural season.

The Nationals have their roots in the MLL's charter franchise the Rochester Rattlers. Based in Rochester, New York, in 2001 and 2002 the team played home games at Frontier Field. They played at Bishop Kearney Field from 2003 to 2005, and moved into the new PAETEC Park in 2006. The Rattlers made the playoffs in 2001 and 2005 as a wildcard. They were the National Division champions in 2004. On June 16, 2007, the Rochester Rattlers won a 27-26 (in overtime) game over the Denver Outlaws in the highest scoring game in MLL history at INVESCO Field at Mile High.

In 2008, the Rattlers won their first MLL championship by defeating the Philadelphia Barrage 16-15(OT) in the semifinals and the Denver Outlaws 16-6 in the championship game.

For the 2009 season, part of the Rattlers' roster was transferred to the new Nationals' team; however, the name, colours, and history are staying behind in Rochester to be potentially used by a future MLL team.[3]

The Nationals started play in the MLL on May 15 2009 and won against Washington Bayhawks 17-16. They won their first home game over the Chicago Machine 15-11. The Nationals qualified for the playoffs as the second seed with a 7-5 record and the best offense in MLL with 184 goals for. The Nationals played their first playoff game against the Long Island Lizards at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis, Maryland. Toronto won their semi-final matchup 14-13 thanks to a strong game by Merrick Thomson scoring 4 goals. Toronto went on to face the Denver Outlaws in the Steinfeld Cup Final. The Nationals were tied with the Outlaws 9-9 with over a minute to go in the game. Nationals head coach Dave Huntley called a time-out to draw out a strategy. With 45 seconds left to go, Joe Walters passed to Shawn Williams and Williams scored the winning goal to give the Toronto Nationals their first championship victory 10-9 over the Denver Outlaws. Merrick Thomson was named Playoff MVP and Brodie Merrill won the Major League Lacrosse Defensive player of the Year Award.

Toronto Raptors

The Toronto Raptors are a professional basketball team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are part of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association (NBA). The team was established in 1995, along with the Vancouver Grizzlies, as part of the NBA's expansion into Canada. When the Grizzlies relocated to Memphis, Tennessee in 2001, the Raptors became the only Canadian team in the NBA. They originally played their home games at SkyDome, before moving to the Air Canada Centre (ACC) in 1999.

Like most expansion teams, the Raptors struggled in their early years; but after the acquisition of Vince Carter through a draft day trade in 1998, the team set league attendance records and made the NBA Playoffs in 2000, 2001, and 2002. Carter was instrumental in leading the team to their first playoff series win in 2001, where they advanced to the Eastern Conference Semifinals. During the 2002–03 and 2003–04 seasons, they failed to make significant progress and he was traded in 2004. After Carter left, Chris Bosh emerged as the team leader, but they continued to struggle. However, with the appointment of Bryan Colangelo as General Manager and a revamp of the roster for the 2006–07 season, they qualified for their first playoff berth in five years and captured their first division title. In the following season, they advanced to the playoffs again

The Toronto Raptors were established on 30 September 1993 when the NBA, as part of its expansion into Canada, awarded its 28th franchise to a group headed by Toronto businessman John Bitove. The Raptors, along with the Vancouver Grizzlies, played their first games in 1995, and were the first NBA teams based in Canada since the 1946–47 Toronto Huskies.

Initial sentiment was in favour of reviving the Huskies nickname, but team management realized it would be nearly impossible to design a logo that did not look too much like that of the Minnesota Timberwolves. As a result, a nationwide contest was held to help name the team and develop their colours and logo. Over 2,000 entries were narrowed down to ten prospects: Beavers, Bobcats, Dragons, Grizzlies, Hogs, Raptors, Scorpions, T-Rex, Tarantulas, and Terriers. The final selection—Toronto Raptors—was unveiled on Canadian national television on 15 May 1994; the choice was influenced by the popularity of the film Jurassic Park. On 24 May 1994, the team's logo and first General Manager (GM), Isiah Thomas were revealed at a press conference. The team's colours of bright red, purple, black, and silver were also revealed; "Naismith" silver was chosen as an ode to Canadian James Naismith, the inventor of basketball. The team originally competed in the Central Division, and before the inaugural season began, sales of Raptors merchandise ranked seventh in the league, marking a successful return of professional basketball to Canada.

As GM, Isiah Thomas quickly staffed the management positions with his own personnel, naming long-time Detroit Pistons assistant Brendan Malone as the Raptors' head coach. The team's roster was then filled as a result of an expansion draft in 1995. Following a coin flip, Toronto was given first choice and selected Chicago Bulls point guard and three-point specialist B. J. Armstrong. Armstrong refused to report for training and Thomas promptly traded him to the Golden State Warriors for power forwards Carlos Rogers and Victor Alexander. Thomas then selected a wide range of players in the expansion draft, including veterans Jerome Kersey, Willie Anderson and his former Pistons teammate John "Spider" Salley.

Toronot Blue Jays

The Toronto Blue Jays are a professional baseball team located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Blue Jays are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball (MLB)'s American League.

The "Blue Jays" name originates from the bird of the same name. They are nicknamed "the Jays", which is featured on the team's logo and on the front of the home uniform.

An expansion franchise, the club was founded in Toronto, in 1977. Originally based at Exhibition Stadium, the team began playing its home games at the SkyDome, upon completion of its construction in 1989. As of 2009, the Blue Jays are owned by Rogers Communications, and in 2004, the SkyDome was purchased by the company, which renamed the venue to Rogers Centre. They are the first and only team outside the United States to win a World Series, the first team to win a World Series in Canada, and the fastest AL expansion franchise to win a World Series (winning in their 16th year, beating the Kansas City Royals' record by one year). With the fellow Canadian franchise Montreal Expos relocating to Washington, D.C. after the 2004 season, and becoming the Washington Nationals, the Blue Jays are currently the only MLB team outside the United States.

The Toronto Blue Jays have the largest geographical home market for radio and television in all of baseball, encompassing all of Canada. The Blue Jays' former radio play-by-play announcer, Tom Cheek, called every Blue Jays game from the team's inaugural contest on April 7, 1977 until June 3, 2004, when he took two games off following the death of his father – a streak of 4,306 consecutive regular season games and 41 postseason games. Cheek died in 2005, and the team commemorated him during their 2006 season by wearing a circular badge on the left sleeve of their jerseys. The badge was adorned with Cheek's initials, as well as a stylized microphone. Cheek is also honoured with a place in the Blue Jays' "Level of Excellence" in the upper level of the Rogers Centre; the number 4,306 is depicted beside his name. In 2008 Cheek received the third highest amount of votes by fans to be nominated for the Ford C. Frick Award for broadcasting excellence. This is the fifth year in a row Cheek has been named a finalist.

Toronto Argonauts

The Toronto Argonauts are a Canadian Football League team based in Toronto, Ontario. Founded in 1873, they are one of the oldest extant professional sports teams in North America. The Argonauts have won the Grey Cup championship a record fifteen times, most recently in 2004. They play their home games at Rogers Centre.

The Toronto Argonauts are notable for being the oldest professional football team in North America, and they are also the oldest professional sports franchise in North America to still retain its original name. They have the most Grey Cup wins with 15 in the league; they have the third most Grey Cup appearances with 21, behind Edmonton (22) and Winnipeg (23). The Argonauts have won the last four Grey Cup games they have appeared in (1991, 1996, 1997, and 2004.)


The Argonauts are one of six professional football teams to feature multiple Heisman Trophy winners on their roster. The 1996 team featured Doug Flutie and Andre Ware, the first time a team has had Heisman winners at the quarterback position. The 2007 team featured Ricky Williams and Eric Crouch. The five other teams are the Dallas Cowboys, Detroit Lions and Los Angeles Raiders of the National Football League, and the Jacksonville Bulls and New Jersey Generals of the defunct United States Football League.

Toronto Maple Leafs

The Toronto Maple Leafs are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League (NHL). The organization, one of the "Original Six" members of the NHL, is officially known as the Toronto Maple Leaf Hockey Club and is the leading subsidiary of Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment Ltd. (MLSE). They have played at the Air Canada Centre (ACC) since 1999, after 68 years at Maple Leaf Gardens.

The Leafs are well known for their long and bitter rivalry with the Montreal Canadiens, and more recent rivalry with the Buffalo Sabres and the Ottawa Senators. The franchise has won thirteen Stanley Cup championships, eleven as the Leafs, one as the Toronto St. Patricks, and one as the Toronto Arenas.

At $448 million (2008), the Leafs are the most valuable team in the NHL, followed by the New York Rangers and the Montreal Canadiens.

In 1996, Stavro took on Larry Tanenbaum, the co-founder of Toronto's new National Basketball Association (NBA) team, the Toronto Raptors, as a partner. Maple Leaf Gardens Ltd. was accordingly renamed Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment (MLSE), and it remains the parent company of the Leafs, the Raptors, and Toronto FC of Major League Soccer (MLS), to the present day.

After two years out of the playoffs in the late 1990s, the Leafs acquired goaltender Curtis Joseph as a free agent from the Edmonton Oilers and signed Pat Quinn, who had been fired by Vancouver in 1997, to serve as head coach. This resulted in the Leafs making another charge during the 1999 playoffs after moving from Maple Leaf Gardens to the new Air Canada Centre, shared with the new Toronto Raptors. The team eliminated the Philadelphia Flyers and Pittsburgh Penguins in the first two rounds of the playoffs, but lost in five games to the Buffalo Sabres in the Eastern Conference Finals.

Toronto reached the second round of the playoffs in both 2000 and 2001, only to lose both times to the New Jersey Devils, who made the Stanley Cup Finals both seasons and won in 2000. The 2000 season was particularly notable because it marked the Leafs' first division title in 37 years, as well as the franchise's first-ever 100-point season. The season ended on a particular low, however, with the Leafs being held to just 6 shots in game six of the second round against the Devils.

In 2002, the Leafs dispatched the Islanders and their Ontario rivals, the Ottawa Senators, in the first two rounds, only to lose to the Cinderella-story Carolina Hurricanes in the Conference Finals. The 2002 season was particularly impressive in that the Leafs had many of their better players sidelined by injuries, but managed to make it to the conference finals due to the efforts of lesser-known players who were led mainly by Gary Roberts and Alyn McCauley.

Joseph left to go to the defending champion Red Wings in the 2002 off-season; the team found a replacement in veteran Ed Belfour, who came over from the Dallas Stars and had been a crucial part of their 1999 Stanley Cup run. Belfour could not help their playoff woes in the 2003 playoffs, however, as the team lost to Philadelphia in seven games in the first round. 2003 also witnessed a change in the ownership ranks, as Stavro sold his controlling interest in MLSE to the Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan and resigned his position as Chairman of the Board in favour of Tanenbaum. Stavro died in 2006.

The 2003–04 season started in an uncommon way for the team, as they held their training camp in Sweden and played in the NHL Challenge against teams from Sweden and Finland. That year, the Leafs had a very successful regular season, posting a franchise-record 103 points. They finished with the fourth-best record in the league (their best overall finish in 41 years) and also managed a .628 win percentage, their best in 43 years and the third-best in franchise history. Toronto defeated the Senators in the first round of the playoffs for the fourth time in five years, but lost to the Flyers in the second round in six games.

Sport Teams in Toronto

Sport in Toronto has a long and distinguished history. The city is home to a few historic clubs such as: Granite Club, the Royal Canadian Yacht Club, the Toronto Cricket Skating and Curling Club, the Argonaut Rowing Club, Toronto Argonauts football club, the Toronto Lawn Tennis Club, and the Badminton and Racquet Club.

Toronto is home to a number of historic venues such as: Christie Pits Ricoh Coliseum, Varsity Arena, Maple Leafs Garden. The state of professional sport in Toronto has shifted considerably throughout the city's history, contemporaneously with the popularity of each sport in time, and the success of the local franchise in each respective sport.

Toronto has several sport teams, such as hockey, which is the biggest one, they also have football (American football), basketball, baseball, soccer, and lacrosse. There two division of team which are the professional and semi-professional.

Here is the list of the professional teams

* Toronto Argonauts (Canadian Football League CFL)
* Toronto Blue Jays (Major League Baseball MLB)
* Toronto Maple Leafs (National Hockey League NHL)
* Toronto Marlies (American Hockey League AHL)
* Toronto Nationals (Major League Lacrosse MLL)
* Toronto Raptors (National Basketball Association NBA)
* Toronto Rock (National Lacrosse League NLL)
* Toronto FC (Major League Soccer MLS)

Here is the list of the semi-professional teams

* Toronto Aeros National Women's Hockey League - now Mississauga Aeros
* Toronto Lady Lynx (USL Women's soccer)
* Toronto Lynx (USL Premier Development League)
* Toronto Beaches (OLA Junior A Lacrosse League)
* Toronto Maple Leafs (semi-pro baseball) (Intercounty Baseball League)

Toronto Emergency Medical Services (EMS)

Toronto Emergency Medical Services (EMS) is the statutory Emergency medical services provider for the city of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The service is operated directly as a branch of the municipal government as an independent, third-service option provider, which means that the service is funded by the municipal tax base, and operates in much the same manner as any other municipal department, such as the police or fire department, or in some cases like a public utility, but retains its complete independence from all other departments. While under municipal government control, it is required to comply with legislation and licensing standards provided by the Ontario provincial government. It is not the only service provider in its area; private-for-profit medical transport services also provide routine, non-emergency transports and coverage for special events, but the statutory EMS system is the only provider permitted to service emergency calls.

there are 242 vehicles in the Toronto EMS fleet, 150 are KKK-1822 Standard Type III ambulances. Of these, approximately 100 are in service at any time on a typical, mid-week, day shift. The rest of the fleet are support vehicles (mainly buses and trucks) supervisory vehicles, and single paramedic response vehicles. Toronto EMS operates its own repair facilities, located at the service's Headquarters complex. All maintenance and repair work (with the exception of body work), and all equipment, radio, and medical electronics maintenance and repairs are performed on site by service staff

Toronto EMS operates its own Communications and System Control Centre (called a Central Ambulance Communications Center), including emergency medical dispatch, patient distribution and system oversight. Toronto EMS participates in the community-wide 9-1-1 system, and triages emergency calls using the Advanced Medical Priority Dispatch System. The system uses Computer-Aided Dispatch, including Tritech VisiCAD, augmented by PDS and Siren software and technology. The service utilizes a satellite-based Automatic Vehicle Locating system in order to ensure that the closest appropriate response resource is consistently sent to each emergency call; all emergency response resources are included. The service utilizes a 800mhz Smartzone trunking radio system for dispatch purposes. The Control Centre has direct landline contact with the 9-1-1 Center, all other emergency services, all acute care hospitals, and all EMS Stations.

The service utilizes “Language Line” service to provide instant simultaneous translation of emergency calls in more than 140 languages. Toronto EMS operates the largest EMS Communications Centre in Canada, which was recently accredited as an International Centre of Excellence by the International Academy of Emergency Dispatch.

Toronto EMS operates a total of 41 dedicated EMS stations, geographically distributed across the 246 square miles of the City of Toronto. Emergency service headquarters (which is shared with Toronto Fire Services, but both services operate independently) is located at 4330 Dufferin Street in Toronto. This facility includes administrative offices, some education facilities, the EMS Communications Centre, Fleet Maintenance, Planning and Operational Support, and Materials Management/Logistics. The service is supplemented by well-developed EMS systems in neighbouring communities on three sides, with Lake Ontario providing the southern boundary of the service area. Air ambulance operations are provided within the City of Toronto by Ornge, a privately owned air ambulance contractor, under contract to the Government of Ontario.

In addition to regular operations, Toronto EMS staffs a Special Operations Unit, tasked with the provision of EMS services in unusual circumstances. The elements of this unit include, Tactical Paramedics - Cross-trained paramedics providing medical support to the Toronto Police Emergency Task Force. Marine Paramedics - Cross-trained paramedics staffing the patrol vessels of the Toronto Police Marine Unit, in order to provide support for Toronto Police personnel, EMS services on the waters of Lake Ontario, and EMS service to the Toronto Islands. HUSAR - Specially-trained Toronto EMS paramedics operate together with elements of the Toronto Fire Services and Toronto Police Service to provide a joint-service Heavy Urban Search and Rescue team. CBRN Paramedics (Chemical, Biological, Radioactive, Nuclear) - Specially-trained Toronto EMS paramedics operate together with elements of the Toronto Police Service and Toronto Fire Services to provide a joint-service Hazardous Materials Response team. Public Safety Unit - Cross-trained paramedics providing medical support to the Toronto Police Riot Squad. Emergency Response Unit - Single paramedics in rapid response vehicles, tasked solely with response to high priority emergency calls. Bicycle Unit - Paramedics equipped with mountain bikes, capable of providing services in off road areas, or at special events

Toronto Fire Services (TFS)

Fire services in Toronto began in 1874 in the former City of Toronto, and consisted of volunteer fire companies. Prior to 1874, fire services were volunteer companies in the city. After the Great Toronto Fire in 1904, which destroyed much of Bay Street from The Esplande West to Melinda Street, the Fire Department in Toronto became a critical city service and has evolved into the professional service that exists today.

Fire stations built from the late 1800s and up to 1950s varied in style. Fire halls after 1950 tended to be utilitarian in design. The latest fire stations are modern, but they often lack the character of older fire stations in the city. Located just off Yonge Street, south of St. Clair Avenue, Balmoral Fire Hall was built in an era when horses pulled hose wagons through its double doors. Still visible along the east wall is a second-storey projecting beam and doorway where hay was hoisted into a loft for feed. In the rear, a tower capable of drying 50-foot hoses still stands. The building was designated a National Historic Site in 1990, for its rare adoption of the Queen Anne style. The status entitles it to a handsome federal plaque, but, as of 2007, none has been erected. At the moment, the station is home to an aerial unit, but that is scheduled to leave, despite numerous high-rises in the area.

As of April 2005, the departments and commissioners were replaced by divisions under the City Manager (and Deputy Managers), so the TFS is now referred to as the Toronto Fire Services Division.

The Toronto Fire Services is responsible for responding to fires, rescue and assisting with medical situations within the City of Toronto. It was created in 1998 from the merger of the former fire departments of the original City of Toronto, East York, Etobicoke, North York, Scarborough and York. It is the largest fire department in Canada and the 4th largest in North America behind New York City, Chicago and Los Angeles.


TFS also provides fire fighting and rescue operations in the water. The TFS operates two fire boats, the William Lyon Mackenzie and Sora. Both are stationed at station 334. At the Toronto City Centre Airport, TFS may be called to assist the fire service at the airport. After the September 11, 2001 attacks, the TFS formed a search and rescue unit called the Heavy Urban Search and Rescue or HUSAR. HUSAR responds to collapsed buildings and other incidents beyond the reach of regular fire fighters.

TFSt began using motorized vehicles after 1910. Before that, the TFD used horse drawn engines and ladders. The TFS inherited all the vehicles of the fire departments prior to amalgamation. The current strength of TFS consists of 179 vehicles. A list of types of vehicles used by the TFS: Aerial/ Platform/ Tower, Pumper, Rescue, Hazardous Materials, Squad, High Rise Unit, District Chief, Platoon Chief, and Command Truck.

Toronto Police Services (TPS)

The Toronto Police Service (TPS), formerly the Metropolitan Toronto Police, is the police service for the City of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is the largest municipal police service in Canada and second largest police unit in Canada after the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP).

(One of the oldest Toronto Police Cars. Ya they use to look like yellow cab taxi)


The Toronto Police Service, was founded in 1834 when the City of Toronto was first created from the Town of York. (Prior to that, local able bodied male citizens were required to report for night duty as special constables for a fixed number of nights a year on the pain of fine or imprisonment in a system known as "watch and ward".)

The Toronto Police is one of the English-speaking world’s oldest modern municipal police departments; older than, for example, the legendary New York City Police Department which was formed in 1845 or the Boston Police Department which was established in 1839. The London Metropolitan Police of 1829 is generally recognized as the first modern municipal department. In 1835, Toronto retained five fulltime constables—a ratio of about one officer for every 1,850 citizens. Their daily pay was set at 5 shillings for day duty and 7 shillings, 6 pence, for night duty. In 1837 the constables’ annual pay was fixed at £75 per annum, a lucrative City position when compared to the Mayor’s annual pay of £250 at the time.
Toronto Constables circa 1880

From 1834 to 1859, the Toronto Police was a corrupt and notoriously political force with its constables loyal to the local aldermen who personally appointed police officers in their own wards for the duration of their incumbency. Toronto constables on numerous occasions suppressed opposition candidate meetings and took sides during bitter sectarian violence between Orange Order and Irish Catholic radical factions in the city. A Provincial Government report in 1841 described the Toronto Police as "formidable engines of oppression". Although constables were issued uniforms in 1837, one contemporary recalled that the Toronto Police was "without uniformity, except in one respect—they were uniformly slovenly."

Today, the Toronto Police Service is responsible for overall local police service in Toronto and works with the other emergency services (Toronto EMS (TEMS) and Toronto Fire Services (TFS)) and other police forces in the GTA (greater toronto area).


Toronto Police Headquarters is on College Street near Bay Street in the downtown area. The former HQ at Jarvis Street was turned into a museum (and since re-located to current HQ). The current site was once home to the Toronto YMCA. The current sign in over the main entrance still reads "Metropolitan Toronto Police Headquarters" and still has the seal of Metropolitan Toronto, and since 2007 has the current Toronto Police Service crest. The Toronto Police Service is divided into 2 field areas and 17 divisions (police stations or precincts).


The Toronto Police Service has approximately 5,710 uniformed officers and 2,500 civilian employees. Its officers are among the best paid in Canada. In October 2008, the Toronto Police Service was named one of Greater Toronto's Top Employers by Media corp Canada Inc., which was announced by the Toronto Star newspaper. TPS also has 17 general purpose dogs. Nero and Rony are dogs attached to this unit. There are 4 drug enforcement dogs and 1 explosives detector dog (Mic). 21 officers and dogs are assigned to this unit and based at 44 Beechwood Drive in East York, Ontario.


TPS is one of several police forces along Lake Ontario with a marine unit and has a fleet of 15 boats based along marine unit stations in south Etobicoke (Humber Bay West Park), Toronto Harbor and Scarborough (Bluffer's Park. TPS Also has the parking Enforcement Unit that serve as parking enforcers with a smaller Honda Civic type of vehicles.

TPS Fleet includes 2006 and up Chevy Impala's, late model Ford Crown Victoria's, Late model Dodge Chargers, various type of Boats, Mountain Bikes, and horses as well for special occasions. They also have several other type of vans and other light duty pick up truck for various services.

Airports in Toronto

1.Toronto Pearson International Airport, also known as Lester B. Pearson International Airport or simply Toronto Pearson, is a major international airport serving Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is situated 27 km (17 mi) northwest of Downtown Toronto in the city of Mississauga, Ontario. It is the primary airport for a densely populated metropolitan region in southern Ontario including and surrounding the Greater Toronto Area known as the Golden Horseshoe. Toronto Pearson is the largest[5] and busiest airport in Canada. In 2008, it handled 32.3 million passengers, 429,262 aircraft movements and was the 22nd busiest airport by aircraft movements in the world. In 2006, the airport was selected as the best global airport by the UK-based Institute of Transport Management.

2.Toronto City Centre Airport, also known as Toronto Island Airport, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada is a small airport located on the Toronto Islands. It was opened to aviation in 1939, and was initially known as the Port George VI Island Airport after the reigning monarch of the time. During World War II it was used for air force training by the Royal Norwegian and Royal Canadian Air Forces. Since then it has been used for civil aviation and, since 1984, scheduled airlines as well.

3. Buttonville Municipal Airport or Toronto/Buttonville Municipal Airport, is a medium-sized airport in Buttonville, Ontario, Canada, within Markham, bordering Richmond Hill and 29 km (18 mi) north of downtown Toronto. It is operated by Toronto Airways Limited. Due to its proximity to Toronto's suburbs, there are several strict noise-reduction procedures for aircraft using the airport. There is a weather station located at the airport. The airport is open and staffed 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. In 2008, Buttonville was Canada's 11th busiest airport by aircraft movements.

4. Markham Airport or Toronto/Markham Airport, is a private airport operating 2.6 NM (4.8 km; 3.0 mi) north of Markham, Ontario, Canada near Toronto. The airport is owned and operated by Markham Airport Inc. and owned by a numbered Ontario company owned by the Thomson family of Toronto. The airport is not part of the Greater Toronto Airport Authority. The airport consists of a single 2,013 ft (614 m) runway for small and private aircraft only (with night flying capabilities).

5. Downsview Airport or Toronto/Downsview Airport, is located in Toronto, Ontario and has been exclusively owned and used as a testing facility by Bombardier Aerospace since 1994. Downsview Airport has its own fire service (Bombardier Aerospace Emergency Services) which covers airport operations (using two airport fire rescue vehicles) and plant operations (using two SUV emergency vehicles). Bombardier Emergency Services employees are cross-trained as firefighters, first responders and airport security.

6. Oshawa Airport, is a municipal airport adjacent to the north end of the city of Oshawa, Ontario, Canada. Oshawa Airport is one of the major general aviation airports in the Greater Toronto Area It includes two paved runways and instrument approaches. Oshawa used to host the annual Canadian Aviation Expo, Canada's largest annual aviation event. The airport is classified as an airport of entry by NAV CANADA and is staffed by the Canada Border Services Agency. CBSA officers at this airport currently can handle aircraft with no more than 50 passengers.

7. Brampton Airport, is a privately owned general aviation airport in Caledon, near Brampton, Ontario, Canada, northwest of Toronto. The club and airport was established in 1946 and occupies 240 acres (0.97 km2) of land. The airport consists of two paved runways, a flight school building, terminal building, aircraft service and maintenance facilities and 25 storage hangars.

8. Burlington Airpark, is a small, privately-operated general aviation airport in rural Milton, Ontario west of Toronto.

9. John C. Munro Hamilton International Airport or Hamilton International, is an international airport in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. It is named for John Munro, a Hamilton Member of Parliament and cabinet minister. The airport is designed for use by large airplanes on overseas flights, and includes a 10,000 ft × 200 ft (3,048 m × 61 m) asphalt runway with centreline lighting for low-visibility operations, as well as a smaller 6,000 ft × 150 ft (1,829 m × 46 m) asphalt runway. It serves as an alternate and reliever for nearby Toronto Pearson International Airport. The airport is classified as an airport of entry by NAV CANADA and is staffed by the Canada Border Services Agency. CBSA officers at this airport currently can handle aircraft with no more than 250 passengers; however, they can handle up to 450 if the aircraft is unloaded in stages.

Cultural Events in Toronto

Toronto is a major scene for theatre and other performing arts, with more than fifty ballet and dance companies, six opera companies, two symphony orchestras and a host of theatres. The city is home to the National Ballet of Canada, the Canadian Opera Company, the Toronto Symphony Orchestra and the Canadian Stage Company. Notable performance venues include the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts, Roy Thomson Hall, the Princess of Wales Theatre, the Royal Alexandra Theatre, Massey Hall, the Toronto Centre for the Arts, the Elgin and Winter Garden Theatres and the Sony Centre for the Performing Arts (originally the "O'Keefe Centre" and formerly the "Hummingbird Centre").

Ontario Place features the world's first permanent IMAX movie theatre, the Cinesphere, as well as the Molson Amphitheatre, an open-air venue for large-scale music concerts. Each summer, the Canadian Stage Company presents an outdoor Shakespeare production in Toronto’s High Park called "Dream in High Park". Canada's Walk of Fame acknowledges the achievements of successful Canadians, with of a series of stars on designated blocks of sidewalks along King Street and Simcoe Street.
The Royal Alexandra Theatre

The Distillery District is a pedestrian village containing boutiques, art galleries, restaurants, artist studios and small breweries, including the well-known Mill Street Brewery. A new theatre in the district, the Young Centre for the Performing Arts, is the home of the Soulpepper Theatre Company and the drama productions of nearby George Brown College.

The production of domestic and foreign film and television is a major local industry. Many movie releases are screened in Toronto before wider release in North America. The Toronto International Film Festival is one of the most important annual events for the international film industry. Europe's largest film studio, Pinewood Studios Group of London, is scheduled to open a major new film studio complex in west-end Toronto, with five sound stages, with the first two to open by fall 2008.

Toronto's Caribana festival takes place from mid-July to early August of every summer, and is one of North America's largest street festivals. Primarily based on the Trinidad and Tobago Carnival, the first Caribana took place in 1967 when the city's Caribbean community celebrated Canada's Centennial year. Forty years later, it has grown to attract one million people to Toronto's Lake Shore Boulevard annually. Tourism for the festival is in the hundred thousands, and each year, the event generates about $300 million in revenue.

Pride Week in Toronto takes place in late June, and is one of the largest LGBT festivals in the world. One of the largest events in the city, it attracts more than one million people from around the world. Toronto is a major centre for gay and lesbian culture and entertainment, and the gay village is located in the Church and Wellesley area of Downtown.

Toronto Public Spaces

Toronto has a diverse array of public spaces, from city squares to public parks overlooking ravines. A group called the Toronto Public Space Committee was formed to protect the city's public spaces. Nathan Phillips Square is the city's main square in downtown, and forms the entrance to City Hall. Yonge-Dundas Square, a newer square not far from City Hall, has also gained attention in recent years as one of the busiest gathering spots in the city. Other squares include Harbourfront Square, on the revitalized Toronto waterfront, and the civic squares at the former city halls of the defunct Metropolitan Toronto, most notably Mel Lastman Square in North York.
HTO Park, Toronto's first artificial urban beach

There are many large downtown parks, which include Grange Park, Moss Park, Allan Gardens, Little Norway Park, Queen's Park, Riverdale Park, Trinity Bellwoods Park, Christie Pits, and the Leslie Street Spit, which is Tommy Thompson Park on weekends. The Toronto Islands have several acres of park space, accessible from downtown by ferry. Large parks in the outer areas include High Park, Humber Bay Park, Centennial Park, Downsview Park, Guildwood Park, and Rouge Park. An almost hidden park is the compact Cloud Gardens, which has both open areas and a glassed-in greenhouse in downtown Toronto.

Both squares and parks are associated with rinks or pools for public ice-skating.


Nathan Phillips Square is currently undergoing a major redesign by PLANT Architect Inc., Shore Tilbe Irwin & Partners, Peter Lindsay Schaudt Landscape Architecture Inc., and Adrian Blackwell (winners of the International Design Competition in 2006/2007). West 8, a Dutch architecture firm, won the Central Waterfront Innovative Design Competition in 2006 to redesign the central part of the Toronto waterfront.[40][41] In 1999, Downsview Park initiated an international design competition to realise its vision of creating Canada's first national urban park. In May 2000, the winning park design was announced: "TREE CITY", by the team of Bruce Mau Design, Office for Metropolitan Architecture, Oleson Worland Architect and Inside/Outside.

Architecture in Toronto

According to knowledgeable Toronto residents, and architects who have designed buildings in the city, such as Will Alsop, Toronto has no single, dominant architectural style. Lawrence Richards, a member of the faculty of architecture at the University of Toronto, has said "Toronto is a new, brash, rag-tag place — a big mix of periods and styles." Toronto buildings vary in design and age with many structures dating back to the mid-1800s, while other prominent buildings were just newly built in the 2000s.

Defining the Toronto skyline is the CN Tower. At a height of 553.33 metres (1,815 ft, 5 in) it was the world's tallest freestanding structure until 2007 when it was surpassed by the Burj Dubai, but it is still the tallest tower in the western hemisphere surpassing Chicago's Willis Tower (formerly known as Sears Tower) by 110 metres in height. It is an important telecommunications hub, and a centre of tourism in Toronto.
Art Gallery of Ontario

Toronto is a city of high-rises, having over 2,000 buildings over 90 metres (300 ft) in height, second only to New York City (which has over 5,000 such buildings) in North America. Most of these buildings are residential (either rental or condominium), whereas the Central business district contains the taller commercial office towers. There has been recent media attention given for the need to retrofit many of these buildings, which were constructed beginning in the 1950s as residential apartment blocks to accommodate a quickly growing population.

In contrast, Toronto has also begun to experience an architectural overhaul within the past five years. The Royal Ontario Museum, the Gardiner Museum, the Art Gallery of Ontario, and the Ontario College of Art and Design are just some of the many public art buildings that have undergone massive renovations.

The historic Distillery District, located on the eastern edge of downtown, is North America's largest and best preserved collection of Victorian era industrial architecture. It has been redeveloped into a pedestrian-oriented arts, culture and entertainment neighbourhood. Modern glass and steel highrises have begun to transform the majority of the downtown area as the condominium market has exploded and triggered widespread construction throughout the city's centre. Trump International Hotel and Tower, Ritz-Carlton, Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts are just some of the many high rise luxury condominium-hotel projects currently under construction in the downtown core.

Toronto Transportation Commision (TTC)Streetcar

The Toronto streetcar system comprises eleven streetcar (tram) routes in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, operated by the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC), the municipal public transit operator. Totalling 305.8 kilometres in length, the network is generally concentrated downtown and in proximity to the city's waterfront. Some of the TTC's streetcar routes date back to the 19th century. Unlike newer light rail transit (LRT) systems, most of Toronto's streetcar routes operate in the classic style on street trackage shared with car traffic, and streetcars stop on demand at frequent stops like buses rather than having fixed stations. However, some routes operate (totally or partially) within their own rights-of-way, though they still stop on demand at frequent stops.

Before the TTC came into operation in 1921, there were seven distinct transit systems in the city. There were no transfers allowed between them, and so the free transfer has always been a sensitive issue for the TTC. The goal of ease in changing routes has affected the design of the system.

There are underground connections between streetcars and the subway at Union, Spadina, and St. Clair West stations, and streetcars enter St. Clair, Bathurst, Broadview, Dundas West, and Main Street stations at street level. At these stations, no proof of payment is required to transfer between streetcars and the subway, as the streetcars have entered the paid area of the stations. Streetcars also pass by the entrances of St. Andrew, King, Osgoode, Queen, St. Patrick, Dundas, Queen's Park, and College—other downtown stations, although proof of payment is required to transfer between streetcars and the subway at these stops, as the streetcars stop outside of the stations themselves at these locations.

The TTC now operates 11 streetcar routes with 248 streetcars, of which 52 are higher-capacity articulated streetcars. Almost all TTC streetcar routes operate all day, every day. The density of this grid is largely unchanged for 18 operating hours per day, thus providing transit services within a 5 to 7 minute walk of most areas within Toronto. The streetcars carry about 74 passengers during peak periods.

This results in the majority of TTC services operating at peak intervals of 5-10 minutes, with some service as frequent as every 2 minutes, and off-peak service every 5 to 20 minutes.

Toronto Transportation Commision (TTC) Bus

The TTC has more than 140 bus routes and also operates 14 bus routes into neighbouring municipalities adjacent to the City of Toronto, and the neighbouring transit agencies operate more than 30 bus routes which connect directly with the TTC subway system or other surface routes. There are also transfer opportunities between several TTC services.

The TTC carries approximately 460 million customers per year, or about 1.5 million passengers on a typical weekday. Our ridership accounts for more than 80% of all transit ridership in the Greater Toronto Area.

The TTC uses a very simple and extremely successful fare system with a flat-fare structure, allowing customers to travel an unlimited distance per trip for one price.
The TTC’s fleet consists of 1730 buses of varying ages and types. The TTC operates a north-south, east-west grid of routes conforming, to the greatest extent possible, with the grid of major arterial roads in the City. All these routes feed a grid of rapid transit routes.

One of the TTC’s most important features is efficient, convenient, and free transfers between all services and modes: this is critical for a grid-based system that feeds riders from surface vehicles to subways for high-speed trips into the downtown core and throughout the network.

The TTC’s conventional or fixed-route services are planned so that the capacity, or supply, is matched to actual observed passenger demand, as recorded through frequent passenger counts, in accordance with vehicle crowding standards, which are, for example: 50 passengers per bus during peak periods; and This results in the majority of TTC services operating at peak intervals of 5-10 minutes, with some service as frequent as every 2 minutes, and off-peak service every 5 to 20 minutes.


The TTC is governed by a nine-member Board of Commissioners which is currently comprised of elected City Councillors. The Board of Commissioners must ensure that service and fare levels are set so that passenger demand is met and budgets are balanced.

Wheelchair-transportation
Wheel-Trans consists of: 135 fully-accessible buses; and contracted accessible and regular taxis. Wheel-Trans carries 1.5 million trips per year, or about 5000 trips on a typical weekday.

Wheel-Trans customers wishing to make trips on this door-to-door specialized service are required to book their trips one day in advance, or they can reserve regular daily trips on a subscription basis.

Toronto Transportation Commision (TTC) Subway

Subway - On weekdays and Saturdays, trains run every few minutes from about 6:00am until 1:30am. On Sundays, they run from about 9:00am to 1:30am

Yonge-University-Spadina
The 1 Yonge-University-Spadina Subway has 32 stations, and is a “U-shaped” subway route running generally in a south and then north direction. The route operates from the northern area of Yonge Street and Finch Avenue East, south to Union Station in downtown Toronto, and then north again to the area of Allen Road and Sheppard Avenue West. The Yonge-University-Spadina Subway connects with the Bloor-Danforth Subway at Bloor-Yonge, St. George and Spadina Stations, and it connects with the Sheppard Subway at Sheppard-Yonge Station.

Bloor-Danforth
The 2 Bloor-Danforth Subway has 31 stations, and is a subway route running generally in an east-west direction along Bloor Street West, Bloor Street East and Danforth Avenue. The route operates from the western area of Dundas Street West and Kipling Avenue, east to the area of Bloor Street and Yonge Street in downtown Toronto, and continues east to the area of Eglinton Avenue East and Kennedy Road. The Bloor-Danforth Subway connects with the Yonge-University-Spadina Subway at Bloor-Yonge, St. George and Spadina Stations, and it connects with the Scarborough RT at Kennedy Station.


Scarborough RT
The 3 Scarborough RT has six stations, and is an “L-shaped” rapid transit route running generally in a north and then east direction. The route operates from the area of Eglinton Avenue East and Kennedy Road, north and east to the Scarborough Town Centre, and continues east to the area of McCowan Road and Progress Avenue. The Scarborough RT connects with the Bloor-Danforth Subway at Kennedy Station.

Sheppard
The 4 Sheppard Subway has five stations, and is a subway route running in an east-west direction along Sheppard Avenue East. The route operates from the area of Yonge Street and Sheppard Avenue, east to the area of Sheppard Avenue East and Don Mills Road. The Sheppard Subway connects with the Yonge-University-Spadina Subway at Sheppard-Yonge Station.

Where is Toronto, Canada located at?

Toronto, Ontario, Canada lies on the shore of Lake Ontario, the easternmost of the Great Lakes. Home to more than 2.7 million people, the city is the key to one of North America's most vibrant regions, the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). 5.2 million Canadians live in the GTA, the cultural, entertainment, and financial capital of the nation. The city is also the seat of government of the province of Ontario
Toronto is ideally located for operations with a world-wide focus. The city is 1.5 hours by air to cities such as New York, Philadelphia, Hartford, Boston, and Chicago, with direct flights available to most major world cities. The city is located in the Eastern Time Zone which allows for convenient communications with key people in the eastern seaboard of North America, while providing excellent windows of communication to European centres. The multi-cultural nature of the city (over 100 ethnic groups) provides international companies a large pool of the language skills necessary to operate in international markets.

Canadians depend on trade to a larger extent than most major world economies; exports of goods and services account for approximately 25% of the GDP. With more than 150 trading partners, the economy of Ontario is also largely based on international trade. Over 91% of Ontario exports went to the United States in 1994 while over 76% of Ontario's imports came from south of the border.

In selecting an operating site, it is very advantageous if a corporate executive can travel to and from his operating centre in one working day, or, for that matter in one half day. Lost productivity due to "jet lag" would not be an issue for employees travelling between headquarters and an operation in Toronto