While travel for pleasure might be off the table for a little while, we can’t simply throw in the towel. When you’re an explorer at heart, staying home is tough. And while our #Canadacation travel series may be temporarily put on hold, that doesn’t mean we can’t still discover new places together. In this new destination lineup, we’re taking you on a guided virtual tour of Canada, starting with The Big Smoke – or perhaps you know it by its more modern moniker, the 6ix.
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Toronto, mighty metropolis on the banks of Lake Ontario, we love you so. If you’re a transplanted Torontonian or simply love to visit, even the mention of its name might give you a little twinge of nostalgia. If so, we’ve got the remedy for you. Because while it may not be the best time to stroll down Queen Street, our technological era makes it easy to discover cities—virtually (in both senses of the word)—from your living room.
Shamelessly Touristy
Sometimes, it’s fun to just be a tourist. And although it’s not quite the same as experiencing the real thing, EarthCam offers a live video feed from 553 metres up the CN Tower. You won’t get the same sweaty-palms-inducing feeling as you would if you were really up there, but it is a fun way to lose yourself in the cityscape for a little while.
The live feeds at Toronto’s Ripley Aquarium are a great way to entertain kids—or yourself—on a lazy afternoon. There’s nothing fishy about the popping colours of the Rainbow Reef, Raybay and Jellyfish cams!
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Art of All Kinds
To say that Toronto is deeply rich and varied in its artistic offerings would be to state the obvious. Boasting some of North America’s most extensive and impressive art collections, there’s a reason why people come from around the world to visit its museums and attend its festivals.
Check out the Royal Ontario Museum’s (ROM) online exhibitions, such as Blue Whale Project, or the Gardiner Museum’s virtual ceramics exhibit. Even the ROM’s impressive exterior is worth a tour.
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Patrons of the arts, rejoice! ArtTO, Canada’s Art Fair, is taking place October 28 to November 9 and will boast a strong online presence this year. Look out for virtual exhibitions, curated collections, talks, tours and more. And, on until Sunday October 25, imagineNATIVE festival celebrates Indigenous storytelling in film, video, audio, digital and interactive art.
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The Social Distancing Festival, a Toronto-based initiative, endeavours to bring art from around the world to your living room during these isolating times. The pieces from across the globe are thought provoking, often touching on themes such as social justice and inequality. It’s timely, fascinating, and more than worth checking out.
Music of Toronto
More than ever, we really could use some soul-stirring jazz right now. The Kensington Market Jazz Festival goes virtual this year November 7-8, and you won’t want to miss it.
TO Live brings to you Living Rooms, featuring live and recorded performances from Juno-winning Toronto artists from their living rooms to yours. It’s like an actual concert but without the dreaded lineups, yahoo!
You can find more weekly virtual and in-person events through Toronto.com and SeeTorontoNow.
Header image by mwangi gatheca on Unsplash
