Things that all Torontonians know to be true
I’m a born and raised Torontonian who has just moved back to Toronto. I’ve lived in the city long enough to understand ways in which all fellow Torontonians can bond. This is over things that we can all relate to. This would include:
- It’s nicknames and The Six
While it’s main nicknames include T.O. T-Dot and in the early 20th century was referred to as Hogtown due to the fact that it was home to the stockyards of the William Davies Company, one of Canada’s largest meat packing companies. However Toronto’s nickname today would be “The Six” which has been popularized by our most famous rapper Drake. It became popularized in 2015 when Drake started using it. It stems from the fact that it refers to the six municipalities that made up Metro Toronto before it was amalgamated in 1998. The name is also derived from the city’s 1st official area code 416.
2. Having hundreds of pictures with and of the CN Tower
You may have only gone inside once or twice in your life but yet you take hundreds of photos of it. This is for good reason as up until 2007 it was the largest free standing structure in the world before it was replaced by the Burj Khalifa tower in Dubai in the UAE. It has a total height of 2722 feet. Despite this, the CN Tower still makes for an incredible photo op none of the less.
3. The PATH is incredibly difficult to figure out
No matter how long you’ve lived in Toronto you will forever find the PATH notoriously difficult to navigate. The PATH is a network of tunnels, elevated walkways and at-grade walkways connecting the office towers of downtown Toronto and connects more than 70 buildings via 30 km’s of tunnels, walkways and shopping areas.
4. Seeing the Cherry blossoms in High Park
You can tell spring is here to stay in Toronto when the cherry blossoms are finally blooming and everyone is making the pilgrimage to get those pictures. You tell yourself you’ll get to it soon and on the weekend but you’ll always miss it. This unfortunate cycle will repeat itself yearly.
5. Frigid winters and hot summers
Our winters last a long time and are quite frigid so all Torontonians know to bundle up for the winter months. Yet at the same time our summers are absolutely sweltering. While our winters may sometimes feel like your close to the Arctic circle our summers can feel like your in Florida when it’s 30 C and humid. While Torontonians are used to this tourists however are always left flabbergasted. This brings me to my final point.
6. Patio season
During the summertime in Toronto expect to see a lot of people dining outdoors doing what is the rare experience of outdoor dining. This is without question reserved for the summer months as the Fall and Spring are still too cold for this experience. It being so brief is what makes it so precious to us Torontonians.
7. Complain about the weather all the time
Whether it’s snowing and -20 c or really any type of unpleasant weather you can’t help but complain to the person next to you. This usually makes for a often boring conversation starter.
8. Pretending to be a massive Blue Jays fan
They haven’t won the world series since 1993 but your still wearing blue and white. It’s expected that you be a Blue Jays fan if your from Toronto.
