Website:  Toronto

Toronto is the biggest commercial city in Canada, situated in the east side, makes it similar to New York for the USA.  This year 2009 is its 175th year of being a city and to celebrate, City Hall in Nathan Phillips Square had festivities from day to night, indoors and outdoors.  The public services such as fire and police were present outdoors, some arts and entertainment were scheduled indoors.  Cosmopolitan and multicultural, Toronto is home to many of us who immigrated in through the years of Canadian multiculturalism.  The whole year it has many events and festivals celebrating ethnic cultures especially in the center, Nathan Phillips Square outside City Hall itself!  The municipal government, led by Mayor David Miller actively participates in hosting and attending the celebrations all over the Greater Toronto Area (GTA).  Torontonians, the residents of Toronto, often go to the free festivals and events funded by the government, corporations, businesses, and organized by organizations and associations, and groups and individuals.  Living here one can easily absorb the culture just by being open minded and curious to attend the various activities.  On Nathan Phillips Square, annual festivals include:  Toronto Outdoor Art, Pistahan Sa Toronto, TD Canada Trust Jazz, took years of effort, manpower, money and time to develop the attendance.  Longevity and persistence help establish a festival.  It does not happen overnight.  This city took 175 years to get to this point of cosmopolitanism!  Policies allow various ethnic communities to borrow its spaces to show off and share cultures in: Nathan Phillips Square, Harbourfront Centre, Dundas Yonge Square, Exhibition Place, Ontario Place, various streets like Queen and Yonge for parades, host the activities and are usually free to the public.  New festivals such as Nuit Blance and Luminato are also international in scope and Torontonians who attend and participate become more worldly, enriched by imagination and culture.  Living here is peaceful and progressive and racial prejudice is rare due to the openness, tolerance and acceptance of foreigners and influences.  Local born and foreign born Torontonians live, work and play together!  It is a healthy city and those of us who make it home are lucky to be living here.