My week in the world’s most welcoming city where immigrants are ‘newcomers’

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The world could learn a lot from Toronto. Bright, bustling and bursting with a diverse food scene, it has long been known as one of the most welcoming cities on Earth.

Almost half of the nearly three-million-strong population is foreign-born, and it feels like everyone has roots across the globe. Immigrants aren’t referred to as immigrants here — they’re simply ‘newcomers’.

And for a time, many years ago, my mum was one of them.

Shortly after being born in the UK, my grandparents took her to Canada in search of a better life. My grandad was a steelworker, so they relocated to Hamilton, Ontario, the ‘Steel City’, about an hour from Toronto.

My mum’s childhood wasn’t all roses, but she remembers their 13 years there with such fondness.

She talks of growing up in a country of immigrants and smiling faces; skiing to school in the winters and pouring maple syrup onto snow to make taffy. 

She hasn’t returned since they moved back, and I’ve always wanted to experience this melting pot of cultures, cuisines and faith with her.

This is everything we saw and did (plus how much it all cost) as a first-timer and a long-awaited returnee.

Toronto: everything you need to know

Toronto is the capital of Ontario, an east-central Canadian province, and the country’s most populous. You can fly direct from London – we went from Heathrow with British Airways – which takes around eight hours.

Toronto is incredibly diverse. There are neighbourhoods like Little Italy, Little Tibet, Koreatown, and Little Portugal and some 160 languages are spoken.

I had been told that spring was the best time to visit, when temperatures reach the high teens. It didn’t play out that way; we were greeted by non-stop rain that lasted for the first two days of our trip.

Still, undeterred and armed with rain macs, we got down to exploring. 

Things to do in Toronto

I like to be prepared, and before we travelled, I’d gone to town on Google Maps, bookmarking places for us to hit up in our six days in ‘The Six’.

That’s the nickname, made famous by Drake — it’s a nod to the city’s original area codes (416 and 647) and the six former municipalities that were amalgamated to form Toronto as we know it in 1998.

If we’d stayed for six weeks, I’m not sure we would have managed it. 

Staying downtown (which I’d recommend), at the Hilton Hotel, we had a solid base from which to explore this largely walkable city in every direction.

We were 20 minutes walk from the CN Tower (an iconic Toronto landmark), and just a 15-minute stroll from The Art Gallery of Ontario, which was our first stop. Admission is $30 (£16ish) and well worth it.

The building, designed by architect Frank Gehry, is beautiful and houses a stunning collection.

We saw Yayoi Kusama’s Infinity Mirrored Room and works from indigenous artists, and learned about the Group of Seven, a collective of seven artists famous across Canada for their depictions of nature and distinctive style.

Mum remarked on how refreshing it was not to see countless paintings of royalty and nobility, and instead have nature and culture celebrated more prominently. 

Another museum that left a lasting impression, although for different reasons, was Little Canada ($36/£19.50).

This place is essentially a multi-floored museum in a shopping centre that depicts Canada in the medium of model railway. It might not sound like a vibe, but my god, it is.

It’s modelled after Miniatur Wunderland (my favourite place to go in Hamburg, Germany), and with bright lights, moving figurines and so much to look at, you could spend hours there. 

In terms of more conventional activities, I would say it’s well worth booking onto a walking tour.

We took one with a local guide called Nick, who expertly steered us through the different districts, taking in sights like the harbourfront, Canada’s walk of fame (including the removed tiles of cancelled celebs), and Rogers Centre (baseball fans will know it). 

Nick also helped us to navigate Toronto’s PATH network, a rather intimidating 30km underground walkway that runs between buildings to get you where you need to go (vital during harsh Canadian winters). 

It even boasts a Banksy.

What to eat in Toronto

Our walking tour ended at St Lawrence Market, a food market with over 120 vendors all selling a mix of fresh ingredients and take-away meals.

As much as I would love to have tried the peameal bacon sandwich (a Toronto staple) from Carousel Bakery, the market was absolutely heaving and so, after a quick look, we made our escape. 

The late Anthony Bourdain raved about it, so I’ll have to take his word.

But we did get to eat some other Canadian treats: poutine (gravy and cheese curds on chips), a butter tart (imagine a very very sweet pasty, with a soft filling and you’ve got it), and pancakes coated in maple syrup. 

My favourite meal came from The Haam, a restaurant that serves a brilliant fusion of Japanese-inspired Mexican food.

We paired elote (Mexican grilled corn covered in a cheesy, spicy sauce) with chipotle karaage (fried chicken), and gyoza with avocado rolls. 

The meal encapsulated everything I’d learned about Canada, and how wonderfully diverse the country is.

Our guide Nick told us about a recently closed restaurant called Hungary Thai, which served both Hungarian and Thai food. Only in Toronto.

It might sound a bit odd for Brits to travel to Canada for afternoon tea, but another highlight came in the form of The Hilton’s offering at their restaurant, Frenchy. 

It was the best I’ve ever had; the cucumber fingers and cacio e pepe sandwiches stole the show.

Christine, our lovely waitress, brought round a box with the different teas inside for us to smell, and as a teetotaller, I felt far from shortchanged with my mocktail, which combined elderflower and lemon sorbet. 

Where to stay in Toronto

Downtown seems to be one of the most popular areas to stay when visiting Toronto, and it’s where you’ll find a lot of familiar names.

The Hilton suited our needs perfectly. Our deluxe double queen room (starting at $412CAD/£224ish) had a fantastic view, and the hotel itself had two pools, a gym and a very plushly decorated bar and restaurant, which scratched an itch after arriving jet-lagged and hungry. 

For those with a higher budget, The Ritz-Carlton and Shangri-La are just around the corner, and for those looking to spend less, there are hostels aplenty not far from the city centre. 

We fit a lot into our six days in the city, walking non-stop, and also visiting Hamilton and the house where mum grew up. 

It still feels like we barely scratched the surface of this magnificent city that delivers a bear hug of a welcome.

Now, more than ever: other melting pots, take note.

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