From Hogtown to capital city and Leafs Nation, from cold wet winters to desperately humid summers, from Blackberry-addicted Bay Street financiers to profiles of Ed Mirvish, Glenn Gould, David Cronenberg and Rush, no book is more comprehensive than the Toronto Book of Everything. No book is more fun! Well-known Torontonians weigh in on what they love about their city. Linda Leatherdale reveals her top five places to power lunch; Chef Jamie Kennedy shares five ways Toronto inspires his menus; Paul Godfrey tells us who the top Toronto powerbrokers are; John Sewell points out five Toronto buildings not to miss; and Kevin O'Leary shares his uniquely Toronto innovations. From Bay Street slang and the Great Toronto Fire to immigrant city and Pride Toronto, it’s all here! Whether you are a native Torontonian or visiting for the first time, there is simply no more complete book about Toronto. If you love Toronto (even just a little bit), you'll love the Toronto Book of Everything. "So, you want to know what makes Toronto tick. Is it the city's history that interests you? Quirky anecdotes? Demographics? Local slang? Places of interest? Hot spots to eat? The cultural scene? Weather patterns? Richest citizens? Most diabolical criminals? Its obsession as Leafs Nation? Local inventions? Politics? Neighbourhoods? That information and more is contained in a new book called Toronto Book of Everything. " —Toronto Community News "A smart, chirpy read packed with all the facts you could ever want to know about the Big Smoke and more." — Northumberland Today Nate Hendley is a Toronto-based freelance writer/author. He has written hundreds of articles for periodicals such as The National Post, Marketing magazine, eye Weekly, NOW magazine, etc. He is the author of 11 books, primarily biographies and true-crime. For more information on Nate's personal and professional background, please go to www.natehendley.com Karen Lloyd is a freelance writer who currently spends her time between Port Hope and Toronto. She kicked off her career in Journalism in 2000 as a reporter with the Port Hope Evening Guide and in 2008 she took her passion for adventure and discovery to Eastern Europe where she wrote for Bulgaria's English language newspaper, The Sofia Echo. Upon retuning to her homeland, Karen spent several months reporting in Labrador before realizing that home is where her heart is. Karen currently writes a weekly column for Sun Media. Tanya Gulliver is a freelance writer, university instructor and consultant living in North York. She is also a PhD student in Environmental Studies at York University and her research will explore how Hurricane Katrina affected different communities in New Orleans. Tanya is in her second term as President of the Professional Writers Association of Canada, which represents over 600 non-fiction freelance writers across the country. Toronto Book of Everything Everything You Wanted to Know about Toronto and Were Going to Ask Anyway By Nate Hendley, Karen Lloyd, Tanya Gulliver MacIntyre Purcell Publishing Inc. Copyright © 2009 MacIntyre Purcell Publishing Inc. All rights reserved. ISBN: 978-0-9784784-0-7 Contents INTRODUCTION, TIMELINE, ESSENTIALS, SLANG, PEOPLE, URBAN GEOGRAPHY, WEATHER, CULTURE, FOOD, ECONOMY, THEN AND NOW, CRIME AND PUNISHMENT, POLITICS, CHAPTER 1 Toronto: A Timeline About 13,000 years ago: Glaciers retreat from southern Ontario and leave behind large lakes, including Lake Iroquois, which encompasses present-day Lake Ontario. About 11,700 years ago: Lake Iroquois begins flowing to the sea through the St. Lawrence River rather than down the Hudson, which drops the lake's level and changes its shoreline. About 10,500 to 11,000 years ago: The first nomadic aboriginals arrive in the Toronto area from the south, following game. The lake level is lower than it is today; the northern shoreline is 20 km further south. Between 7,000 and 2,000 years ago: Lake Ontario rises and the Scarborough Bluffs begin to erode, creating the current shoreline and eventually leading to the formation of Toronto Island and the harbour. 500 AD: Aboriginal communities grow and become more settled. Populations of about 500 live near each of the large rivers in the Toronto area. Around 600: Aboriginal people plant corn, beans and squash. Agriculture grows in importance. Over the next 400 years, crop-growing Iroquoian societies in the area gradually become classic longhouse communities. Late 1500s to early 1600s: The Iroquois move north, and Huron tribes use the area as hunting grounds. Mid-1600s: The first Europeans, French traders and missionaries, arrive on the north shore of Lake Ontario. Two Seneca villages flourish briefly on the Rouge and Humber rivers. 1720: Sieur Douville builds a small post for fur trading on the Humber River. The French begin to use the word "Toronto" to refer to the area. 1750: French Governor General Jacques-Pierre Taffane