Our first son, daughter-in-law, and our grandson live in the US, and we visit them frequently. This time, we planned a short trip to Canada to see the mighty Niagara Falls from the Canadian side and also visit the Canadian Rockies.
When we visited Australia way back in 2012, we had a guide and coach driver named Doctor Phil. He was very humorous and friendly, and, noticing my enthusiasm to travel to different places in the world, told us that he was a Canadian settled in Australia and that the Canadian Rockies were stunning to see and we should definitely visit them one day.
We started from the Dallas Fort Worth International Airport for Toronto and landed in Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ), located in Mississauga 15 miles northwest of downtown, after three hours.
Toronto Pearson International Airport is Canada's largest and busiest airport, handling global, international, and domestic flights.
Since we had taken only hand luggage, we came out of the airport quickly and checked into the hotel we had already booked. I saw that the hotel was equipped with exceptionally good toiletries, a point I noticed in every hotel we stayed in, while in Canada.
By the time we checked in, it was nearly time for lunch, and after searching online, we found an Indian restaurant, the Khazana Toronto. Our hotel was located quite close to the restaurant, so we walked back and forth.
On our way, we saw the St. Michael's Cathedral Basilica, the cathedral church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Toronto, and one of the oldest churches in Toronto.
It was primarily financed by Irish immigrants who resided in the area. The cathedral has a capacity of 1600.
As we walked by, I saw that a marriage reception was being held, and it was beautiful to watch the festivities.
There were many heritage homes on the way, with signboards containing information about their history.
We observed that the streets were clean and traffic was orderly; as the signboards were very explicit, we easily reached our destination. The ambience and food in the restaurant were good.
Having rested for a while, we wanted to explore Toronto by the evening bus, as this bus trip was supposed to be very captivating, and we were leaving for a tour to the Niagara Falls the next day.
The bus tour would be for a duration of 90 minutes with a live tour guide speaking in English.
We started for Sankofa Square, where we had to purchase the bus tickets.
Sankofa Square formerly known as Yonge–Dundas Square, is a public square and outdoor venue at the southeast corner of the intersection of Yonge Street and Dundas Street East in downtown Toronto. The square was conceived in 1997 as part of a revitalization, effort for the intersection and the stretch of Yonge Street.
Since its completion in 2002, the square has held many public events, performances and art displays, establishing itself as a prominent landmark in Toronto and is presently one of the city's prime tourist attractions.
The city owns the square and is the first public square in Canada to be maintained through a public-private partnership
Controversy arose over the namesake of Dundas Street, Henry Dundas, whose amendments to William Wilberforce’s abolitionist parliamentary motions delayed the full abolition of slavery in the Slave Trade Act 1807. Toronto City Council voted in 2021 to rename Dundas Street and other civic assets named after Dundas, including Yonge–Dundas Square.
It was not until December 2023 that the City Council approved "Sankofa Square". This name, a Ghanaian term from the Akan people, refers to the act of reflecting on and reclaiming teachings from the past.
Citing costs, in December 2023, Toronto opted to keep Dundas' name for the street, but to rename Yonge–Dundas Square, the Dundas and Dundas West subway stations, and the Jane–Dundas branch of the Toronto Public Library.
An official grand opening for the new name was held on August 23, 2025. The grand opening featured Caribbean short films, live music, an artisan and vendor market, and basketball clinics.
The intersection is one of the busiest in Canada, with over 100,000 people crossing the city's first pedestrian scramble daily.
As we walked towards the square, we observed that the busy streets had people of different ages and nationalities; most were tourists, and the atmosphere was electrifying indeed.
Sankofa Square was dazzling with the iconic digital billboards placed all around, and gradually as the sun started setting, the bustle of the crowd increased.
The square is continuously illuminated by large billboard screens and corporate logos, resembling Times Square in New York City, Shibuya Crossing in Tokyo, and Piccadilly Circus in London.
It is 1 acre in area and is shaped like an irregular pentagon. It is made with modular raised square textured granite slabs with a diagonally running zinc canopy, demarking the southern edge.
As we went nearer, we saw a movable plinth that served as a stage for concerts. There was a live show going on, small trees lined the southern edge and a transparent canopy covered the plinth.
As we walked along, we discovered to our delight that the centerpiece of the square is the array of fountains designed by Dan Euser of Water Architecture. Two rows of ten fountains were spread out across the square's main walkway, so that one could walk through or around the fountains.
Unlike many other city fountains, the square's fountains are meant for water play and include a sophisticated filtration system.
The entire rock surface is of a very dark colour and effectively absorbs sunlight, thereby creating a warm surface on which to rest. The water runs under the dark rock slabs and is thus heated by them, so that the fountain water is solar-heated.
The fountains comprise a dynamic art installation and water sculpture in which the 600 water jets are programmed to vary dynamically over time.
The square is Toronto's only 24-hour water play area, open all day and night except during special events, maintenance, and other exceptions.
Many people drink from the ground spray nozzles, we found some people even filling up water bottles from the ground sprays, and since water play is one of the intended uses, the water is tested daily, between 9 a.m. and 10 a.m., by the Toronto health department, and water is treated with bromine, which many bathers prefer to chlorine.
Surrounding the square are major landmarks, including the Toronto Eaton Centre the downtown retail hub; Ed Mirvish Theatre; and the 33 Dundas Street East building. The heavily illuminated Eaton Centre is said to be a shopper's paradise, though unfortunately, we didn’t have time to shop.
We could see the CF Toronto Eaton Centre 3D Billboard, a massive high-resolution LED screen on the exterior of the Eaton Centre. This digital out-of-home display was created by combining two adjacent screens into one of Canada’s largest outdoor LED billboards, providing brands with a huge canvas for vibrant motion content and 3D-style visuals that stand out in the city’s busiest retail and entertainment district.
A media tower installed in 2017 is located to the northwest of the square and has a curved video screen, and is advertised as the tallest media tower in the world.
Another large media tower, complete with a video screen, is a major feature of the Rogers Media building on the southeast corner of Dundas Square.
The introduction of the imposing media tower, screens, and brightly illuminated advertising billboards has been too great a personal sacrifice for some residents, who feel that the neighborhood's identity and character are lost.
As we were strolling around, we saw the brightly coloured open-top double-decker bus that we wanted to travel for the tour.
We paid, got the tickets, and went up to the open top for a better experience; it was awesome to see all the brightly lit billboards so closely.
At the designated time, the bus started, and we enjoyed breathtaking views of the cityscape from the comfort of our tour bus.
As the bus went on its way, from the guide, we learned fascinating stories and insights about Toronto's history and culture.
The Art Gallery of Ontario was a masterpiece of modern architecture that looked fabulous lit up at night, and the iconic Toronto sign at Nathan Philips Square, illuminated against the backdrop of the city skyline, provided the perfect photo opportunity; we wished we could have visited it at leisure.
We saw a quaintly named Village Idiot pub right across the Art Gallery of Ontario.
We passed by Toronto’s primary LGBTQ+ district, the Church-Wellesley Village, commonly known as "The Village", located right in the heart of downtown Toronto. It has a striking history.
In the 1950s, City Park Apartments near Church and Yonge became a hub for the early gay population, earning the nickname "the Queens' Palaces" due to its affordable and accepting environment.
In the 1960s and 70s, gay life originally centred on Yonge Street spots like the St. Charles Tavern. In the mid-1970s, the Church Street corridor featured low rents, attracting LGBTQ+ entrepreneurs who opened friendly, alternative spaces.
On February 5, 1981, Toronto police raided four gay steam baths, making over 280 mass arrests. The massive community protests that followed galvanized political activism, and following this event, the epicenter of queer life solidified around Church and Wellesley.
In the 1980s, the 519 Church Street Community Centre emerged as a safe meeting place for social and political groups, solidifying the neighborhood's identity.
The Village was at the forefront of the HIV/AIDS crisis, giving rise to essential support spaces like Casey House, one of the first AIDS hospices in North America.
The Village is a highly walkable area, featuring a rich array of queer-owned businesses, dining spots, nightlife, and community centres.
The village looked dynamic and colourful with brightly dressed men strolling around.
Chinatown and Little Italy were the usual cultural hubs bustling with nightlife.
We saw the Old City Hall featuring a large, 340 ft tall clock tower that is a terminating vista for Bay Street south of Queen Street West and is also prominently visible from Queen Street and Nathan Phillips Square. The clock tower was the tallest structure in Canada for 18 years, from 1899 until 1917.
We then went along the trendy Queen West strip, known for its art galleries and eclectic shops, before entering the lively Club District, where the pulsating nightlife seemed to fill and throb the air.
Our bus passed by The Well, a testament to modern urban development, and the famous Rogers Centre, home to the city's beloved sports teams.
It was thrilling to enjoy breathtaking views of the CN Tower lit up in all its glory, as well as see the shimmering and towering skyscrapers of the Financial District.
After concluding our bus tour, we had a quick dinner and went back to our hotel.
