Conference Venue: the Holiday Inn Toronto Downtown Centre

Website: https://www.ihg.com/holidayinn/hotels/us/en/toronto/yyzct/hoteldetail

Hotel Address: 30 Carlton Street, Toronto, ON M5B 2E9 Canada

The Holiday Inn Toronto Downtown Centre has been selected as the conference venue given its perfect hotel space for facilitating business needs and is conveniently located in the heart of downtown Toronto. This hotel is a short 50 meters away from Line 1’s College Station. Line 1 connects visitors to:

  • entertainment activities such as the Royal Ontario Museum, the Art Gallery of Ontario, the Scotiabank Arena, the Rogers Centre, the Toronto Zoo, and Ripley’s Aquarium.
  • shopping markets such as the St. Lawrence Market and Kensington Market.
  • urban parks and greenspaces such as High Park, the Toronto Islands, and the Harbourfront Centre.

The Holiday Inn Toronto Downtown Centre is also a walkable distance to a large diversity in restaurants, to universities such as the University of Toronto and Toronto Metropolitan University, and to popular shopping malls such as the CF Eaton Centre and PATH at the downtown core and waterfront Toronto.

About Toronto

Toronto is the largest city in Canada and one of the most multicultural cities in the world. Toronto is a major economic hub, specializing in areas such as business, finance, technology, entertainment, tourism, and culture.

Toronto is a top destination for business travelers, with many major business corporations and international organisations choosing Toronto to host their headquarters and business ventures. The Toronto Stock Exchange is the third largest stock exchange in the world, with over 1,500 companies listed and a total market capitalization of $3.3 trillion.

The city sees 27.5 million visitors annually, who take advantage of Toronto’s world-class museums, galleries, culturally diverse cuisine, shopping malls, urban green space, and theme parks. Getting around Toronto is easy and convenient with transportation options ranging from walking and biking, to using ride share services, public transit, and car.

One of the best ways to explore the city is by foot, since many of Toronto’s top attractions and neighborhoods are located within walking distance of each other. In addition, visitors can explore Toronto by bike through dedicated bike lanes available throughout the city. Visitors may conveniently and reliably rent a bike through the Bike Share Toronto bike rental company.

What to do in Toronto

Toronto’s most famous landmark is the CN Tower, which spans a height of 553.3 meters. The CN Tower has an observation deck, which offers breathtaking views of Toronto’s landscape and Lake Ontario. The tower also has access to a fine dining restaurant and gift shop, found at the tower’s top. The observation deck, restaurant, and shop can be accessed by visitors using a high-speed elevator.

Visitors can also take advantage of Toronto’s range of diverse museums, including the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM). The ROM’s extensive collections cover topics of natural history, various world cultures, art, and design. The ROM has over 13 million museum objects. The most popular exhibits at the ROM include dinosaur skeleton exhibits, a vast collection of ancient artifacts, contemporary art installations, and a vast collection of mineral, gem, meteorite, and rock specimens.

Toronto contains many other attractions and locations to visit, including Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada, the Art Gallery of Ontario, major shopping centers such as the CF Toronto Eaton Centre and the St. Lawrence Market, Casa Loma, urban parks such as High Park, the Toronto Zoo, entertainment centers such as the Scotiabank Arena, the Distillery District, and the Harbourfront Centre. All these locations are easily accessible through Toronto’s public transit system.

Expected Weather in Toronto

Toronto experiences pleasantly warm temperatures in May. The average high temperature in May is expected to be 18°C, with early May averaging at a high of 12°C. Past meteorological data predicts that the sun will be visible at least 50% of the time. Within May, Toronto is expected to experience 3–8 days of rain.

Toronto occasionally experiences higher than normal high temperatures which are broadcasted on weather networks and news stations as a “heat alert”.

Welcome to Toronto, enjoy a unique and unforgettable urban experience.

Transit System

The Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) is Toronto’s public transit system, which boasts a network of subway lines, buses, and streetcars to help visitors travel to more distant destinations.

Subway lines

The TTC has four subway lines simply named Line 1, Line 2, Line 3, and Line 4. Subway Line 1 and Line 2 are the most often used subway lines by both locals and visitors. Trains on all subway lines run frequently.

Line 1

Length of Line 1: 38.4 km

Number of Stops: 38

Line 1 is “U-shaped”, offering bidirectional service from Vaughan Metropolitan Center Station to Finch Station. Line 1 offers service from the north end of Toronto to Union Station, which is the core of downtown Toronto.

  • The Royal Ontario Museum is walkable from St George and Museum Stations.
  • The Toronto Eaton Center is directly accessible from Dundas and Queen Stations. 
  • The Art Gallery of Ontario is a walkable distance from St Patrick Station.
  • Casa Loma is a walkable distance from Dupont and St Clair Stations.
  • The Harbourfront Centre, Ripley’s Aquarium, and the St. Lawrence Market are a walkable distance from Union Station.
  • The Toronto Islands are accessible using ferry boats, which are a short walk from Union Station.

Line 1 connects with Line 2 at Bloor-Yonge, St George, and Spadina Stations and with Line 4 at Sheppard-Young Station. Line 1 trains run every 2–3 minutes during rush hour times and from every 4–5 minutes outside rush hour times.

Line 2

Length of Line 2: 26.2 km

Number of Stops: 31

Line 2 is a line-shaped subway line, connecting the west and east ends of Toronto. Line 2 offers bidirectional service from Kipling Station (west end) to Kennedy Station (east end).

  • Various urban parks and green spaces such as High Park, the Humber Marshes, and the Don Valley Parkway are directly accessible from Line 2.
  • The Royal Ontario Museum is a walkable distance from St George Station.

Line 2 connects to Line 1 at Bloor-Yonge, St George, and Spadina stations, and connects to Line 3 at Kennedy Station. Line 2 trains run every 2–3 minutes during rush hour times and from every 4–5 minutes outside rush hour times.

Line 3

Length of Line 3: 6.4 km

Number of Stops: 6

Line 3 is a short L-shaped subway line that runs bidirectionally in the eastern section of Toronto. Line 3 connects with Line 2 at Kennedy station.

  • The Toronto Zoo is located in the east end of Toronto and is an approximate 45-minute bus ride from Kennedy station.

Line 3 trains run every 4–5 minutes during rush hour times and from every 5–6 minutes outside rush hour times.

Line 4

Length of Line 4: 5.5 km

Number of Stops: 5

Line 4 is a short line-shaped subway line that runs bidirectionally from Sheppard-Yonge Station to Don Mills Station. Line 4 connects to Line 1 at Sheppard-Yonge Station.

  • Don Mills Station connects you to CF Fairview Mall.

Line 4 trains run every 5–6 minutes during operating hours.

Bus and Streetcar Routes

The TTC services 190 bus and streetcar routes, which helps visitors get to their Toronto destinations. The schedule and route for each bus and streetcar route is accessible through the TTC website.