What's New and Happening in Toronto

Winter/Spring 2012

WHAT'S NEW IN TORONTO, CANADA – WINTER/SPRING 2012

We’re here if you have any questions:
Tourism Toronto Media Relations:
Tel - 416.203.2600
Fax - 416.203.6753
Email - media@torcvb.com
Web - www.SeeTorontoNow.com

TORONTO, CANADA (January 30, 2012) – Toronto’s beautiful winter skyline is the perfect backdrop for pampering yourself at one of the city’s luxurious spas, skating on a famous downtown outdoor rink, or taking in an exhibit at an outstanding museum. Visit Toronto to indulge in world-class dining, shopping, nightlife, and events. In spring, celebrate the flowers blooming by riding Canada’s newest and largest rollercoaster, enjoying a collection of artwork by Picasso, or by attending Canada’s largest consumer event under one roof – Canada Blooms and The National Home Show.

2012 will welcome more luxury hotel openings in Toronto. Be the first to enjoy the elite hotels set to open this year and all their fantastic amenities. Trump International Toronto Tower is the first to open its doors January 31st, followed by the Four Seasons and the Shangri-La this summer.

Read on and find out the updates on the latest news in Toronto or visit: www.SeeTorontoNow.com.

HOTELS
Towering over 900 feet above the city, Trump International Hotel & Tower Toronto opens its doors January 31, 2012. The luxury hotel, Trump Hotel Collection’s first in Canada, features 261 rooms and suites. Highlights of the hotel’s amenities include the Quartz Crystal Spa and the SUITS Lobby Lounge. Quartz Crystal Spa is a world-class15,000 square-foot bi-level spa featuring ten treatment rooms, two couples suites and infrared saunas. SUITS Lobby Lounge is situated on the 31st floor and was developed to create a sophisticated and welcoming destination for après work.  The hotel’s anticipated STOCK Restaurant will also open on the hotel’s 31st floor.  Chef Clarmo will oversee an elite team to deliver the best of steak and seafood with international flair. The dining room will showcase a flawless pairing of art deco and modern, contemporary design elements featuring an exclusive loft for private dining and access to a terrace with an indescribable view of Toronto's cityscape www.trumptorontohotel.com

Opening in summer 2012, the new flagship Four Seasons Hotel Toronto at 60 Yorkville Avenue will be a soaring complex featuring two sleek glass towers.  The new hotel will feature 259 spacious sunlight-filled guestrooms including 42 suites and a 30,000 square foot luxury spa (the largest luxury hotel spa in Toronto).  Four Seasons Hotel Toronto’s signature restaurant will be “Café Boulud” and bar by international restaurateur and
3-star Michelin Chef Daniel Boulud. For premiere weddings and gala events, the hotel will feature two landmark ballrooms with spectacular wrap-around floor to ceiling
windows showcased by glittering crystal chandeliers and offering unforgettable views of the city.  www.fourseasons.com/toronto-new

For just the second time, Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts - the Asian-based luxury hotel group - will bring its legendary offerings and hospitality to life in North America.  The opening of Shangri-La Hotel Toronto is scheduled for the Summer of 2012 with offerings never seen before in Toronto, including the opening of Momofuku by acclaimed New York chef David Chang; a dramatic multi-storey sculpture that begins outside and winds its way into the hotel lobby by internationally renowned artist Zhang Huan; and a state-of-the-art theatre. www.shangri-la.com

The Delta Toronto is scheduled to open in 2014.  The hotel features 566 well-appointed, generously sized guest rooms including 24 extended-stay suites. The hotel will also bring in the latest in sustainable design including heat recovery ventilation, low-flow fixtures, smartcards to control room lighting and air based on suite occupancy, and green roofs throughout the building. This four-star hotel will serve as a flagship property for Delta and will be strategically located within walking distance to Toronto’s financial and entertainment district to fulfill the needs of both business and leisure travelers and connect them to the city in a convenient way. www.deltahotels.com

The Holiday Inn Toronto Airport East has been completely renovated as of January 2012.  The hotel has spent over $4 million to renovate everything from the exterior façade to the parking lot. The grand hotel lobby has new flooring, lighting and a new warm wood décor and guest rooms have brand new king-sized or queen-sized pillow-top mattresses. Seven meeting rooms are newly renovated from floor to ceiling and Perkins Restaurant has been transformed with more comfortable seating and a meeting room in the back for a more intimate setting.  www.hitorontoairport.ca/toronto-airport-hotels

ALT Hotel Toronto Pearson opens its doors in spring 2012. Situated on the Toronto Pearson International Airport site, the hotel will be adjacent to terminals 1 and 3 and near the Viscount long-term parking lot at the end of the LINK train line. This choice location allows guests to easily access airport facilities and the LINK train ensures, every five minutes, a direct link to the terminals. With 13 floors and 150 rooms, ALT Hotel Toronto Pearson is the unique alternative to conventional hotels. www.pearson.althotels.ca

Radisson Hotel Toronto East is now equipped with free wireless high speed internet including in guest rooms, meeting rooms and public areas. The hotel is also proud to announce that all guestrooms, meeting rooms, restaurant, bar and public areas will be redecorated with the finest carpets, furniture and accessories in the coming year.
www.radisson.com/toronto-hotel-on-m2j4r1/ontoreas

With a central location in downtown Toronto, The Sheraton Centre Toronto now offers wireless internet in all 1,377 guest rooms, making it the largest Wi-Fi hotel in Canada. Guests can now connect to the internet throughout the hotel during the course of their stay, including in meeting spaces and public spaces. www.sheratontoronto.com

The Glenerin Inn & Spa, a historic European-style boutique hotel nestled within the Sawmill Valley of Mississauga, completes a $750,000 rejuvenation during the winter of 2012.  The most notable addition is the new full service spa, which specializes in spa, esthetic, and wellness care therapies. All of the luxurious guest rooms, suites, and public spaces are also in the final stages of renewal. They combine the best of country beauty with urban sophistication.  www.glenerininn.com

One King West Hotel and Residence, the centrally located Toronto mixed use hotel that offers guests personalized services and premium amenities, will complete most of its approximate $2 million series of renovations later this spring. Guests will soon be able to take advantage of rejuvenated common areas and event spaces. www.onekingwest.com

The Crowne Plaza Toronto Airport has relaunched its Rendezvous Piano Bar as a reflection of InterContinental Hotels Group's new global rebranding strategy for Crowne Plaza, which aims to create a more modern, upscale and luxurious guest experience. With a fresh new website, revamped menus and renovations to La Brasserie Restaurant and the Rendezvous Piano Bar, Crowne Plaza Toronto Airport Hotel has fully embraced Crowne Plaza's new global image. www.crowneplazatorontoairport.ca

The Don Valley Hotel will be remodeling its public spaces and guest rooms to transform itself into a special place to soothe the body, mind and soul. The lobby will be transformed with living room aesthetics that encourages a social atmosphere where guests can work, interact and relax. Public office space will flow into the lobby and offer individual workstations. Rooms will be furnished with locally sourced, recycled materials when possible. www.torontodonvalleyhotel.com

The Drake Hotel focuses on its ice production in 2012. The bars in the hotel now have one of the only Kold Draft machines in Toronto, which creates perfect 1 ¼ inch cubes. This cube size is optimal for chilling a drink without diluting it. The specific 1 ¼ inch cube is used in drinks when the flavour and quality of the liquor being used is essential to the taste of the beverage. www.thedrakehotel.ca
The Windsor Arms Hotel has recently added a vegan menu created by vegan Chef Doug McNish to the menus of Prime Restaurant and Club Twenty-Two. Both restaurants now offer two menus, one vegan and one regular.  The hotel has also added a vegan Sunday brunch and a vegan room service menu. www.windsorarmshotel.com
TRANSPORTATION
Porter Airlines, known for its exceptional customer service, debuts up to three daily roundtrip flights operating between Dulles International Airport (Washington, D.C.) and Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport. The Canadian carrier is scheduled to land at Dulles International Airport April 16, 2012. This will mark the introduction of its sixth U.S destination. Numerous other Canadian cities in Porter’s network will be able to also access Washington by making a simple connection in Toronto. Also, passengers at Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport can now enjoy a range of food options on sale in each lounge. The new To Go Foodbar concession stands offer a fresh assortment of sandwiches, salads and bakery items, and a range of beverage options, including beer and wine.www.flyporter.com

Air Canada launches triple-daily, non-stop flights between Toronto’s Pearson International Airport and New York City's John F. Kennedy International Airport May 3, 2012. Air Canada will also increase to hourly its flights to LaGuardia Airport. Air Canada's New York service is ideally-suited for business travellers, according to the airline. Beginning May 1, 2012, Air Canada will add an additional daily return flight between Toronto and LaGuardia, providing customers hourly service each business day. www.aircanada.com.

Westjet launches seven non-stop flights each business day between Toronto and New York City starting June 4, 2012. On July 12, WestJet will increase to eight non-stop flights each business day. Flight times offer business travelers the flexibility and convenience to change plans on their day of travel at no cost. www.westjet.com
ATTRACTIONS & EVENTS
All Star Interactive has added luxury comfort food items to its menu, such as pulled pork and designer sweets. You can also now find expert event planners on-site.  Planning services include catering, live music DJ, logistics, photography, beauty services, furniture rental, and transportation. In addition, All Star offers hosting for bowling events.  The high-energy host will get even your toughest client in the mood for bowling and fun.
www.allstarinteractive.ca/home

The Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO) will present a major survey of masterworks by the most inventive and influential artist of the 20th century, Pablo Picasso. Picasso: Masterpieces from the Musée National Picasso, Paris features more than 150 highlights from the Musée’s unparalleled collection, including paintings, sculptures, prints and drawings. The exhibition will be on view at the AGO from May 1 through August 26, 2012. The AGO will also feature a major survey of masterworks by Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera, two renowned and prolific early 20th-century painters whose works continue to resonate with art enthusiasts around the world, in fall 2012. www.ago.net

Canada’s Wonderland, home to the most exhilarating collection of rides and rollercoasters in Canada, introduces Canada’s largest and fastest rollercoaster - Leviathan - in May 2012. The one-of-a-kind attraction will let riders climb to a record-breaking height of 306 feet (93.3M) followed by an 80 degree drop reaching speeds of 148 km/hr. The investment for Leviathan totaled $28 million. Also in May 2012, Canada’s Wonderland debuts Dinosaurs Alive – a seven acre animatronic dinosaur park. This attraction will feature more than 40 life-sized dinosaurs and an interactive dig site. The investment for Dinosaurs Alive totaled $1.5 million. www.canadaswonderland.com

On November 8, 2011 EdgeWalk at the CN Tower was presented with the Guinness World Record for the “Highest External Walk on a Building”.  The attraction is the CN Tower’s most thrilling attraction in its 35 year history, and the first of its kind in North America. It is the world’s highest full circle hands-free walk on a 5 ft (1.5 m) wide ledge encircling the top of the Tower’s main pod. EdgeWalk is set to open for its first full season in May 2012. www.edgewalkcntower.ca
In January/February 2012, the Hockey Hall of Fame has undertaken a $1.5 million renovation to the existing Great Hall so as to use the space more efficiently and make the visitor flow easier by rearranging and replacing or expanding the various Honoured Member recognition walls and trophy display cases.  The renovated Great Hall will be unveiled in time for March Break, 2012. www.hhof.com
The International Centre has launched its newest food concept, Craft Eatery.
Formerly known as the Market Café, this new permanent food service location adjacent to Hall 1 will focus on hand-crafted, cooked to order cuisine with a fresh and exciting twist. The International Centre’s Craft Eatery will also offer reusable plate settings and cutlery along with its compostable options; eliminating excess waste.
www.internationalcentre.com

Chef Corbin is the Royal Ontario Museum’s (ROM) new Executive Chef. Corbin brings to the ROM over 20 years of experience in some of Canada’s finest restaurants, including Holt Renfrew Toronto. He is also a television host and food expert on Dinner Party Wars, Restaurant Makeover and Crash My Kitchen on Food Network and HGTV Canada. Chef Corbin is designing new menus for the ROM’s c5 Restaurant Lounge, Michael Lee-Chin Crystal Food Studio Café, and the ROM’s resident catering service, c5 Catering.
www.rom.on.ca

Located in the heart of downtown Toronto next door to the iconic CN Tower, the Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada – a $130 million facility now under construction – is a major family attraction set to open in summer 2013. The highly anticipated aquarium is expected to draw nearly two-million visitors each year and will feature more than 13,500 exotic sea and freshwater creatures, a unique 96-metre-long (315 foot) moving walkway through an acrylic tunnel deep below the 2.84-million litre Shark Lagoon, a tropical reef tank, and a Marine and Freshwater Education Centre with dedicated classroom space. www.ripleyaquariums.com/canada

Sky Zone is a new $1.4 million dollar facility which recently opened its doors in Mississauga. The park houses over 15,000 square feet of trampoline and offers a wide variety of physical activities which are sure to be a hit with children and parents alike – from 3D dodgeball to leaping into a giant foam pit. Sky Zone is also the creator of the world’s first all trampoline walled playing courts. www.skyzonesports.com

From May 4-6 2012, America’s Next Top Model Live brings an insider’s look into the alluring world of fashion and modeling to the Metro Toronto Convention Centre. Visitors will be immersed in the ANTM lifestyle and have a chance to ‘unleash the top model’ within. Visitors to America’s Next Top Model Live will be treated to free makeovers, given a chance to strut their stuff on the Open Catwalk, shop for the latest and best brands, watch incredible fashion shows, get beauty advice from industry experts, find out how to break into the modeling industry. America’s Next Top Model Live will also feature celebrity appearances and live entertainment. www.antmlivetoronto.com
Canada Blooms and The National Home Show is co-locating at the Direct Energy Centre in Toronto in March 2012. This venue will host these two powerhouse events side by side creating North America’s single largest home and garden experience. Each event will maintain its own identity and operate separately, expanding into a footprint of 600,000 square feet – Canada’s largest consumer event under one roof. The co-located events will be the single largest Consumer Show in Canada in 2012 with an expected audience of over 250,000 guests during ten days of programming. Canada Blooms will also present the first international garden presented by the City of Taipei, Taiwan, as well as the “JUNO Rocks” Gardens featuring JUNO Award Winners, Jann Arden, Feist, Sarah Slean and Keisha Chante.  www.canadablooms.com

Toronto's favourite winter foodie celebration, Winterlicious, is in its tenth year in 2012  (January 27 – February  9) and continues to shine the spotlight on Toronto’s fantastic local restaurant industry. The Culinary Events series features 11 delicious foodie adventures celebrating diverse cuisine. Plus, 175 of Toronto's top restaurants will serve delicious three-course prix fixe menus. Don't hibernate this winter; get out and savour Toronto's fantastic restaurants and local food. www.toronto.ca/special_events/winterlicious/2012 

RESTAURANTS &THEATRE
Toronto’s West Queen West neighborhood has a pizzeria to call its own now that Piola opened its doors in late November. Located on the main level of the Bohemian Embassy condos at 1165 Queen St. W., Piola embraces the most genuine Italian tradition of simple and delicious food. The restaurant is part of an international chain that has more than 30 locations around the world including New York City, Sao Paulo, Miami, Buenos Aires, Istanbul and Santa Fe.
The Elgin Winter Garden Theatre Centre has made a wide array of lighting and sound advancements to both theatres. Improvements include equipping each theatre with full dimmer per circuit lighting systems, providing new follow spots for the Elgin Theatre, upgrading the Winter Garden sound system and improving hearing assist systems for patrons in both theatres. This is the first extensive upgrade of the theatre’s technical infrastructure in over 20 years. The improvements were made possible by a $900,000 matching grant from the Federal Government’s Canada Cultural Spaces Fund. www.heritagetrust.on.ca/ewg
About Tourism Toronto
Tourism Toronto, Toronto’s Convention and Visitors Association, is an industry association of more than 1,200 members established to sell and market the greater Toronto region as a remarkable destination for tourists, convention delegates and business travellers around the globe. Tourism Toronto operates in partnership with the Ontario Ministry of Tourism and Culture as Regional Tourism Organization 5. For more information please visit www.seetorontonow.com.
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For further information contact:
Melanie Wade                                                                  
Tourism Toronto                                                                 
mwade@torcvb.com
416-987-1736