2027 | 2028 | 2029
Toronto is a unique city that offers so much to its residents and to the millions of tourists who visit each year. The Toronto Bid Committee of Palmo Carpino (A’79), Jennifer Watson (A’99) and Leslie Noble (B’97) and I, proudly submit the bid to have the UWPIAA bring the Annual Alumni Weeks of 2027, 2028 & 2029 to the city of Toronto. Many thanks to the team for their countless hours working to showcase this fantastic city.
We hope to see you here soon!
McKellNeilson, Toronto Bid Committee Chair, (E’95)
Toronto’s largest international airport is Pearson International Airport, located 22 km (< 14 miles) from downtown Toronto and accommodates 1,250 flights daily. Pearson is accessible by car, bus and the UnionPearson express, a train service from downtown to the airport and back which operates 68 trips per day. Billy Bishop Toronto Island Airport is an international airport servicing many national and American cities and is located just south of the city waterfront with access to the mainland via a pedestrian tunnel. Toronto is a region and nation with a high degree of political stability and no recent history that would negatively impact visitors. While not absolutely free of crime, Toronto is the safest large city in the Americas.
Toronto’s climate is similar to that of many cities in northern Germany and southern Scandinavia, but with a few hot and humid days in the summer. The city is not prone to experience extreme weather conditions with the exception of an occasional heavy snow storm in the winter. Typically, summer days are in the high 20s-mid 30s Celsius and cooler evenings from 15-25 Celsius (7595 and 60-75 Fahrenheit respectively).
Toronto is a city of many summer festivals including Pride, the Toronto Caribbean Carnival and BuskerFest.
The summer sees many cultural events around the city including the Canadian National Exhibition, Roncesvalles Polish Festival and Toronto Ethiopian Festival some of which are free of charge. None of these events would negatively impact Annual Alumni Week’s access to accommodation, transportation or venues.
Overall, Toronto has very favourable geography – both in its locale and the way in which it incorporates the lake, rivers and many ravines. Toronto is home to more than 2.8 million people, over half of whom are foreign born. This makes Toronto one of the most (if not the most) multicultural cities in the world.
With a strong, modern economy, Toronto is a hub for banking, services, transportation, telecommunication and is a common filming destination (in fact Toronto is commonly used in film to stand in for any number of large American cities).
Toronto is the fourth largest city in North America and is a short drive to many interesting locations, including Niagara Falls, cottage country, wine country and numerous options for fishing, camping and other outdoor activities. Within the city of Toronto are many notable landmarks including Casa Loma (a local castle), Toronto Zoo, Royal Ontario Museum and the Distillery District. Many of these locations encourage interaction, including trying a slap shot at the International Hockey Hall of Fame or the Edgewalk – a daredevil walk outside of the CN Tower in a harness at 356m (1,068 ft) up.
Other seasonal attractions include Summerlicious, a prix fixe dine-around experience at dozens of local restaurants or a relaxing day at the Toronto Islands.
Toronto is a welcoming and friendly, vibrant, large city that is home to world.
Prime and affordable venues and accommodations in the downtown area are within 1 km (< 2/3 of a mile) from each other and proximate to public transit. For some options, the venues and the accommodation may be in the same building. Downtown Toronto has tens of thousands of hotel rooms but student residences in the city core are also available and affordable for the budget-conscious. Typically, summer is the high season for tourism in Toronto so hotel rooms run from the low $200s to the high $400s with many hotels having double or family occupancy rates that are comparable to other large city markets. Residence accommodation is currently at an affordable price point of $189 per room with breakfast included. The inclusivity of breakfasts at other hotels varies. All vendors are willing to discuss deals for a multi-year contract and/or bulk registration. Cancellation and other pertinent policies also vary from hotel to hotel.
Toronto has a strong hotel organization which has members that, while in competition with each other, are helpful to recommend each other. This has been of great assistance in finding ideal accommodations within a range of locations and price points.
All accommodations within Toronto are fully accessible and a certain number of rooms are available in the residence and all hotels for special needs including
lower beds, walk-in showers, handrails etc. All areas within the hotels are fully accessible via elevators. This has been confirmed during in-person site visits by a member of the Toronto bid team.
There are many upgrades available in the hotel rooms including suites, connected rooms, kitchenettes and some have balconies. All have excellent views –especially at night.
All accommodation options have 24-hour security and reception desks.
All accommodation options are also family friendly. In cases where a registered support animal is required, government paperwork and advance notice make this a seamless process.
Toronto’s hotels are known for high quality, attention to detail, courtesy and offer service in many languages.
I used to go to Maple Leafs games all the time... This is a great city. I love it here.
Tom Cruise, actor
As a top destination for international conferences and incentive programs, Toronto has a variety of venues so as to fit any need be it capacity or price point. Toronto has several options that fit the need for performances, gala dinners, private events, meetings and breakout rooms.
Some unique buyout options for private events include harbour cruises, the Ripley Aquarium or the Art Gallery of Ontario. All venues have a great deal of experience in working with unique groups and creating fantastic events. Load in for all events takes large vehicles and equipment into consideration while booking at least a year in advance is the common request from vendors. Hours of access vary from venue to venue but arrangements can be made as required.
In regard to catering and AV, some venues have preferred or in house vendors and may or may not be unionized. The rental of equipment would need to be arranged well ahead of time and pricing would be available at that time.
Per legislation in the Province of Ontario and the City of Toronto, all venues are required to be fully accessible, which has been confirmed by the Toronto bid team’s in-person site visits.
Some of the larger and more well-known venues for large events in Toronto also include a significant cost but use of a variety of smaller venues for minor events are more cost effective. Discounts for a multiyear contract could be easily negotiated. Several venues are currently going through a post-Covid renovation and technical specs would be available once completed.
Many of the exciting venues in downtown Toronto are not immediately apparent but offer some of the best event space in the city. Most the downtown event space is walkable from or part of the main accommodation options, and all are proximate to public transportation.
Having dealt with many massive events over the years, the conference and event vendors are used to all sorts of requests and making it happen so nothing that the Annual Alumni Week would need would be out of the question.
My favourite city for nightlife is Toronto, as it has such a multicultural feel, with so many different restaurants and theatres.
Chris Hadfield, Canadian astronaut
The public transit system in Toronto is the TTC (Toronto Transportation Commission). It operates 3 subway lines with 70 stations as well as 150 bus routes and 9 streetcar lines for a total ridership of 2.5 million per weekday. While Torontonians commonly complain about the TTC, it is very effective in moving people throughout the city in a safe manner. The TTC’s vehicles are mobility accessible and more of the subway stations are being retrofitted to include elevators with much of the work happening between 2024 to 2028. Convention passes are available currently for approximately $9 per person per day and are valid for unlimited travel. Certain bus and streetcar routes operate 24 hours per day. Getting from accommodation locations to venues and back can be done by a short walk or via the TTC.
Much of the downtown core of Toronto is interconnected underground via the PATH system. The network connects more than 70 buildings and goes on for approximately 30 km (19 miles) though food courts and shopping complexes. This is ideal for getting from place to place during inclement weather and is used by a quarter million people each weekday to get to and from work in the downtown area.
Highway coaches are abundant with several competing companies. Coaches have up to 52 seats and are the preferred method of transportation for day trips. Most are not fully accessible but other options with fewer seats are available for
this purpose. Pricing varies depending on dates, destination and overall contract. Cancellation policies are dependant on the type of contact agreement worked out with the vendor. Trains may also be a solution for certain day trips.
Within the city there are several vendors which offer city tours but the TTC can also curate a streetcar tour of the city.
All venues and accommodation options have areas available to load and unload coaches.
For a city of its size, the grid pattern of the majority of the streets makes Toronto easy to navigate and get around – except in a car during rush hour where traffic can become a concern, especially north of the downtown core. It is suggested that attendees not rent a vehicle as the cost of parking in Toronto is very expensive and the traffic can be troublesome and cause a lot of delays.
Overall, the public transit system is reliable and works well.
I like Toronto; the people are really chill.
Rihanna, Bahamian musical artist
By any metric, Toronto is the safest large city in the Americas, and Canada itself is considered to be among the most safe and tolerant countries in the world. With just shy of 3-million people, Toronto has some of the same social and economic challenges that are apparent in most cities of its size or larger, but to a lesser extent. Part of this is the fact that although a very diverse city (culturally, racially and otherwise), the city embraces multiculturalism which has created the mosaic that is Toronto.
Canada is an extremely stable country, consistently rating near the top on the Global Peace index. This reputation comes from both perceived and actual safety.
Toronto is a very welcoming city with strong roots in working to provide rights to those previously denied them, being an end point for the Underground Railroad, one of the first places in the world to recognize same-sex marriage and a common destination for many refugees seeking asylum in Canada. The city holds an annual Pride Week which is a draw for many of the 27-million visitors to the city each year.
One of the safety initiatives visitors may see while touring the city is the Toronto Mounted Police. This unit, whose officers patrol the city on horseback, is part of the Toronto Police Services. These officers can do anything regular police can, but by using horses, they create a presence in neighbourhoods and encourage residents to interact with police, increasing awareness and the overall feeling of safety.
While Toronto is not without crime, the rate of serious crime is very low. Visitors and residents alike are recommended to take care of possessions, lock vehicles, stick to well-lit areas, and be aware of one’s surroundings. However, while in the downtown core and more populated areas, one is quite safe.
The fact that over 50 per cent of the residents of Toronto are not from Canada, that is always a good thing, creatively, and for food especially. That is easily a city’s biggest strength, and it is Toronto’s unique strength.
Anthony Bourdain, celebrity chef
A variety of exciting options exist in the Greater Toronto Area that could be included in a truly unique eXperience for youth of UWP alumni. The diversity of opportunities, coupled with strong partner opportunities would allow for the creation of an experience that combines an educational focus on the exploration of global issues from a Canadian perspective with of course plenty of fun.
Opportunities exist to work with some of Canada’s premier like-minded youth organizations and other NGOs in the Greater Toronto Area to create unique experience for youth. These include YMCA Canada, Boys and Girls Clubs of Canada, Maple Leaf Sports Entertainment, Metro Toronto Zoo, youth performing arts groups, Royal Ontario Museum, Royal Botanical Gardens, Indigenous organizations, various cultural groups and many others.
Costs may vary based on programs created in partnership, however many of the more popular locations have entry fees from $16-40 per youth and $25-50 for adults.
Other unique opportunities could be explored, such as programming at MLSE Launchpad which includes a variety of sport courts and classroom spaces, or a cultural exploration of the Mennonite culture with a trip to towns of St. Jacobs and Elmira. Southwestern Ontario offers some of Canada’s most unique landscapes including the Niagara Escarpment, four of the five Great Lakes, and some of Canada’s most fertile agricultural land. Unique experiences and
opportunities could be created that combine both fun hands-on exploration of the Greater Toronto Area as well as interesting learning opportunities connected to the values of the UWP program such as cultural exploration, community connection and service with local youth organizations, hands-on experiential exploration of Canadian agriculture and agri-foods, all while fostering connections, belonging and fun as a group.
Many of these opportunities are available in the core of Toronto, however should transportation out of Toronto be possible, the number of opportunities available widens substantially. All opportunities described are available within a 1.5 hour drive from downtown Toronto. The only concern with this would be planning for the logistics of challenging traffic into and out of the downtown Toronto area. This could result in longer days, however with the right planning and logistics of local alumni to support this, it is easily accomplished. The result would be an eXperience for UWP alumni youth like no other.
Toronto sits just to the west of the northern edge of Lake Ontario and is proximate to many ideal getaway locations for any activity.
There are numerous beaches in Toronto and also on the Toronto Islands (a short ferry ride away) as well as boardwalk and marinas for those interested in such activities. Harbour cruises for private events or family tours are easily accessible and available throughout the summer months.
Toronto boasts many tourist landmarks including the CN Tower, many sports fields, the Ripley Aquarium, many museums and countless shopping venues and restaurants.
Regionally and within Toronto itself, the theatre options are among the best in the world, notably the Shaw and Stratford Festivals.
Day trips outside of Toronto could include a visit to Niagara Falls which has many of its own local attractions including the casinos and the butterfly conservatory.
Niagara-on-the-Lake, an historic town in its own right, is the heart of Ontario’s wine country, offering daily tours and overnight excursions.
For the more adventurous, a couple of hours north of the city is cottage country and Algonquin Provincial Park which could include canoeing, hiking, fishing and possibly some interaction with local wildlife.
Day trips to smaller communities in the area are common for Torontonians including to regional cheese makers or visiting Mennonite communities.
City tours are curatable so as to fit the needs of any and all groups. Even a special booking of a tour of the city via streetcar is possible.
As Toronto has a very reliable public transit system, most of the landmarks are easy to get to.
An example of a day trip to Niagara Falls could leave in the morning, spend the day in town and return in time for evening activities in Toronto and is priced, currently, at about $100 per person.
A day trip to Algonquin Provincial Park may be an overnight trip but starts, currently, at $199 per person.
(Pricing for these day trips may be more affordable if created by the events team rather than booked through the agencies currently offering them).
All in all, Toronto is in an ideal location to those who want to remain in the city and discover its offerings and also for those who want to relive the days of travelling to a new location for the day. Family-friendly and tolerant, Toronto and the surrounding region offer the best to its residents and tourists alike.
Community service is so much a part of the value system within Canada, that the provincial government of Ontario has made earning 40 community service hours one of the requirements for graduating high school.
Suffice it to say there are several different areas where Up with People alumni could contribute to the betterment of Toronto and the city already has the culture of volunteering that would easily support a community service day or longer project.
There are a number of areas that would support such projects, providing many opportunities for experiential learning.
Socioeconomic: Food insecurity and affordable housing are growing issues in Toronto as the cost of living has continued to rise. There are many opportunities for Up with People Alumni and families to contribute to different programs and organizations helping to provide secure food and housing. These include but are not limited to helping with a Habitat for Humanity Build in the GTA (General Toronto Area), organizing and distributing food at a foodbank with Daily Bread Foodbank or Second Harvest, or helping out in a kitchen serving clients at the Scott Mission or Feed it Forward.
Cultural: Toronto, as a dynamically multicultural city has any number of cultural projects and groups that would benefit from community service assistance, especially those involving newly settled Canadians and refugees.
Environmental: Toronto is located on the shores of Lake Ontario and sits on 6 main watersheds from Etobicoke Creek to the Rouge River that feed into the lake. There are several organizations working to protect, maintain, and study the lands and ecosystems of this region that require a large number of volunteers and provide unique experiences to learn about this area. These organizations include but are not limited to the Toronto Environmental Alliance, Toronto and Region Conservation Authority, Credit Valley Conservation, and the Rouge Valley Conservation Centre.
Toronto would welcome any opportunities for visitors to be involved in helping people and organizations and leaving a lasting impact.
I believe the world needs more Canada.
As Canada has an ageing population, mobility accessibility had become a priority and is now the norm.
Federal, Provincial and Municipal governments have enacted some of the strongest legislation pertaining to creation and retention of accessible solutions in all public places.
Hotels, venues and most restaurants are fully accessible, as is public transit (with the Toronto Transportation Commission retrofitting several subway stations to increase accessibility capacity through 2028.)
Service animals are welcome almost everywhere (for restaurants it is best to call ahead) but government paperwork may be required in certain locations.
While there continues to be work to be done throughout the city in regard to accessibility, Toronto is very easy to maneuver for all.
Toronto’s one of my favourite places. If I were to move anywhere out of California, it would be Toronto. Definitely.
Kendrick Lamar, musical artist
I didn’t realize Toronto was so beautiful. Everywhere you go you see beautiful architecture.
Kevin Costner, actor and producer UWPIAA - ONTARIO ALUMNI
I love Toronto. It’s a real melting pot in every sense of the word. There’s all sorts of different people everywhere you go. There’s all sorts of great music, great restaurants and great night spots.
Prince, musical artist
Although special care has been taken in the detailing of this bid presentation, please note that some photos and diagrams are for illustrative purposes only and my not be an accurate representation of products or locations. Photos/images used with permission Destination Toronto. Envato Elements. Royalty-Free. Non-copyrighted.