20 fun facts about Toronto that we bet you didn’t already know

We all know Toronto is a wondrous place. But we bet you didn’t know just how unique and incredible this city is. There are tons of interesting nuggets of info that make up the history of our home. From sports teams to landmarks to the story of our name, these fun facts will make you see Toronto in a whole new light.

Here are 20 fun facts about Toronto that we bet you didn’t already know.

1. Toronto leads the Canadian tourism industry with an average of 27.5 million visitors each year (pandemic aside)
2. Toronto is home to 8 major sports teams (Toronto Maple Leafs, Toronto Raptors, Toronto Blue Jays, Toronto Argonauts, Toronto Rock, Toronto Marlies, Toronto Nationals, Toronto F.C.)
3. 7.79% of Canada’s total population lives in Toronto (2.93 million people)
4. The coldest temperature ever recorded in Toronto was -31.3 °C, with a wind chill of -44.7 °C. This happened on January 4, 1981
5. The Toronto Zoo is the largest in Canada, with 5,000 animals in 287 hectares of land
6. Casa Loma is the only actual, real castle in North America
7. Toronto is more southerly than Milan – along with about half of Canada’s population
8. Toronto is the fourth-largest movie production hub in North America, after Vancouver, New York, and L.A.
9. The Toronto Islands are the largest urban car-free community in North America
10. Toronto has over 1,500 parks and 11.5 million trees
11. The CNE is Canada’s largest annual fair – roughly 1.5 million people attend each year (pandemic aside)
12. Toronto hosts the largest single-day parade in North America- Caribana! (3.6KM and over 1 million spectators each year)
13. The Toronto transit system is the third largest in North America – after New York and Mexico City
14. Settlers called Toronto “York, the Upper Canada” from 1793 to 1834
15. But before it was called York, it was called “Taranto” which referred to “The Narrows,” a channel of water between Lake Simcoe and Lake Couchiching
16. A petition by residents in 1834 is responsible for the incorporation of the original name into the city’s name today
17. The term “The 6ix” refers to the original 6 boroughs of Toronto: Old Toronto, York, North York, East York, Etobicoke, and Scarborough. There’s been some debate over the reasoning behind Drake’s infamous popularization of the term
18. Pizza Pizza was founded in Etobicoke the same year the Leafs won the cup (1967)
19. The Leafs have not won since, but Pizza Pizza is doing pretty well
20. There are over 7,500 restaurants in Toronto

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So there you have it! Which of these fun facts surprised you the most?