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City Guide - Toronto - Sport | ||
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Sport Toronto is first and foremost an ice hockey town. The city lives and dies according to the success and failure of the Toronto Maple Leafs, one of the NHL's most historic franchises. The Leafs, as they are known, play at the brand-new Air Canada Centre, Bay Street (tel: (416) 815 5500), as do the Toronto Raptors, the city's professional basketball team. Basketball is relatively new to Toronto, but its popularity is growing with each passing season. The Toronto Blue Jays is the city's professional baseball team, competing in the American League in the same division as teams like the New York Yankees and the Boston Red Socks. The team plays at the Skydome, 1 Bluejays Way (tel: (416) 341 1234), the world's first retractable-dome stadium - considered a marvel of beauty and engineering when it was built, but slowly gaining the status of a dysfunctional eyesore. Canadians are a sports-loving people. In summer months, residents can be found outdoors jogging, swimming, cycling, walking, playing any number of team sports or having a game of tennis. In winter months, the public tennis courts are iced over and become outdoor community rinks, where anyone (who can skate) is welcome to play in one of the impromptu games of ice hockey. Fitness centres: The YMCA, 20 Grosvenor Street (tel: (416) 975 9622), is a very large, modern facility in the heart of the city centre offering facilities like sauna, whirlpool, pool, squash courts and weight room. Golf: Although the season is defined by an icy winter, golf is an immensely popular sport in Toronto. Within the city centre, visitors can play at the Don Valley Golf Course (tel: (416) 392 2465; C$45 for 18 holes). A short distance northwest of the city centre in the suburb of Brampton, Lionhead Golf and Country Club (tel: (905) 455 8400; C$125-135) offers two 18-hole courses, its Legends course is considered the most difficult in the country. Horseriding: Visitors to the 24-hectare (59-acre) Sunnybrook Park, north of the city centre, will find the Central Don Riding Academy (tel: (416) 444 4044), the largest in the city, offering trail rides and lessons. Skating: With ice hockey as the national sport, it is not surprising to find many Torontonians enjoying a leisurely skate during the winter. Next to Toronto City Hall, Nathan Phillips Square is iced over for the enjoyment of many when the temperature drops. There is also a rink in the fashionable Hazleton Lanes shopping mall in Yorkville. Swimming: Toronto's beaches attract large crowds during the summer to walk, rollerblade and cycle along the meandering boardwalk, or frolic in the blue waters of Lake Ontario. Outdoor swimming pools are often popular, such as Gus Ryder Sunnyside, Budapest Park, 1755 Lakeshore Boulevard West, and the Riverdale Park, 550 Broadview Avenue. In winter, indoor swimming can be found at the YMCA (see above). |