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World class, eh?

"Unlike Montreal, Toronto is little known internationally"

B.S. Whenever I've been overseas (I just got back from Europe), whenever I've told someone I was from Canada, they first said "Toronto". Toronto is the only Canadian city many people in these other countries I've talked to have heard of. I've never met anyone who's heard of Montreal but not Toronto.
 
^It's not simply an issue of 'hearing' of Toronto, it's a matter of to what degree does the world care to register an image or impression of, or a certain understanding about Toronto.

In a North American context Montreal no doubt registers stronger because of its uniqueness in being "French", and because of a clearer message projected of its history and culture. The international events that have been hosted there don't hurt either because they go a long way to promote and advertise what the place is about.

I would think that any effective tourist campaign would have to be able to somehow capture the attention and perhaps more importantly the imagination of people abroad in a way that would make them want to come here. That is half the battle. As to whether or not they will enjoy themselves while here will depend on how we are perceived to deliver on the claims we make.
 
I have to agree with Ontarian...from my current base in Europe, Toronto has bar none the higher profile. I can't speak to perceptions of what might be an interesting place to visit, but ask almost anyone here what city comes to mind when they first think of Canada and it's Toronto. It's become a strange sort of received wisdom that Montreal has a higher international profile....like the line about the UN declaring Toronto the world's most multicultural city, it seems to me to be a myth with no clear source but one that people nontheless accept as God's truth.

As far as putting vibrant retail into condo neighbourhoods, it's important to consider that condos represent a far greater proportion of Vancouver's urban fabric that Toronto's. Indeed, there are a number of principal streets in Vancouver that are lined end-to-end with modern condo buildings, something that doesn't exist in T-O with the possible exception of Bay. On the other hand Toronto has massively long stretches of nineteenth and twentieth century retail strips, which are the much more desirable location for commercial enterprise. If all Toronto had were condos, more condos would have interesting businesses in them. This is not a knock on Vancouver at all, but it's important to consider the relative circumstances of each city.
 
I think the stricter design guidelines in Vancouver also play a factor. It's all too common to see a new condo and scratch your head when looking at the base, wondering what the developer was thinking (ROCP is a good example, as is the base in the renderings for the ROCP 3). There are some good examples of retail in new condos (Yorkville has a few), but there are too few examples of that here.
 
"I have to agree with Ontarian...from my current base in Europe, Toronto has bar none the higher profile."

Anyone who thinks Montreal is better known than Toronto overseas hasn't travelled much in the last 20 years.

I'm not sure what you guys mean about the retail. It seems almost every condo tower built downtown in the last 10 years has retail in it. Retail doesn't automatically make a building interesting though, especially if it has tacky signage. I'd like to see more townhomes at the bases, and not "historic" looking townhomes, but contemporary ones.
 
^What do you mean by 'better known'? I've travelled extensively and lived abroad and have always found that people seem to know more about Montreal than Toronto: its struggles for independence, its French culture and heritage as unique in a North American context, the Olympics and Expo '67, etc. Heck, even Celine Dion and Cirque de Soleil! Even throughout the U.S. I've encountered many who've had the impression that all of Canada was Francophone, which is obviously an impression that derives from Montreal's stronger image.

What is it exactly that is so recognized abroad about Toronto? I mean, do average people really pay that much attention to UN reports about diversity??
 
>>What do you mean by 'better known'?<<

I mean the city is known better than Montreal. If someone has only heard of one Canadian city it always seems to be Toronto, in my experience. They may not know much about our city, but they have at least heard of it. We may think we have a bunch of cities that are known throughout the world, but we don't. Other Canadian cities that we think of as well-known many around the globe have never even heard of.
 
I thiink Toronto is recognised abroad as Canada's commercial, media and cultural capital and principal international city...

...which is exactly what it is.

Also worth noting that on the continent that represents about 1/2 of the world (Asia) Montreal is not even a blip on the radar. On the other hand, there the links are as strong to Vancouver as they are to TO.
 
Arguing over these things is a waste of time... everyone has their own unique experiences with foreigners. The point is that most of us would probably agree that Toronto does not quite live up to its immense potential and does not capture people's imaginations the way it should. It's a great city with some great neighbourhoods but you always get that nagging "there's something missing" feeling. It's time to aggressively attack the problem instead of making excuses.
 
yups.. toronto being more recognized doesn't mean it's more worth traveling to. toronto def needs to do something that makes it worth traveling to.
 
Which right now it doesn't. There's really nothing here for the general tourist to come to see for more than a day or two.
 
I disagree Andrea. I think there is a lot for a tourist to enjoy and appreciate here and in the general area. A lot of people who come here will combine Toronto with excursions to Niagara or Stratford or even places like cottage country or the Thousand Islands. We have the goods, we just don't know how to sell them!
 
Well, yes, there are lots of interesting tourist places outside of Toronto. But what would you tell Joe & Mary Six Pack from Peoria to spend a week in the city doing?
 
three-night stay has covered the regular tourist haunts, such as the CN Tower, Chinatown, the Olympic Spirit Toronto museum
Click to expand...

Wow. I'm amazed that Olympic Spirit got a mention in the article. Can it be that it has overcome the disadvantage of its association with PenEquity and is actually doing alright? I have to say, when I walk by the intersection now I see a lot more activity in the building, with tourists coming in and out.
 
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