Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/37469
the only farm remaining in Toronto. For recreational activities try cycling in High Park, The Beaches or Toronto Island — a 10-minute ferry ride from mainland Toronto. During the winter months Nathan Phillips Square turns into an outdoor ice skat- ing rink. You can also ice skate for free at Toronto’s City Hall or HarbourFront Centre. Both sites have onsite skate rentals, music and lots of hot chocolate. One of the best zoos in all ofNorthAmerican is theToronto Zoo. This zoo has over 5,000 animals representing some 500 species. Within the park is Zellers Discovery Zone featuring a Kids Zoo, interactive children’s wildlife experience and Splash Island, a 2-acre water play area. Visitors to the zoo should check before arriving as many of the activities are subject to change. From museums to events such as the Beaches International Jazz Festival, to wineries and Breweries, outstanding restau- rants and spas Toronto lacks for nothing when it comes to entertaining visitors. It’s never been easier to blend family-friend- ly entertainment with any meeting or convention. Many unfamiliar with Toronto might be tempted to think of it as primarily a cold weather destination. Toronto’s latitude is very close to that of Northern California giving the region a surprisingly moderate climate. Toronto has become a top meetings destination for international groups, associations and tradeshows, with many of those organizations based right here in the U.S. The city is within 90-minutes of 60 percent of the U.S. population; with 8,000 restau- rants and 38,000 hotel rooms. With 2.5 million sq. ft. of exhibition halls and convention facilities the city can handle a gathering of any size. The largest venues are the Direct Energy Centre with over 1 million sq. ft. of flexible meeting space and depending on configuration can hold up to 15,000 people. Three other large venues are the International Centre with over 500,000 sq. ft., the Toronto Congress Center with over one million sq. ft., and the Metro Toronto Convention Centre with over 600,000 sq. ft. African-American conventions are no stranger to Toronto. They recently hosted the National Association of Black Engineers and the National Coalition of Black meeting Planners, and are slated to host the National Medical Association in 2013. All visitors are required to have a passport regardless of how you arrive. If you are interested in learning more about this great city go to seetoronto-now.com. Destinations aremore responsive than ever to the needs of family and have tailoredmuch of their products to this grow- ing demand. In today’s tough economic climateworkers often can’t afford a vacation that involves significant travel as in pre- vious generations. There is also the element of time, as the workforce has become more demanding further hindering the ability of families to spend quality time together. What’s the solution? Take the kids with you on your nextmeeting or convention and turn that time into a vacation. Who says you have tomake a choice between family and work? The beauty of all these destinations is the scope of age appropriate offerings at reasonable prices for the entire family. From theme parks tomuseums,water sports to festivals there is a little something for everyone. Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO) Black Meetings & Tourism July/August 2011: www.blackmeetingsandtourism.com 41