It was a beautiful night and the dome of the Rogers Centre was open when we went to cheer on the Toronto Blue Jays who were playing the Detroit Tigers. Although they didn’t play the best game, we still had fun enjoying the atmosphere and watching players collide with each other. Students also showed their Jays’ pride by purchasing some blue and white swag (like Jays T-shirts, caps, and foam fingers).
As Toronto’s most famous landmark, the CN Tower is a must-see during a stay in Toronto. Students went up to the Observation level of the tallest free-standing tower in the Western hemisphere, and had a chance to stand on the glass floor 342 metres above the ground. We were lucky to have a beautiful clear day so we could enjoy a fantastic view of the city below!
On Tuesday, students went to the cinema to watch a movie. It seems that we have a lot of action movie fans with us, as most students saw either White House Down or Iron Man 3. Seeing a movie is on of the funnest ways to practice your English listening skills, and students had fun conversing about the films afterwards.
Happy Canada Day from Quest! On July 1st, Canadians celebrate the anniversary of July 1, 1867. On that day, three colonies were officially united to form Canada. Canadians everywhere are proud of our diverse, multicultural population and our beautiful country. We always celebrate Canada Day by spending time with friends and family, and there are usually fireworks to be seen no matter where you are. Quest students got involved in the celebrations as well, by taking part in the CHIN Picnic, the largest free multicultural picnic in the world. At the picnic, there was also a carnival, a circus, musical performances, and of course, fireworks! Our Brazilian students really enjoyed the Portuguese music.
Shortly after students arrived, they were able to see part of Toronto’s Pride Parade. This huge event celebrates diversity and tolerance, both integral parts of Canadian culture and society.
On Saturday, Quest travelled to the Toronto Zoo. As the largest zoo in Canada, the Toronto zoo has more than five thousand animals which are housed in seven zoogeographic regions: Indo-Malaya, Africa, Canada, The Americas, Australasia, Eurasia, and Tundra. The most popular animals we saw were the Giant Pandas, who were recently acquired by the zoo earlier this year.
On Thursday the students visited Toronto’s historic Distillery District. The main historic site here is the Gooderham and Worts Distillery, which began in 1832. Interestingly, alcohol production played a big role in Toronto’s history, especially during the American prohibition during the 1920s, when alcohol was produced in Toronto and secretly, brought over to the Americans. In the last few decades, this area has been repurposed and redeveloped, and is now a trendy area with high-end shops, bars, restaurants, galleries, and condominiums. The students enjoyed exploring the area (what a great place to take photos!). On the way back, students went into the St. Lawrence Market and browsed the vendors selling food and other products.
One of the students’ favourite activities was canoeing on Lake Ontario. The students took the boats all the way across to Toronto’s Center Island and had some time to explore the island a bit. The island has a small amusement park, beaches, water activities, parks, and much more!
As Toronto’s most famous landmark, the CN Tower is a must-see during a stay in Toronto. Students went up to the Observation level of the tallest free-standing tower in the Western hemisphere, and had a chance to stand on the glass floor 342 metres above the ground. Many students also wanted to do the EdgeWalk (that’s right, you can actually walk around the outside edge of the CN Tower! With safety harnesses on of course) but unfortunately it wasn’t possible. Maybe on the next trip to Toronto!
All good things must come to an end! After a fantastic summer, today marked the last day of our summer campus. We said goodbye to our last groups of students from Brazil, Spain and the Emirates. There were hugs and more than a few tears as students finished their last day of classes before heading to the Hard Rock Cafe for a fun-filled farewell party. Students had a great summer exploring Toronto, learning English and most importantly, making friends for life! Thanks to everyone for the great memories.
