Before you leave home

Canadian Currency

The Canadian dollar is used in Canada. Most places take credit cards but it's a good idea to have some on hand for small purchases. If you can't get any exchanged at home, you can get it at the airport.

Toronto Weather

The days will see the temperature about 15°C (50’s in F) and evenings will drop to the low single digits (30’s in F). Be sure to bring a jacket for evenings. A bit of rain is likely.

Electricity

Canada's electrical supply is 120 Volts and 60 Hertz (cycles per second). You may need an adapter or a voltage converter depending on where you're coming from. See here for more info: http://www.power-plugs-sockets.com/canada/

After you arrive

Travel between the airport and the hotel

Best option for YYZ Union Pearson Express The hotel is a 5 minute indoor walk from where the UP train drops you off at Union Station. You can buy a ticket beforehand online or at the station before you board. This is the fastest and most cost efficient route (just $12 CAD). You can board at Pearson in Terminal 1. When you step off the train at Union station, depending on when you arrive, you might see a volunteer to will welcome you and point you to the hotel. If not, simply exit the station, take a left and go up the escalators, walk 2 minutes down the skywalk and you'll see a door on your left to enter the hotel. There will be lots of hotel signage.

Other option for YYZ: Taxi or limo service Like most international airports, there will be plenty of taxi and limos that can take you into the city. The cost is about $50 CAD each way and most cars are equipped with credit card machines but it’s a good idea to double check when you get in if you don’t have Canadian currency.

One more option for YYZ You could also take public transit (TTC). Outside of the airport, you can hop on the 192 Airport Rocket bus, it will take you to Kipling subway station, you would ride the train east to St. George Station, then head southbound on another subway train to Union station. One way fare is $3.25 CAD.

One option for YTZ: A taxi ride should be between 5 and 10 minutes and cost you about $10-12 CAD.

Other option for YTZ: the free shuttle will drop you off at the Royal York hotel, which is just a 5 minute walk (outdoors) to the hotel.

One more option for YTZ You could hop on the TTC streetcar (509, Harbourfront, eastbound) for about 10 minutes.

Transit

The TTC is the local transit system, and can get you pretty much anywhere in the city through a combination of buses, streetcars and subways. Drivers are helpful, and be sure to get a transfer when you board if you're paying with cash or tokens. You may also choose to purchase a presto card at Union station if you think you'll be taking multiple rides.

If you're out and about and you feel lost, if you can see the CN Tower, keep walking towards it and you'll lead yourself back to the venue.

SIM Cards & Cellphones

If you haven't added any international roaming to your phone, you might want to pick up a temporary sim card.

7-11 has a good program: http://www.speakout7eleven.ca/ Most of the other service providers will be able to issue you one but it will be more expensive and you may need to jump through a hoop or two to get it. More info here: http://prepaid-data-sim-card.wikia.com/wiki/Canada and here: http://www.blogto.com/tech/2015/07/prepaid_mobile_phone_plans_in_toronto/

Summit Venue

Delta Toronto
75 Lower Simcoe Street,
Toronto ON M5J 3A6

CC Staff, scholarship recipients, and some others are also staying overnight at the same hotel.

Registration

Simply show a piece of identification to a person at the registration desk to get in. Do not lose your badge, it is your access pass for the whole weekend.

Web Information

Program: https://creativecommonsglobalsummit2017t.sched.com/

Twitter: @ccglobalsummit

Hashtag: #ccsummit

Slack channel: #cc-summit and #toronto-tips

Printing Services

There will be no printing available at the event. If you require any printed materials, you might try The Printing House nearby or another print shop.

Tourism

Food

Toronto is an amazing food city, imagine a cuisine you'd like to try and you'll find multiple options, but you don't have to take my word for it: https://www.foodism.to/guest-column-david-mcmillan-love-letter-toronto/

Some higher end restaurants require reservations, most of which you can make online.

Here are some food guides:

http://toronto.eater.com/
http://www.blogto.com/restaurants/

Mari's top 3 restaurants:

La Cubana
Bar Raval
Barrio Coreano

COFFEE

Toronto has some great coffee. If you take the skywalk back towards Union Station, there is a Pilot Coffee kiosk on the main floor of (Via rail) train station. It's worth the 5 minute walk if you'd like a really nice coffee (espresso based or otherwise) - you might even buy some beans to take home there.

Sport

See a Toronto Marlies (AHL) game

See a Toronto Raptors (NBA) game (if they're still in the playoffs!)

Stand outside a Toronto Maple Leafs (NHL) game (if they're still in the playoffs!)

See a Toronto Blue Jays (MLB) game

See a TFC game

Music & Culture

Thanks to Allana Mayer for putting together this list of live music over the weekend of the summit!

A great resource for more live music: http://justshows.com/toronto/

The Hot Docs Film Festival overlaps with the summit.

Visit The Royal Ontario Museum

Vist the Gallery of Ontario

Visit the Ontario Science Centre

Visit the Distillery District

Nature

Walk though High Park then see the cherry blossoms

Hike on the Leslie Spit

Head out to the Scarborough Bluffs

Take a boat tour of Toronto Island from the harbor at Queen Quay

Other

Visit the CN Tower

Go to Ripley's Aquarium

Hit some hip bars and shops along Queen West

Credits

Parts of this guide were borrowed from our friends the Nightingales and Mozilla (Toronto). Many many thanks to them!