Toronto Travel Tips

One of my favorite vacation spots is Toronto, Canada. Coming from the city of Detroit, it is only about three and half hours away. It is a straight shot up the 401 highway once your cross the border in Detroit.

Toronto has often been called the New York City of Canada. I think it lives up to this comparison. However, Toronto is much cleaner and safer than New York City. I have been amazed at how clean the city is for such a large population. I have also never felt in danger even when walking around past midnight.

As far as things to see and do, you will never run out. I have probably made about twenty five trips to Toronto in my life and I have never been bored. There is always old favorites along with new things popping up all the time.

Below is my list of the top ten things you should see and do in Toronto. These are things that you should not miss on your visit.

1. Take a walk down Bloor Street. This is the Park Avenue of Toronto. You will find all of the fancy shops on this street. Including Gucci, Prada, and the amazing Holt-Renfrew department store. If you can afford $500 for a pair of jeans, this is the place for you. Beyond the expensive stores, it is a nice walk and great people watching. And as always, window shopping is free.

2. Visit the quirky shops of Queen Street. This street is synonymous with the term "Funky". You will find hip clothing stores, independent record shops, and other off the wall type establishments. Favorite bar to visit on this street is the legendary Horseshoe Tavern. Every great Canadian music act has played there.

3. Stroll through Chinatown. Looking for dim sum? Exotic Chinese herbs? Rare teas? Toronto's Chinatown is the place for you. Chinese restaurants shy away from the traditional "North American Chinese" menu. Instead, they serve up variety of authentic dishes that feed the over 400,000 people of Chinese background in Toronto.

4. Shop at the Eaton Center. I am not one for shopping malls. However, I do love the Eaton Center. The mall itself is a six storey glass ceiling structure modeled after Milan’s Galleria Vittorio Emanuele. It has over 285 stores with a great food court on the lower level. Make sure to visit New York fries and order the Poutine. A blend of french fries, cheese curds and gravy.

5. Take a trip on the subway. The Toronto subway is clean, safe, and easy to navigate. There are two main lines, the Younge-University-Spadina and the Bloor-Danforth. From the subway, you can get to all of the main tourist hotspots.

6. Visit the top of the CN Tower. The world's tallest building at 553m (1815 ft). The view is amazing. At the top of the tower is the 360 restaurant. This is a world class restaurant. The floor does a complete rotation every 72 minutes. When dining, you will get to view the city below from each direction.

7. What would a visit to the great white north be without a bit of hockey? Toronto is home to the Hockey Hall of Fame. Hockey has a special place in the national conscious of the Canadians. Make sure to visit the Wayne Gretzky area.

8. Gourmets will love St. Lawrence Market. Considered in the top twenty five markets in the world, it has over 50 specialty vendors. Great vegetables, fruits, meat, cheese, and seafood abound. On the lower level, visit the St. Lawrence Market Juice Bar. They specialize in freshly squeezed juices of all kinds and related products.

9. Visit the eclectic Kensington Market area. Dating back to the original settlement of Toronto in 1790s by the British, you will now find a diverse area of shopping representing the cultures of Portuguese, East Indian, Ethiopian and Caribbean.

10. Eat in Little Italy. For my money, the restaurants in Little Italy represent are the best restaurants in all of Toronto. Beyond restaurants, you will find exciting night life in this area. This includes wonderful Italian coffee shops, gelato, music bars, and even Latin dancing.

I hope these tips will help you enjoy your visit to Toronto.

Exciting Adventure Tours On Vancouver Island

Welcome to the beautiful west coast of British Columbia, Canada. Here in this island paradise, covered by untouched rainforests & surrounded by the pristine waters of the Pacific Ocean, you will find an experience of a lifetime. Whether you prefer fishing or viewing whales off the coast, or taking part in an eco-tour in the vast old growth forests, a visit to Vancouver Island will leave you with memories that will last for a long time.

No matter what your age or capability the island has the experience for you. Vancouver Island tourism caters to a vast baby boomer & retiree population of travelers. So do not be scared off by the sounds of wild adventures and adrenaline seeking experiences, there are destinations and experiences you will enjoy as well, with some well known & experienced professional operators to bring you the vacation of your dreams. Vancouver Island Adventures can help you find the adventure specific to your needs.

Vancouver Island is truly a unique destination for all visitors. Every year hundreds of thousands of people travel to the island from all over the world. Off the coast people can view various species of marine life and whales from Grey whales to Orcas (Killer Whales) with one of several whale watching tour operators in the region. The island is also home to some of the best world class scuba diving sites in the world. And no place on earth provides for better salmon fishing than off the coast of the Pacific Ocean.

For those who like the natural beauty of the island, many make their yearly pilgrimage here to view some of the largest old growth trees in the world, still left untouched by society’s growth. The temperate rainforests are renowned around the globe and truly are remarkable to see. Bird watchers & nature hikers love the plethora of protected provincial and national parks located all over the island including: Pacific Rim National Park, Strathcona Provincial Park, Horne Lake Provincial Park, Cape Scott Provincial Park. With lots of camp sites & hotel accommodations on the island it is certain that you’ll have comfortable stay whatever your personal preference.

If surfing is your thing, let some of the best surfers in Canada show you how it’s done. The west coast of the island plays hosting to exhilarating breaks & beautiful sand beaches; but be ready to strap on a wetsuit, even though it’s year round surfing here, it can be a bit chilly in the winter months. Speaking of winter months, for those who travel the world chasing storms I’m sure Vancouver Island needs no introduction. World famous for storm watching, dozens of beach front resorts now cater to unique fans of this specific Vancouver Island adventure industry.

But what about you winter sports enthusiasts. One of the west coast’s best ski mountains, Mount Washington – renowned for its record snow falls and beautifully kept runs – is a winter wonderland playground for everyone no matter whether you ski, snowboard or cross-country ski.

What other place in the world lets you golf in the morning, ski in the afternoon, and kayak at sunset? Visit Vancouver Island and experience the best the west coast of British Columbia, Canada has to offer!

Construction Law in Canada

 by Austin Mark

 Construction law is the body of law that deals with all matters relating to the construction process.  These include such topics as building contracts, bonds and sureties, construction and builders' liens, tendering, and construction claims, and affect all participants in the construction industry, including financial institutions, architects, builders, engineers and planners.

Construction Law explores the general principles which govern civil liability for the design and construction of building works.  Essentially it is concerned with three key questions which arise in case of the design or construction proving defective-

Who Can Be Sued  

Contractors or builders or concerned agents can be sued for errors while construction and can be held liable for damages to the workers and other injured persons.

Who Can Sue

The workers injured in construction site can sue the contractors/builders for injuries and damages on their part and in case of any death, their families can sue guilty persons who are liable for errors in construction.

Remedies Available to the Injured Party 

Compensation is given to the injured persons for errors and negligence of contractors or builders.  Remedies are available for breach of contract by the contractors and if anywhere while construction, any person falls from height or gets injured due to any reason, he/she can sue the concerned contractor for damages etc.

Construction Claims Procedures

Two construction claim procedures can be followed.

Notice requirements

Every construction contract includes notice requirements which impact the parties� contractual rights and obligations.  Giving timely notice can avoid costly and time consuming errors.  The first and foremost consideration in addressing notice is actual notice language.  Each contract should be carefully reviewed to identify its notice obligations.  The representative who is at the site of the construction should be duly informed about these notice obligations as early as possible in the construction process.  From the owner�s prospective contact should be drafted to ensure that the notice requirements are set forth clearly and unambiguously.  Notice requirements should be fair.

When a company wants to construct anything, it must properly notify all parties who may be affected by or have an interest in the proposed construction, so that they can have the opportunity to make a submission to the concerned party regarding the proposed construction.  Such notice may include direct notice to affected landowners, communities and others, as well as public notices in local newspapers.

Dispute resolution provisions

Dispute which is not resolved by discussion and negotiation are send to the arbitrators and mediators for resolution. The panel of arbitrators and mediators shall have the jurisdiction to arbitrate in respect of any matter which the agreement stipulates is to be determined by the arbitration and any matter concerning the interpretation or application of the agreement where the parties agree to be bound by an arbitration decision.    

Canadian Construction Documents Committee (�CCDC�)

Parties enter into a standard form contract, in case of larger projects.  The CCDC has developed a series of licensed contracts for different situations including stipulated price contract for a situation where there are is an owner and general contractor and a design build contract where there is no general contractor.  The CCDC contract is often modified through a series of negotiated supplementary conditions.

The CCDC documents contain partnering language whereby disputes may be resolved by an arbitrator or project consultant early and frequently throughout the progress of the project.



Austin Mark is a lawyer working with lawyerahead.com, one of the leading legal networking sites on the net. You can access the Canadian version as well as lawyerahead.ca

Article Source: http://www.articlesphere.com/Article/Construction-Law-in-Canada/165460