Lake Ontario, the smallest of the Great Lakes, is important for it’s high wildlife biodiversity. It lies on the border of Canada and the U.S.
Almost 9 million people live within the watershed on the Canadian side and about 2 million on the American side making some it’s shores often crowded with visitors.
The swans in the photograph were preening on the shore in a suburb of Toronto.
The Toronto Zoo’s exhibits include over 5000 animals representing more than 460 species in various Regions and Pavilions based on geographical locations.
These stunning Asian Swallowtail tropical butterflies, from the Malayan Woods, were in the act of mating, portraying a mirror image of each other.
We drove into Toronto and spent several hours exploring the fascinating castle called Casa Loma. Sir Henry Mill Pellatt built Casa Loma, a Gothic Revival style house and gardens in midtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It was constructed over a three-year period from 1911–1914.
The architecture is truly unique and many of the rooms have been restored to their former glory. It was really interesting to see how rich folks lived during that time.
Sir Henry’s story is a very interesting one and we were able to carry around an audio tour handset that presented it well. Although at first, we didn’t think we wanted to see another castle, we were impressed by Sir Henry’s vision and modern inventions.
The solarium, filled with tropical plants which were brought in through tunnels to protect them from the harsh winter weather was a highlight.
Our house sit in Ontario was just a block from this large park bordering Lake Ontario. There was a 2 mile long path along the waterfront where there were seagulls, swans, geese, squirrels, and rabbits. Most days we did our walking exercise along the path of this park which was mostly deserted on the weekdays.
On the weekends however, Jack Darling Park was full of families picnicking and cooking on hibachis. These families were comprised of an amazing diversity of cultures and we heard dozens of languages, many that we didn’t recognize.
We began our adventure of house sitting around the world in Mississuaga, Canada, in a magnificent home that was just a short walk to a delightful park on the shore of Lake Ontario.
We enjoyed the local area and took a convenient train to explore the city of Toronto with it’s wealth of museums, cultural offerings, restaurants, and outdoor experiences.
Laurie and Neil gave away or sold 99.9% of their possessions for a new life as international travelers. They share the secrets of how they turn limited resources into a life of unlimited fun and adventure. Read more
