TORONTO. the capital of the province of Ontario, and the second largest city in the Dominion of Canada, situated on the northern shore of Lake Ontario, almost due north from the mouth of the Niagara river. It lies on a plateau gradually ascending from the lake shore to an altitude of 30o ft., and covers approxi mately forty square miles, including the bay and the island stretching along the south of the city. The river Don flows through the eastern part of the city, and the river Humber forms its western limit.
Toronto, as the seat of government for the province of On tario, contains the parliament buildings, the lieutenant-governor's residence, and the courts of law. In Queen's park (area 4o ac.) almost in the centre of the city, stand the parliament buildings, imposing structures of red sandstone; and immediately opposite there was opened in 1928 a large and beautiful addition in blue dolomite stone, called the "Whitney block." The university, with a roll of 6,000 students in 1928, is federal in constitution, and is composed mainly of four colleges, though main taining important university functions conjointly. It has made very important developments in the study of problems of health. This has been made possible largely by gifts of $1,148,901 for the faculty of medicine from the Rockefeller Foundation, $65o, 000 from the International Health Board of the Rockefeller Foundation, and $400,000 from the E. C. Whitney Bequest. A special building has been devoted, as a branch of the Connaught laboratories, to the study of insulin. Recently a faculty of music, a school of engineering research and a department of social sci ence and administration have been organized. There is a Univer sity press, and in Hart House and Queen's Park House respectively the men and women students have centres for social and athletic activities. Affiliated with the university are denominational col leges near by, the agricultural college at Guelph, etc.
Toronto is rich in other institutions for higher education. Upper Canada college, founded in 1829, in many respects resembles an English public school.' There are 9 collegiate insti
tutes, 2 high schools of commerce, and 2 technical schools, having some 35,000 pupils (1927) ; about i5o public and separate schools, with an attendance of over ioo,000 (1927) ; and several large private schools for girls. Osgoode hall houses the higher courts of law and appeal, and also a law school. The city hall and court house contains civic offices, the board of education, police and county courts, etc. There are in Toronto 72 hospitals, asylums and public homes, including ten public hospitals, the largest of which is the Toronto General Hospital in the centre of the city, which in 1927 accommodated approximately 15,00o patients.
Toronto is essentially a residential and widespread city. The houses of the better class stand separate, not in long rows, and have about them lawns and many trees. There are over 90,000 homes, 65% owned by the occupiers. An electric railway system and 9 motor bus routes, owned by the city, provide means of com munication. There are no underground or overhead railways. Lighting is provided by the publicly owned Hydro-electric Power Commission. There are 69 parks with a total area of 2,065 acres. In Exhibition park (240 acres) there is held each year for a fort night in the late summer a large annual exposition.