About Toronto

If you decide to join our family at Cestar High School, you would be making Toronto your new home. This bustling urban metropolis is the fourth largest city in North America and is Canada’s most populous city. With hundreds of different languages spoken within the GTA, Toronto also lays claim to one of the most multicultural cities on the planet.

Toronto’s Diversity

The Toronto Census Metropolitan Area is home to just shy of six million people, making it the largest city in Canada by a wide margin. Within this population, over 150 languages are spoken, and there are countless different neighbourhoods to explore and enjoy different cultures, including Koreatown, Little Tokyo, Chinatown and East Chinatown, Corsa Italia, Little Portugal, and so much more.

Torontonians embrace this ethnic diversity and are proud of their huge variety of cultures to engage with. Experiencing the thousands of different restaurants and cuisines on offer is a favourite pastime of many of the city’s inhabitants, and there is always a different cultural festival happening somewhere in the city on any given weekend. Whatever you are looking to experience, Toronto likely has several options for you to choose from!

Toronto’s Environment

Toronto is located on the eastern side of Canada, in the province of Ontario. The city is surrounded by generally flat terrain, with plenty of waterfalls, nature trails, and kayaking opportunities just at your doorstep.

During the summer, Toronto experiences hot, humid weather with plenty of sunshine and the occasional storm. Temperatures average around 28℃, but with the humidity index (Humidex), these can feel more like the high 30s. Thankfully, there are plenty of public pools available to cool off in, as well as several beaches along Lake Ontario. Toronto winters tend to be cold and dry, with often significant snowfall and temperatures as low as minus 35℃. To keep warm, there is the world’s largest underground connected city known as PATH, which can take you from many major subway stations and shopping malls within downtown. That being said, it is essential that you purchase a good quality winter jacket that will keep the chill out.

Toronto’s Economy

Toronto is Canada’s business centre, home to thousands of high profile companies that have offices within the city. Contributing a significant portion of Canada’s entire gross GDP, Toronto is also home to the Toronto Stock Exchange, the seventh largest one in the world. Torontonians generally enjoy some of the highest wages in the country, with the average salary sitting around $60,000 per year.

Living expenses in Toronto can be substantially higher than in other parts of Canada due to the competitive housing market and strong job market. Average rents in downtown Toronto can reach over $2,200 per month for a 1 bedroom home, making it out of reach for many. However, there are several affordable student housing options for students looking to study in the city, and rents drop considerably the further you move outside of downtown. Cestar High School offers a comprehensive homestay program to assist our international students with finding accommodation during their time with us. With a relatively extensive transit network, living in one of the outer suburbs is still a viable option for people that cannot drive.

Schooling in Toronto

The education system in Canada integrates British rigorous compliance and US active innovation. Canada maintains a world-class level in quality due to its refusal to lower requirements to education.

There is an extremely high value in diplomas issued by Canadian universities, and this is widely recognized all over the world. Ontario is a recognized province with a strong tradition of education in Canada. It has a total of 22 public universities, 24 colleges, and more than 500 private vocational training colleges.

In particular, University of Toronto, University of Western Ontario, Queen’s University, McMaster University and the University of Waterloo are among the most famous universities in the world. They provide a wealth of further study options for high school graduates.