Toronto, Canada
Mission Trips

Toronto is Canada’s most populous metropolis and serves as the capital city of the province of Ontario. Situated on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario, it functions as the nation’s primary financial, commercial, and industrial engine. The city is defined by its distinct skyline, anchored by the iconic CN Tower, and is widely celebrated as one of the most multicultural and ethnically diverse urban centers in the entire world, with roughly half of its residents born outside of Canada.

The city’s economy is anchored by the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX) and the headquarters of Canada’s largest banks and corporations, making it a powerful global financial hub alongside a rapidly growing technology sector. Beyond business, Toronto is a major cultural hotspot, boasting world-class institutions like the Royal Ontario Museum and the Art Gallery of Ontario. It also serves as a focal point for media, theater, and international sports, famously playing host to major global events like the Toronto International Film Festival and matches for the FIFA World Cup.  

Despite its prosperity, everyday life in Toronto comes with acute modern struggles for many of its residents, who are heavily squeezed by a severe cost-of-living and housing crisis. This extreme financial pressure is compounded by an elevated unemployment rate, particularly among younger workers, and a sharp decline in mental health across all populations, prompting a growing number of people to migrate out of the region entirely. 

Despite the economic hurdles of modern urban living, Toronto continues to maintain its reputation as a safe, energetic, and forward-looking global hub.

Climate: Toronto features a humid continental climate that brings four distinct seasons to the region throughout the year. Summers are typically warm and humid, with July temperatures peaking at an average high of 27°C (81°F). Winters, by contrast, are cold and windy, frequently dropping below freezing and bringing an average of 121 cm (48 inches) of snowfall annually. Fortunately, Lake Ontario acts as a natural buffer, moderating the city's weather to give Toronto some of the mildest winters in Canada compared to inland cities.

Language: Toronto is one of the most linguistically diverse cities in the world, with over 160 languages spoken across its culturally rich neighborhoods. While English serves as the dominant language for daily life, business, and government, roughly 45% of residents speak a native tongue other than English or French. Major immigrant languages like Mandarin, Cantonese, Punjabi, Tagalog, Spanish, and Italian are spoken prominently throughout the city, reflecting its status as a major global melting pot.

Safety: The Toronto area is generally safe, and your PPM staff and host partners value your team's safety and security as a top priority. They will guide your team and ensure that proper awareness and precautions are maintained throughout your week of service.

The economy of Toronto is the undisputed powerhouse of Canada, single-handedly generating roughly 20% of the entire country's Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Historically built on manufacturing and shipping, the city has evolved into North America’s second-largest financial hub behind New York City. The downtown core, centered around Bay Street, holds the headquarters of Canada's "Big Five" banks and the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX), which serves as the world's premier investment cluster for mining, clean energy, and commodities. Beyond finance, Toronto has exploded into the fastest-growing technology sector on the continent, with an expansive "digital corridor" powering innovations in artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and fintech. This diverse economic engine is further supported by an enormous life sciences cluster centered in the downtown Discovery District, alongside robust aerospace, film production, and media industries that collectively draw more than half of all foreign capital investment into Canada.

All Canadian provinces utilize the Canadian dollar.

Food: Toronto's culinary landscape is a reflection of its immense cultural diversity, offering a global food scene where you can find authentic dishes from nearly every corner of the earth. Neighborhoods like Chinatown, Little Italy, Greektown, and Koreatown serve up traditional, community-driven recipes, while dynamic hubs like Kensington Market offer a fusion of globally inspired street foods.

Fun: For day-to-day leisure, people in Toronto take full advantage of the city's unique geography by escaping into its network of forested ravines and parks like High Park, or cycling down to the Harbourfront to catch the breeze off Lake Ontario. Locals are also big on community sports leagues, keeping busy with drop-in volleyball, tennis, and beach sports. 

History: The history of the Toronto area began thousands of years ago, when indigenous people groups, including the Huron-Wendat, Haudenosaunee, and the Mississaugas of the Credit, used the region's natural portage routes along the Toronto Carrying-Place Trail for trade and travel. 

European presence began with French fur traders who established Fort Rouillé in the mid-18th century, but the true foundation of the modern city took place in 1793. Following the Toronto Purchase with the Mississaugas, British colonial administrator John Graves Simcoe established the town of York as the new capital of Upper Canada, intentionally placing it away from the American border to protect it from invasion. York's defenses were tested during the War of 1812 when American forces captured and burned much of the town in the 1813 Battle of York. Rebuilding quickly, the settlement incorporated as the City of Toronto in 1834, reverting to a variation of its original indigenous name, which translates roughly to "place where trees stand in the water."  

Throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries, the city rapidly industrialized, drawing massive waves of immigration, initially from Ireland and Great Britain, and earning the nickname "Hogtown" due to its massive meatpacking operations.

The mid-to-late 20th century marked Toronto's transformation from a predominantly British-Canadian provincial city into a dynamic international metropolis. Following World War II, immigration patterns shifted dramatically as newcomers arrived from Italy, Greece, Portugal, and later East Asia, South Asia, and the Caribbean, completely reshaping the city's social and culinary landscape. By the 1970s, economic power began to shift from Montreal to Toronto as major financial corporations moved their headquarters westward, a boom symbolized by the completion of the iconic CN Tower in 1976. This evolution culminated in the 1998 amalgamation of Toronto with its surrounding municipalities, creating the unified, diverse megacity that stands as Canada's economic and cultural anchor today.

Religion: Toronto’s diverse population has created an equally rich religious landscape. According to the most recent census data, Christianity remains the largest religious representation at roughly 46%, though regular church attendance sits around or below 10%. Toronto is also home to significant and growing populations of those practicing Islam (9.6%), Hinduism (6.2%), Judaism (3.6%), and other religions. At the same time, secularism is rapidly expanding, with nearly 31% of Toronto residents identifying as having no religious affiliation or holding a secular perspective.