Ontario Shopping and nightlife

Shopping in Ontario

Toronto offers everything from antiques to luxury lingerie, if you have the money and time to spend. There are large suburban shopping centres (including Vaughan Mills, one of the province's newest mega-malls, with almost 200 shops). The Eaton Centre, a glass-domed galleria in the heart of the city, is linked to 4.8km (3 miles) of interconnecting underground shopping malls with hundreds of retail outlets. Toronto's villages are full of colourful streets of renovated Victoriana, with garment shops, art galleries, antique stores and open-air cafes in summer. Kensington Market and its surrounding neighbourhood is a popular jumble of food stalls, vintage clothing shops, décor stores and quirky restaurants.

Ottawa also has a wide choice of shops and handicraft centres. The Byward Market is a popular area of craft shops, farmers' market stalls and cafes. The Glebe, Wellington Village and Westboro are charming neighbourhoods that are home to a selection of independent retailers selling everything from art glass to yoga clothing.

Shopping hours

Shops are open daily 1000-1800 in most parts of Ontario (Thurs-Fri until 2100, Sun from 1200). Many city and suburban shops are open until 2100 Mon-Fri.

Nightlife in Ontario

Ontario's two main cities, Toronto and Ottawa, have establishments offering all forms of entertainment, from quiet clubs featuring a lone pianist, through Latin American combos to dance and rock bands and big-name international entertainers. Toronto is recognised as the third most important theatre centre after London and New York, and cabaret/dinner theatres are also especially popular in Toronto. Toronto is also known as a good jazz and blues town. Both Toronto and Ottawa host jazz festivals in the summer. Theatres with classical entertainment are also found in Ottawa.