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Visit the pages on the left, and the event calendars to see what events graduate students are organizing in the department. Get-togethers The GEA plans pubs and parties each term at different places, both on- and off-campus. Look for posters around the department and watch the listserv for announcements. Graduate Student Benefits Download Graduate Student Health and Dental Benefits FAQs for a detailed summary of the available supports. Subsections include Making the most of your combined benefits packages, Graduate Student Union (GSU) Health and Dental Benefits, CUPE 3902 Health Care Spending Account (HCSA), Coverage for international students, and Additional sources of funding and financial assistance available to CUPE 3902 Unit 1 members.Organizations Outside the GEA
The Graduate English Council. The GEC meets once per term: all graduate faculty and up to 13 elected student representatives from the GEA meet to discuss departmental issues and developments. This is a major forum for the GEA to make student concerns known, as well as the place to find out what is going on in the Department as a whole. Reps to the GEC are elected each fall; If you would like to be a rep, attend the first GEA meeting to be nominated for a position. At the GEC meetings, you are encouraged to comment on and participate in any discussion about departmental reports and you may vote on all motions. Not only does being a member of the GEC allow you to have a say in departmental affairs, but it can also provide an inside look at how the administration functions, which can be useful if you are considering a career in academia. Graduate Students’ Union. The GSU is the umbrella organization of all departmental graduate student associations, and represents graduate student interests at various levels within the university administration and in the community at large. The GSU collects a portion of your ‘incidental fees’ and allocates funds to individual course unions (depending on the number of students enrolled) and to projects and organizations beneficial to graduate students. English is one of the larger departments; therefore, we have proportionally more representation on the GSU (2 reps). The GSU has been instrumental in the fight against the disenfranchisement of international students from OHIP, the province’s health insurance plan, and is currently involved in a close examination of supervisory practices in the School of Graduate Studies (SGS), as well as the fight against cuts to university services. The GSU puts together a yearly informational handbook, which you may have already received, explaining more about its organization and services. Look there for detailed info on Health Services, Loans and Bursaries, Women in Graduate School, Sexual Harassment, Student Appeals, Visa Students and much more. The GSU also operates a subsidized pub, a small gym, and other services out of their building at 16 Bancroft Ave., between Huron St. and Spadina Ave, just south of New College. Phone 416-978–2391/6233 or e-mail for more information. The University of Toronto’s library system comprises over 40 libraries and resource centres. As a graduate student, you will have access to most of these marvellous collections. These collections are linked through an online catalogue system called UTCat which will give you information on books in all the campus libraries and can connect you with other library catalogues around the world. The catalogue, including electronic resources and subscriptions, can also be accessed at home. Although the libraries are linked through the library catalogue, they function independently, so remember that you must return material to the same library from which you borrowed it. More information can be found online. The following is a list of libraries that you will be most likely to consult as an English student: John P. Robarts Library. Robarts is the graduate research library on campus. This brutalist architectural wonder will be home to innumerable hours of your graduate student work. Among its many facilities, you will find the following most useful: Media Commons. Located on the 3rd floor, the Media Commons is made up of three collections: Media Archives, Audio-Visual, and Microform. The Microform collection includes recent journals and papers as well as early books and theses on microfilm. Several machines in the area can photocopy from microfilm ($0.20 per page). The Audio-Visual library is an indispensable part of any modern study! It includes a wonderful selection of all kinds of films, from instructional videos to all the classics, and is staffed by a friendly and helpful group of people. CHASS Computer Centre. Take the stack elevator to the 14th floor to get to the Computing in the Humanities and Social Sciences lab. You can get a free account at CHASS, which gives you access to IBM and Mac PCs any time during the library’s opening hours. There are two laser printers and a special thesis room which can be booked for printing really clean copies for submissions to journals or for your dissertation ($0.10 per page, $0.05 if you bring your own paper). CHASS also gives several workshops on applications, such as constructing a web page. Phones. Not many people know, but there are phones out on every floor of the stacks (9–13), at a desk usually near the library workers’ office, from which you can phone on campus without charge (omit the first two numbers, “94” or “97”). These are great if you want to contact someone on campus without making a trip downstairs to the pay phones. Study Carrels and Book Lockers. Upon application (on-line; ask at Robarts information desk for help if necessary) upper-year Ph.D.s are assigned closed carrels on the 13th floor of Robarts. If you are an MA or Ph.D. 1, you can apply for a locker and a special card to sign out numerous books (but for use within the library only) for three months. We recommend going in person to the Carrel Office (Rm. 1008 on the ground floor) to ensure your online application hasn’t gone awry. Second-year Ph.D.s can get a carrel to share with another Ph.D.: again, the path of least resistance is to go in person with your chosen carrel buddy after applying online. Photocopying. Your University of Toronto student card, or TCard, can be loaded with money to use in many of the photocopy machines across campus. While there are photocopiers on almost every floor at Robarts, there are only three “Cash-to-Card” machines in the library that will allow you to add money to your Tcard: two on the first floor, and one on the third floor. NOTABLE COLLECTIONS AT ROBARTS: Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library. (416-978-5285) You will need to sign up for a separate card to access the Fisher Collection. Make sure you do because this library is a treasure-trove of rare materials. Be sure to follow the paramilitary requirements (no pens, large bags or briefcases), and expect a negative reply to most requests for photocopying. But the value of examining early books is worth overcoming every regulation. The Fisher also presents lectures throughout the term, often accompanied by exhibits on the main floor. The library’s architecture—particularly the interior’s open shelving structure—is also worth an appreciative look. Woodhouse Collection. On the 13th floor, this collection of literature (non-circulating, so always available) was founded by former chair of the department of English and Milton scholar A.S.P. Woodhouse. Scholarly editions of most English authors plus bibliographies and some essential research books are there, as well as the OED (so you don't have to go down to the reference area on the 4th floor). Dictionary of Old English. (416-978-8883). The DOE is located on the 14th floor, accessible from the elevators on the 2nd floor. The staff, consisting mainly of faculty and students from the Centre for Mediæval Studies, is dedicated to creating a comprehensive dictionary of every word in Old English; as a result, facsimiles of every manuscript containing Old English may be found there. Victoria College / E.J. Pratt Library. This newly renovated library has an extensive collection of holdings of Coleridge, Erasmus, Tennyson, Virginia Woolf, and the papers of Northrop Frye. It also houses the non-lending Centre for Reformation and Renaissance Studies (CRRS) Library. Worth a visit for the interior decorating and the pleasant, comfy chairs. Trinity College Library. The Graham Library, in the Munk Centre at Trinity College, is another source for English students. It also has some of the most well-appointed study spaces (with fireplaces and dangerously comfortable armchairs) on campus. St. Michael's College / John M. Kelly Library. This library also has a very good collection for English students’ purposes. You can rent a locker there for the year if you don’t want to carry books around with you. On the 4th floor is the non–lending Pontifical Institute for Mediaeval Studies (PIMS) Library. Getting a card to use this facility can be difficult; if you need to use the PIMS, try getting a letter of reference from a faculty member working in the field first. Knox College Library. Knox is a beautiful space with mostly theological holdings, with some works pertaining to history and English. Innis College Library. Although small, this library holds a good Film Studies collection. New College / Donald Ivey Library. An excellent Women’s Studies collection can be found here; some of its materials are not catalogued on UTCat, so check it out if you can’t find Kristeva elsewhere. It is also quite good for African Studies. Robertson Davies Library, Massey College. This library collects texts pertaining to the history of printing and the book trade and other related fields of interest. Metro Toronto Reference Library. This is the central main branch of the Toronto public library system. Located off campus at 789 Yonge St., it is a non-circulating library, and a good place to go if campus libraries don’t have what you are looking for. It is a good place to find periodicals, and holds decent collections in the areas of theatre, multicultural literature, and linguistics. It is also worth noting that materials in the Toronto library system can be browsed online and transferred between branches. If the ownership of books is a necessary precondition of, or alternative to, reading them, below you’ll find a few places to begin accumulating a sizeable library. New Books The Bob Miller Bookroom. Basement at 180 Bloor St. West (416-922-3557). Many professors order their course texts through this store. Carol Vine can help you with ordering or any inquiries about books. The store stocks excellent selections of poetry, drama, fiction, biography, classical literature, history, sociology and psychology, critical theory, women’s studies, mythology, and other interests. Their once-yearly sale in the spring is more than worthwhile: all books are between 10% and 25% off, and some selected items (recent books too) are 50% or even 75% off. Book City. 501 Bloor St. West (416-961-4496; call for other locations). Book City has a fine selection of past and present literature (poetry is upstairs), a decent selection of criticism, and many magazines and journals. It also offers discounts on current authors in new hardcovers. Chapters/Indigo. Bloor & Bay St. in the Manulife Centre (416-925-3536). The Chapters/Indigo megastore has a number of locations around the city, but the “Poets’ Corner” in this location is worth a visit. The Chapters/Indigo brand also owns the enticingly-titled World’s Biggest Bookstore, which you can find at 20 Edward Street, north of Dundas and Yonge (416-977-7009). A Different Booklist. 746 Bathurst, near Harbord (416-538-0889). This shop specializes in books concerned with contemporary issues of colour, race, and gender. Glad Day Bookshop. 598A Yonge St. (416-961-4161). The shop carries over 10,000 in-print titles for the LBGT community, including fiction and theory. Pages Books. 256 Queen West (416-598-1447). Pages contains a careful selection of theory, philosophy, 20th century fiction and poetry, and a variety of magazines, journals, and papers. If you pay with cash and show your student card, your purchase won’t be taxed. Theatrebooks. 11 St. Thomas St., between Bloor & St. Charles (416-922-7175). The source for drama, old and new. Toronto Women’s Bookstore. 73 Harbord St. (416-922-8744). This store is often used by professors to order course books. Fiction is mostly upstairs along with books stacked according to course numbers. The store is good for feminist social theory, criticism, and humour. U of T Bookstore. Koffler Centre, 214 College St. (416-640-7900). The U of T Bookstore is stocked in all subjects, including English texts. It also has a book buy-back program for current textbooks. You can special order books here too, but this process can be excruciatingly slow. This store can be a frustrating place to get the books you’re looking for, but you’ll have to deal with it at some point, so it’s best to get used to it quickly! Victoria University Bookstore. 91 Charles Street West in the Old Vic building (416-585-4574). A smaller bookstore but well stocked in the essentials, including some textbooks. Literature is always 10% off for students. Used Books Abelard Books. 519 Queen West (416-504-2665). Though once a storefront mainstay of used books in the Annex, it now operates as a mail-order business specializing in philosophy, theology, classics, medieval studies, and archeology. Email: info@abelardbooks.com. Annex Books. 38 Howland Avenue (416-537-1852). Specializing in Canadian literature, poetry, art, and modern first editions, this store is always open online and by appointment only in person. Feel free to email them. Atticus Books. 84 Harbord St. (416-922-6045). Atticus has an excellent collection of secondhand books (including pristine review copies of recent critical works) and an outstanding array of mediaeval texts. The literature/poetry sections are less impressive. As used books go, the prices are exorbitant. Still, books not usually found in the used book market may appear here. Check the ‘new arrivals’ shelves for very recent books and downstairs for paperbacks. Once you’ve explored Atticus, walk along Harbord for a variety of other bookstores. Babel Books and Music. 123 Ossington Ave. between Queen and Dundas (416-533-9138). This bookstore is a little far from campus, but it’s worth stopping in here on your inevitable foray down Queen Street West. It’s worth the trek just to check out the poetry collection. Balfour Books. 601 College St. (416-531-9911). Not necessarily the best store if you’re looking for criticism, but lots in the way of old children’s books, fiction, history, and fair amounts of miscellanies. BMV. 471 Bloor Street West. (416-967-5757). Inevitability you will find yourself at some point browsing through this large store featuring remaindered and discounted titles along with many used titles. Eliot’s Bookshop. 584 Yonge St. (416-925-0268). Eliot’s has an enormous selection of books, some in passable condition, all at decent prices. Recycled Book Shop. 162 McCaul. (416-351-0802). Check out the contemporary ‘Great Wall of Literature’ in this interesting store that houses a strong art and design collection. Seeker’s Books. 509 Bloor St. (416-925-1982). Browse the shelves until midnight or anytime with the store’s online search engine. This bookstore has been improving and expanding over the last few years and has impressive holdings on Eastern and Western Religion, the Occult, and Science. Ten Editions Books. 698 Spadina at Sussex (416-964-3803). Good philosophy collection; a variety of disciplines are represented, including ephemera. The poetry section is better than most bookshops. Watch for their occasional 50%-off sale. Campus Book Sales As specific dates are not yet available for all sales, you’ll have to keep your eyes open for announcements. Everyone has his or her favourite, but try as many as you can. The best strategy (for the most acquisitive bargain-hunters) is to return more than once, as new books are brought out continuously. Another tip: bring a box or bag, as they won't provide them. Victoria College Book Sale. September 25-29, 2008 Low prices, fine paperback and rare book selections, but opening night (when the best deals are to be had) is absolute chaos. University College Book Sale. October 17-21, 2008. No admission charge for students. Prices may even be cheaper than Trinity, although the selection is not quite as large. Trinity College Book Sale. October 24-28, 2008. The first night carries a small admission charge, and people regularly line up five to six hours in advance. On following days, entry is free, but be prepared to jostle insistent book-dealers out of your way. Good deals on texts from all disciplines, organized by subject. GSU Book Sale. Twice yearly in the fall and the spring. Here you’ll find new books that have been remaindered. Some years are better than others, but it’s always worth a visit. The prices aren’t as good as the college sales, but given that these are new books, the prices are more than competitive. An array of Oxford World’s Classics, Penguin Classics, and Routledge titles—though when the seventeenth copy of Ivanhoe surfaces in the piles, the stock will seem a little repetitive. Knox College Book Sale. Spring term. Already low prices go down as the day wears on: after 4 p.m. or so books are free. Interesting older texts and criticism; standards and classics from the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries; history, mediaeval texts, theology, and philosophy. Some primary works, like collected letters, are also available. Watch notice-boards around the campus for theatre, film and music. A small sample of what to do for fun on campus is listed below. Activities Hart House offers all kinds of events and activities: it runs a large variety of clubs, from chess to film; arranges outings and excursions; plans occasional wine and scotch tasting nights; and sponsors concerts and theatre, from classical to current. They even have a farm out in Caledon Hills. Check with the porter for more detailed information on all of the above. They also have a large gym and an art gallery. Film Innis College Film Society hosts frequent screenings of off-the-beaten-track, avant-garde and experimental film, as well as old standbys (416-978-7790). Festival Theatre Cinema Circuit offers both mainstream and art movies at discounted prices; many other theatres offer p.w.y.c. prices on certain Sundays. Of course, Tuesday night film showings are cheaper everywhere. Theatre Graduate Centre for Drama presents several shows throughout the season, produced by students at the Centre, in the Robert Gill Theatre (Koffler Centre, 416-978-7986). Many colleges also sponsor theatrical productions, as does Hart House. Poculi Ludique Societas (PLS) began in the early 1960s in an English seminar class as a way of testing theories of dramatic performance by putting them into practice. After 25 years, the PLS is still performing mediaeval and Renaissance plays, and re-creates original production conditions. The PLS is always conscripting volunteers for everything from directing and designing to costumes and prop-making. For information on upcoming productions call 416-978-5096 or visit them online. Music Faculty of Music presents student recitals as well as orchestral, vocal, and jazz concerts involving students and faculty that are sponsored by the Faculty in the Edward Johnson Building on Queen’s Park near the ROM (416-978-3744). Get their annual calendar to find out about affordable and free music concerts on campus. Their opera and opera excerpts in the spring are especially worth attending. Baldwin Street. This area is one street south of College (and the University campus) and features a lot of small cafés and restaurants, such as Chinese, Japanese, Mexican (try the frozen margaritas!), or Italian. Bar Mercurio/L'Espresso. Bar Mecurio (270 Bloor St. West) and their larger yet more casual restaurant L’Espresso (321 Bloor St. West) are the closest restaurants by the English Department. Bar Mercurio is an Italian restaurant sharing our department’s new building and features salads, thin-crust pizzas (gluten-free option available), fish, pastas, deserts, and wine. L’Espresso, its salon-styled sister, is located across from the department and has great lunches, specialty coffee, and deserts. You will see many fellow grad students and professors at these restaurants! Check out their respective menus online. BBQues Gourmet Grill. This Grill is located at Spadina and Harbord; it offers good prices on decent burgers and hot dogs with vegetarian options. Café Elise. This café is located at Spadina and Sussex. The restaurant is Middle Eastern inspired with big fresh salads, excellent hot vegetarian entrees, and a large selection of beverages. Cheap and friendly. Diabolos’. This café is located in the North-West corner of the Junior Common Room in University College. In addition to the long rows of comfortable couches, Diablos is inexpensive and has great coffee, fresh muffins, homemade cookies and sweets; get your travel mug here. GSU. The GSU building is located at 16 Bancroft St. and houses a café, Sylvesters, and the GSU pub. The café is on the 2nd floor of the GSU building and has okay food, including daily specials, quiches, salads, and sweets. Downstairs from Sylvester's is the pub with an intimate atmosphere, big screen TV, pool table, and plenty of fellow graduate students to commiserate with. Who could ask for more? Hart House. The “Arbor Room” in the basement provides fair food at fair prices. If you want a grown-up lunch, brunch or tea, try the Gallery Grill on the second floor of Hart House: acclaimed chefs took it over a couple of years ago and jacked up the quality. While the food might be a bit pricey, the atmosphere is beautiful and you can be sure to experience “lunch time lotus land” (Toronto Life). Please see the Food section at online for more information. Innis College Cafeteria. This Cafeteria is just North of Robarts, on Sussex and St. George. Sandwiches are made to order, as well as daily specials, fresh muffins, cakes, cookies, and coffee. Everything tastes homemade and there are picnic tables outside at the back. This cafeteria is one of the best on campus. The Madison Avenue Pub. This bar is located at 14 Madison Avenue, just North of Bloor St. and east of St. George. It is a converted Victorian house with three floors. The higher you go, the cozier it gets. There are great wings, a good atmosphere, and live entertainment on specific nights, but the pub does tend to get very loud and crowded, especially on the weekends. The Red Room. This casual restaurant is located at 444 Spadina Avenue (Spadina and College). The slow service is redeemed by entertaining décor, cheap food, and delicious fruit shakes. Robarts Cafeteria. This Cafeteria is on the second floor of Robarts Library (130 St. George St). It features Starbuck’s coffee, a newly opened Subway, and some decent vegetarian options, in addition to the usual cafeteria fare. There is a large seating area (where you can make-believe that you’re not in Robarts!), which is a place to bump into fellow students and sometimes professors. Sunny Café. This Café is tucked in Noah’s Natural Foods at 322 Bloor St. West. It is a small café that serves hot and cold vegan and organic dishes, as well as juices, burgers and sandwiches made without sugar, eggs or dairy. Tik Talk. This café is at 96 Harbord Street just west of Spadina. There is cozy seating, a friendly proprietor, and good lunch menus. Be sure to ask for the homemade lemonade. (Harbord St. has many neat coffee joints, bookstores and restaurants, all within minutes of Robarts.) Woodlands Restaurant. This Indian restaurant is at 177 College St. (just West of St George). It is a decent Indian restaurant that is close to campus with daily lunch and vegetarian specials. Wymilwood Café. This café (previously known as Ned’s Café) is in Victoria College at 150 Charles St. West. Wymilwood has a good atmosphere and the food is reasonably priced. They offer fresh sandwiches, big salads, not just coffee, but cappuccino, and they do serve beer. There are also a few couches, a working fireplace (in bad weather), and a lovely outdoor cafe (in good weather). Athletics on Campus. Included in your tuition fees are memberships to two athletic facilities on campus: The Athletic Centre at 55 Harbord St. has swimming pools, tennis and squash quarts, a weight room, a 200-metre track, aerobics classes, and more. Locker rentals are very reasonable (approx. $8/month) and include towel service. You can check out the many different athletic programs (such as gymnastics, swimming, and running clubs) online. Hart House gym is located in the basement of Hart House and has excellent athletic facilities, with a smaller and more relaxed atmosphere. The pool has been recently renovated, and up-to-date Nautilus machines and Stairmasters have been added to the gym facilities. Rental lockers are available, but be sure to bring money for the towel service. Please see the Fitness section on their website for more information. Both athletic facilities offer a wide variety of classes, from yoga to ballroom dancing, for which there may be extra charges. Health Services. 214 College St. in the Koffler Centre (416-978-8030). These on-campus medical services include psychiatry (even group therapy for stressed out graduate students) and physiotherapy. Also, ask for information on the prescription plan – you can receive an 80% rebate on prescriptions as a graduate student. See the GSU brochure for more info, or visit the GSU online. International Student Centre. 33 St. George St. (416-978-2564). The ISC deals with non–academic concerns and puts out a monthly newsletter. They also sponsor a number of social events for foreign students, such as barbecues, parties and excursions. If you need information about the UHIP insurance package, call the ISC for details. The GSU also has a Visa Students' Committee that handles academic problems for foreign students, independent of our own GEA Visa Committee. Housing. The St. George Graduate Student Residence (on the corner of St. George and Bloor) offers fairly cheap on-campus housing; what may be lost in size is made up for in location. You can qualify for U of T Family Housing if you live with a common-law partner or spouse. Check out their web page for details: This is the cheapest and most ideally located high-rise deal in TO ($756-$820/mo. for a 1 bdrm apartment; $1000 for a 2 bdrm apartment). NB: To obtain a unit for September, you may need to put yourself on a waiting list quite early. However, units often become available mid-year, so it’s worth checking back in a couple of months if you’re unable to be admitted straight away. Check the Koffler Centre's Student Housing Service for postings of other available living arrangements (the Northwest corner of College and St. George). Donships at various colleges are available and advertised in the spring; these provide living quarters as well as meals in return for counseling undergraduates. Look in the Star and Now for the usual big city rental listings, or try Viewit or Craigslist for online listings. You can find information about co-operative housing from the Co-operative Housing Federation of Toronto. Though you may have to wait some time before a space becomes available, co-operative housing is often a cheaper alternative than typical rental costs in Toronto. Visit them online for open waiting lists. Women's Centre. 563 Spadina, Room 100. The Women’s Centre co-ordinates a variety of services and events for women at the University of Toronto. Family Care Office. (416-978-0951). This extremely helpful office is located on the main floor of the Koffler Student Services Centre, 214 College Street. It can provide information on childcare, elder care, and other family resources, in addition to confidential counseling, free clinics, and support groups. If you’re going to live in this city for four or five years, you may as well get to know it. Toronto can be an embarrassment of cultural riches, so quit clinging to campus and have a look! Annex. This area holds a lot of student hangouts. The many pubs and little restaurants are punctuated by the usual fast food places. Do try Fresh (at Bloor and Spadina) for generous vegan entrees and strange healing cocktails. Futures is a famous spot for lingering, and be sure to try there cheap student breakfast specials (just show your Student Card). Keep going west and hit Markham St., and you’ll find the tucked-away glories of The Beguiling (great comics!) and The Victory Café. The Beaches (or The Beach). The Queen St. east area has a nice boardwalk on the waterfront, great restaurants, and patios. Go before it gets really cold, although there’s good holiday shopping at all the artsy boutiques. Chinatown. South of campus on Spadina, in China town, you can choose from hundreds of Chinese or Vietnamese restaurants of every calibre. Church and Wellesley, or the Village. This area is the centre of Toronto’s LGBT community. There are lots of bars and restaurants along Church Street, and every year the neighbourhood hosts one of the largest Pride celebrations in the world. Distillery District. This area is located near Cherry Street and Mill Street; it has wonderful restaurants, cafes, art galleries, theatres and much more. The district also has brick-lined and pedestrian-only streets. Fashion shows, art exhibits, and various festivals are often featured in this area. The Danforth. If you take the TTC to Chester Station, you will find Greek dining and great bars—try Myth or Pantheon for Greek food and try Allan’s for a comfortable bar. Every summer there is a fantastic culinary celebration called “Taste of the Danforth”; if you have the opportunity, try it out! High Park. This large and beautiful park is located on the TTC subway line at High Park Station. The park is on the south side of Bloor Street, stretching all the way south to the Queensway, and from High Park west to Runnymede. It’s VERY big. If you are an outdoor aficionado, you have to check it out; great for walking, running, and cycling. There are even cross-country ski groups there in the winter. There is also a small museum and a small zoo in the park. Yes, it’s that big. Kensington Market. This area is located just south of College St. and west of Spadina (around Augusta Ave). Kensington Market is a must-see neighbourhood in TO! Famous for its vegetables, bulk food, fish stands, cheese stores, spice stores, and bakeries, you can find the cheapest groceries anywhere. There are also dozens of vintage clothing stores (don’t miss Courage My Love), and lots of little restaurants, bars and cafés. Little Italy. West from the campus on College (at College and Ossington), this area has bookstores, restaurants and bars galore. El Convento Rico has Latin dancing lessons and a buffet, all for $3 on Sunday nights. Café Diplomattico is a popular spot where you’ll probably run into someone you know. Queen Street West. The Queen Street West area is stylish, busy, and trendy. Try the Rivoli (at Spadina and Queen St.) for a great bar and restaurant that features concerts and comic nights in the backroom, pool tables and karaoke upstairs. As time has passed, this area has become more trendy, and less unique, but if you go further west (past Bathurst), you can find some truly original stores and coffee houses. Yorkville. This rich and luxe area is located north of Bay and Bloor; it has many expensive boutiques and restaurants. There is also an outdoor space (you can’t miss the large rock and man-made waterfall) with public tables and chairs for those of us on a tighter budget. The neighborhood is a nice place for window-shopping and gelato. Try the pub/restaurant Hemingway’s for great sweet-potato fries and their heated rooftop patio. Campus Maps. Hard copies of campus maps are available at most of the campus libraries and at the University of Toronto bookstore. Maps are also accessible online. Commuting between Campuses. As TAs, you may be required to commute to the university’s campuses in Scarborough or Mississauga. Although it will cost you, you will be reimbursed towards the end of your TA contract. UTSC. Because there is no direct commuter bus from downtown to Scarborough, getting to UTSC can be quite a trek, so give yourself plenty of time! Begin by taking the Bloor subway line east to Kennedy Station. From there, the 116E Morningside bus will take you directly to the UTSC campus in peak periods only. Outside of peak periods, you will find it quickest to catch the RT from Kennedy Station, disembarking at Scarborough Town Centre and, from there, catching the 38 Highland Creek bus. NB: There is no need to exit either the subway station or the RT station before catching your bus! UTM. Luckily, there is an express bus between the St. George and UTM campuses! You can always purchase tickets for $6.00 (each way) from the porter’s desk in Hart House or, at UTM, at the Student Centre’s Information Desk, but as a TA at UTM you can pickup free shuttle tickets in advance of your journey from Cecilia Martino (St. George campus) or the Assistant to the Chair (UTM). Picking up these advance tickets will spare you fronting any money for your journey. However you board, you must carry your T-Card with you. From downtown, you can catch the bus at the Hart House Circle; the bus stops at UTM at the bus shelter by the main entrance of the Kaneff Centre, and at the front/north entrance of the North Building. Transportation Toronto Transit Commission. This public authority runs the city’s buses, streetcars and subways. The current cash fare for one adult ride is $2.75 but the price of “tokens” decreases when bought in bulk (e.g., 4 for $10). On the first two and last three business days of each month, the Graduate Student Union makes a limited number of monthly passes available to university students at a slight discount. Student “metro passes” are available from the SAC office located in the middle of Hart House Circle. Check the GSU website for sales locations. The TTC itself sells day and week passes that are worth looking into if you think you’ll be traveling around the city. Go Trains and Go Buses. This is Ontario’s only interregional transportation service; the Go buses and trains travel within Canada and beyond the GTA (Greater Toronto Area). Greyhound. This bus service can take you just about anywhere you need to go in North America. You’re guaranteed to come back from your trip with tales to tell. Mega Bus. For international travelers, this bus provides very inexpensive transportation to various stops in the United States, including direct service to the Buffalo airport. Via Rail The Via Rail is a cross-Canada railway system, with some excellent student discounts.
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