2008 IEEE International Symposium on Information Theory

July 6th to 11th, 2008
Sheraton Centre Toronto Hotel
Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Traveling to Toronto

About Toronto

Toronto is a welcoming and exciting metropolis, well known for its diversity, arts and entertainment, and many sites of interest.

For a taste of the wonderful things to come and other helpful information for the world traveller, visit:

www.toronto.com
www.toronto.com/guide/visitors
www.toronto.ca
www.torontotourism.com
My Toronto Meeting - For more travel information, events calendar, special deals, coupons, etc.

Travel Documents

Implemented on January 23, 2007, ALL persons, including U.S. citizens and children traveling by air between the United States and Canada, Mexico, Central and South America, the Caribbean, and Bermuda are required to present a valid passport, Air NEXUS card, or U.S. Coast Guard Merchant Mariner Document, or an Alien Registration Card, Form I-551, if applicable.

These requirements will also be applied to all land and sea travel as early as January 1, 2008. Until that date, U.S. citizens entering Canada may use a birth certificate together with photo identification or a passport as proof of U.S. citizenship.

For more information about traveling between the United States and Canada visit: http://travel.state.gov/

U.K. citizens and Australian citizens require a passport and proof of onward passage out of Canada. Visitors from other countries require a passport and may also require a visa. In particular, citizens of the following countries require a visa to visit Canada:

Argentina, Brazil, Egypt, India, Iran, Israel (only Israeli citizens holding valid Israeli "Travel Document in lieu of National Passport"), Pakistan, Romania, Russia, Taiwan. (This is a partial list only; the complete list can be found on the Government of Canada web site.)

In many cases, applications for a visa must be accompanied by a letter of invitation. Authors with accepted papers and all individuals who have registered for the Symposium may write to frank@comm.utoronto.ca to request a letter of invitation.

Please note that visitors to Canada may also be asked to provide proof of necessary funds for their visit.

More information is available at:

Airport

The Pearson International Airport serves the Greater Toronto Area. It has 3 terminals and is Canada’s busiest airport, handling 28.6 million passengers in 2004. Visit: www.gtaa.com/en/travellers/

Transportation to and from the airport
There are many ways to travel to and from the Toronto Pearson Airport. Check out: www.gtaa.com/en/travellers/airport_information/ground_transportatio/

Other ways of getting to Toronto

By Road
Whether approaching Toronto by car or by bus, the traveller will reach Toronto by one of several major routes paralleling the shore of Lake Ontario. Highways 401 and 2, and the Queen Elizabeth Way, enter Toronto from the west. Highways 401 and 2 also enter Toronto from the east. Hwy 400 runs from the north and connects with Hwy 401. Major bus routes converge in Toronto. Out-of-town buses arrive and depart from the Bus Terminal, located at 610 Bay St. Service to/from points all over Ontario, Canada and the U.S. National and regional bus lines serve the Greater Toronto area. Call 416-393-7911 for bus company fares and schedules.

By Rail
Toronto is served by the VIA Rail System, the network that provides all rail service throughout Canada (with connections to the Amtrak system through Niagara Falls, New York). Union Station is located on Front Street, between Bay and University (across the street from the Fairmont Royal York Hotel). The station is right on Toronto's subway line, and is within walking distance of Rogers Centre (formerly Skydome), the CN Tower, the financial district and many downtown hotels, shops and restaurants.

By Water
Toronto offers docking facilities and complete services for boaters. For information on harbour facilities, call the Toronto Port Authority at 416-863-2000.

Directions to the Sheraton Centre Toronto Hotel

From East

Take Highway 401 to Don Valley Parkway.
Go south to Richmond Street. Exit and go west on Richmond Street to York Street
Turn right on York Street and then right on Queen Street

From North

Take Highway 400 to Highway 401.
Go east to Don Valley Parkway and then south and exit at Richmond Street.
Head west on Richmond Street to York Street.
Turn right on York Street and then right onto Queen Street.

From Lester B. Pearson International Airport

Take Highway 401 East to Highway 427 South
Proceed to Queen Elizabeth Way and then head east to Gardner Expressway.
Exit at York Street and proceed north to Queen Street.

From South

Take Queen Elizabeth Way to Gardner Expressway, and exit onto York Street.
Then go north to Queen Street.

Useful Information

Time Zone
Eastern Time (ET) is five hours behind Greenwich Mean Time (GMT). During Daylight Savings Time (DST), March to October, clocks are turned ahead one hour.

Weather
Summers in Toronto are warm. Midsummer temperatures range from 61-81 F/16-27 C, with quite a few days in the 90s F/32-35 C. Perfect for a beachside jaunt or cold pint on a patio. http://www.thestar.com/utilities/weather

Language
English is the predominant language of Toronto, although both English and French are official languages and most government services are available in either language. But there are also large ethnic populations so those languages are prominent in many neighbourhoods. Dual-language street signs can be found in areas such as Chinatown, Little Italy, Little Portugal, and other communities.

Currency
The money system in Canada is based on Canadian dollars (CDN$) and cents. International currency exchange services are available at Lester B. Pearson International Airport as well as at banks and currency exchange outlets located throughout the city.

Cash machines/ATMs
Cirrus and Plus ATMs are plentiful in Toronto and conveniently placed. They are available in most banks, hotels and shopping malls with cash dispensed in Canadian currency. Before arriving in Canada, do make sure that your PIN number will be accepted in Canadian machines.

Traveller’s cheques and credit cards
Traveller’s cheques and credit cards (including American Express, Visa and Mastercard) are accepted at most major retailers.

Banking
Canada's leading banks are all situated in Toronto's financial district, which is well worth a visit just to gaze in awe at the sheer height and splendour of the skyscrapers. Banks throughout Toronto open Monday to Thursday from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm, Friday from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm (or 6:00 pm) and Saturday morning.

Taxes
On most purchases, both the provincial sales tax of 8 per cent and the 5 per cent federal goods and services tax (GST) apply. There is no GST on most grocery items, but restaurant meals are taxed both GST and PST. PST is not charged on reading materials. If you are a visitor to Ontario, you may be eligible for PST rebate on large purchases. For more information on PST rebates call 1-800-615-2757 (inside Canada) or (905) 432-3431 (outside Canada).

Business Hours
Most office hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday to Friday. Most shops are open 10 a.m. to 5:30 or 6 p.m., Monday to Saturday. Many store hours are extended to 8 or 9 p.m. on Thursdays and Fridays, and most stores are open Sundays noon to 5 p.m.

Drinking water
Tap water in Toronto is safe to drink.

Electrical appliances
The electrical voltage system in Canada is 110 volts. Those travelling from a country outside of North America will need a proper voltage converter and adapter in order to operate their electrical appliances.