We'll see the immense cow section where a huge number of cows are getting washed and shaved for judging. Then it'll be onto the bird-judging area, for a look at all manner of fowl. Finally we'll finish with a look at some of the other interesting exhibits at the fair, including some giant pumpkins.  Enjoy!

The fair brings together over 300 vendors, 340,000 visitors, elite Canadian and International breeders, growers and exhibitors, over 4,500 large and small animals, a large petting zoo, the President's Choice SuperDogs show, shopping, dining and – of course – The Royal Horse Show.

 For those of us who grew up nowhere near a farm, the Royal Winter Fair is a blast! It is so interesting to see farm folk displaying their animals (horses, cows, sheep, pigs, ducks, geese, chickens, turkeys, llamas, and much more) and their crops -- and all this happens very near Toronto's downtown core. There is so much to do and see, and it is the prefect spot for families and school groups. Everywhere you look you will find wide-eyed children, squealing with happiness, as they see and touch so many different farm animals.

In this first of two episodes from the Royal Winter Fair we'll visit an equestrian jumping event in the Ricoh Coliseum and then head into the sheep & goat areas to watch a lamb-judging competition. From there we're off to watch kids excitedly enjoying the petting zoo and watching a mother pig feed her babies. The it's off to the Horse Building where we'll see riders practising their equestrian skills and we'll wander around the massive amount of horse stalls that are full of these amazing animals.

In part 2 from the Royal Winter Fair, we'll head to the immense cow section where a huge number of cows are getting washed and shaved for judging. Then it'll be onto the bird-judging area, for a look at all manner of fowl. Finally we'll finish with a look at some of the other interesting exhibits at the fair, including some giant pumpkins.  Stay tuned!

This site is now an Earth Science Area of Natural and Scientific Interest (ANSI) and is part of the local UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve.  It was acquired by the Ontario Heritage Foundation in 2000 and is under the care of the Bruce Trail Association.  Unfortunately, visitors to the site often walk all over the formations, hastening their erosion and eventual demise.

In this episode we'll get a look at The Badlands on a weekday when there are very few people visiting the site.  We'll view the unique red and white hills (from a respectful distance) that make up this amazing place.

In the 1990s the City and TRCA raised approximately $6 million to restore the site’s quarry as a park and natural area. The Don Valley Brick Works Park is awe-inspiring: a haven for wildlife and naturalists alike, it is at the heart of Toronto’s ravines. Opened in 1996, the park is managed by Toronto Parks, Forestry and Recreation. The Don Valley Brick Works Park is worth a visit in any season.

Evergreen’s focus has been the site’s 16 historic factory buildings. The buildings – a collection of brick structures from the early 1900s and industrial sheds from the 1950s – have been revitalized through a process called “adaptive re-use.” The result is Evergreen Brick Works – a community environmental centre with programs that celebrate the site’s unique geological, industrial and natural heritage.

In 2010, Evergreen Brick Works was named by National Geographic as one of the world’s top 10 geotourism destinations.

The site will be animated with year-round programs and activities that include a native plant nursery, demonstration gardens, an organic farmer's market, conference and event facilities, youth leadership and children's camps, and family programming. The new office building on the site will be LEED Platinum and will showcase environmental techniques like green walls and a green roof -- it will be one of the "greenest" buildings in the Western Hemisphere.

In this episode we'll begin in the main centre and then venture out back to the old brick quarry that is now a pond filled with wildlife. Finally, we head inside the old brickwork factory to see the restoration efforts and to view the incredible graffiti that covers the walls and brick ovens.

Built for the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) in 1929 to replace the earlier roundhouse built in 1897, the building was last used for its original purpose in 1986. It is now the only remaining roundhouse in downtown Toronto. One third of the original structure was dismantled, to allow construction of the Metro Toronto Convention Centre below, then reconstructed in 1995 and is now home to The Toronto Railway Heritage Centre (TRHC), Leon's Furniture and Steam Whistle Brewing.

The roundhouse originally had stalls for 32 locomotives that were moved in and out of the structure on a massive 120-foot rotating turntable designed by the Canadian Bridge Company. Locomotives were driven onto the turntable and rotated for positioning into one of the stalls for servicing and light repairs. In its prime, the John Street engine facility contained 43 structures, several miles of track and covered nearly 16 acres of property. Up to 150 men worked in the facility 24 hours a day.

The 17-acre park includes four full-sized locomotives dating back to 1944 as well as Toronto’s own car, No. 1, built in Kingston, Ontario in 1950. There are also three freight cars and two passenger cars in the park. The roundhouse has been cleaned up and bays 15, 16, and 17 have been set up by the Toronto Railway Historical Association as a simulation of what it’s like to drive a real diesel train. Another interactive component of the Heritage Centre is the Roundhouse Park Miniature Railway. A fully operational miniature train can carry up to 24 people around the park.

In this episode we'll watch as hundreds of people enjoy the roundhouse on a beautiful summer day. You'll see people riding the roundtable that used to turn locomotives around. You'll also see kids working an old pushchair. We'll head inside to take a look at a few of the engines that are preserved by the TRHC, and then go back outside to get a good look at the families enjoying the trip through the park on the miniature train. This is definitely a great place for families, historians, and train lovers!

The six-acre site at the corner of Queen Street West and University Avenue was acquired by the Law Society in 1828. At the time, the location was on the northwest edge of the city, which has since grown around the building. The building now sits in the heart of downtown Toronto.

Between 1838 and 1843, the hall was turned into troop barracks. When the Law Society regained possession in 1844, an expansion was designed and the West Wing and Library were built. From 1855 to 1857 the building was refurbished and enlarged again to accommodate courts with the original 1829 building becoming the east wing. From 1880 to 1891 the building was again expanded twice in order to accommodate the law school.

Despite the expansions, the hall presents a unified design in the Palladian style. The iron fence surrounding the lawns of Osgoode Hall has become a landmark in itself. Its distinctive iron gates are narrow and restrictive; it is a long-standing myth that they were designed to keep livestock out of the grounds of the hall and in the 1950s students did attempt to pass a cow through one of the gates (they failed). The gates were likely due to Victorian architectural fashion, rather than wandering cattle.

Two libraries are housed within Osgoode Hall: the Great Library of the Law Society of Upper Canada and a smaller library for judges. A War Memorial was added to the library in honour of the Canadian war effort. Behind the Great Library is the American Room, a more intimate room with a spiral staircase.

In this episode we will get a look at the building's facade before venturing inside. We'll see the Rotunda with its ornate tile floor and the memorial statue in the middle of the room. Then we'll head further inside to see the spectacular Great Library and American Room. We'll see smaller rooms like the Bencher's Reception Room and the Convocation Room before entering another grand room, Convocation Hall. We'll finish by visiting the courtrooms and watch as people from all over get to take their turn behind the bench.

The fifteen-floor Beaux Arts building opened in 1931 as the headquarters for Canada Life, Canada's oldest (and at the time largest) insurance company. The building is 321 feet (98m) high, including it's famous weather beacon (more on that in a minute). It's imposing nature was meant to symbolize the company's stability.

The building was the first of a series of planned structures along University Avenue, but the Great Depression halted these plans. When it was completed it was one of the tallest buildings in Toronto and the British Commonwealth. It remains one of the largest office buildings in Toronto, with windows that can still be opened by its occupants.

The building is perhaps best known for its famed weather beacon which was installed in August 1951. The beacon flashes green for clear weather, red for cloudy, flashing red for rain, and white for snow. Lights affixed to the support tower indicate variations in temperature (eg. getting warmer or colder). The beacon is intended to provide onlookers with "weather predictions at a glance". The information is updated four times daily, seven days a week, by Environment Canada's Weather Centre at Pearson International Airport.

In this episode we will start by getting a look at the outside of the imposing building, followed by a look inside its impressive lobby, which has many features including decorative ceilings and floors, columns and trim made of various types of marble, and a working model of the weather beacon.

Then we'll be off to a rare opening of the 17th floor Tower Room, which overlooks downtown Toronto and is only open once a year. Even employees of Canada Life can only see this classic room once a year. The room was built to be an executive boardroom and to host events for the company, but is no longer in use. Luckily, it is open for the Doors Open Toronto weekend each year and the views from the windows of the Tower Room are impressive, as you will see. We will look south through the canyon of large building on University Avenue, west overlooking the OCAD building and the Art Gallery of Ontario, and east to look down on Osgoode Hall (the subject of the next episode of TLTV).

 Secured by The CVC (Credit Valley Conservation) in 1972 and officially opened in 1975, Rattray represents many things to its visitors. Some remember how it was saved from the developer who planned to fill it in and build homes, while others remember it as a living classroom where they came for guided tours to learn about nature.

 The CVC, along with local residents and other interest groups have implemented numerous trail upgrades in order to preserve the area's many sensitive features. Raised platforms allow for wider and higher pathways designed to keep visitors on the main trails and the natural areas undisturbed. The popular waterfront trail travels through the property but there is no cycling allowed in the conservation area.

In this episode we'll start by checking out the view of downtown Toronto as we enter Rattray Marsh from popular Jack Darling Park. Once we enter you will soon see the large marsh that is the centrepiece of the park. We'll walk along the raised walkways throughout the marsh, seeing the stream that meanders through it and the Canada Geese that call the marsh home. You'll also spy a bit of the very pricey real estate that is located on the strip of land between the marsh and Lake Ontario.