Toronto Tips - Toronto City Guide

General Tips

Languages

Canada is proud to have two official languages, English and French.

Gratuities

Although it is customary in Canada to leave a tip of 15% of the total cost of the service before taxes, tipping is discretionary and should reflect the quality of service you receive. The following are examples of personnel to whom it is customary to provide gratuity to:

servers and bartenders in restaurants, bars, clubs and lounges;
hotel staff such as bellhops, doormen and cleaning staff;
tour guides and taxi drivers;
porters at airports and train stations.

Legal Age

The following information applies to the province of Ontario and is not necessarily consistent with the rest of Canada.

Nightlife

Last call for alcohol in the City of Toronto is at 2:00 a.m. Certain bars and lounges may choose to remain open afterwards, but industry standard time of closing is at 3:00 a.m.

Smoking

Smoking cigarettes or other tobacco products is prohibited in any enclosed public space or workplace.

Buying Alcohol

Spirits, wine and beer for private consumption can only be purchased at The Liquor Control Board of Ontario (The L.C.B.O. or “The Liquor Store”) or at The Beer Store (The Beer Store sells only beer and some coolers). Both stores have various locations throughout the G.T.A. (Greater Toronto Area)

Littering

In Toronto we take pride in the cleanliness of our city. Please help us keep our city clean, by placing your garbage and recycling in the ppropriate receptacles.

Activity	Age
Purchasing/consuming alcoholic beverages	19
Purchasing/consuming tobacco products	19
Purchasing/participating in gambling or lottery activities	18
Participating in gambling activities in a licensed area	19
Attending any event in a licensed area	19

Safety

Toronto is one of the safest cities in the world. Like all large metropolitan areas, petty crime is not unheard of in Toronto, but is relatively rare. Rest assured you can feel safe on the streets of Toronto during the day or night. ShopDineTour Toronto and the Toronto City Guide would like to thank the Ontario Ministry of Economic Development and Trade, as well as the Province of Ontario for the following information, obtained from: https://www.2ontario.com/

Taxes

As a visitor you will be charged:

GST

The federal Goods and Services Tax of 5 %. This is a value-added consumption tax that applies to most goods, purchased gifts, food/beverages, and services, including most hotel and motel accommodation.

PST

The Ontario provincial sales tax of 8% to any goods purchased, but not on services or accommodation.

Food Service

In restaurants, 5% GST and 8% PST to the food portion of your final bill.

Liquor Service

A provincial tax on alcoholic beverages (10% in addition to 7% GST).

Gas Tax

For information on taxes paid on gas, please refer to the information charts provided on all gas pumps in Ontario.

Customs and Duties

For Visitors to Canada:
As a non-resident of Canada visiting Ontario, you may bring in any reasonable amount of personal effects, food and a full tank of gas. Special restrictions or quotas apply to certain specialty goods, and especially to plant, agricultural and animal-related materials.

Driving Tips

While navigating Toronto’s streets, bear in mind the following points:

drive on the right side of the road;
the right of way is always given to pedestrians and cyclists;
all passengers in a motor vehicle must be wearing seatbelts;
you may turn right at red lights only after you have made a complete stop and check that the turn can be made safely, unless signage indicates otherwise;
if traveling in a car pool lane, make sure the minimum number of required passengers are in the vehicle;
vehicles are prohibited from idling for more than three minutes;
vehicles are strictly prohibited from passing on the right side of a street car, while doors are open.

Parking

Metered parking is available at marked locations throughout the city. Underground and aboveground parking lots are plentiful and easily accessible throughout the city. Depending on the lot, you will pay either a parking attendant or at a parking ticket machine. Just look for the green .