Dreamscapes Travel & Lifestyle Magazine
Issue link: http://read.dreamscapes.ca/i/821088
DREAMSCAPES SPRING/SUMMER 2017 56 TRAVEL SLEUTH >> BY JANE STOKES DS TORONTO, ONTARIO As inspired by Margaret Atwood Toronto neighbourhoods pulsate across 630 square kilometres in which one timeless culture meets the next, totalling as many as 230 different nationalities—a guarantee that, at the very least, we will always find something tantalizing to eat. Included is the Victorian period-village of Yorkville, an eclectic collection of upscale restaurants and retailers in fashion, fine arts, food, music and home decor. Whatever hap- pened, however, to its minimalist appeal? Go back in time to see. In Margaret Atwood's early novel Cat's Eye, we venture into the 1960s coffeehouse beat scene of Yorkville, a nonconformist hub which nurtured the young Atwood and fellow artists like Gordon Lightfoot, Joni Mitchell and Neil Young. Toronto's big shoulders of diversity are evident in all of Atwood's home-based novels, which take us to Chinatown, Spadina Avenue's clothing trade, the bou- tiques and bookshops along Queen Street, and the performing arts district of King Street West where Margaret Atwood's most worthy star is embedded in the concrete sidewalk of the Royal Alexandra Theatre. SeeTorontoNow.com VICTORIA, BRITISH COLUMBIA As inspired by Marjorie Celona For thousands of Canadians, the day just can't begin without a good exercise routine at their local YMCA-YWCA, fondly called the Y. But if you arrive before the doors open, your eyes may land on the unexpected. In Marjorie Celona's novel Y, a newborn baby is discovered by a young man waiting at the Victoria facility, a mystery that proceeds to trace the restless spirit of foundling, Shannon, who is driven to find out why. In 2012, this novel was long-listed for a Scotia- bank Giller Prize, an honour which also sparked renewed interest in the countless charms of coastal Victoria. Celona fans say they enjoy walking in Shannon's shoes as they explore the beach along Dallas Road and find themselves just a little more inter- ested in places like Christ Church Cathedral, the Traveller's Inn, Victoria High School, Thompson's Foam Shop, and even busy Broughton Street where every day begins at the Y. TourismVictoria.com DS RIGHT: St. James Park in Toronto. The Ontario Tourism Marketing Partnership Corporation-OTMPC BELOW: Kayakers at Fisherman's Wharf. Tourism Victoria