BRANDI DOUCETT
LIFE REPORTER
Kensington is known for its diversity. (Brandi Doucett)
Walking tours of the popular Kensington Market are a great way to get to know the neighbourhood, said Jason Kucherawy of Toronto Urban Adventures.
“The first half of the tour is orientation and history of the neighbourhood and then the second half is where we get a chance to do some shopping and sample different ethnic foods,” said Kucherawy.
The company offers $25 tours of the market for up to 12 people.
The two hour tour starts at the Art Gallery of Ontario and moves through Kensington Market, finishing at the Dragon City shopping mall in Chinatown.
Kucherawy said the tours are “light and fun and very informative.”
Yanique Williams went on the tour about a month ago and said she would recommend it to a friend.
“I wanted to go on the tour, because I live in Toronto and there is so much of it that I haven’t seen,” she said. “I wanted to get to know the city I love so much.”
Williams said there are many things you take for granted when you live in the city and said she wanted to learn about Toronto from a tourist’s point of view.
“So often you pass by things and don’t really notice them, I learned so much about the area on that tour.”
Sarah McManus, 19, a first-year media foundations student said she loves going to Kensington in the summer.
“It’s got such a friendly feeling, like a small town,” said McManus.
As someone interested in the arts, McManus said the market is a great place to find inspiration.
“I do a lot of photography and it’s one of my favourite places to shoot. It never gets old for me. There’s always something new to discover,” said McManus.
Kucherawy said Kensington is made up of influences from every corner of the world, including China and Portugal, to name a few.
“Peak season is around July and August and tours usually last about two hours depending on the interests of the group,” said Kucherawy.
Thanks for the mention in the article Brandi. If people are interested in booking a tour of Kensington Market or join us on a ‘Beer Makes History Better’ tour of Old Toronto, they can do so through our website at:
http://www.tourguys.ca
Or call us at 647.230.7891
We are also offering free mini-tours of the downtown core around City Hall and the Eaton Centre Fridays and Saturdays at 1pm. Check the website for details on those!
Have a wonderful day!