Our Toronto is a multi-national city, culturally as diverse as the many nationalities that live within its borders.

The first inhabitants of the geographic area that now is Toronto were the Huron Indians, followed by Iroquois Indians. Later, the Mississauga Indians (an Ojibway tribe) moved in. Today, Toronto is home to approximately 40,000 native people and a large number of Metis.

The city of Toronto has more than 60 distinct communities, and it would be impossible to list them all here. I will mention only the ones that are clearly visible as neighbourhoods of our city.

Metro Toronto is home to the largest Chinese community in North America. There are three distinct Chinese neighbourhoods: the Chinatown around Spadina and Dundas, The East China around Gerrard Street East and Broadview, and Agincourt in Scarborough.

The Czech community settled originally in Parkdale around Queen Street West, and consists of about 15,000 members.

Approximately 100,000 people of East Indian origin reside in Toronto. Three major concentrations os East Indian shops and restaurants are located around Gerrard Street East (by Greenwood), Donlands Avenue in East York, and in Brampton.

Numerous German speaking community is dispersed throughout Toronto, but you can find some German delicatessens and bakeries along Roncesvalles Avenue and in Scarborough, around Eglinton and Markham Road.

The Greektown, along the Danforth strip, features a multitude of Greek restaurants and pastry shops. Greek community in Toronto numbers around 100,000, and, although many members have moved out of the Danforth area, the restaurants flourish, and attract upscale clientele.

The Hungarian community of about 50,000 members can be found in two sections of Toronto. Along Bloor Street West between Spadina and Bathurst, and on St. Clair Avenue West, around the Canadian-Hungarian Cultural Centre (840 St. Clair Ave. W).

The Italian community is more than 400,000 members strong. It was concentrated originally along College Street between Euclid and Shaw, and also around Dufferin and Davenport. Later, the community moved to St. Clair Avenue West and to Downsview. Presently, many members of the Italian community live in Mississauga, Woodbridge and Richmond Hill.

The Jewish community, counting about 130,000 members, has its heart in North York, along Bathurst Street between Eglinton and Finch.

The Korean community is located along Bloor Street West, between Bathurst and Christie. That area contains many Korean restaurants and shops.

A small Maltese community is concentrated in West Toronto Junction area, around St. Paul the Apostle Roman Catholic Church.

"Little Poland" is a neighbourhood located along the strip of shops and delis on Roncesvalles Avenue. A statue of John Paul II, the first Polish Pope, is standing on the corner of Roncesvalles and Fern Avenue.

Portugese community has about 100,000 members, and is located around Dundas Street West and Ossington Avenue.

Toronto is also home to a large, over 100,000 strong Ukrainian community, with centres in Bloor West Village, and around Bathurst and Dundas, Mimico and New Toronto, and in Scarborough.

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