Toronto marked the 183rd anniversary of its founding in style Monday, with a slick promotional video showing off the city's rich sports, culture, architecture and culinary scenes.
The video, titled "The Views are Different Here," is set to a version of Jay Hawkins' "I Put a Spell on You," and includes a number of visual or textual nods to city institutions. Among the locations shown in the video are the CF Eaton Centre, the Rogers Centre, Maple Leaf Square and the Royal Ontario Museum, while Drake headlines the snapshot cameos of famous Torontonians.
The Blue Jays' Jose Bautista is shown performing his famous bat-flip, and a crowd of Toronto Raptors fans are shown hoisting a flag with the slogan "We the North" on it. The Toronto Maple Leafs and Toronto FC are not shown in the video. Ballet dancers are shown performing in the TTC subway, while several clips of jellyfish at the Ripley's Aquarium are also shown in the video. City officials and residents marked Toronto's birthday under the hashtag #TOturns183.
The Toronto sign will be lit blue today to celebrate Toronto’s 183rd birthday. #TOturns183 pic.twitter.com/UGpzZl0Ipg
— John Tory (@JohnTory) March 6, 2017
Happy B'day Toronto���� You are like wine; the older, the better!!!#MyBeautifulCity #TOturns183 ���������� pic.twitter.com/30WmONZL1V
— Kimberly Toureiro (@KitchenSprout) March 6, 2017
�� Happy 183rd birthday, Toronto! �� #TOTurns183 pic.twitter.com/J2xJks6vsT
— Blue Jays (@BlueJays) March 6, 2017
Many tweeted photos of their favourite parts of the city, both urban and natural.
@JohnTory My favorite spot(s) in TO have got to be our ravines and rivers! Important natural escapes in the city #lovetheRavines #GrowourGB pic.twitter.com/yYZYZLkkvu
— Josh Wise (@joshuawise) March 6, 2017
@JohnTory High Park and especially when the cherry blossoms bloom �� #TOturns183 pic.twitter.com/EHrVVXcvQw
— Bloor by the Park (@bloorbythepark) March 6, 2017
.@JohnTory I've recently discovered the Beaches. But my all-time favourite place in Toronto has to be @GlendonCampus! #TOturns183 pic.twitter.com/pM5zG66y0M
— Sarah Mills (@im_sarahm) March 6, 2017
@JohnTory One of my favorite places is Cherry Beach. Oh and the Brickworks. Just so many to choose from! #TOturns183 pic.twitter.com/Lwz4LIE34H
— Kevin Costain (CWL) (@cwl_cc) March 6, 2017
@JohnTory My favorite isn't far from @Riverdale_Farm but the view is a bit more expansive at Riverdale Park pic.twitter.com/XziryWzsro
— Gerry Brown (@GerryBrown20) March 6, 2017
Like relatives dredging up old baby photos, some took the opportunity to share images from the city's past.
Happy birthday to Toronto & to us! “We mark its advent by opening the 1st Free Public Library in Canada” https://t.co/p4VBfYDr64 #TOturns183 pic.twitter.com/2RGgMLH2eJ
— TorontoPublicLibrary (@torontolibrary) March 6, 2017
View of King Street E, 1834. Lithograph by P.A. Gross. Photo: James Salmon collection. #TOturns183 pic.twitter.com/luYBoaqvIB
— Toronto Archives (@TorontoArchives) March 6, 2017
Happy 183rd Toronto! 1898 Gooderham flat iron building at Wellington and Church Sts. was photographed in 1898. #TOturns183 pic.twitter.com/QrIDEH02aF
— Star Historic Pix (@STARHistoricPix) March 6, 2017
On this day in 1834, the Town of York fully incorporated itself as the City of Toronto. Happy 183rd Birthday, Toronto! �� #TOturns183 pic.twitter.com/4diskvxHLP
— Norm Kelly (@norm) March 6, 2017
Signatures on the Toronto Purchase, 1805: https://t.co/4yy8bLGbQO #TOturns183 pic.twitter.com/rO78urmCG6
— Toronto Archives (@TorontoArchives) March 6, 2017
