July 15 20, 2018 All You Need to Know About Toronto Pursuits

Transcription

1 July 15 20, 2018 All You Need to Know About Toronto Pursuits Preparing for Toronto Pursuits... 2 Contact Numbers... 2 Victoria University Building Locations... 3 Map... 4 Getting Here... 5 Parking... 6 Accommodations... 6 Campus Residence Rowell Jackman Hall... 7 Registration Kit Pick-Up... 8 Stratford Shakespeare Festival Excursion... 8 Redwing Institute Culture & Nature Discovery Walk... 9 Sunday Orientation Activities... 9 Schedule First Floor, Victoria College ( Old Vic ) the hub of activities Receptions Meals opportunities to socialize Physical Activity Dress Canadian Currency

2 Preparing for Toronto Pursuits For non-canadians travelling to Toronto from out of the country, have you checked your passport to ensure it is valid for more than 6 months after your planned departure from Canada? We invite you to join us at the concert, part of the Toronto Summer Music Festival, on Thursday evening. Tickets are C$50 including HST and must be purchased in advance. To purchase a ticket contact pat.schoepfel@classicalpursuits.com or call / Join us for the Stratford Excursion from Friday, July 13 to Sunday, July 15. It is a perfect prelude to the week of seminars. For more information see page 8. Have you made your room reservations yet? See Accommodations for housing options. Most important, have you read the texts you will be discussing in your seminar? You can contact us at info@classicalpursuits.com or / If you need to provide us with information, please do so at your earliest convenience. Contact Numbers You may want to leave one of the following numbers with a family member or friend Margaret Addison Hall Front Desk is staffed 24/7. Front desk personnel can answer questions about the university and will take messages for residents of Rowell Jackman and place them on the bulletin board at Old Vic. This is the 24-hour number for Victoria University InterContinental Toronto Yorkville, located at 220 Bloor Street West Classical Pursuits onsite phone number. This number will be staffed from 8:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m. during the week of the program and messages may be left / Classical Pursuits office for all program questions and assistance with registration or billing questions. Or pat.schoepfel@classicalpursuits.com. 911 (toll-free) Toronto Emergency Services 2

3 Victoria University Building Locations Victoria University in the University of Toronto 140 Charles Street West, Toronto ON M5S 1K9 Margaret Addison Hall 140 Charles Street West, check-in at Front Desk Emmanuel College 73 Queen s Park Crescent Northrop Frye Hall 73 Queen s Park Crescent East Rowell Jackman Hall 85 Charles Street West (residence building) Burwash Hall 89 Charles Street West, dining hall Old Vic or Victoria College, at 91 Charles Street West, is at the center of Victoria University campus. To get there walk through the stone archway from Charles Street near Burwash Hall. Old Vic is the Classical Pursuits hub of activities. Goldring Student Center 150 Charles Street West 3

4 Map 4

5 Getting Here The directions are all to 140 Charles Street West, which is Margaret Addison Hall. If you are staying in the campus residence, go first to Margaret Addison Hall to pick up the key and get directions to your room. Temporary parking for checking-in is available by their Front Desk. If you are local or staying off campus, you can see from the map above that the main campus, where registration and our activities take place, is right across Charles Street from Margaret Addison Hall. Arriving by Air: From Toronto s Pearson International Airport, you can take the Union Pearson Express train to Union Station, and then get a taxi from there for the short ride to the campus, or take a taxi from the airport (about C$55). The cost of the UP Express is C$12.35, (C$6.20 for seniors) one-way, and it takes approximately 25 minutes to arrive at Union Station. Trains are scheduled to leave every 15 minutes, and there is a booth with attendants at the information desk on the arrivals level to assist passengers. See If you are coming from Montreal, Ottawa, Washington, New York, Boston, Chicago or other regional cities, you may wish to consider Porter Airlines. Porter flies into Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport, conveniently located on an island in Toronto Harbour, just offshore of the city s downtown and connected to the mainland by a free short ferry ride. A taxi from the mainland terminal to the campus will cost about C$15. Arriving by Public Transit: Take the Bloor Line subway to the Bay Station. Walk south on Bay Street one block until you come to Charles Street West. Turn right and walk towards 140 Charles Street West (Margaret Addison Hall). Alternatively, take the Yonge/University/Spadina line to Museum Station. Exit on the east side of Queen s Park, Charles Street West is at the top of the stairs. Turn right and walk less than half a block to Margaret Addison Hall (which is on the north side of the street). Arriving by Car: Classical Pursuits participants arrive from all over. For more detailed and personalized driving directions and maps, we suggest visiting Following are general directions to Toronto and to 140 Charles Street West (Margaret Addison Hall). [from the north:] Exit Hwy 401 at Avenue Road, and drive south until you reach Bloor Street. Turn left at Bloor and continue until you reach Bay Street, turn right at Bay and drive one block south, turn right on Charles Street West and proceed to #140. [from the west:] Exit the Gardner Expressway/QEW at Bay Street and drive north on Bay Street. Turn left on Charles Street West and proceed to #140. [from the east:] Exit the 404/DVP at Bloor Street and drive west toward Bay Street. Turn left on Jarvis Street and drive one block south. Turn right on Charles Street West and proceed to #140 Note: there may be construction requiring an alternate route. 5

6 Parking On-campus parking: Victoria College has a limited number of weekly and daily parking permits. When you arrive, you can buy a permit at the Margaret Addison Hall Front Desk at 140 Charles Street West. Weekly parking permits are C$85 and daily parking passes are C$12 for the day and C$22 for 24 hours. Both weekly and daily passes permit in-and-out privileges, subject to the availability of parking on return. The parking lots for pass holders are under Rowell Jackman Hall at 85 Charles Street West, or at Margaret Addison Hall or Annesley Hall at 95 Queens Park East. (See map, p. 4.) There is no free parking on campus. Display your pass or permit in your car at all times. For more information see Off-campus, but nearby parking: Should the parking at Victoria University be sold out, there is an outside lot at St. Michael s College located on St. Joseph s Street, between Bay Street and Queen s Park Crescent. Rates are from $10 to $14 daily, and $24 for 24-hour parking. For more information, call InterContinental Yorkville: The hotel has valet parking available for $10 an hour up to $39, and overnight parking for $39. Accommodations Participants are responsible for booking their own accommodations. Most out-of-town participants stay on the Victoria College campus or at the nearby InterContinental Yorkville. Please read all policies and confirmations carefully. InterContinental Yorkville at 220 Bloor Street West, a four-star hotel that is a 10-minute walk from Victoria College. Various group rates are available on our dedicated booking page: Classical Pursuits For phone reservations, call (North America) / (outside North America) and mention Classical Pursuits 2018, reference code OL8. Massey College at 4 Devonshire Place. Our usual accommodation at Victoria College has sold out. A nearby alternative is Massey College, which has dorm-style rooms starting at C$87 a night. Massey takes online bookings only. Please see to book. 6

7 Campus Residence Rowell Jackman Hall ARRIVAL: Your room key will be at the registration desk in the lobby of 140 Charles Street West (Margaret Addison Hall) You will receive directions to your room from the residence staff. You can check in at any time, however, the rooms are not available until 4 p.m. If you arrive before that time, your luggage can be put in the luggage room until your room is ready. DROP OFF/TAXIS: Ask to be dropped off right in front of the door to 140 Charles Street West (Margaret Addison Hall). This door is towards the back of the building. The taxi driver will have to turn into the driveway of 140 and take you to the back. In terms of major intersections, this is south of Bloor Street and just west of Bay Street. Charles Street is one way, westbound. PARKING: If you are driving and require parking, consult the parking information section above. PHONES: Each floor at Rowell Jackman Hall has a public courtesy telephone, allowing guests to make local calls by dialing 9. Long distance calls require a phone card, which can be purchased at any local convenience store. Call the Residence Desk from the hall phone for any key card or room problems. ( ). HOUSEKEEPING AND LAUNDRY SERVICES: Housekeeping services include bed linens, and one mediumsized white towel. The towel can be replaced daily. Bring soap and washcloths. Laundry facilities are available in Rowell Jackman Hall. Laundry cards can be obtained at the Front Desk. PACKING: Remember to bring hangers. None are supplied. You may wish to bring a clock, a radio, a reading lamp and a fluffier towel of your own. You may also want to bring an extra pillow, if you prefer to sleep with two. The suites in Rowell Jackman Hall have kitchens with a stove, refrigerator and microwave, but no other supplies. Bring some, if you want to cook. You may purchase groceries at Rabba on Charles Street, east of Bay Street. Liquor and groceries can be found in the Manulife Centre at Bay and Bloor. BREAKFAST: A complimentary hot buffet breakfast for those in residence is served in the Burwash Dining Hall, next door to Rowell Jackman Hall, from 7:00-9:30 a.m. Show the cashier your room keycard plus your Classical Pursuits nametag. INTERNET ACCESS: Free wired and wireless internet access is available in the guest rooms, but you must request it when checking in. CHECKING OUT: Check out time is 11 a.m. You will need to return your room key and your laundry card to the Summer Residence Front Desk. Victoria University Summer Residence Regulations Guests should always ensure that their doors are tightly locked when leaving; the College cannot be held responsible for missing property. No overnight guests. No burning incense or candles and NO SMOKING in any buildings. 7

8 Registration Kit Pick-Up At registration you will receive a kit with local information about Toronto, the campus, details of events, your seminar room assignment, name tag and your pre-ordered concert tickets. Sunday registration: We will be open for registration on Sunday, July 15 from noon to 4 p.m. with pickup of registration kits and an optional demonstration of the Shared Inquiry method of discussion. The program gets into full swing on Monday morning in the ABB Moore Foyer in Victoria College (Old Vic) (see map). Sunday activities are optional, and you may also register Monday morning. Monday registration: It is also possible to pick up your registration kits from 8:15 to 9:15 a.m. on Monday. Visit the ABB Moore Foyer in Victoria College (Old Vic) (see map), where we will hand out kits from 8:15 a.m. to 9:15 a.m. before the morning seminars, which start at 9:30 a.m. Stratford Shakespeare Festival Excursion A perfect prologue to Toronto Pursuits is a weekend of world-class theatre at the Stratford Shakespeare Festival. Drama connoisseurs Pat and Gary Schoepfel will again host an excursion to charming Stratford, Ontario, prior to our week of seminars at Toronto Pursuits. Pat and Gary have been enthusiastic attendees of the Stratford Festival since 1977 and offer an unmatched experience of conviviality and personalization. We will attend three productions from the 2018 playbill: Shakespeare s Coriolanus directed by renowned Canadian actor, director, and playwright Robert Lepage, Harper Lee s To Kill a Mockingbird, a Pulitzer Prize-winning novel dramatized by Christopher Sergel, and Shakespeare s The Tempest directed by Antoni Cimolino and starring Martha Henry as Prospero. The excursion package includes round-trip transportation via private coach from the InterContinental Yorkville, two nights at the Queen s Inn, premium tickets to three productions, a pub-style lunch, a full Sunday brunch, an opportunity to discuss the productions, and the many pleasures of Stratford. All this for just C$985 for double accommodation or C$1195 for single accommodation. There is a C$200 nonrefundable deposit. The full itinerary for the weekend will be provided in June. We return to Toronto by mid-afternoon on Sunday, July 15. For any questions, please contact Pat Schoepfel at / or pat.schoepfel@classicalpursuits.com Your registration packet for Toronto Pursuits will be given to you on the bus on Friday. 8

9 Redwing Institute Culture & Nature Discovery Walk The Culture & Nature Discovery Walk is a 2.5-hour hike down the breathtaking Humber River Valley, the birthplace of Toronto. This journey is 4.5 kilometers in total, set at a leisurely pace, providing you the opportunity to immerse yourself in a wide variety of plants, birds and wildlife and move through varied terrain, crossing four distinct ecological zones. This Discovery Walk is perfect for the knowledge-seeker, the nature lover, and those interested in exploring the wisdom of an ancient people for a deeper understanding of oneself. Tickets are C$95 + HST for adults; C$85 + HST for seniors 65 and older. To buy tickets, please go to Sunday Orientation Activities We have planned several activities to help orient those new to Toronto Pursuits, and those returnees interested in a refresher. Sunday Movie At 1:30 p.m. we will host a screening and brief discussion of Elizabeth, starring Cate Blanchett and Geoffrey Rush. The location of the film will be posted in the Old Vic lobby. Shared Inquiry Demo Optional Dinner Many of you will be new to our discussion method at Classical Pursuits. Seasoned Classical Pursuits and Great Books discussion leader Nancy Carr will be offering an interactive demonstration of Shared Inquiry from 4:30 to 6 p.m. on Sunday, July 16 in the Foyer in Old Vic. All are welcome. Volunteers will be available to go out for an informal dinner with you following the Shared Inquiry discussion. We will leave from Old Vic at 6:00 p.m. and walk to a nearby restaurant (cost not included in fee). Please bring cash with you! We cannot guarantee separate bills. 9

10 Schedule Please visit our detailed schedule of activities online at Toronto Pursuits. A schedule of activities will also be posted each day in Old Vic. The heart of Classical Pursuits is the seminar each morning from 9:30 to 12:15. All other activities are planned for your enjoyment and many function on a drop-in basis*. Do not overdo it. Feel free to sit on a bench and daydream; have an afternoon nap; wander off and explore Toronto. *Check the Optional Activities for each day First Floor, Victoria College ( Old Vic ) the hub of activities Use the Old Vic Foyer as a meeting place, a place to relax, read or even take a catnap. From Monday through Friday, the Foyer opens at 8:15 a.m. and closes at 6:00 p.m. unless there is an evening activity scheduled. Coffee, tea and daily newspapers are available in the Foyer on weekday mornings. Weekday buffet lunches are served in Alumni Hall of Old Vic immediately following the morning seminars (included in the fee). The Foyer is also the departure point for most of our afternoon and evening activities when in doubt, go to the Foyer. Stop in at the Classical Pursuits information desk, located in the Foyer. Receptions Welcome Reception You are cordially invited to join us on Monday, July 16 from 5:30 6:30 p.m. at the nearby InterContinental Yorkville at 220 Bloor Street West for an informal cocktail reception. We will depart for the reception on foot at 5:15 p.m. from the Old Vic Foyer. Wednesday Evening Bazaar and Cocktail Hour Co-hosted by Classical Pursuits and Worldwide Quest. Hors d oeuvres and drinks, plus a chance to learn about upcoming Travel Pursuits. Farewell Cocktail Reception Our final gathering will be held in the Old Vic Foyer on Friday, July 20 from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. Hors d oeuvres, drinks, and a chance to say good bye to everyone. 10

11 Meals opportunities to socialize Breakfast: A hot breakfast is available daily in Burwash Dining Hall. It is complimentary for those staying in Rowell Jackman Hall, but others may partake for around C$9.25 plus HST. Lunch: A substantial weekday lunch for all Classical Pursuits participants is served immediately following the morning seminars on the first floor of Old Vic. (Included in the fee.) Dinner: Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday, one or more seminar leader(s) or volunteers invite participants to join them for dinner at a local restaurant. We will depart from the Foyer at 6 p.m. on Sunday, and at 6:30 p.m. the other days. Dinners are not included in the fee. Please bring cash as separate bills cannot be guaranteed. There are many restaurants for every budget within walking distance. Physical Activity Toronto is a great city to discover on foot and the University of Toronto campus is a wonderful place to take a jog. Participants have also used the YMCA located within two blocks of the campus. You can purchase day passes for the University of Toronto s athletic facilities, so consider bringing your running shoes, bathing suit, exercise gear, yoga garb, and tennis racket. Dress Dress is casual throughout the week. Shorts and t-shirts are perfectly acceptable. All the rooms we will be using are air-conditioned, so a sweater or a light jacket is a good idea. Bring comfortable shoes. You may wish to spiff up just a little if you are going to a concert or the theatre. Canadian Currency If you are coming from the US, you may find it convenient to arrive with a small amount of Canadian currency for incidentals. Once here, ATMs will issue you Canadian funds using your American debit card or credit card. The various terminals at Pearson airport are equipped with ATMs, and there are ATMs at nearby banks (at the corner of Bay and Bloor streets). It is a good idea to notify your bank and credit card providers that you will be using your cards in Toronto. Most banks will charge an international exchange fee. 11