Say what you will about the mega city, there’s no denying Toronto is the cultural and economic centre of Canada. Small-town Canadian kids dream of making it big here, while thousands of foreigners emigrate to the metropolis every year. Still a fairly young city, the G.T.A. is charged with the hopeful ambitions and tried-and-true traditions of its multicultural residents. There are no shortage of tourist attractions in this city, and that’s a good thing because Toronto has lots of great photographers.

Toronto really comes alive in the summertime, and it’s arguably the best season for tourism in the city.  Residents of a climate like Canada’s want to pack in as much sunshine as they possibly can!

The summer months are marked with arts festivals like the Fringe, Jazz Festival or the Toronto International Film Festival, as well as cultural events like one of the largest gay pride celebrations in the world and the largest Caribbean festival in North America, to name a few. Then there’s the CN Tower, Toronto Island, the Art Gallery of Ontario, the Hockey Hall of Fame… and that’s just the downtown core!

Lenzr’s latest photo contest Toronto Tourist Attractions wants to see your best Toronto photography that might inspire a stranger to travel here. The Toronto skyline as seen from the island at dusk is a showstopping image,  but it’s a bit overdone. Locals may want to present imagery of some of the lesser-known tourist attractions such as the Guild Inn and the Scarborough Bluffs, the Bloor St. Viaduct (a setting in Booker Prize-winning Toronto author Michael Ondaajte’s novel In the Skin of the Lion), or the cherry blossoms blooming in High Park in late spring. Some of Toronto’s dining/entertainment options are tourist attractions in themselves, like the Toronto Symphony performing in the beautiful Roy Thomson Hall or even a late-night plate of nachos as Sneaky Dee’s, a favourite stop for touring bands. Show us your version of the quintessential Toronto image!

Making Waves Boatel is Toronto’s Only Dockside Bed & Breakfast

The dockside Making Waves Boatel downtown Toronto bed and breakfast is a perfect example of the diverse experiences available to Toronto tourists – a colorful illustration of two Canadians living out their dream. Ted and Diane Greene, both successful in their respective fields of IT and hospitality, decided to ditch corporate life and fulfill their shared aspiration of living life on the water. Although Ontario may be most famous for its Great Lakes, no one had ever thought to establish a boat hotel in Ontario until the Greenes did in 2004; their unique business idea immediately took off with tourists and the Making Waves Boatel was soon a press darling.

“The nearby Radisson Hotel has comfier rooms, but they probably frown on bare feet in their living room and they likely don’t have anyone to regale you with stories of bonefishing in the Bahamas or sailing the azure waters of Exuma. And for sure they won’t offer up Diane’s perfectly strong coffee or her Belgian waffles,” wrote the Toronto Star. Making Waves Boatel is the most downtown Toronto bed and breakfast you can find in the city, and a must for travelers who appreciate a one-of-a-kind experience.

The photo contest prize is an inflatable Sea Eagle Sport Kayak. Weighing only 26 lbs, the kayak holds 500 lbs when in the water, and packs down to fit into a storage bag. This is an amazing prize for the Canadian adventurer; may the best photograph win!

This contest started July 1, 2011. Voting begins August 15, after which the top ten user-ranked photos advance to judging. The winning photograph will be announced September 1, 2011.