Toronto — Canada's largest city and the capital of its largest province by population — is the cultural and economic focus of English Canada. The city began as an Anglo backwater where buying alcohol and socializing on Sundays was strictly prohibited. Owing largely to the country's liberal immigration policies of the 1960's, coupled with the region's strong economy, Toronto has, in recent decades, been transformed into one of the most culturally and ethnically diverse cities in the world. More than 80 ethnic communities are represented among its more than 2.5 million residents (5.5 million if you include the city's sprawling suburbs), nearly half of whom were born outside Canada.

A popular urban myth has it that the United Nations rated Toronto as "the most multicultural city in the world". While the UN and its agencies are not in the habit of rating cities, it remains a fact that Canada is a nation of immigrants, and Toronto demonstrates this abundantly. A UN agency lists Toronto as second only to Miami as the city with the most foreign born residents, but Toronto's residents represent far more cultural and language groups, which is arguably a better measure of multi-culturalism. Most immigrants either pass through Toronto on their way to other parts of the country, or they stay in Toronto permanently. Many born abroad immigrants consider themselves Canadian as much as born Canadians and will be offended if treated otherwise. This contributes to the overall cultural mosaic that is Toronto today. Within Toronto, most ethnic groups will work their way into the fabric of Canadian society but some still retain their distinct ways such as language, dress (for special occasions), customs, and food.