Canadian specific

THE big, shaggy moose lumbered out of the trees and stood looking at

the road, tufts of winter coat hanging off his sides.

This was a lucky sighting because moose can be shy. The nearest we

would get to one, they had said in the Loose Moose in Toronto, was the

inn sign of what had become our nightly ''howf''.

In the midst of the great spaces of Ontario, it is perhaps more of a

surprise to find Toronto, a sophisticated city of three million people.

By day, the best view of this spectacular city is from the Canadian

National (CN) tower, all 1815ft of it.

There are two platforms, and a revolving restaurant that allowed us

just the right time for a meal to circle the city's broad avenues and

narrow older streets, and the tiny buildings of the oldest area, Fort

York. To the west, we looked directly into Ontario Place, artificial

islands built over the water, which make a fine Saturday outing. The

huge open-air halls offer everything from pop to symphony concerts, with

good eating and drinking, usually ending with music and fireworks.

Just below us was the Skydome Stadium. In summer, the huge sphere

winds back to reveal an open-air amphitheatre which caters for events

from baseball to huge special dinners with as many as 500 tables. Built

round one of its ''corner'' curves is the Skydome Hotel which, on one

side, faces over the stadium so that guests can book a suite and watch a

game.

Apart from strong Scottish roots that have even grown their own

newspaper, The Scottish Banner, Toronto is home to people from

approximately 60 different nationalities. To get an idea of the

diversity, we wandered around Kensington Market.

Many of the shops names are Portuguese but the market also has good

Jewish and Indian fare, and nearby streets are famous for their

secondhand but classy dress shops. The city's Chinatown is one of the

biggest in the world, not forgetting honest Canadian fare at Ed's

Warehouse which specialises in roast beef, and is owned by millionaire

Ed Mirvish. The Mirvish Empire now includes one of the finest old

theatres in Canada, the Royal Aleandria.

Toronto is known for the quality of its arts. The O'Keefe Centre, a

modern 3000-seat concert hall, is the home of the Canadian Opera Company

and the National Ballet of Canada. The Roy Thomson Hall has distinctive

architecture and the Toronto Symphony Orchestra and the Mendelssohn

Choir, and a stage for touring performers. The Art Gallery of Ontario

owns the largest collection of Henry Moore's sculptures.

Ontario runs wider than just Toronto in a province where traditions

linger. Barely an hour away, Black Creek Pioneer village goes back more

than a century, with its horse-drawn Connestoga wagons, a lazy way to

tour this 150-year-old crossroads village. The first farm was settled in

1816, and there are now 28 buildings. The tinsmith is still at work and

visitors can try their hand.

In this vast province, roads and railways run out to the far north. We

had seen our moose on the way north to Deerhurst Resort, which was

opened a century ago for rich Torontonians, who took a train to

Huntsville and then travelled by boat. Today, it is still as popular for

water pastimes, fishing, canoeing, and golf and tennis, with wooden

buildings that suit the landscape.For outdoor enthusiasts, it is only

half-an-hour away from Algonquin National Park.

But one place no-one should miss is the Niagara Falls. The way to go

is on the little Maid of the Mist. As the boat settles into a wet

cauldron of mist, the need for the slippery oilskin coat and hood is

clear. The sheer force of the water is awesome. It pours over the falls

like something solid, and the boat rocks as though it were on a rough

sea. There can be no doubt that Niagara Falls must be among the greatest

sights and sensations in the world.

Information: Air Canada flies Glasgow to Toronto three times a week

during the off-peak season, gradually increasing from April to daily

flights from mid-June to the end of September. Prices from #319 return.

Enquiries to Air Canada on 0345 181313.