Little Canada — Attraction in Toronto

Little Canada serves as a communal space where both residents and visitors can come together to exchange their narratives and express their affection for Canada, all within a single venue. After a decade of development, Little Canada was inaugurated for public access in August 2021, located at 10 Dundas St. East, directly opposite Yonge and Dundas Square.  The intricacy of the details is bound to astonish you. Little Canada emerged as my preferred attraction in Toronto.

The small-scale representations of Canadian cities exhibit a high level of craftsmanship. At present, six Little Destinations have been finalized, which include Little Niagara, Little Toronto, Little Golden Horseshoe, Little Ottawa, Little Petit Québec, and Little East Coast.

Spanning an area of 720 square feet, Little East Coast showcases prominent provincial landmarks such as the Bay of Fundy and Cape Breton Island, where travelers along the renowned Cabot Trail can appreciate the vibrant autumn foliage. Additionally, the destination features remarkable sites including Gros Morne National Park, Green Gables and Confederation House in Prince Edward Island, Pays de la Sagouine and Metepenagiag Heritage Park in New Brunswick, as well as Peggy's Cove lighthouse, the Bluenose II in Nova Scotia, and Signal Hill, St. John's Harbour, and L'Anse Aux Meadows in Newfoundland.

The intricately designed and engaging miniature exhibit presents breathtaking landscapes, captivating auditory environments, and dynamic elements, including moving vehicles such as cars, trains, and boats, all functioning within a 15-minute diurnal cycle. Within these sculptures, one can observe significant moments, such as a one-inch figure of Terry Fox immersing his prosthetic foot in the Atlantic Ocean at Little Canada's St. John's Harbour. During a notable event last year, Terry's elder brother, Fred Fox, along with school ambassador Calvin, affixed the miniature Terry Fox to the national monument.

We were also afforded the chance to gain insight into the behind-the-scenes processes through which Miniature Makers animate our small nation. To complete our experience, we visited the Little Bites Café to indulge in some traditional Canadian cuisine and drinks. An additional point of interest for visitors is the chance to transform into a 'Little Canadian' by participating in a 3D scanning experience at the Littlization Station.

Admission to the attraction includes a visitor guide and a scavenger hunt, encouraging attendees to focus on the elaborate details of the exhibits.

The staff demonstrated exceptional knowledge, as a member approached us multiple times during our two-hour visit, highlighting various details and providing information throughout our time there. Indeed, the entire staff exhibited a remarkable level of kindness.

Little Canada provides coat check services, women's hygiene products in the restrooms, and features an...

Located at the heart of downtown Toronto's Yonge & Dundas, Little Canada quietly opened in 2021 in the midst of pandemic and continues to expand its exhibitions every year. Simply put, it is a miniature Canada of all the amazing landscapes, attractions, festivals, cultures, architectures, people, all in one place. This is the best place for any Canadian or visitors of Canada to learn more of this beautiful country. Everyone should visit. Little Canada is the perfect place for family, friends, and for any occasion.

I was really impressed by the attention to detail, character design and craftmanship for all the sceneries. The smooth animations allow the models to come to life, such as the Go Train, TTC, cars, people, Canada Day fireworks, Bay of Fundy tides, Niagara Falls, etc. The night and day cycle creates a completely different perspective from dawn to midnight so you would not get tired of the view.

My favourite was Little Toronto as I recognized most of the sights and they were especially pretty at night when the lights were lit. We often walk pass these amazing places in real life and do not take the time to appreciate them due to our busy schedules. Little Niagara was also spectacular and they re-created the powerful falls in the best way they can. Another highlight was the Canada Day celebrations at Parliament Hill which was quite an immersive experience. While I am not as familiar with Quebec and Atlantic Canada, the charming views sparked my curiosities and I recorded many sights on my to-go list. They further added variety to Little Canada by decorating Quebec as a winter wonderland. Meanwhile, Little East Coast received the fall theme with the changing leafs.

As of summer 2024, the available areas are: Little Niagara, Little Toronto, Little Golden Horseshoe, Little Ottawa, Petit Québec and Little East Coast. Little West Coast will be next in line. I also see Little Rockies, Little Prairies, and Little North in development (probably 2025/2026?) You can easily spend 2 - 3 hours here and more as they expand.

For future improvements: Wifi is quite spotty, this makes it difficult to share on social media while on site. Secondly, the cafe isn't very popular given there are so many other food options at Yonge/Dundas. Either they reduce the prices substantially or use the space for something else. Lastly, the areas that were added later, such as Little East Coast does not have as many animations as the earlier exhibitions. You can tell they spent a lot of more efforts on Little Toronto and Niagara. Ideally, we would like to see equal amount of liveliness...

My partner took me to Little Canada for a date because I love when regular things are little and they thought it would charm me. But Little Canada did more than just charm me, it swept me off my feet. Equal parts a museum of Canadian culture and art gallery in perpetual motion, Little Canada left us both in utter shock, delight, and awe.

Having both lived in Ontario our whole lives, it is easy to take the world around us for granted. But Little Canada allowed us to see our world through a new perspective. We experienced the childlike wonder of seeing something familiar in a novel way. Every region, every neighbourhood, every square centimetre of this enormous tiny exhibit is truly something to marvel at. The level of detail, from the buildings to the environmental storytelling, is staggering. The passion of every single team member we interacted with was palpable and inspiring. There is not a single element of the entire experience that was not crafted with the utmost artistry and love.

Perhaps my favourite thing about Little Canada was that it was silly and serious at the same time. It was silly in that the entire experience was very whimsical, each exhibit filled with small details to make you laugh and smile. Not in a way that detracts from the experience, but only ever adds to it. It was whimsical in the way that art becomes when artists are allowed, indeed encouraged, to unleash and explore their creativity. But Little Canada was also serious, an unimaginably grandiose project planned and executed to perfection. It allows you to see this country, our cities and environments and history, in a new way. The power of perspective is serious indeed, and Little Canada wields it with the utmost grace and expertise. With both its enduring sense of humour and unyielding dedication to the craft, Little Canada is nothing short of a marvel.

I would say that Little Canada is a once-in-a-lifetime experience, but I will most certainly be going back. There is more to see, more to investigate, more to explore. Even the workers who have been there for years said that they are always finding something new. Little Canada was not just worth the money, it was truly and completely priceless. I am not one to leave reviews, but I was so moved by Little Canada that I felt I had to share. Please do yourself a favour and visit as soon as you can, you will...