Aussie life in Toronto: footy, cricket and mates

You can live a very Australian life in Toronto if you want to. You'll just be watching the Grand Final in the middle of the night.

The short version

AFL Ontario has run Aussie rules in the region since 1989 and has 11 member clubs across Southern Ontario and Quebec [1].
The Toronto Dingos welcome total beginners and train at Balfour Park near Yonge and St Clair [2].
Toronto Cricket Club has played cricket since 1827, with outdoor programs from May to September and a social league for beginners [3].
The Australian Consulate-General on Bloor Street East handles passports and notarial services by appointment [4].
Cooee Canada, our Facebook group, is the easiest place to start asking questions and finding mates.

The Australian community in Toronto

Australians in Toronto are spread out rather than clustered in one suburb the way Londoners joke about Aussies in Clapham or Shepherd's Bush. You'll find them in hospitality on King West and Queen West, working in finance on Bay Street, in tech in the downtown core and on working holidays in every corner of the city.

Most of the community lives online and on the footy field. Many Aussies arrive on International Experience Canada working holidays, so the crowd skews young and turns over every couple of years. That's great for meeting people fast and a bit tiring when your best mates go home. Mix your Aussie circle with Canadians and other newcomers, and Toronto starts to feel like home rather than a long stopover.

Footy: Aussie rules in Ontario

Yes, there's real footy here, and it's taken seriously.

AFL Ontario describes itself as the oldest and most competitive Australian football competition in North America. It's a member of AFL Canada, was formed in 1989 and has 11 member clubs spread across Southern Ontario and Quebec [1]. The senior season has an 11-round regular season, then three weeks of finals and a Grand Final [1]. There's women's footy too; check the league's club pages for teams.

Each club recruits from its local area, and most Toronto clubs have Canadians, Aussies, Irish and Kiwis on the list. The Toronto Dingos, for example, say they cater to all skill levels from first-timers to veterans. They train at Balfour Park, a short walk from St Clair station, and play home games at Humber College South [2].

Footy option	Who it suits	How to start
Join an AFL Ontario club	Anyone who wants to play, beginner or ex-local-league	Use AFL Ontario's Join a Club page [1]
Toronto Dingos	Newcomers near midtown, total beginners welcome	Contact via the club's Play With Us page [2]
Volunteer, umpire or coach	Ex-players with dodgy knees	Ask any club; small leagues always need help
Watch AFL broadcasts	Everyone else	Check streaming options and plan for the time zone

The time zone problem

Toronto is 14 to 16 hours behind the east coast of Australia, depending on daylight saving at each end. An afternoon game at the MCG lands around midnight or the small hours in Toronto. Grand Final night means a very late Friday or a very early Saturday, so find a mate with a big TV and a good coffee machine.

Cricket in a hockey town

Cricket in Toronto is bigger than you'd guess, mostly thanks to the city's huge South Asian and Caribbean communities. Parks across Scarborough, Etobicoke and Brampton host matches every summer weekend.

The oldest name in town is Toronto Cricket Club on Wilson Avenue, where cricket dates back to 1827 [3]. Its outdoor season runs from May to September and covers everything from beginners to Canadian national team players. Teams play in the Toronto and District Cricket Association's top leagues, and there's an intraclub T20 league, touring matches through its Stragglers program and an Associates league for beginners or anyone after a social game [3]. Indoor programs keep things going over winter [3]. It's a membership club, so check the costs before you turn up with your whites.

Outside that, ask around at work and in community groups. Many suburban clubs are always short a player or two, and an Australian accent at the nets tends to get you picked.

Picking up local sport too

The fastest way into Canadian conversation is local sport. Hockey dominates winter small talk, so pick a side early; supporting the Maple Leafs comes with decades of shared suffering, which Aussies tend to understand. Basketball and baseball fill the rest of the year. Going to a game with workmates is a good way to turn colleagues into friends, and it gives you something to talk about on Monday that isn't the weather.

A taste of home

Toronto's food scene is enormous, so you'll eat well. The Australian bits take a bit more hunting.

Food and drink

Vegemite, Tim Tams and friends. International aisles in bigger supermarkets and specialty British or import shops often carry them. Prices hurt, so many Aussies get care packages from home or stock up on visits.
Coffee. Toronto has a strong independent cafe culture, and you'll find good flat whites in Leslieville, Ossington, Queen West and the Annex. Some are run by Australians or New Zealanders; ask in the community for current favourites.
Meat pies and sausage rolls. Ask in the community for current tips; good ones exist, and British and Portuguese bakeries help fill the gap.
Brunch. Toronto takes brunch seriously. Weekend queues in Leslieville and Roncesvalles will feel familiar.

Holidays and traditions

Australia Day lands in the middle of a Toronto winter, so expect pubs and living rooms rather than beaches. Christmas is white, cold and cosy, which takes some getting used to. For Anzac Day, ask in the group or check with the consulate closer to the date to see whether a local service or gathering is planned.

Paperwork and help from home

The Australian Consulate-General in Toronto is at Suite 1100, South Tower, 175 Bloor Street East, near Sherbourne station [5]. It covers the Greater Toronto Area, and passport and notarial services are available by appointment only [4]. It doesn't handle visas, immigration or citizenship. Those go through the Department of Home Affairs [4].

A few things to keep on your radar while you're away:

Passport renewals. Book your consulate appointment early, especially before summer travel.
Enrolment and voting. You can stay on the roll while you're overseas. Our guide to voting from overseas explains how.
Babies born in Canada. Register them for Australian citizenship by descent before you apply for their first Australian passport.
Emergencies. Call 911 in Canada. For Australian consular help, contact the consulate or DFAT's 24-hour consular line.

Finding your people

Here's how to go from new arrival to having a crew:

Join Cooee Canada, our Facebook group for Australians in Canada. Ask about footy, flatmates, the best pie in town or where to watch the cricket.
Sign up for a footy club in spring. Even if you don't play, clubs run social events all year.
Try a cricket social league in summer.
Say yes to Canadian invitations. Cottage weekends, hockey nights and potlucks are how locals socialise, and they're how Toronto starts to feel like home.
Get outdoors in winter. Skating at Nathan Phillips Square or the Bentway beats hibernating.

Aussie life in Toronto: footy, cricket, Vegemite and finding your people