The Grid’s resident Brit discovers Toronto, one lunch hour at a time.
The cobbled streets of the Distillery District aren’t just pretty to look at—they’re also one of the few places in Toronto where you can legally ride a Segway outdoors. (Sadly, these “personal transporters” aren’t licensed for use on the roads.)
I took a tour of the neighbourhood with Segway of Ontario (a tour company, not the manufacturers). My guide, Aaron Binder, gave me a brief driving lesson before we set off, but I still weaved around like a drunken dalek* and worried about falling on my bonce.** As we took in the warehouses and workshops of Gooderham & Worts’ 19th-century distillery, Aaron’s spiel focused on all the good bits of the district’s history—fires, gruesome injuries, Prohibition-era rum running, that sort of thing. After stopping at Soma for some chocolate samples and the Mill Street brewery for a spot of beer tasting, we headed back.
The tour was fun on a lovely fall day, but I’d been wondering whether the Segway would be so whizzy in the snow. When we returned to the office, the answer became clear. “Those are the ones we use in winter,” said Aaron, pointing to two machines with large-grip tires—basically Segways on steroids. “We use them in summer up in Barrie for off-road tours.” Off-road Segwaying? Sign me up.
* Outer-space mutants from Dr. Who
**Head
Time: One hour.
Best fact: In 1832, a windmill was built at the distillery that was among Toronto’s tallest buildings. It was 21 metres high.
Rating (out of 5): 5
$69. 37 Mill St., Bldg. 37,]416-642-0008, www.segwayofontario.com.
