Toronto 2016 Meet Date Poll - Updated

[cl94]

Just a quick update as the meet is just over a month away now.

I am looking at picking Jack Astor's as a restaurant.  The restaurant is located in Whitby close to the 401/Thickson Road interchange.  Jack Astor's a chain restaurant in Canada.

I've posted this on the Facebook Page as well, but I don't think that the 407 East Extension is going to be open when the meet is held.  I'm hoping that I am wrong, but that's the way it looks to me right now.  The highway should, however, be pretty near completion, and should still be interesting to look at, even if we don't get an opportunity to drive it.

Yelp reviews are unflattering toward food quality. I know there are limited places that can host a large event, and I also know the difficulty of being host, so I'll just make the suggestion of finding something more highly regarded, and not pester you.

Swiss Chalet. When we Americans (especially those of us who lived near the border) think of Canadian food, we think of them. Can't beat the chicken and I made plenty a trip across the border just for Swiss Chalet in undergrad (and Customs understood completely). Can't get more Canadian than them (unless you pick Tim Hortons).

[AsphaltPlanet]

Jack Astor's is a mediocre chain.  The food is fine pub fare, but certainly not amazing.

While there are some better restaurants in the area, they probably aren't going to be able to be able to handle such a large group.  I did consider Swiss Chalet, but Swiss Chalet is really more of a quick service restaurant, and probably won't be suitable for a large group to sit and linger in.

[AsphaltPlanet]

The only other option that I thought might work is Teddy's Deli in Oshawa.

https://www.tripadvisor.ca/Restaurant_Review-g155003-d777670-Reviews-Teddy_s_Restaurant_Deli-Oshawa_Ontario.html

This place has much better deli style food than any of the chain restaurants.

[Alps]

The only other option that I thought might work is Teddy's Deli in Oshawa.

https://www.tripadvisor.ca/Restaurant_Review-g155003-d777670-Reviews-Teddy_s_Restaurant_Deli-Oshawa_Ontario.html

This place has much better deli style food than any of the chain restaurants.

Slightly more compelling. As long as Smoke's makes it somewhere in my trip I'm OK.

[cl94]

Is it too late to confirm that I can make the Toronto meet? Just got word from my adviser that I should have the time to get out there for it.

[sammi]

^ Same. I checked my work schedule and the bus schedule as well and I should be able to make it.

[AsphaltPlanet]

The Toronto Meet is now only one week away!

Meet notes are here:
http://www.asphaltplanet.ca/ON/Toronto/Toronto_Meet_Notes-Jun4.pdf

[AsphaltPlanet]

Is it too late to confirm that I can make the Toronto meet? Just got word from my adviser that I should have the time to get out there for it.

^ Same. I checked my work schedule and the bus schedule as well and I should be able to make it.

Yeah, it's no problem.  I haven't made reservations with the restaurant yet, so no problem.

[SignGeek101]

Looks like there's going to be some great stuff for you guys to check out. Make sure to get pictures!

I'm honestly surprised the 407E (and subsequently 412) isn't opened yet. It's getting close to the end of "Spring 2016".

[AsphaltPlanet]

Yeah, our timing is somewhat unfortunate.  I expect the 407 to open the week following the road meet.

[cl94]

Is it too late to confirm that I can make the Toronto meet? Just got word from my adviser that I should have the time to get out there for it.

^ Same. I checked my work schedule and the bus schedule as well and I should be able to make it.

Yeah, it's no problem.  I haven't made reservations with the restaurant yet, so no problem.

Excellent. I RSVPed on Facebook. Barring my adviser making me do something next weekend, the Toronto meet will be my first.

[cl94]

I looked over the meet notes and it looks like we're going to get a nice cross-section of stuff in the GTA. Shame that 407 won't be open yet, but, at least as far as I'm concerned, it's an excuse to drive a bunch of stuff I've never had an excuse to be on. Love that we're going to get the DVP in there- that's quite the fun road to drive.

As I have never driven on the thing (and I don't get charged foreign transaction fees by my bank), I'll happily be one of the ones to drive and take the 407 toll hit. I'm not really one to take pictures, anyway.

As an FYI for people who are coming from the states and want to see some stuff on your way to/from the meet: the 406 extension is open and, on the New York side, a project was just completed to reconfigure the southern part of the Robert Moses and NYSDOT is redoing the US Peace Bridge approach. If going through Buffalo, I'd highly recommend crossing back into the US over the Rainbow Bridge if you don't have NEXUS - it's almost always faster and the customs officers there are known to be kinder.

[vdeane]

I always thought the Rainbow Bridge was slower because it gets jammed up with traffic for the falls?  I remember seeing a wait time of an hour for that crossing when coming back from a family vacation in Toronto (Lewiston was 2 hours due to the construction and Peace Bridge just 30 minutes).

[AsphaltPlanet]

I usually cross at the Peace Bridge myself typically just to avoid the Grand Island Bridge toll.  I've never found crossing at the Peace Bridge to be too problematic.  I always avoid crossing at Q-L though.  I find that the wait times tend to be the longest for this crossing.

[MisterSG1]

Yeah, Lewiston-Queenston is usually the busiest as it is the most convenient connection of the 3 (or 4 if you have NEXUS)

I believe the Canadian plaza at the Peace Bridge has 16 lanes, and the Rainbow Bridge has around the same as well. Check the "Bridge Traffic" iPhone app or call 1-800-715-6722 when you get close to the bridges and make your move from there, as you are coming from the east, if L-Q reports no delay, then take it!

[Roadgeek Adam]

See I haven't used the Queenston-Lewiston and Whirlpool Rapids (have to wait on NEXUS for that) and want to cross it off my list. I've used the other two. I also want to cross at like 7:30

[cl94]

US Customs has been cracking down at the Peace Bridge over the past few months. Recently, they've been randomly checking people there before they leave the US (in addition to the Canadians doing their checks).  L-Q isn't miserable heading into Canada early in the morning, but it is a nightmare going to the States unless you cross in the middle of the night.

Rainbow gets a lot of daytrippers that don't have a lot of stuff, so they have little to declare (and thus the line moves faster). From my sources at NITTEC and from working at the MPO, that bridge is typically only bad on weekend afternoons. I typically cross there on weekdays or in the evening and I rarely wait more than 5-10 minutes.

Even though I have NEXUS, I only use Whirlpool at peak times. I won't use it when going to/from the meet, for example, but I do use it when popping across to Swiss Chalet for lunch/dinner.

Right now, I will warn people that MTO is doing a bunch of bridge replacements on the QEW south of Niagara Falls. Download the NITTEC app and it'll give you the bridge times as well as major incidents in the area on both sides of the border.

[Roadgeek Adam]

I literally took my car across the Rainbow Bridge last week around 12:30 PM and the line was forever. I haven't driven the Peace Bridge, but have biked it. I also want to make time to get up there.

[vdeane]

Recently, they've been randomly checking people there before they leave the US (in addition to the Canadians doing their checks).

What's the point of that?  Doesn't Canada already share the arrival info?  I take it we're now going to need Uncle Sam's permission before we can leave the country (hmm... sounds like East Germany!)?

[MisterSG1]

Recently, they've been randomly checking people there before they leave the US (in addition to the Canadians doing their checks).

What's the point of that?  Doesn't Canada already share the arrival info?  I take it we're now going to need Uncle Sam's permission before we can leave the country (hmm... sounds like East Germany!)?

I believe they do that when the US authorities are after somebody, they can catch them before they attempt to cross the border, I remember being told that once.

[cl94]

Recently, they've been randomly checking people there before they leave the US (in addition to the Canadians doing their checks).

What's the point of that?  Doesn't Canada already share the arrival info?  I take it we're now going to need Uncle Sam's permission before we can leave the country (hmm... sounds like East Germany!)?

According to what I've read in the paper, the bozos in Arizona and Texas want everyone to get an exit check regardless of where they leave the country and Homeland Security is agreeing with them. Because so many criminals cross to/from Canada.

[AsphaltPlanet]

There was no exit check at the Thousand Islands Bridge for me a few weeks ago.

[cbeach40]

What's the point of that?  Doesn't Canada already share the arrival info?

The level of coordination between the the two is shockingly low.

I cross over once every week or two and I think the last time I saw an exit check was last summer. Last time before that was the day of the Boston Marathon Bombings, so obviously security issues were unusual that day.

I think I've seen exit checks going from Canada almost as often, ie, almost never.

[vdeane]

I had thought that the information sharing was part of the Beyond the Border action plan.  They certainly share enough other info (criminal records, medical records, your credit history, etc.).  I read a thing last night that suggests that customs is planning to make exit checks pervasive at airports and along the Mexican border (the latter of which I can see, since Mexico doesn't keep track of who enters the country); maybe they're planning on doing it for the Canadian border as well (which would explain why they're doing it at the Peace Bridge).  I can't even imagine what an exit inspection would entail, having never been outside of the US/Canada (which are apparently outliers for being two of only 4-5 countries (and I think the UK and Ireland just started doing exit checks, which would bring the count down) that don't have pervasive exit checks).

[cl94]

The checks at the Peace Bridge are typically spot checks. I have only been stopped once in the 15 or so times they've been checking people when I've crossed there over the past 2 years.