By Harriet Baskas

On the Web Airport Web site Toronto Pearson International Airport (airport code: YYZ) began operation in 1938 as Malton Airport, on a large plot of farmland. In 1960, the airport was renamed Toronto International Airport, but was retitled yet again in 1984 to honor Prime Minister Lester B. Pearson. Today, Pearson is Canada's busiest airport, serving more than 26 million passengers a year.

Get oriented Take care of yourself Take care of business Explore the airport Go into town

Get oriented YYZ Note Bag storage is available at Travel Store branches in terminals 1, 2, and 3. Luggage carts are available throughout the terminals. Toronto Pearson International Airport has three terminals: 1, 2, and 3. Terminal 1 is the newest and roomiest, and is the access point to bus service out to the 11-gate Infield Terminal. The Infield Terminal will remain in operation until sometime in 2006, when Terminal 1 construction should be completed. Here are the terminals and some of the airlines they serve (For a complete list, see the airport Web site): Infield Terminal: Air Canada (international flights) and Star Alliance partners. Terminal 1: Air Canada/Air Canada Jazz, Lufthansa, and SAS. Terminal 2: domestic and transborder (Canada–U.S.) flights Air Canada, United, and Westjet. Terminal 3: Air France, Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, America West, British Airways, CanJet, Continental Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Hawaiian Airlines, Northwest Airlines, US Airways. To travel between terminals, hop on one of the free shuttle buses that circle the airport. You can catch them at the curb at the arrivals level in Terminal 1 and on the departures level in terminals 2 and 3. Once on the bus, it will take 5—10 minutes to get between terminals. Take care of yourself Eat: Terminal 1 has a large food court pre-security (Level 3) that includes the full-service Expedia.ca Café as well as Wolfgang Puck Express, Starbucks, and a juice/smoothie stand. The Expedia.ca Café offers a section of tables with complimentary laptop dial-up service and electrical outlets. YYZ Note Best bet for carry-on: Sandwiches and salads from Wolfgang Puck Express. Best sinful snack: Chocolates or ice-cream from Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory. Post-security, look for a nice variety of cafés, restaurants, and bars, including the Hogtown Bar and Grill, Casey's, Red Rockets Gourmet Deli, and The Exchange. Highlights pre-security in Terminal 2 include the St. Lawrence Food Faire (pizza, sandwiches, and baked goods) and the Second City Alumni Bar and Grill, which offers table service and TVs showing sports games or archival film clips from SCTV (Second City TV). Famous alumni include John Candy, Gilda Radner, and Dan Akroyd. Post-security in Terminal 2 you'll find the Quayside Bar and Grill, Toast Queen Street Pasta Bar, and several other options. Pre-security in Terminal 3, the Swiss Chalet Restaurant specializes in rotisserie chicken and other hearty food, while Pumpernickel's serves up deli fare, hamburgers, and salads. A food court offers Webers (hamburgers), Mrs. Vanelli's (Italian), Williams Coffee Pub, and Yogen Fruz. In the departure lobby, Cookies by George offers gift boxes of cookies in addition to individual snacks. Post-security, Terminal 3 offers Tim Hortons, the Time Out Sports Bar, and Toast of Toronto. Relax and refresh: If you'd like to get out of the hustle and bustle, try the farthest ends of the departure lobby areas in Terminal 3, where there are banks of chairs a bit out of the way. The newer Terminal 1—with its soaring ceilings, skylights, and open spaces—offers plenty of spots pre- and post-post security for relaxing. The food court (pre-security) on the third level is an especially good spot for people-watching. Or, take the walkway across the street from Terminal 3 to the Sheraton Gateway Hotel and relax a bit in their lobby. You can purchase a day pass which gives you access to the hotel's pool, sauna, spa tub, and health club facilities. For those seeking a bit more serenity, there are chapels in each terminal. In Terminal 1, you'll find the chapel at the west end of Level 1. In Terminals 2 and 3, the chapels are located on the departures level, next to the medical clinics. Medical clinics, staffed weekdays by a physician, are open on an emergency and walk-in basis and offer pre-travel immunizations. Clinics are located on Level 2 of Terminal 1, on the departures level of Terminal 2, and on the departures level of Terminal 3. If you need to smoke, you'll find ventilated smoking areas in almost every food court and bar. Take care of business YYZ Note Best Souvenir under $10: Maple syrup, maple syrup candies, or ice wine tea, available at various gifts shops throughout the airport. Internet kiosks are located both before and after the security checkpoints in terminals 2 and 3. Copy and fax service is available at the Travel Stores located in terminals 1, 2, and 3. In addition, there is a business center with Internet kiosks at the Sheraton Gateway Hotel at Toronto International Airport, located adjacent to Terminal 3. Airline club members will find an Air Canada/Star Alliance Maple Leaf lounge in Terminal 1 (post-security) and an American Airlines club room post-security in Terminal 3 by Gate B10. Explore the airport Shop: Newsstands carrying souvenirs, snacks, and gifts are located pre- and post-security in each terminal. The Travel Store, which offers luggage, handbags, travel gadgets, and small gifts, has branches in each terminal. Terminal 3 has an appealing "shopping street" located pre-security, with several souvenir and gift shops, including Nunavut, which carries native Canadian crafts and artwork. There's also Roots Canada (clothing), Virgin Books and CDs, and Official Sports, which features souvenirs from the Toronto Maple Leafs, Team Canada, and other local and regional teams. Highlights for shopping in Terminal 1 (post-security) include a branch of Lush (designer soaps and body lotions) and TSX, which carries glassware by Sandra Ainsely, regional gifts, a wide variety of toys, and lots of gourmet foods. There's also a branch of Roots, The Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory, Watermark (books), Macleans, and Sunglass Hut. YYZ Note Best Souvenir under $10: Maple syrup, maple syrup candies, or ice wine tea, available at various gifts shops throughout the airport. Sightsee: Head to the new Terminal 1 to see aviation-related memorabilia, rotating museum exhibitions, and large-scale commissioned works by Canadian and international artists: On the mezzanine level, pre-security, a gallery (open 9 AM to 8 PM) and the "Aviation Wall" display objects showing the history of commercial aviation in Canada. On level 3, pre-security, look for Ingo Maurer's whimsical work titled "Earthbound … Unbound 2003," which looks like a giant aquarium filled with floating plastic cubes. Post-security, look up to see Jonathan Borofsky's colorful band of flying figures in "I Dreamed I Could Fly 2003," and Robert Charles Coyle's "Flight Song 2001–2003," which includes a flock of paper airplanes. Other large-scale works and exhibit cases are scattered throughout the terminal and described in a booklet available at the information counters. Look out: Great views of airfield activities are available from the gate areas in the new Terminal 1. Play around: Play areas for young children are located post-security in Terminals 1 and 2. Terminal 3 will have a play area in the International Pier by Fall 2005. Older kids will enjoy Terminal 1, which has an aviation history display and several pieces of intriguing and whimsical art. Kids will also appreciate the clear tubes that offer a longer than usual glimpse of baggage making its way from the ticket lobby out to the airplanes. Go into town The airport is located 16 miles northwest of downtown Toronto. Taxis and shuttle vans make the trip. To get downtown via public transit, however, you'll need a bit of patience. TTC (Toronto Transit Commission) Route 192/Airport Rocket runs between the airport and Kipling Station on the Bloor-Danforth subway line. Buses stop at Terminal 3: departures; Terminal 2: arrivals; and Terminal 1: ground level column R4. Be sure to ask for a free transfer. The bus trip from the airport to the subway station is 20 minutes. The subway ride to downtown takes about 20 minutes as well. See the Toronto Transit Commission Web site for more information. Additional information: Passenger Information Representatives (PIRs), dressed in bright blue uniforms, staff information booths and busy passenger areas. Or call Airport Information Services at 416-247-7678 (416-AIRPORT) for terminals 1 and 2, or 416-776-5100 for Terminal 3.

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