Torontoland: Cold, mechanical shell, soft and gooey centre

Anyone who commonly frequents CollegeHumor.com or bus stops will be familiar with a new Canadian winter attraction: Torontoland.

First, if you haven't yet seen the Torontoland Web site (trending.seetorontonow.com), go check it out now; not only is a large part of this article based on it, but put simply, its fantastic.

Torontoland is a new initiative that aims to build the downtown of Toronto as a winter wonderland of traditional solstice activities and bargain shopping for the holiday season. Think of all the holiday-themed New York downtowns you've seen in movies over the years, but it'll be colder and with more CN Towers.

While the thought of hanging out in downtown Toronto during the winter and the holiday rush doesn't interest me at all, something else about Torontoland does: its Web site.

The highly interactive site features a Twitter feed that's full of Torontolanders up to the minute comments, a map of the events and attractions, and Web cams of all the crowded areas.

The Torontoland Web site is a perfect example of the future of all successful and much-frequented Web sites. The most basic reason for this is the fact that its been coded in HTML5 – which, in a nutshell means that it is developed a newer, smartphone optimized programming language. This means that applications and features of other Web sites — such as City View, Twitter and more — are immediately embedded in the Torontoland site.

The next sign of this Web site's futuristic nature is the fact that it is almost completely Twitter-centric: case in point, the word "trending" is a part of the URL. The map shows events and features and where people are "checking in" with Four-Square. Even the video feed attributes tweets to people. Everything, in one way or another, is within the context of Twitter. This is wise, due to Twitters never-ending rise in popularity since its launch in 2006.

Essentially, the page for Torontoland is an all-inclusive Web site that immediately informs and connects you to what it is promoting. The only thing odd about it is the lack of a Facebook link and comment section, which has become a Web site staple of late.

I'm writing about this to promote two new beginnings that I see happening. The first is the next step in Web site interactivity; if you want an example, go check out the Web site for yourself. The second is the possible beginning of a Toronto tradition.

That's how Torontoland got my attention originally: it is using the most up-to-date networking tools out there to start an old-fashioned holiday tradition.

Sure, the more cynical out there will tell you that Torontoland is nothing more than a cash grab, and they might be right. However, the idea to change downtown Toronto from what it is to something magical is becoming more rare, especially in such an urban and modern setting. Past its financial imperatives, Torontoland is an attempt to "bring back the magic".

This is why I urge you to visit the Web site and attend the attraction; by doing so, you'd be validating the product of our generation by embracing traditional values of the last one. How cool is that?