kayla

Hi,

We'll have a 6 months old baby travel w/ us to Toronto in Sept; wonder if any parents out there know the best nursing rooms or rest room(s) provide changing tables in these areas:

1. St. Lawrence Market
2. Kensington Market/ Chinatown
3. Yorkville
4. Queen st West, West Queen West st

and

5. Niagara on the Lake

It would be more convenient to have a decent facilities than carrying the baby back and forth to the car or "just do it" right in public.

Thanks,

K.

Judy_in_Calgary

I've never been to Toronto or Niagara on the Lake with a baby, so have not been on the lookout for those kinds of facilities while I've been there.

I called Tourism Toronto at 1-800-363-1990. The woman who answered the phone confirmed that the toll free number worked from the States as well.

She said she didn't know for sure what sorts of change tables and nursing stations there were around the city.

However, just going from memory, she felt she had seen facilities in the Eaton Centre and other large malls in the Queen Street West area.

Similarly, she seemed to recall having seen facilities in the Holt Renfrew Centre and Manulife Centre in Yorkville.

According to her recollection, there were facilities in BCE Place in the St. Lawrence Market area.

She didn't know about Chinatown. She thought that might be a bit more tricky, but she thought you might be able to find something even there.

I didn't ask her about Niagara-on-the-Lake. I figured it wasn't in her job description to know about NOTL. It's a small town, and I would not expect to find nursing stations and baby change tables there. Mind you, as I said before, I wasn't looking for these things when I was there. However, because it IS such a small town, it probably would be easy to return to your car.

Here's an article which, although it doesn't list nursing stations, has information about other kid-friendly aspects of Toronto:

http://www.suite101.com/article.cfm/18854/108104

Another thing you could do, once you're in a place, is ask a store clerk or a person who is walking around with a baby if they know where nearby facilities are.

kayla

Thank you so much for your inside tips! They definitely help.

K.

BAK

"Just do it" is pretty common in Toronto.

Last Friday I thought the lady nexct to me in a Starbucks inside a Chapters book store was just doing int, but when she lifted up the light blanket covering part of her and the baby, it turned out a bottle was invoilved.

I guess the kid just likes the shade.

There are change tables in the men's washroom of the Chapters book store at Richmond and John, which is in the Queen Street West area, and lats of mothers seem confortable in th4 big chairs in Starbucks, or even at one of the corner tables.

BAK

kodi

I undserstand that Sear's department stores have good nursing facilites....but really can't offer any more info. My niece really spoke highly about her experiences in Sear's. And there is a Sears in The Eaton centre.
Good luck.

kayla

Thank you all for sharing the info. I'm compiling the list of these facilties; they would help a lot while traveling in the area.

As long as there is a department store, I can use their fitting room for nursing. gt;). Nordstrom normally has a nursing room.

It's a relief to know that breastfeeding is "common in public" in T.O. (as long as my little sweetie doesn't pull up the blanket/shield to flash Mommie in public). You never know those tiny cutie hands! gt;)

Mairi

I found this on the Ontario Human Rights Commission website,

"You have rights as a nursing mother. For example, you have the right to breastfeed a child in a public area. No one should prevent you from nursing your child simply because you are in a public area. They should not ask you to 'cover up', disturb you, or ask you to move to another area that is more 'discreet'."

kayla

It's great to know nursing in public is a right and legal in Ontario.

Thanks for additional confirmation. gt;

atilla

Hi kayla,
I was unaware that it was illegal to nurse a baby in public anywhere. Is that true?? Wow, sounds like the dark ages to me if so, what a shame.

BAK

More about Sears, Toronto, downtown, Eaton Center store, at Queen and Dundas.

Somewhere in the store there's a mother's room; probably on the third floor.

But if you go to the main floor cosmetics department, and stop at the Lancome Counter, and ask about the spa area, someone there will point you across the aisle and through a door, where there are confortable chairs and lots of privacy and nice washrooms, and you and junior or juniorette will be welcome.

kayla

Thank you so much for the additional detailed info, BAK.

K.

carib_bean

Have to put my two cents in even though i am late...in Yorkville - walk around the block to Bloor Street and go to Pottery Barn - kids section has great facilities and Chapters... NOTL I would say maybe not as well equipped but you could stroll down to the waterfront park and nurse there as it is a little less pubic and busy and you could enjoy the lovely view sitting at a picnic bench while baby gets to eat!!

kayla

Thank you very much for your extra "2 cents", carib bean! A quiet place is what my little sweetie & I need for nursing time. gt;)

K.

PS: I can tell you are a frequent customer of Pottery Barn! quot;> I like their selections, too.

Meesthare

Carib_bean, that's one of the best typos I've seen in ages!

BAK

There's also a Nursing Room on the third floor of Sears, Toronto Eaton Center.

It's listed on the store directories by each escalator.

BAK

kayla

Wow, it is listed in the directory! I have to check it out @ Sears here in my neighborhood. I saw one spacious nursing room at Nordstrom in my town.

Thanks again, BAK!

K.