Traveling to Canada with Food Allergies, Health Nearby

I’m headed to Toronto next week for the Toronto Jazz Fest and I’m staying in two different hotels (one I had points and one I could get a friend and family rate and I thought: why not try two different spots?). I always check my destination's surroundings before I leave home – where’s the nearest hospital, where’s the nearest pharmacy and where can I find yummy food on the go i.e. grocery stores?

Near my hotels I found all three very nearby. Google maps is an invaluable resource for these kinds of online searches and Google maps can send links to your phone or email address in one simple step. Which means I have the below information in my phone as a back up and printed out – easy peasy! 

Here are some examples of what I found for hospitals, pharmacies and nearby markets. The search took less than five minutes and gave me great results:

Hospital search near my hotel. 

Pharmacies near my hotel. 

Food shopping near my hotel: a renowned green market, the St. Lawrence Market and a chain of local groceries called Longo's. There's even a Whole Foods in Yorkville. 

Remember: What I recommend as an advocate, food allergy coach and someone who has traveled the world: break it down into bite-sized manageable tasks and start weeks ahead of when you leave.