- We'll be starting off this episode of "Fly Brother" in the most multicultural city in North America, Toronto, Canada, which also has one of the biggest Gay Pride parades.

We'll be hanging out with my good friend, travel maven and hometown girl Oneika Raymond, also called "Oneika the Traveller," for a little dancing and a lot of eating.

Let's get sickening!

I'm Ernest White II... storyteller, explorer.

I believe in connecting across backgrounds and boundaries.

- I mean, look at us!

We're chasing the sunset!

- Join me and my friends... What's going on, boy?

♪ ...and discover that no matter the background, no matter the history, the whole world is our tribe.

♪ Come with me.

♪ Whoo!

"Fly Brother."

- Major funding for this program is provided by... Marie Roberts De La Parra -- personal coaching, executive leadership, and self-empowerment.

Courageous Conversation Global Foundation.

Promoting racial justice, interacial understanding, and human healing.

MetalShake by Sweden.

Additional funding provided by the following.

♪ - Toronto.

Young, modern, cosmopolitan, jazzy, snazzy, hip, and urbane, Canada's great metropolis hums with the vibrance of a city that's excited about its future.

It's summer in the city, and I'm excited to be here.

♪ ♪ Farther south than Minneapolis, Seattle, or both Portlands in the United States, Toronto is the largest city in Canada, housing some 2.7 million people in the city proper and nearly 6 million in the total metro area.

Sprawling along the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario, Toronto, also called T.O., T-dot, the Queen City, and Toronto the Good, sparkles as the showplace for Canadian business, industry, entertainment, education, and culture.

Notably, TV host Alex Trebek, comedienne Lilly Singh, writer Margaret Atwood, and rapper Drake all hail from Toronto.

♪ ♪ From the skies to the streets, Toronto dazzles the senses with its youthful, vibrant energy.

Growing out, and up, the city serves as a beacon for progress and success in the Great North.

And summer in this city means festivals, street scenes, and plenty of music.

While glass towers glint in the summer sun, Torontonians of all stripes soak up the festive atmosphere, preparing to frolic among the forest of lakeside skyscrapers and under the protective gaze of the CN Tower.

♪ ♪ On my very first visit to Toronto, I was hungry, and my buddy, noted chef and master storyteller John Lee, invited me to his favorite Jamaican eatery to put some fire in my belly.

- John, what's going on, my boy?

- Oh, man!

There you are!

Hey, how are you?

Good to see you, man!

- Likewise, man.

It's been a minute.

Dude, how you doing?

- I'm good.

I'm good.

Just glad you made it.

♪ - So, John, you've been doing tours for almost 10 years now.

- Almost a decade now, I can't believe it.

Growing up in this neighborhood was, you know, one of the best upbringings you could ever have.

You were surrounded by lots of different kinds of people, but you were also really part of the neighborhood.

You kind of blend into this mix of all different cultures and food and customs and practices and languages, and being different is the norm here.

If you're too like somebody else, all of a sudden, you get kind of freaked out.

Being different is what people want to be here.

It's kind of nice to have that confidence in not having to fit in all the time.

♪ - So what would some of the challenges be, then?

- Well, leaving the neighborhood's a challenge, because you get used to this comfort level of having diversity as part of your norm, and then you go to other communities or other parts of the world, and you realize it's not the same.

And it really is a unique aspect of this neighborhood and this city is that so many different kinds of people who don't even speak the same language do business every day with each other.

♪ Every immigrant story is the same.

It's the story of wanting better things for the next generation.

I mean, every generation has to struggle, but I think those who make the effort to leave the comfort of home, or sometimes the misery of home, to come to a place that's unfamiliar to make a life for yourself, it's really the same story.

The immigrant trying to make it with little to nothing, and hopefully the kids will surpass them, and I think that really is a great story behind the stories here in Kensington Market.

- So, how'd you get into food, man?

- This neighborhood actually is probably one of the reasons why I'm in sort of a food-related industry -- many industries.

But beyond being a chef, having culture as part of that inspiration allows me to also want to share that knowledge.

As a chef instructor for the last seven years, it's been a great part of my teaching.

The content and substance of what I teach, depending on which culture I'm focusing on, in many ways I owe this neighborhood for that opportunity, because I'm able to speak about Jamaican culture or speak about Trinidadian culture, Portuguese, Italian, Jewish, all the way down to now Latin American, Mexican, Central American.

Yeah, this is the neighborhood that gave me that confidence to say, "You know what?

It's not just something I saw on TV or read in a book.

It's something that I've experienced, lived, talked to, hung out with, sometimes even dated."

- Alright.

- The best way to get to know a culture is to date somebody from that culture.

- That's very true.

- But also, the other one is also to eat the food of that culture.

♪ Not just to say, "Oh, I like tacos" or "I like jerk," or "I like..." you know, but to actually see how it's made and listen to the grannies and the moms talk about how they make their sauce this way and not this way.

- You did that growing up, huh?

- I mean, everybody you talked to was an expert in their field.

I mean, really, you'd never doubt that this Jamaican granny had any reservations about making jerk one way versus another, or having your Portuguese friend's mother make you seafood rice for the first time, and you can't imagine this is something you went without for so many years.

You're like, "Oh, my God.

I should have eaten that earlier."

As a chef, you need inspiration from different things, but I think, as an educator, you also need to give content.

You can't just say, "Oh, it's got this or that in it."

You have to understand why that's there or why it's being used heavily or not at all.

And given that back story, my career has really benefited from being part of this neighborhood.

- So, what's special about this particular place?

- This place is great because it's got everything I look for in a homey restaurant.

No frills.

No decorative sense.

- Shade.

- No rhyme or reason.

Things are jammed together in all the weirdest ways, but the food is always good.

Everyone loves a hole-in-the-wall.

I don't know, for some reason Caribbean and Trinidadian, West Indian places all kind of have this, like, "We don't care about the decor.

You're here for the food."

- Right, right.

- You're not here on a date.

Take my word for it.

And if you are, my God.

Hat's off to you if you can pull this off.

But, yeah, this place, along with a few other ones down the street, I would say, are my go-to mainstays.

I mean, where else can you get a huge plate of Caribbean food for 8 bucks?

- John and I are chilling at The Jerk Spot waiting on my girl Oneika Raymond, travel maven and bona fide Jamaican-Canadian, to meet us and give us her official stamp of approval.

♪ - So, like... Oh.

That's what I'm talking about.

Look at you, beautiful!

- Hello.

Aww.

Good to see you!

- Thank God you're here!

Now we can order some food.

- Yeah, totally!

- All right... - Word.

- I'm going to go to the counter and get us something to eat, all right?

- All right, man, cool.

Right on time.

[ Laughs ] - I'm starving.

- Well... - Let's get started.

We're going to get one jerk chicken breast, medium.

We're gonna take one jerk pork, medium.

And I'm gonna take the oxtail, rice and peas, large, and one veggie roti.

- So, John's like, this is the bomb spot for Jamaican in Kensington, so... - Okay!

- But I'm sure you can give us the seal of approval.

- Absolutely.

- All right, word.

- I can't wait!

- Okay.

Jerk chicken brings the fire throughout the Jamaican diaspora, and there are many ways to rub that yardbird.

Here's just one tasty recipe, from<i> Food and Wine</i> magazine's Paul Chung.

You'll need two 3 1/2- to 4-pound chickens, quartered, 1 medium onion, coarsely chopped, 3 medium scallions, chopped, 2 Scotch bonnet chilies, chopped, 2 garlic cloves, chopped, 1 tablespoon five-spice powder, 1 tablespoon of allspice berries, coarsely ground, 1 tablespoon of coarsely ground pepper, 1 teaspoon of dried thyme, crumbled, 1 teaspoon of freshly grated nutmeg, 1 teaspoon of salt, 1/2 cup of soy sauce, and 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil.

In a food processor, mix the onion, scallions, chilies, garlic, five-spice powder, allspice, pepper, thyme, nutmeg, and salt, then process the mixture to a coarse paste.

With the machine on, steadily add the soy sauce and oil.

Pour the marinade into a large, shallow dish, add the chicken, and turn to coat evenly.

Cover the dish and refrigerate overnight.

Before proceeding, bring the chicken to room temperature.

Then light your grill.

Grill the chicken over a medium-hot fire, turning occasionally, until well browned and cooked for 35 to 40 minutes.

You can cover the grill for a smokier flavor.

But no matter what you do, you better eat it.

♪ [ Ding! ]

♪ ♪ - All right, so what'd you guys think?

- It was incredible.

- I didn't really like it.

- I could tell.

I can tell by your empty container.

- You finished everything.

- There's a couple of pieces of rice there.

- That does not mean that I enjoyed it.

It was just very flavorful and exquisite.

- Okay.

- What do you guys feel like doing now?

- Well, I think him and I are going to go explore the market, explore Kensington a little bit.

- You know what?

I think that's a great idea.

You guys should definitely go and check it out.

Lots going on, lots to see.

- All right.

- Awesome.

All right, so we will see you later!

- All right.

- All right, man.

Cool.

- Let's get it.

Let's go.

- Word.

♪ I've known Oneika for over 10 years, when we were both travel and expat bloggers detailing our exploits and adventures on opposite sides of the globe.

She's always represented her diverse hometown with pride and joy.

♪ ♪ ♪ - Very cool.

♪ - The Lion of Judah.

The history of Kensington Market, in the heart of Toronto, reflects Canada's successive waves of immigration.

By the time of European contact, the Wyandot, Iroquois, and Mississauga First Nations inhabited the region.

Then came the French in the 17th century and the British in the 18th, establishing trading posts in the region.

British laborers during the Victorian Era were followed by Eastern European Jews during the first half of the 20th century.

After World War II, Italian and Portuguese immigrants settled in the area, and the loosening of restrictive immigration policies in the 1960s attracted newcomers from the Caribbean, Latin America, and Asia.

As a result, Toronto boasts some 200 distinct ethnicities among its inhabitants, many of whom can be found soaking up the summer vibes in Kensington Market.

♪ ♪ ♪ - Uh-oh.

- Yes.

In Toronto, we dance.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ And what's special about Kensington Market?

- Take a look around!

Kensington Market is really special because it's basically kind of like this open-air market.

There are loads of different establishments selling clothing, selling food.

And as you can see, there's a large pedestrian street or a network of pedestrian streets and you can just kind of walk around and -- - What I'm noticing is that it is multicultural.

That's what Toronto gets billed as.

- Absolutely.

So, Toronto is one of the most, if not the most multicultural city in the world.

So we have this fusion of all these different cultures.

- Right.

♪ ♪ True, it is often cold in Toronto, but summer sizzles with festivity and life.

Of course, summer is the season for the renowned Toronto Caribbean Carnival, or Caribana, the hottest party north of Miami, but it's also the season for scores of fun little happenings all over town.

♪ ♪ ♪ Oneika and I take a break from bopping to talk about why she loves her hometown so much.

So, you've traveled, like, all over the world, but Toronto is your home, still.

- It is.

It is.

- Like, what makes it home for you, besides just the literal fact of having grown up here?

- So, the thing about Toronto is that, I mean, you've seen that it's extremely multicultural, right?

There are people from everywhere in the world.

There's so many different backgrounds and religions and languages, and it's beautiful, right?

And even though we don't necessarily live in harmony all the time, we do co-exist in this space, and I think that seeing different people and interacting with different people on a regular basis not only makes you more tolerant, but it also makes you more welcoming.

It makes you welcoming of difference.

It makes you more welcoming of different ways of doing things, as well.

- Right.

- So I think that's why Toronto, in general, is kind of very -- It feels like home to people who aren't from here.

- What do you want people to know about Toronto?

- I want people to know that Toronto is a vibrant city.

It's one that is very dynamic.

It's ever-changing, and it's a place that you should absolutely come visit.

- You hear that?

Come visit Toronto!

♪ ♪ ♪ - So, I know that your family heritage is Jamaican, but you're also very Canadian.

So, how do you balance both of those identities?

- Well, I think the best thing about growing up in Canada, and specifically Toronto, since it's such a multicultural city, is that you don't have to choose.

I think that Canada is a very young country.

When I grew up, I felt myself -- Well, actually, to be honest, I felt myself to be more Jamaican than Canadian.

But the beauty of growing up here and living in Toronto, where there's such a multiplicity of different cultures and nationalities and ancestries, is that it's not a problem at all to feel that way.

And you can really keep your cultural ties, and they really do remain strong, and you can practice your beliefs and all of that.

So, to be honest with you, I never really felt as though I needed to choose or I needed to be more one than the other.

- So, when people come to visit you here in Toronto, what are some of the must-do's or must-see's that you have for them?

- So, apart from your typical CN Tower and stuff like that, I would really take visitors around the city to explore the food scene, because, as I said before, Toronto is extremely multicultural, which means that you have a lot of restaurants and street food carts that serve international fare, and in different forms.

It's not particularly formal.

It's not extremely expensive.

One of the other things that I would do if I had a visitor coming is I would take them to any one of the large number of festivals that take place during the summertime.

Basically every weekend there's a festival, and sometimes there are two.

Like, sometimes, you have to choose between them.

So, actually, this weekend is Pride.

- Okay.

All right.

- It's Pride Weekend, so if you like, I can take you there a little bit later.

- Partay!

Let's do it!

- All right!

Awesome!

♪ - We head downtown to Yonge Street in the thick of the action, joined by one of Oneika's home girls from Mississauga.

It was time to jam one more time.

♪ - Oh, I see.

- Hi!

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ - Borne out of mass protests that followed a police raid on gay establishments in 1981, Pride Toronto has turned into a mass celebration of diversity, visibility, and empowerment for the expansive lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer communities.

Traditionally held during the month of June and spanning 22 city blocks, the month-long Pride festival includes a raucous Parade, which has drawn estimates of nearly 2 million attendees.

Despite controversies ranging from over-commercialism to accusations of racism, Pride continues to evolve and unites the city each summer under the rainbow flag.

♪ ♪ [ Man shouts ] [ Crowd cheering ] ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ - Ooh.

You're crazy.

♪ ♪ ♪ - I had to admit, Toronto surprised me.

As a native Floridian, I'd always grown up seeing snow-birds with Ontario license plates driving up and down I-95 looking for the nearest Waffle House.

What I experienced in Toronto was a beautiful, hip, enjoyable city with friendly people, great jerk chicken, and dancing in the streets.

If reverse snow-bird is a thing, I might come back in the winter.

♪ ♪ ♪ - Major funding for this program is provided by... Marie Roberts De La Parra -- personal coaching, executive leadership, and self-empowerment.

Courageous Conversation Global Foundation.

Promoting racial justice, interacial understanding, and human healing.

MetalShake by Sweden.

Additional funding provided by the following.

To join the "Fly Brother" travel community or to order your own copy of this episode, visit flybrother.net.

♪