Whenever you use Google Maps or a car’s GPS to get directions, it needs to have a specific point to direct you to. This works fine when you are able to input a street address or exact coordinates, but what happens when you input a larger region such as a city, town, or neighbourhood?
You do not get directed to the boundary line for that region, but a point within it that has been pre-selected. When using Google Maps to find a city, it usually directs you to the city hall. Neighbourhoods are more varied, with some points being the main strip or intersection in the community, while others are far more arbitrary, such as outside a random house in the neighbourhood (Don’t believe me? Just google directions to Mimico, Toronto, ON).
This mystery cache will require participants to use Google Maps to look up directions to six of these arbitrary points. Participants will then need to physically visit these six locations in order to solve for the final cache coordinates. These six points are the six regions of Toronto which were separate municipalities prior to the 1998 amalgamation: York, East York, North York, Etobicoke, Scarborough, and Old Toronto. The amalgamation dissolved their separate governments and merged them into a single “megacity:” “The City of Toronto.”
Instructions:
- Input one of the six regions listed below into Google Maps and use the program to get directions from your current location to the point that Google maps has pre-selected for that region.
York, Toronto, ON
East York, Toronto, ON
North York, Toronto, ON
Etobicoke, Toronto, ON
Scarborough, Toronto, ON
Old Toronto, Toronto, ON
- Visit each of the 6 locations and search for and record the numerical clue located there. This is what you need to find at each location:
York – The single, small number on the round, front section of the fire hydrant on the SW corner (Please note: there are multiple numbers on this part of the hydrant. The one you are looking for can be found between the regions where the larger numbers are stamped)
East York – The 9th number on the Fire Station plaque
North York – The final number in the date of the map displayed on the Heritage Toronto plaque on the NW corner
Old Toronto – On the curb of the NW corner, the final number on the metal plate that says “City of Toronto”
Etobicoke –The final number in the year of manufacture for the utility pole bearing the yield sign at the intersection just south of this location.
Scarborough – The final number in year of manufacture for the pole bearing the “Hospital to the right” sign
- Solve for the following:
“A” = The York number, plus 2
“B” = The East York number
“C” = The North York number, minus 1
“D” = The Old Toronto number, minus 1
“E” = The Etobicoke number, minus 1
“F” = The Scarborough number, plus 2
- Input the discovered values into the partial coordinates below in order to solve for the mystery cache coordinates.
N 43° 3A.BC0 W 079° 2D.EF4
- Congratulations on visiting all 6 regions of Toronto… Now go and find that cache! I have included an exclusive commemorative button in the cache for the first 6 finders.
Please place the cache back hidden as you found it. If you take anything from the cache (button or not), please leave something of equal or greater value.