Size isn't everything but when you have a clubbing complex with the scale and girth of Toronto's Guvernment it definitely counts for something. Sonically superior and visually overwhelming, Guvernment's vast 4000-capacity main room is basically big arena clubbing on a stick.

"It's a big room but there's something incredibly intimate about playing there," explains Markus Schulz, whose recent 'Toronto 09' mix CD was inspired by his regular experiences at the club.

"You can really connect with the audience there - it's a magical vibe. The DJ booth is laid out in the centre of a pit with boxes all around above you. You're just right in the middle of it and it keeps you energised all night.

"Twice I have played six-hour sets there and there's no let-up for the whole duration - it's intense from beginning to end."

And it's like that every week. Generating a festival electricity, Guvernment draws on the force of the biggest names in dance like a nuclear power station and releases the combustible reactions just about every single Saturday. Often perceived as one of the globe's true trance Meccas, in reality Guvernment is Canada's cross-genre clubbing portal.

Steve Lawler's Viva tour brought the chrome-plated techno of Dubfire and Nic Fanciulli last June, whilst Sasha and Digweed chose the venue as the Canadian showcase of their spring reunion tour.

But to see Guvernment at its most impressive you need to reach one of the birthdays or the bank holiday events when the 10,000-capacity labyrinth of the full complex is opened and consumed. Last August bank holiday, the Labour Of Love event saw Angello, Ingrosso and Mark Knight hold court in Guvernment, the globe's most popular DJ Armin Van Buuren went at it for eight hours in the 2000-capacity Kool Haus, an outdoor tent hosted MSTRKRFT, Alan Braxe and Steve Aoki, the panoramic vistas of the Sky Bar were witness to Tom Novy's party house, whilst the Orange Room rocked to d&b heavyweights like Fabio. And that's not mentioning the more intimate enclaves of The Drink and the Acid Lounge.

Epic doesn't even touch it but if there's one thing Guvernment is, it's an assault on the senses. Even on its most routine Saturdays, the production in the main room stands up against most concerts - it's no surprise that acts like The Prodigy have recently performed in the complex - with its elegantly futuristic décor illuminated by the best lighting system in the country, if not beyond.

"Visually it's unbelievable," concludes Schulz. "They choreograph the lighting perfectly, the mood of the room evolves and by the end it's a dark, lights-out and after-hours vibe. It really feels like you get taken down the rabbit hole."

So when it comes to Canadian clubbing, Guvernment rules.