Difference between revisions of "Ontario" - New World Encyclopedia

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{{Infobox Province or territory of Canada
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{{Infobox Province or territory of Canada
 
| Name                = Ontario
 
| Name                = Ontario
 
| AlternateName      =  
 
| AlternateName      =  
| Fullname            = Province of Ontario
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| Fullname            = '''Province of Ontario'''
 
| EntityAdjective    = Provincial
 
| EntityAdjective    = Provincial
| Flag                = Flag of Ontario.svg|100px
+
| Flag                = Flag of Ontario.svg|125px
| CoatOfArms          = Ontariocoatofarms.png|100px
+
| CoatOfArms          = Coat of Arms of Ontario.png|125px
 +
| Logo                = Ontario_logo.jpg
 
| Map                = Ontario-map.png
 
| Map                = Ontario-map.png
 
| Label_map          = no
 
| Label_map          = no
| Motto              = ''Ut Incepit Fidelis Sic Permanet'' ([[Latin]]: Loyal she began, loyal she remains)
+
| Motto              = ''Ut Incepit Fidelis Sic Permanet'' ([[Latin]])<br />{{small|("Loyal she began, thus she remains")}}
| OfficialLang        = [[English language|English]]
+
| OfficialLang        = [[English language|English (de facto)]]
| Flower              = White Trillium
+
| Flower              = [[Trillium grandiflorum|White Trillium]]
| Tree                = Eastern White Pine
+
| Tree                = [[Eastern White Pine]]
| Bird                = Common Loon
+
| Bird                = [[Great Northern Loon]]
| Capital            = Toronto
+
| Capital            = [[Toronto]]
 +
| Country            = [[Canada]]
 
| LargestCity        = Toronto
 
| LargestCity        = Toronto
| Premier            = Dalton McGuinty
+
| LargestMetro        = [[Greater Toronto Area]]
| PremierParty        = Liberal
+
| Demonym            = Ontarian
| Viceroy            = James K. Bartleman
+
|Premier            = [[Doug Ford]]
| ViceroyType        = Lieutenant-Governor
+
|PremierParty        = [[Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario|Progressive Conservative]]
 +
|Viceroy            = [[Elizabeth Dowdeswell]]
 +
|ViceroyType        = Lieutenant Governor
 +
| Legislature        = Legislative Assembly of Ontario
 
| PostalAbbreviation  = ON
 
| PostalAbbreviation  = ON
| PostalCodePrefix    = K L M N P
+
| PostalCodePrefix    = [[List of K postal codes of Canada|K]] [[List of L postal codes of Canada|L]] [[List of M postal codes of Canada|M]] [[List of N postal codes of Canada|N]] [[List of P postal codes of Canada|P]]
| AreaRank            = 4<sup>th</sup>
+
| AreaRank            = 4th
| area_footnotes      =<ref name="areaont">[http://www40.statcan.ca/l01/cst01/phys01.htm Canada's provinces and territories total area, land area and water area]. Statistics Canada. Retrieved November 11, 2007.</ref>
+
| area_footnotes      =  
| TotalArea_km2       = 1076395
+
| TotalArea_km2       = 1076395
| LandArea_km2         = 917741
+
| LandArea_km2       = 917741
| WaterArea_km2       = 158654
+
| WaterArea_km2       = 158654
 
| PercentWater        = 14.8
 
| PercentWater        = 14.8
| PopulationRank      = 1<sup>st</sup>
+
|PopulationRank      = 1st
| population_footnotes = <ref name="ON2006CensusPop">[http://www12.statcan.ca/english/census06/data/popdwell/Table.cfm?T=101&SR=1&S=3&O=D Population and dwelling counts, for Canada provinces and territories, 2006 and 2001 censuses - 100% data]. Statistics Canada, 2006 Census of Population. Retrieved November 11, 2007.</ref>
+
|Population          = 13448494<ref name=StatCan2011>[https://web.archive.org/web/20170211082232/http://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2016/dp-pd/hlt-fst/pd-pl/Table.cfm?Lang=Eng&T=101&SR=1&S=3&O=D#tPopDwell Population and Dwelling Count Highlight Tables, 2016 Census] ''Statistics Canada''. Retrieved March 15, 2019.</ref>
| Population          = 12,726,336
+
|PopulationRef      =
| PopulationYear      = 2006
+
|PopulationYear      = [[Canada 2016 Census|2016]]
| DensityRank        = 3<sup>rd</sup>
+
|DensityRank        = 3rd
| Density_km2        = 13.93
+
|Density_km2        = 14.8
| GDP_year            = 2005
+
|GDP_year            = 2015
| GDP_total          = $537.604 billion<ref>[http://www40.statcan.ca/l01/cst01/econ15.htm Ontario has the highest GDP of the provinces and territories in Canada]. Statistics Canada. Retrieved November 11, 2007.</ref>
+
|GDP_total          = C$763.276&nbsp;billion<ref name=GDP2013>[https://www.webcitation.org/6BT3Jw27s?url=http://www.statcan.gc.ca/tables-tableaux/sum-som/l01/cst01/econ15-eng.htm Gross domestic product, expenditure-based, by province and territory (2015)] ''Statistics Canada''. Retrieved March 15, 2019.</ref>
| GDP_rank            = 1<sup>st</sup>
+
|GDP_rank            = 1st
| GDP_per_capita      = $42,866
+
|GDP_per_capita      = C$55,322
| GDP_per_capita_rank = 4<sup>th</sup>
+
|GDP_per_capita_rank = 7th
| AdmittanceOrder    = 1<sup>st</sup>
+
| AdmittanceOrder    = 1st, with [[Quebec|QC]], [[Nova Scotia|NS]], [[New Brunswick|NB]]
 
| AdmittanceDate      = July 1, 1867
 
| AdmittanceDate      = July 1, 1867
| TimeZone            = UTC-5 & -6
+
| TimeZone            = [[Eastern Time Zone (North America)|Eastern]]: [[Coordinated Universal Time|UTC]][[Eastern Standard Time|-5]]/[[Eastern Daylight Time|-4]]<br>(most of province)<br>[[Eastern Time Zone (North America)|Eastern]]: [[Coordinated Universal Time|UTC]][[Eastern Standard Time|-5]] (No [[daylight saving time|DST]])<br>([[Atikokan]])<br>[[Central Time Zone (North America)|Central]]: [[Coordinated Universal Time|UTC]][[Central Standard Time|-6]]/[[Central Daylight Time|-5]]<br>(Most of [[Northwestern Ontario|NW Ontario]])
| HouseSeats          = 106
+
| HouseSeats          = 121
 
| SenateSeats        = 24
 
| SenateSeats        = 24
 
| ISOCode            = CA-ON
 
| ISOCode            = CA-ON
Line 49: Line 54:
 
}}
 
}}
  
'''Ontario''' is a province located in the east-central part of [[Canada]], the largest by population and second largest (after [[Quebec]]) in total area. Ontario is bordered by the provinces of [[Manitoba]] to the west, Quebec to the east, and the [[United States|American]] states of [[Michigan]], [[New York]], [[Ohio]], [[Pennsylvania]], and [[Minnesota]]. Most of Ontario's borders with the United States are natural, starting at the [[Lake of the Woods]] and continuing through the four [[Great Lakes]]: [[Lake Superior|Superior]], [[Lake Huron|Huron]], [[Lake Erie|Erie]], and [[Lake Ontario|Ontario]] (for which the province is named), then along the [[Saint Lawrence River]]. Ontario is the only Canadian province that borders the Great Lakes.
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'''Ontario''' is a province located in the east-central part of [[Canada]], the largest by population and second largest (after [[Quebec]]) in total area. Ontario has the largest economy in Canada. It is bordered by the provinces of [[Manitoba]] to the west, Quebec to the east, and the [[United States|American]] states of [[Michigan]], [[New York]], [[Ohio]], [[Pennsylvania]], and [[Minnesota]]. Most of Ontario's borders with the United States are natural, starting at the [[Lake of the Woods]] and continuing through the four [[Great Lakes]]: [[Lake Superior|Superior]], [[Lake Huron|Huron]], [[Lake Erie|Erie]], and [[Lake Ontario|Ontario]] (for which the province is named), then along the [[Saint Lawrence River]].  
  
 
The [[capital]] of Ontario is [[Toronto]], the largest [[city]] in Canada. [[Ottawa]], the capital of Canada, is located in Ontario as well. The 2006 census counted 12,160,282 residents in Ontario, which accounted for 38.5 percent of the national population.
 
The [[capital]] of Ontario is [[Toronto]], the largest [[city]] in Canada. [[Ottawa]], the capital of Canada, is located in Ontario as well. The 2006 census counted 12,160,282 residents in Ontario, which accounted for 38.5 percent of the national population.
  
The province takes its name from Lake Ontario, which is thought to be derived from ''ontarí:io'', a [[Huron]] word meaning "great lake", or possibly ''skanadario'' which means "beautiful water" in [[Iroquois|Iroquoian]]. Along with [[New Brunswick]], [[Nova Scotia]], and [[Quebec]], Ontario is one of the four original provinces of [[Canada]] when the nation was formed on July 1, 1867, by the [[British North America Act]].
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The province takes its name from Lake Ontario, which is thought to be derived from ''ontarí:io,'' a [[Huron]] word meaning "great lake," or possibly ''skanadario'' which means "beautiful water" in [[Iroquois|Iroquoian]]. Along with [[New Brunswick]], [[Nova Scotia]], and [[Quebec]], Ontario is one of the four original provinces of [[Canada]] when the nation was formed on July 1, 1867, by the [[British North America Act]].
 
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{{toc}}
Ontario is Canada's leading [[manufacturing]] province, accounting for 52 percent of total national manufacturing shipments in 2004.<ref>[http://www.2ontario.com/facts/fact01.asp Ontario Facts]. Government of Ontario. Retrieved November 11, 2007.</ref>
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Ontario is Canada's leading [[manufacturing]] province, accounting for 52 percent of total national manufacturing shipments in 2004.
  
 
==Geography==
 
==Geography==
[[Image:Canada provinces evolution.gif|thumb|left|Evolution of the borders of Ontario]]
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The province of Ontario consists of three main geographical regions:  
The province consists of three main geographical regions:  
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*The thinly populated [[Canadian Shield]] in the northwestern and central portions, which covers over half the land area in the province; though mostly infertile land, it is rich in [[mineral]]s and studded with [[lake]]s and [[river]]s.  
*The thinly populated [[Canadian Shield]] in the northwestern and the central portions, which covers over half the land area in the province; though mostly infertile land, it is rich in [[mineral]]s and studded with [[lake]]s and [[river]]s; sub-regions are Northwestern Ontario and Northeastern Ontario.  
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*The virtually unpopulated [[Hudson Bay]] lowlands in the extreme north and northeast, mainly [[swamp]]y and sparsely [[forest]]ed
*The virtually unpopulated Hudson Bay Lowlands in the extreme north and northeast, mainly swampy and sparsely forested; and
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*The temperate, and therefore most populous region, fertile [[Great Lakes]]-[[Saint Lawrence River|Saint Lawrence]] Valley in the south where [[agriculture]] and [[industry]] are concentrated. Southern Ontario is sub-divided into four regions; Southwestern Ontario (parts of which were formerly referred to as Western Ontario), the Golden Horseshoe, Central Ontario (although not actually the province's geographic center), and Eastern Ontario.  
*The temperate, and therefore most populous region, fertile Great Lakes-Saint Lawrence Valley in the south where [[agriculture]] and [[industry]] are concentrated. Southern Ontario is further sub-divided into four regions; Southwestern Ontario (parts of which were formerly referred to as Western Ontario), Golden Horseshoe, Central Ontario (although not actually the province's geographic center) and Eastern Ontario.  
 
[[Image:DSCN0019.JPG|thumb|350px|Bruce Peninsula.]]
 
  
Despite the absence of any mountainous terrain, there are large areas of uplands, particularly within the Canadian Shield, which traverses the province from northwest to southeast, and also above the [[Niagara Escarpment]], which crosses the south. The highest point is Ishpatina Ridge at 693 m above sea level, located in Northeastern Ontario.  
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[[Image:Lake-of-the-woods.png|thumb|200px|Ontario's Lake of the Woods.]]
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[[Image:Lake of da woods.jpg|thumb|200px|Lake of the Woods from space.]]
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Despite the absence of any [[mountain]]ous terrain, there are large areas of uplands, particularly within the [[Canadian Shield]], which traverses the province from northwest to southeast, and also above the [[Niagara Escarpment]], which crosses the south. The highest point is Ishpatina Ridge at 693 m above sea level, located in northeastern Ontario.  
  
The [[Carolinian forest]] zone covers most of the southwestern section; its northern extent is part of the Greater Toronto Area at the western end of Lake Ontario. The best-known geographic feature is [[Niagara Falls]], part of the much more extensive Niagara Escarpment. The [[Saint Lawrence Seaway]] allows navigation to and from the [[Atlantic Ocean]] as far inland as Thunder Bay in Northwestern Ontario. Northern Ontario occupies roughly 85 percent of the surface area of the province; conversely Southern Ontario contains 94 percent of the population.
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The [[Carolinian forest]] zone covers most of the southwestern section; its northern extent is part of the Greater Toronto Area at the western end of [[Lake Ontario]]. The best-known geographic feature is [[Niagara Falls]], part of the much more extensive Niagara Escarpment. The [[Saint Lawrence Seaway]] allows navigation to and from the [[Atlantic Ocean]] as far inland as Thunder Bay in northwestern Ontario. Northern Ontario occupies roughly 85 percent of the surface area of the province; conversely, southern Ontario contains 94 percent of the population.
  
Point Pelee National Park is a peninsula in southwestern Ontario (near Windsor, Ontario and [[Detroit, Michigan]]) that extends into Lake Erie and is the southernmost extent of Canada's mainland. Pelee Island in Lake Erie extends slightly farther. Both are south of 42°N slightly farther south than the northern border of [[California]].
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Point Pelee National Park is a peninsula in southwestern Ontario (near Windsor, Ontario, and [[Detroit, Michigan]]) that extends into [[Lake Erie]] and is the southernmost extent of Canada's mainland. Pelee Island in Lake Erie extends slightly farther. Both are south of 42°Nslightly farther south than the northern border of [[California]].
  
Lake of the Woods occupies parts of Ontario and [[Manitoba]] and the U.S. state of [[Minnesota]]. It separates a small land area of Minnesota from the rest of the United States. The lake drains into the Winnipeg River and then into [[Lake Winnipeg]]. Ultimately, its outflow goes through the [[Nelson River]] to [[Hudson Bay]].
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Lake of the Woods occupies parts of Ontario and [[Manitoba]] and the [[U.S.]] state of [[Minnesota]]. It separates a small land area of Minnesota from the rest of the United States. The lake drains into the Winnipeg River and then into [[Lake Winnipeg]]. Ultimately, its outflow goes through the [[Nelson River]] to [[Hudson Bay]].
  
[[Image:Lake of da woods.jpg|thumb|Lake of the Woods from space, May 1998]]
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[[Lake of the Woods]] is over 70 miles long and wide and contains over 14,552 islands and 65,000&nbsp;miles (105,000&nbsp;km) of shoreline, which would amount to the longest coastline of any Canadian lake, except that the lake is not entirely within Canada. The lake's islands provide nesting habitat for the piping [[plover]] and large numbers of American white [[pelican]]s. There are also several hundred nesting pairs of [[bald eagle]]s in this area.
Lake of the Woods is over 70 miles long and wide and contains over 14,552 islands and 65,000&nbsp;miles (105,000&nbsp;km) of shoreline, which would amount to the longest coastline of any Canadian lake, except that the lake is not entirely within Canada. The lake's islands provide nesting habitat for the piping [[plover]] and large numbers of American white [[pelican]]s. There are also several hundred nesting pairs of bald [[eagle]]s in this area.
 
  
 
===Climate===
 
===Climate===
[[Image:Lake Ontario - Sandbanks Provincial Park 2001.jpg|thumb|275px|Enjoying summer at [[Sandbanks Provincial Park]] on Lake Ontario.]]
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Ontario has three main [[Geographical zone|climate zones]]. Most of southwestern Ontario has a moderate humid continental climate, similar to that of the inland [[Mid-Atlantic States]] and the lower [[Great Lakes region (North America)|Great Lakes portion of the U.S. Midwest]]. The region has hot, humid summers and cold winters. It is considered a temperate climate when compared with most of Canada. Throughout the year, but especially in the fall and winter, temperatures are moderated somewhat by the lower [[Great Lakes]], making it considerably milder than the rest of the provinces and allowing for a longer growing season than areas at similar latitudes in the continent's interior. Annual precipitation ranges from 30 inches (750 mm) to 40 inches (1,000 mm) and is well distributed throughout the year, with a summer peak.  
Ontario has three main [[geogaphic zone|climate zone]]s. Most of Southwestern Ontario, plus the lower parts of the Golden Horseshoe, has a moderate humid continental climate, similar to that of the inland [[Mid-Atlantic States]] and the lower Great Lakes portion of the U.S. [[Midwest]]. The region has hot, humid summers and cold winters. It is considered a temperate climate when compared with most of Canada. In the summer, the air masses often come out of the [[southern United States]], as the stronger the Bermuda High Pressure ridges into the North American continent, the more warm, humid air is drawn northward from the [[Gulf of Mexico]]. Throughout the year, but especially in the fall and winter, temperatures are moderated somewhat by the lower Great Lakes, making it considerably milder than the rest of the provinces and allowing for a longer growing season than areas at similar latitudes in the continent's interior. Both spring and fall are generally pleasantly mild, with cool nights. Annual precipitation ranges from 750 mm (30 inches) to 1000 mm (40 inches) and is well distributed throughout the year with a summer peak. Most of this region lies in the lee of the Great Lakes and receive less snow than any other part of Ontario.
 
[[Image:LondonOntarioSkyline.jpg|thumb|275px|The Thames river in London, Ontario.]]
 
The more northern and windward parts of Southern Ontario, plus all of Central and Eastern Ontario and the southern parts of Northern Ontario, have a more severe humid continental climate (Koppen ''Dfb''). This region has warm to hot summers (although somewhat shorter than in Southwestern Ontario) with cold and somewhat longer winters and a shorter growing season. The southern parts of this region lie at the windward side of the lakes, primarily [[Lake Huron]]. The Great Lakes also have a moderating effect for shoreline areas. However, the open lakes frequently result in [[lake effect snow]] squalls on the eastern and southern shores of the lakes, that affect much of the [[Georgian Bay]] shoreline including [[Killarney, Ontario|Killarney]], [[Parry Sound District, Ontario|Parry Sound]], [[Muskoka District Municipality, Ontario|Muskoka]] and [[Simcoe County, Ontario|Simcoe County]]; the Lake Huron shore from east of [[Sarnia, Ontario|Sarnia]] northward to the [[Bruce Peninsula]], sometimes reaching [[London, Ontario|London]]. Wind-whipped snow squalls or lake effect snow can affect areas as far as 100 kilometers (62 miles) or greater from the shore, but the heaviest snows usually occur within 20 kilometers (12 miles) from the shoreline. Some snowbelt areas receive an annual average of well over 300 cm (120 inches) of snow annually.  
 
  
The northernmost parts of Ontario - primarily north of 50°N - have a [[subarctic climate]] with long, very cold winters and short, warm summers and dramatic temperature changes from time to time. In the summer, hot weather occasionally reaches even the northernmost parts of Ontario, although humidity is generally lower than in the south. With no major mountain ranges blocking Arctic air masses, winters are generally very cold, especially in the far north and northwest where temperatures below -40°C (-40°F) are not uncommon. The snow stays on the ground much longer in the region as opposed to any other regions of Ontario; it is not uncommon to see snow on the ground from October to May here.
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The more northern parts of southern Ontario, all of central and eastern Ontario, and the southern parts of northern Ontario have a more severe humid continental climate. This region has warm to hot summers (although somewhat shorter than in southwestern Ontario) with cold and somewhat longer winters and a shorter growing season. Wind-whipped snow squalls or lake effect snow can affect areas as far as 62 miles (100 km) or greater from the shore of [[Lake Huron]], but the heaviest [[snow]]s usually occur within 12 miles (20 km) from the shoreline. Some snow belt areas receive an annual average of well over 120 inches (300 cm) of snow annually.  
  
Severe [[thunderstorm]]s peak in frequency in June and July in most of the province, although in Southern Ontario they can occur at any time from March to November due to the collision of colder, Arctic air and warm, often moist Gulf air. In summer they form from convective heating. These storms tend to be more isolated in nature than those associated with frontal activity. [[Derecho]]-type thunderstorms can also occur in summer, often nocturnally, bringing severe straight-line winds over wide areas. These storms usually develop along stationary frontal boundaries during hot weather periods and most areas of the province can be struck. Only the Hudson/James Bay Lowlands region rarely experience one. The regions most prone to severe weather are Southwestern and Central Ontario, due to the effect of the localized [[Lake Breeze Front]].<ref>Heidorn, Keith C. 2005. [http://www.islandnet.com/~see/weather/elements/lakebreezewx.htm Lake Breeze Weather]. The Weather Doctor. Retrieved November 11, 2007.</ref> [[London, Ontario|London]] has the most lightning strikes per year in Canada, and is also one of the most active areas in the country for storms. [[Tornado]]es are common throughout the province, especially in the southwestern/south-central parts, although they are rarely destructive (the vast majority are classified as '''F0''' or '''F1''' on the [[Fujita Scale]]). In Northern Ontario, some tornadoes go undetected by ground spotters due to the sparse population; they are often discovered after the fact by aircraft pilots, who observe from the air the sections of destroyed forest left by them. [[Image:Toronto Downtown Core at Night.jpg|left|250px|thumb|[[Toronto]]: Ontario's capital city and Canada's largest metropolis.]]
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The northernmost parts of Ontario have a subarctic climate with long, very cold winters and short, warm summers and dramatic temperature changes from time to time. In the summer, hot weather occasionally reaches even the northernmost parts of Ontario, although humidity is generally lower than in the south. It is not uncommon to see snow on the ground from October to May.
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Severe [[thunderstorm]]s peak in frequency in June and July in most of the province, although in southern Ontario they can occur at any time from March to November due to the collision of colder, Arctic air and warm, often moist Gulf air. The regions most prone to severe weather are southwestern and central Ontario. London has the most [[lightning]] strikes per year in Canada, and is also one of the most active areas in the country for storms. [[Tornado]]es are common throughout the province, especially in the southwestern/south-central parts, although they are rarely destructive.
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<center>
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{|
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|-
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| valign="top"|
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[[Image:Lake Ontario - Sandbanks Provincial Park 2001.jpg|thumb|250px|Sandbanks Provincial Park on Lake Ontario]]
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| valign="top"|
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[[File:Tobermory-87a.jpg|thumb|220px|Bruce Peninsula]]
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| valign="top"|
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[[Image:LondonOntarioSkyline.jpg|thumb|250px|The Thames River in London, Ontario]]
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|-
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|}
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</center>
  
 
==History==
 
==History==
 
===Pre-1867===
 
===Pre-1867===
Before the arrival of the Europeans, the region was inhabited both by [[Algonquian]] ([[Ojibwa]], [[Cree]] and [[Algonquin]]) and [[Iroquoian]] ([[Iroquois]] and [[Huron]]) tribes. The French explorer [[Étienne Brûlé]] explored part of the area in 1610-1612. The English explorer [[Henry Hudson]] sailed into [[Hudson Bay]] in 1611 and claimed the area for [[England]], but [[Samuel de Champlain]] reached [[Lake Huron]] in 1615 and [[France|French]] [[missionary|missionaries]] began to establish posts along the [[Great Lakes]]. French settlement was hampered by their hostilities with the Iroquois, who would ally themselves with the British.
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Before the arrival of the [[Europe]]ans, the region was inhabited both by [[Algonquian]] ([[Ojibwa]], [[Cree]], and [[Algonquin]]) and [[Iroquoian]] ([[Iroquois|Iroquois Confederacy]] and [[Huron]]) peoples. French explorer [[Étienne Brûlé]] explored part of the area in 1610-1612. [[Henry Hudson]] sailed into [[Hudson Bay]] in 1611 and claimed the area for [[England]], but [[Samuel de Champlain]] reached [[Lake Huron]] in 1615 and [[France|French]] [[missionary|missionaries]] began to establish posts along the [[Great Lakes]]. French settlement was hampered by their hostilities with the Iroquois, who allied themselves with the British.
 
 
The British established trading posts on Hudson Bay in the late seventeenth century and began a struggle for domination of Ontario. The 1763 Treaty of Paris ended the [[Seven Years' War]] by awarding nearly all of France's North American possessions ([[New France]]) to Britain. The region was annexed to [[Quebec]] in 1774. From 1783 to 1796, the [[United Kingdom]] granted [[United Empire Loyalists]] leaving the [[United States]] following the [[American Revolution]] 200 acres (0.8 km²) of land and other items with which to rebuild their lives. This measure substantially increased the population of Canada west of the St. Lawrence-Ottawa River confluence during this period, a fact recognized by the Constitutional Act of 1791, which split Quebec into The Canadas: Upper Canada southwest of the St. Lawrence-Ottawa River confluence, and Lower Canada east of it. John Graves Simcoe was appointed Upper Canada's first Lieutenant-Governor in 1793.
 
 
 
American troops in the [[War of 1812]] invaded Upper Canada across the Niagara River and the Detroit River but were successfully defeated and pushed back by British and [[Indigenous peoples of the Americas|Native American]] forces. The Americans gained control of [[Lake Erie]] and [[Lake Ontario]], however, and during the [[Battle of York]] occupied the Town of York (later named Toronto) in 1813. Not able to hold the town, the departing soldiers burned it to the ground.
 
 
 
After the War of 1812, relative stability allowed for increasing numbers of immigrants to arrive from Britain and Ireland rather than from the United States. As was the case in the previous decades, this deliberate immigration shift was encouraged by the colonial leaders. Despite affordable and often free land, many arriving newcomers from Europe (mostly from Britain and Ireland) found frontier life with the harsh climate difficult, and some of those with the means eventually returned home or went south. However, population growth far exceeded emigration in the decades that would follow. Still, a mostly agrarian-based society, canal projects and a new network of plank roads spurred greater trade within the colony and with the United States, thereby improving relations over time.
 
 
 
Meanwhile, Ontario's numerous waterways aided travel and transportation into the interior and supplied water power for development. As the population increased, so did the industries and transportation networks, which in turn led to further development. By the end of the century, Ontario vied with Quebec as the nation's leader in terms of growth in population, industry, arts and communications.
 
  
Many in the colony, however, began to chafe against the aristocratic Family Compact that governed while benefiting economically from the region's resources, and who did not allow elected bodies the power to effect change (much as the Château Clique ruled Lower Canada). This resentment spurred republican ideals and sowed the seeds for early Canadian nationalism. Accordingly, rebellion in favor of responsible government rose in both regions; Louis-Joseph Papineau led the Lower Canada Rebellion and William Lyon Mackenzie led the Upper Canada Rebellion.  
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The British established trading posts on Hudson Bay in the late seventeenth century and began a struggle for domination of Ontario. The 1763 Treaty of Paris ended the [[Seven Years' War]] by awarding nearly all of France's [[North America]]n possessions ([[New France]]) to Britain. The region was annexed to [[Quebec]] in 1774.
  
Although both rebellions were put down in short order, the British government sent Lord Durham to investigate the causes of the unrest. He recommended that self-government be granted and that Lower and Upper Canada be re-joined in an attempt to assimilate the French Canadians. Accordingly, the two colonies were merged into the Province of Canada by the ''Act of Union (1840)'', with the capital at Kingston, and Upper Canada becoming known as Canada West. [[Parliament]]ary [[self-government]] was granted in 1848.  
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===Population growth===
 +
[[Image:United Empire Loyalist statue and plaque in Hamilton, Ontario.jpg|thumb|200px|Present-day monument to the ''United Empire Loyalists'' who settled in [[Canada]] after the [[American Revolution]], in [[Hamilton, Ontario]].]]
 +
From 1783 to 1796, the [[United Kingdom]] granted  Loyalists leaving the [[United States]] following the [[American Revolution]] 200 acres (0.8 km²) of land and other items with which to rebuild their lives. This measure substantially increased the population of Canada west of the St. Lawrence-Ottawa River confluence during this period, a fact recognized by the Constitutional Act of 1791, which split [[Quebec]] into The Canadas: Upper Canada southwest of the St. Lawrence-Ottawa River confluence, and Lower Canada east of it.  
  
Due to heavy waves of immigration in the 1840s, the population of Canada West more than doubled by 1851 over the previous decade, and as a result for the first time the English-speaking population of Canada West surpassed the French-speaking population of Canada East, tilting the representative balance of power.
+
American troops in the [[War of 1812]] invaded Upper Canada across the [[Niagara River|Niagara]] and the [[Detroit River]]s but were successfully defeated and pushed back by British and [[Indigenous peoples of the Americas|Native American]] forces. The Americans gained control of [[Lake Erie]] and [[Lake Ontario]], however, and during the Battle of York occupied the town of York (later named [[Toronto]]) in 1813. Not able to hold the town, the departing soldiers burned it to the ground.
  
An economic boom in the 1850s coincided with railway expansion across the province, further increasing the economic strength of Central Canada.  
+
After the War of 1812, relative stability allowed for increasing numbers of immigrants to arrive from Britain and [[Ireland]]. Despite affordable and often free land, many newcomers from Europe found frontier life and the harsh climate difficult, and some of those with the means eventually returned home or went south. However, population growth far exceeded emigration in the decades that would follow.  
  
A political stalemate between the French- and English-speaking legislators, as well as fear of aggression from the United States during the [[American Civil War]], led the political elite to hold a series of conferences in the 1860s to effect a broader federal union of all British North American colonies. The ''British North America Act'' took effect on July 1, 1867, establishing the Dominion of Canada, initially with four provinces: [[Nova Scotia]], [[New Brunswick]], [[Quebec]] and Ontario. The Province of Canada was divided at this point into Ontario and Quebec so that each linguistic group would have its own province. Both Quebec and Ontario were required by section 93 of the BNA Act to safeguard existing educational rights and privileges of the Protestant and Catholic minorities. Thus, separate Catholic schools and school boards were permitted in Ontario. However, neither province had a constitutional requirement to protect its French- or English-speaking minority. Toronto was formally established as Ontario's provincial capital at this time.
+
Ontario's numerous waterways aided travel into the interior and supplied water power for development. As population increased, so did the [[industry|industries]] and [[transportation]] networks. By the end of the century, Ontario vied with [[Quebec]] as the nation's leader in terms of growth in population, industry, arts, and communications.
  
===1867 to 1896===
+
Many in the colony, however, began to chafe against the aristocratic Family Compact that governed while benefiting economically from the region's resources, and who did not allow elected bodies the power to effect change. This resentment spurred republican ideals and sowed the seeds for early Canadian [[nationalism]]. Accordingly, rebellion in favor of responsible government rose in both Upper and Lower Canada.  
Once constituted as a province, Ontario proceeded to assert its economic and legislative power. In 1872, the lawyer Oliver Mowat became premier and remained as premier until 1896. He fought for provincial rights, weakening the power of the federal government in provincial matters, usually through well-argued appeals to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council. His battles with the federal government greatly decentralized Canada, giving the provinces far more power than John A. Macdonald had intended. He consolidated and expanded Ontario's educational and provincial institutions, created districts in Northern Ontario, and fought tenaciously to ensure that those parts of Northwestern Ontario not historically part of Upper Canada (the vast areas north and west of the [[Lake Superior]]-[[Hudson Bay]] watershed, known as the District of Keewatin) would become part of Ontario, a victory embodied in the ''Canada (Ontario Boundary) Act, 1889''. He also presided over the emergence of the province into the economic powerhouse of Canada. Mowat was the creator of what is often called ''Empire Ontario''.
 
  
Beginning with Sir [[John A. Macdonald]]'s the National Policy (1879) and the construction of the [[Canadian Pacific Railway]] (1875-1885) through Northern Ontario and the [[Prairies]] to [[British Columbia]], Ontario manufacturing and industry flourished. However, population increase slowed after a large recession hit the province in 1893, thus slowing growth drastically but only for a few short years. Many newly arrived immigrants and others moved west along the railroad to the Prairie Provinces and British Columbia.
+
Although both rebellions were put down in short order, the British government sent Lord Durham to investigate the causes of the unrest. He recommended that self-government be granted and that Lower and Upper Canada be rejoined in an attempt to assimilate the French Canadians. Accordingly, the two colonies were merged into the Province of Canada by the Act of Union (1840). [[Parliament]]ary [[self-government]] was granted in 1848.  
  
===From 1896 to the present===
+
Due to heavy waves of immigration in the 1840s, the population of the western region more than doubled by 1851 over the previous decade, and as a result for the first time the [[English language|English]]-speaking population surpassed the [[French language|French]]-speaking population in the east, tilting the representative balance of power.
[[Mineral]] exploitation accelerated in the late 19th century, leading to the rise of important mining centers in the northeast like Sudbury, Cobalt and Timmins. The province harnessed its water power to generate [[hydro-electric power]], and created the state-controlled Hydro-Electric Power Commission of Ontario, later Ontario Hydro. The availability of cheap electric power further facilitated the development of industry. The [[Ford Motor Company]] of Canada was established in 1904. [[General Motors Corporation|General Motors]] of Canada Ltd. was formed in 1918. The motor vehicle industry would go on to become the most lucrative industry for the Ontario economy.
 
  
In July 1912, the Conservative government of Sir James P. Whitney issued Regulation 17 which severely limited the availability of French-language schooling to the province's French-speaking minority. French-Canadians reacted with outrage, journalist Henri Bourassa denouncing the "Prussians of Ontario." It was eventually repealed in 1927.
+
An economic boom in the 1850s coincided with railway expansion across the province, further increasing the economic strength of central Canada.  
  
Influenced by events in the United States, the government of Sir William Hearst introduced prohibition of alcoholic drinks in 1916 with the passing of the Ontario Temperance Act. However, residents could distill and retain their own personal supply and liquor producers could continue distillation and export for sale, which allowed Ontario to become a hotbed for the illegal smuggling of liquor into the United States, which was under complete prohibition. Prohibition came to an end in 1927 with the establishment of the Liquor Control Board of Ontario by the government of George Howard Ferguson. The sale and consumption of liquor, wine, and beer are still controlled by some of the most extreme laws in North America to ensure that strict community standards and revenue generation from the alcohol retail monopoly are upheld. In April 2007, Ontario Minister of Provincial Parliament Kim Craitor suggested that local brewers should be able to sell their beer in local corner stores, however, the motion was quickly rejected by Premier Dalton McGuinty.  
+
A political stalemate between the French- and English-speaking legislators, as well as fear of aggression from the [[United States]] during the [[American Civil War]], led the political elite to hold a series of conferences in the 1860s to effect a broader federal union of all British North American colonies. The British North America Act took effect on July 1, 1867, establishing the Dominion of Canada, initially with four provinces: [[Nova Scotia]], [[New Brunswick]], [[Quebec]], and Ontario. The Province of Canada was divided at this point into Ontario and Quebec so that each linguistic group would have its own province. Both Quebec and Ontario were required to safeguard existing [[education]]al rights and privileges of their [[Protestant]] and [[Catholic]] minorities. Thus, separate Catholic schools and school boards were permitted in Ontario. However, neither province had a constitutional requirement to protect its French- or English-speaking minority. [[Toronto]] was formally established as Ontario's provincial capital at this time.
  
The post-[[World War II]] period was one of exceptional prosperity and growth. Ontario, and the Greater Toronto Area in particular, have been the recipients of most immigration to Canada, largely immigrants from war-torn Europe in the 1950s and 1960s and after changes in federal immigration law, a massive influx of non-Europeans since the 1970s. From a largely [[Ethnicity|ethnically]] British province, Ontario has rapidly become very culturally diverse.
+
===Decentralization (1867 to 1896)===
 +
Once constituted as a province, Ontario proceeded to assert its economic and legislative power. In 1872, the lawyer Oliver Mowat became premier and remained as premier until 1896. He fought for provincial rights, weakening the power of the federal government in provincial matters. His battles with the federal government greatly decentralized Canada. He consolidated and expanded Ontario's educational and provincial institutions, created districts in northern Ontario, and fought tenaciously to ensure that those parts of northwestern Ontario not historically part of Upper Canada (the vast areas north and west of the [[Lake Superior]]-[[Hudson Bay]] watershed), would become part of Ontario, a victory embodied in the Boundary Act (1889). He also presided over the emergence of the province into the economic powerhouse of Canada.
  
The nationalist movement in Quebec, particularly after the election of the ''[[Parti Québécois]]'' in 1976, contributed to driving many businesses and English-speaking people out of Quebec to Ontario, and as a result [[Toronto]] surpassed [[Montreal]] as the largest city and economic center of Canada. Depressed economic conditions in the Maritime Provinces have also resulted in depopulation of those provinces in the 20th century, with heavy migration into Ontario.  
+
===Industrialization (1896 to the present)===
 +
[[Mineral]] exploitation accelerated in the late nineteenth century, leading to the rise of important [[mining]] centers in the northeast. The province harnessed its water power to generate [[hydroelectricity|hydroelectric power]]. The availability of cheap electric power facilitated the development of [[industry]]. Ford Motor Company of Canada was established in 1904. General Motors of Canada Ltd. was formed in 1918. The [[motor vehicle]] industry would go on to become the most lucrative industry for the Ontario economy.
  
Ontario has no official language, but English is considered the ''de facto'' language. Numerous French language services are available under the French Language Services Act of 1990 in designated areas where sizable francophone populations exist.
+
In July 1912, the Conservative government severely limited the availability of French-language schooling to the province's French-speaking minority. French-Canadians reacted with outrage, and the move was repealed in 1927.
  
 +
The post-[[World War II]] period was one of exceptional prosperity and growth. Ontario, and the Greater Toronto Area in particular, have been the recipients of most immigration to Canada, largely immigrants from war-torn [[Europe]] in the 1950s and 1960s and, after changes in federal immigration law, a massive influx of non-Europeans since the 1970s. From a largely [[Ethnicity|ethnically]] British province, Ontario has rapidly become quite culturally diverse.
  
 +
The nationalist movement in Quebec, particularly after the election of the ''[[Parti Québécois]]'' in 1976, contributed to driving many businesses and English-speaking people out of Quebec into Ontario. As a result, [[Toronto]] surpassed [[Montreal]] as the largest city and economic center of Canada. Depressed economic conditions in the [[Maritime Provinces]] also resulted in depopulation of those provinces in the twentieth century, with heavy migration into Ontario.
  
 
==Government and politics==
 
==Government and politics==
[[Image:Ontario Legislative Assembly, Toronto, May 2006.jpg|thumb|The Ontario Legislature Building at Queen's Park.]]
+
[[Image:Ontario Legislative Assembly, Toronto, May 2006.jpg|thumb|175px|The Ontario Legislature Building at Queen's Park.]]
The ''British North America Act 1867'' section 69 stipulated "There shall be a Legislature for Ontario consisting of the Lieutenant Governor and of One House, styled the Legislative Assembly of Ontario." The assembly has 103 seats representing ridings elected in a first-past-the-post system across the province. The legislative buildings at Queen's Park in [[Toronto]] are the seat of government. Following the [[Westminster system]], the leader of the party currently holding the most seats in the assembly is known as the "Premier and President of the Council" (Executive Council Act R.S.O. 1990). The Premier chooses the cabinet or Executive Council whose members are deemed "ministers of the Crown." Although the ''Legislative Assembly Act (R.S.O. 1990)'' refers to ''members of the assembly'', the legislators are now commonly called MPPs ''(Members of the Provincial Parliament)'' in English and ''députés de l'Assemblée législative'' in French, but they have also been called MLAs ''(Members of the Legislative Assembly)'', and both are acceptable. The title of ''Prime Minister of Ontario'', while permissible in English and correct in French ''(le Premier ministry)'', is generally avoided in favor of "Premier" to avoid confusion with the Prime Minister of Canada.
+
The British North America Act 1867 stipulated a unicameral legislature for Ontario. The Legislative Assembly has 103 seats representing ridings elected in a first-past-the-post system across the province. Following the [[Westminster system]], the leader of the party currently holding the most seats in the assembly is known as the premier. The premier chooses the cabinet or Executive Council.
  
 
===Politics===
 
===Politics===
 +
Ontario has traditionally operated under a three-party system. In the last few decades the liberal Ontario Liberal Party, conservative Ontario Progressive Conservative Party, and social-democratic Ontario New Democratic Party have all ruled the province at different times.
  
Ontario has traditionally operated under a three-party system. In the last few decades the liberal Ontario Liberal Party, conservative Ontario Progressive Conservative Party, and social-democratic Ontario New Democratic Party have all ruled the province at different times.
+
Ontario is known as the province that offers the strongest support for the Liberal Party of Canada. The majority of the party's present 106 seats in the Canadian House of Commons represent Ontario ridings. As the province has the most seats of any province in Canada, earning support from Ontario voters is considered a crucial matter for any party hoping to win a Canadian federal election.
 
 
Currently Ontario is under a Liberal government headed by Premier Dalton McGuinty.
 
  
Federally, Ontario is known as being the province that offers the strongest support for the Liberal Party of Canada. The majority of the party's present 106 seats in the Canadian House of Commons represent Ontario ridings. As the province has the most seats of any province in Canada, earning support from Ontario voters is considered a crucial matter for any party hoping to win a Canadian federal election.
 
 
===Territorial evolution 1788-1899===
 
Land was not legally subdivided into administrative units until a treaty had been concluded with the native peoples ceding the land. In 1788, while part of the Province of Quebec (1763-1791), southern Ontario was divided into four districts: Hesse, Lunenburg, Mecklenburg, and Nassau.
 
 
In 1792, the four districts were renamed: Hesse became the '''Western District''', Lunenburg became the '''Eastern District''', Mecklenburg became the '''Midland District''', and Nassau became the '''Home District'''. Counties were created within the districts.
 
 
By 1798, there were eight districts: Eastern, Home, Johnstown, London, Midland, Newcastle, Niagara, and Western.
 
 
By 1826, there were eleven districts: Bathurst, Eastern, Gore, Home, Johnstown, London, Midland, Newcastle, Niagara, Ottawa, and Western.
 
 
By 1838, there were twenty districts: Bathurst, Brock, Colbourne, Dalhousie, Eastern, Gore, Home, Huron, Johnstown, London, Midland, Newcastle, Niagara, Ottawa, Prince Edward, Simcoe, Talbot, Victoria, Wellington, and Western.
 
 
In 1849, the districts of southern Ontario were abolished by the Province of Canada and county governments took over certain municipal responsibilities. The Province of Canada also began creating ''districts'' in sparsely populated Northern Ontario with the establishment of Algoma District and Nipissing District in 1858.
 
 
The northern and western boundaries of Ontario were in dispute after Confederation. Ontario's right to Northwestern Ontario was determined by the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council in 1884 and confirmed by the ''Canada (Ontario Boundary) Act, 1889'' of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. By 1899, there were seven northern districts: Algoma, Manitoulin, Muskoka, Nipissing, Parry Sound, Rainy River, and Thunder Bay. Four more northern districts were created between 1907 and 1912: Cochrane, Kenora, Sudbury and Timiskaming.
 
*Early Districts and Counties 1788-1899<ref>[http://www.archives.gov.on.ca/english/exhibits/maps/districts.htm Early Districts and Counties 1788-1899]. Archives of Ontario. Retrieved November 11, 2007.</ref>
 
 
==Economy==
 
==Economy==
Ontario's rivers, including its share of the [[Niagara River]], make it rich in [[hydroelectric energy]]. Since the privatization of Ontario Hydro, which began in 1999, Ontario Power Generation runs 85% of electricity generated in the province, of which 41% is nuclear, 30% is hydroelectric and 29% is fossil fuel derived. OPG is not however responsible for the transmission of power, which is under the control of Hydro One. Despite its diverse range of power options, problems related to increasing consumption, lack of energy efficiency and aging nuclear reactors, Ontario has been forced in recent years to purchase power from its neighbors, [[Quebec]] and [[Michigan]] to supplement its power needs during peak consumption periods.  
+
Ontario's [[river]]s, including its share of the [[Niagara River]], make it rich in [[hydroelectricity|hydroelectric energy]]. Despite its diverse range of power options, because of problems related to increasing consumption, lack of energy efficiency, and aging nuclear reactors Ontario has been forced in recent years to purchase power from its neighbors, [[Quebec]] and [[Michigan]], to supplement its power needs during peak consumption periods.  
 
[[Image:OneLondonPlace.JPG|right|thumb|200px|One London Place, London, Ontario.]]
 
[[Image:OneLondonPlace.JPG|right|thumb|200px|One London Place, London, Ontario.]]
 
[[Image:Toronto's CN Tower.jpg|right|thumb|200px|The CN Tower in Toronto is the world's tallest freestanding structure on land.]]
 
[[Image:Toronto's CN Tower.jpg|right|thumb|200px|The CN Tower in Toronto is the world's tallest freestanding structure on land.]]
  
An abundance of natural resources, excellent transportation links to the American heartland and the inland Great Lakes making ocean access possible via ship containers, have all contributed to making [[manufacturing]] the principal [[industry]], found mainly in the Golden Horseshoe region, which is the largest industrialized area in Canada. Important products include [[motor vehicles]], [[iron]], [[steel]], food, electrical appliances, machinery, [[chemical]]s, and [[paper]]. Ontario surpassed Michigan in [[automobile|car]] production, assembling 2.696 million vehicles in 2004.
+
An abundance of [[natural resource]]s, excellent [[transportation]] links to the American heartland and the inland [[Great Lakes]], making ocean access possible via ship containers, have all contributed to making [[manufacturing]] the principal [[industry]], found mainly in the "Golden Horseshoe" region, which is the largest industrialized area in Canada. Important products include [[motor vehicles]], [[iron]], [[steel]], [[food]], electrical appliances, [[machinery]], [[chemical]]s, and [[paper]].  
  
However, as a result of steeply declining sales, on November 21, 2005, [[General Motors Corporation|General Motors]] announced massive layoffs at production facilities across North America including two large GM plants in Oshawa and a drive train facility in St. Catharines which by 2008 will result in 8,000 job losses in Ontario alone. Subsequently in January 23, 2006 money-losing [[Ford Motor Company|Ford Motor Co.]] announced between 25,000 and 30,000 layoffs phased until 2012, Ontario was spared the worst, but job losses were announced for the [[St. Thomas, Ontario|St. Thomas]] facility and the Windsor casting plant. However, these losses will be offset by Ford's recent announcement of a hybrid vehicle facility slated to begin production in 2007 at its Oakville plant and GM's re-introduction of the Camaro which will be produced in Oshawa. Toyota also announced plans to build a new plant in Woodstock by 2008, and Honda also has plans to add an engine plant at its facility in Alliston.  
+
As a result of steeply declining sales, General Motors and Ford Motor Co. have made thousands of layoffs. In January 2009, GM said it was reducing production at its Oshawa, Ontario, facility. Toyota, however, has built a new plant in Woodstock, and Honda opened a state-of-the art engine plant at its facility in Alliston in September 2008.  
  
Some economists believe that the [[North American Free Trade Agreement]] has contributed to a decline in manufacturing in part of North America's manufacturing "Rust Belt" that includes a portion of Southern Ontario from roughly Windsor east to St. Catharines (50km south of Toronto). This area and the Greater Toronto region contain the bulk of the auto sector in the province. The biggest contributing factor is the increased [[globalization]] and particularly the increasing manufacturing power from China and India that has led to the de-industrialization of Ontario and the gradual shift to a dominant service-oriented economy. These factors considered, Ontario remains an industrial giant within North America, therefore its overall economic health is still very responsive to changes that occur in this sector.  
+
Some economists believe that the [[North American Free Trade Agreement]] contributed to a decline in manufacturing. The biggest contributing factor is increased [[globalization]], particularly increased manufacturing from [[China]] and [[India]], which has led to the de-industrialization of Ontario and the gradual shift to a dominant service-oriented economy. These factors considered, Ontario remains an industrial giant within [[North America]]; therefore, its overall economic health is still responsive to changes that occur in this sector.  
  
Toronto, the capital of Ontario, is the center of Canada's financial services and banking industry. Suburban cities in the Greater Toronto Area like Brampton, Mississauga and Vaughan are large product distribution centers, in addition to having manufacturing industries. The [[information technology]] sector is also important, particularly in Markham, Waterloo and Ottawa. Hamilton is the largest steel manufacturing city in Canada and Sarnia is a center for petrochemical production. [[Construction]] employs at least 7% of the work force, but due to undocumented workers, the figure is likely over 10%. This sector has thrived over the last ten years due to steadily increasing new house and condominium construction combined with low mortgage rates and climbing prices, particularly in the Greater Toronto area.  
+
[[Toronto]], the capital of Ontario, is the center of Canada's financial services and [[bank]]ing industry. Suburban cities in the Greater Toronto Area are large product distribution centers, in addition to having manufacturing industries. The [[information technology]] sector is also important, particularly in Markham, Waterloo, and Ottawa. Hamilton is the largest steel manufacturing city in Canada, and Sarnia is a center for [[petrochemical]] production. [[Construction]] employs at least seven percent of the work force, but due to undocumented workers, the figure is likely over 10 percent. This sector thrived due to steadily increasing new house and condominium construction combined with low mortgage rates and climbing prices, particularly in the Greater Toronto area.  
  
[[Mining]] and the forest products industry, notably [[pulp and paper]], are vital to the economy of [[Northern Ontario]]. More than any other region, tourism contributes heavily to the economy of Central Ontario, peaking during the summer months owing to the abundance of fresh water recreation and wilderness found there in reasonable proximity to the major urban centers. At other times of the year, [[hunting]], [[skiing]], and [[snowmobiling]] are among the out of high-season draws. This region has some of the most vibrant fall color displays anywhere on the continent and tours directed at overseas visitors are organized to see them. [[Tourism]] also plays a key role in border cities with large [[casino]]s, among them [[Windsor, Ontario|Windsor]] and [[Niagara Falls, Ontario|Niagara Falls]] which attract many U.S. visitors.  
+
[[Mining]] and the [[forest]] products industry, notably [[pulp]] and [[paper]], are vital to the economy of northern Ontario. More than any other region, [[tourism]] contributes heavily to the economy of central Ontario, peaking during the summer months owing to the abundance of fresh water recreation and [[wilderness]] found in reasonable proximity to the major urban centers. At other times of the year, [[hunting]], [[skiing]], and [[snowmobiling]] are among the draws. This region has some of the most vibrant fall color displays anywhere on the continent and tours directed at overseas visitors are organized to see them. Tourism also plays a key role in border cities with large [[casino]]s, among them Windsor and Niagara Falls, which attract many U.S. visitors.  
  
Ontario has the largest economy in Canada. Nominal Gross Domestic Product in 2003 was an estimated C$494.229 billion (40.6% of the Canadian total), larger than the GDP of Austria, Belgium or Sweden. Broken down by sector, the primary sector is 1.8% of total GDP, secondary sector 28.5%, and service sector 69.7%. Also, its economic growth is expected to outpace France, Germany, and Japan in 2006.
+
===Transportation===
 +
Historically, the province has used two major east-west routes, both starting from [[Montreal]] in the neighboring province of [[Quebec]]. The northerly route, which was pioneered by early French-speaking fur traders, travels northwest from Montreal along the [[Ottawa River]], then continues westward toward [[Manitoba]]. The much more heavily traveled southerly route, which was popularized by English-speaking Loyalists from the American colonies and later other [[Europe]]an immigrants, travels southwest from Montreal along the [[Saint Lawrence River]], [[Lake Ontario]], and [[Lake Erie]] before entering the [[United States]] in [[Michigan]]. Most of Ontario's major transportation infrastructure is oriented east-west and roughly follows one of these two original routes.
  
Further economic information on the provincial economy can be found at Ontario Facts.<ref>[http://www.2ontario.com/welcome/oo_000.asp Ontario]. Ministry of Economic Development and Trade. Retrieved November 11, 2007.</ref>
+
;Water transportation
[[Image:Niagara falls aerial.id.jpg|right|thumb|250px|[[Niagara Falls]] is a major tourist attraction in Ontario as well as a huge supplier of clean [[hydroelectric energy]] for the province.]]
+
[[Image:Niagara falls aerial.id.jpg|right|thumb|250px|[[Niagara Falls]] is a major tourist attraction in Ontario as well as a huge supplier of [[hydroelectric energy]].]]
 +
[[Image:otrain.jpg|thumb|250px|The [[O-Train]], Ottawa's light rail train system (LRT).]]
 +
The [[St. Lawrence Seaway]], which extends across most of the southern portion of the province and connects to the [[Atlantic Ocean]], is the primary water transportation route for cargo, particularly [[iron ore]] and [[grain]]. In the past, the [[Great Lakes]] and [[Saint Lawrence River]] were also a major passenger transportation route, but over the past half century they have been nearly totally supplanted by vehicle, rail, and air travel.
  
===Transportation===
+
;Rail transportation
Historically, the province has used two major east-west routes, both starting from [[Montreal]] in the neighboring province of [[Quebec]]. The northerly route, which was pioneered by early French-speaking fur traders, travels northwest from Montreal along the [[Ottawa River]], then continues westward toward [[Manitoba]]. The much more heavily traveled southerly route, which was popularized by later English-speaking [[United Empire Loyalists]] and later other [[European]] immigrants, travels southwest from Montreal along the [[St. Lawrence River]], [[Lake Ontario]], and [[Lake Erie]] before entering the [[United States]] in [[Michigan]]. Most of Ontario's major transportation infrastructure is oriented east-west and roughly follows one of these two original routes.  
+
Via Rail operates the inter-regional passenger train service on the Quebec City-Windsor Corridor. In addition Amtrak connects Ontario with key [[New York]] cities, including [[Buffalo, New York|Buffalo]], [[Albany, New York|Albany]], and [[New York City]]. Ontario Northland provides rail service to destinations as far north as Moosonee near [[James Bay]]. [[Freight train|Freight rail]] is dominated by the founding cross-country CN and CP rail companies, which during the 1990s sold many short rail lines from their vast network to private companies operating mostly in the south. Regional commuter rail is limited to the provincially owned GO Transit, which serves a train/bus network spanning the Golden Horseshoe region, with its hub in Toronto. The TTC in Toronto operates the province's only subway and streetcar system, one of the busiest in North America. Outside of Toronto, the O-Train LRT line operates in [[Ottawa]], with ongoing expansion of the current line and proposals for additional lines.
  
===Water transportation===
+
;Air transportation
The [[St. Lawrence Seaway]], which extends across most of the southern portion of the province and connects to the [[Atlantic Ocean]], is the primary water transportation route for cargo, particularly [[iron]] ore and [[grain]]. In the past, the [[Great Lakes]] and [[St. Lawrence River]] were also a major passenger transportation route, but over the past half century they have been nearly totally supplanted by vehicle, rail, and air travel.
+
[[Lester B. Pearson International Airport]] is the nation's busiest and the world's 29th busiest, handling over 30 million passengers per year. Other important [[airport]]s include Ottawa International Airport and John C. Munro International Airport in Hamilton, which is an important courier and freight aviation center. Most Ontario cities have regional airports. Isolated towns and settlements in the northern areas of the province rely partly or entirely on air service for travel, goods, and even ambulance services, since much of the far northern area of the province cannot be reached by road or rail.
 
 
===Rail transportation===
 
[[Image:otrain.jpg|thumb|The [[O-Train]], Ottawa's light rail train system (LRT).]]
 
[[Via Rail]] operates the inter-regional passenger train service on the [[Quebec City-Windsor Corridor]]. In addition [[Amtrak]] rail connects Ontario with key New York cities including [[Buffalo, NY|Buffalo]], [[Albany, NY|Albany]], and [[New York City, NY|New York]]. [[Ontario Northland]] provides rail service to destinations as far north as [[Moosonee, Ontario|Moosonee]] near [[James Bay]], connecting them with the south. [[Freight train|Freight rail]] is dominated by the founding cross-country [[Canadian National Railway|CN]] and [[CP Rail|CP]] rail companies, which during the 1990s sold many [[Short-line railroad|short rail lines]] from their vast network to private companies operating mostly in the south. Regional [[Commuter rail]] is limited to the provincially owned [[GO Transit]], which serves a train/bus network spanning the [[Golden Horseshoe]] region, its hub in Toronto. The [[Toronto Transit Commission|TTC]] in Toronto operates the province's only subway and streetcar system, one of the busiest in North America. Outside of Toronto, the [[O-Train]] [[LRT]] line operates in [[Ottawa]] with ongoing expansion of the current line and proposals for additional lines.
 
===Air transportation===
 
Lester B. Pearson International Airport is the nation's busiest and the world's 29th busiest, handling over 30 million passengers per year. Other important airports include Ottawa International Airport and John C. Munro International Airport in Hamilton, which is an important courier and freight aviation center. Most Ontario cities have regional airports. Isolated towns and settlements in the northern areas of the province rely partly or entirely on air service for travel, goods, and even ambulance services, since much of the far northern area of the province cannot be reached by road or rail.
 
  
 
===Agriculture===
 
===Agriculture===
Line 193: Line 184:
  
 
==Demographics==
 
==Demographics==
[[Image:Visible Minorities of Ontario.png|thumb|300px|Visible minorities of Ontario in 2001.]]
+
The majority of Ontarians are of British (English, Scottish, Welsh) and Irish ancestry.
[[Image:Religion in Ontario.png|thumb|300px|Religion in Ontario.]]
 
 
 
===Ethnic groups===
 
{| class="wikitable" align="right"
 
|- bgcolor="#CCCCCC"
 
!Ethnic origin
 
!Population
 
!Percent
 
|-
 
|Canadian
 
|align=right|3,350,275
 
|align=right|29.70%
 
|-
 
|English
 
|align=right|2,711,485
 
|align=right|24.04%
 
|-
 
|Scottish
 
|align=right|1,843,110
 
|align=right|16.33%
 
|-
 
|Irish
 
|align=right|1,761,280
 
|align=right|15.61%
 
|-
 
|French
 
|align=right|1,235,765
 
|align=right|10.95%
 
|-
 
|German
 
|align=right|965,510
 
|align=right|8.56%
 
|-
 
|Italian
 
|align=right|781,345
 
|align=right|6.92%
 
|-
 
|South Asian
 
|align=right|597,553
 
|align=right|5.24%
 
|-
 
|Chinese
 
|align=right|518,550
 
|align=right|4.59%
 
|-
 
|Black
 
|align=right|442,713
 
|align=right|3.92%
 
|-
 
|Dutch (Netherlands)
 
|align=right|436,035
 
|align=right|3.86%
 
|-
 
|Polish
 
|align=right|386,050
 
|align=right|3.42%
 
|-
 
|Ukrainian
 
|align=right|290,925
 
|align=right|2.58%
 
|-
 
|North American First Nations
 
|align=right|248,940
 
|align=right|2.21%
 
|-
 
|Portuguese
 
|align=right|248,265
 
|align=right|2.20%
 
|}
 
 
 
The information regarding [[ethnicity|ethnicities]] below is from the 2001 Canadian census.<ref>[http://www40.statcan.ca/l01/cst01/demo26g.htm Population by selected ethnic origins, by province and territory (2001 Census) (Ontario)]. Statistics Canada. Retrieved November 11, 2007.</ref>
 
The percentages add to more than 100% because of dual responses (e.g. "French-Canadian" generates an entry in both the category "French" and the category "Canadian"). Groups with greater than 200,000 responses are included. The majority of Ontarians are of British (English, Scottish, Welsh) and Irish ancestry.
 
  
The major religious groups in Ontario are:<ref name="census-religion">[http://www40.statcan.ca/l01/cst01/demo30b.htm Population by religion, by province and territory (2001 Census) (Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan)]. Statistics Canada. Retrieved November 11, 2007.</ref>
+
The majority are Christian, with a larger number of [[Roman Catholic]]s [[Protestant]]s. A large number report no religious affiliation.
  
* 34.9% [[Protestant]]
+
The vast majority of Ontarians are of British or other European descent. Slightly less than 5 percent of the population of Ontario is Franco-Ontarian, that is those whose native tongue is [[French language|French]], although those with French ancestry account for 11 percent of the population. Ontario has no official [[language]], but [[English language|English]] is considered the de facto language. Numerous French-language services are available under the French Language Services Act of 1990 in designated areas where sizable francophone populations exist.
* 34.7% [[Roman Catholic]]
 
* 16.3% No religious affiliation ([[Atheism]], [[Agnosticism]], etc)
 
* 3.1% [[Muslim]]
 
* 2.7% Other [[Christian]]
 
* 2.3% [[Eastern Orthodoxy|Orthodox Christian]]
 
* 1.9% [[Hindu]]
 
* 1.7% [[Judaism|Jewish]]
 
* 1.1% [[Buddhist]]
 
* 0.9% [[Sikh]]
 
  
The vast majority of Ontarians are of British or other European descent. Slightly less than five percent of the population of Ontario is [[Franco-Ontarian]], that is those whose native tongue is French, although those with French ancestry account for 11% of the population.
+
Immigration is a huge population growth force in Ontario as it has been over the last two centuries, in relation to natural increase or inter-provincial migration. More recent sources of immigrants, with already large or growing communities in Ontario include [[Caribbean]]s (a majority of whom are [[Jamaica]]ns), [[South Asia]]ns (for example, [[Pakistan]]is, [[India]]ns, [[Bangladesh]]is, and [[Sri Lanka]]ns), East Asians (mostly [[Han Chinese|Chinese]] and [[Philippines|Filipinos]]), [[Central America|Central]]/South Americans, [[Eastern Europe]]ans such as [[Russia]]ns and [[Bosnia]]ns, and groups from [[Iran]], [[Somalia]], and [[West Africa]]. Most groups have settled in the Greater Toronto area. A smaller number have settled in other cities such as London, Kitchener, Hamilton, and Ottawa.
  
Immigration is a huge population growth force in Ontario as it has been over the last two centuries, in relation to natural increase or inter-provincial migration. More recent sources of immigrants  with already large or growing communities in Ontario include [[Caribbean]]s (a majority of whom are [[Jamaicans]]), [[South Asia]]ns (for example, [[Pakistan]]is, [[India]]ns, [[Bangladesh]]is and [[Sri Lanka]]ns), East Asians (mostly [[Han Chinese|Chinese]] and [[Philippines|Filipinos]]), [[Central America|Central]]/South Americans, [[Eastern Europe]]ans such as [[Russians]] and [[Bosnians]], and groups from [[Iran]], [[Somalia]] and [[Western Africa]]. Most groups have settled in the Greater Toronto area. A smaller number have settled in other cities such as London, Kitchener, Hamilton and Ottawa.
 
 
==Education==
 
==Education==
 
===Elementary and secondary===
 
===Elementary and secondary===
These efforts will further enhance the ministry’s three core priorities — providing higher levels of student achievement, reducing gaps in student achievement and increasing confidence in publicly funded education.  
+
The Ministry of Education has three core priorities: Providing higher levels of student achievement, reducing gaps in achievement, and increasing confidence in publicly funded education.<ref> [http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/about/ About the Ministry] ''Ontario Ministry of Education''. Retrieved March 15, 2019.</ref>
  
Here are nine examples of how Ontario will reach every student and help build the future prosperity of the province:
+
More than 540,000 primary students are now in classes of 20 or fewer, compared to only 166,000 students five years ago. Elementary teachers receive more support for teaching reading, writing, and math. Focused high school programs will give students more choices and opportunities to explore careers. This includes specialist high skills majors and dual credits, which have helped raise the graduation rate to 75 percent. Since 2003, the ministry has funded more than 200 new schools and nearly 12,000 renovation projects.
  
More than 90 per cent of kindergarten to Grade 3 classes will continue to have 20 or fewer students — compared to 32 per cent in 2003-04. That means more than 540,000 primary students are now in classes of 20 or fewer, compared to only 166,000 students five years ago. Students in these smaller classes get more attention, do better and are more likely to succeed.
 
Elementary teachers will receive more support for teaching reading, writing and math. Over recent years, this has helped more students achieve the provincial standard on Grade 3 and 6 provincial tests — rising from 54 in 2002-03 to 65 per cent in 2008.
 
Focused high school programs will continue to give students more choices and opportunities to explore careers. This includes Specialist High Skills Majors and dual credits, which have helped raise the graduation rate to 75 per cent. That’s 22,500 more graduates since 2003-04.
 
Continued investments in new school facilities and vital renovations will create safer and more engaging places for students to learn and grow. Since 2003, the ministry has funded more than 200 new schools and nearly 12,000 renovation projects.
 
 
===Higher education===
 
===Higher education===
In Ontario, higher education includes postsecondary education and skills training regulated by the Ministry of Training, Colleges, and Universities and provided by universities, colleges of applied arts and technology, and private career colleges. The ministry administers laws covering twenty-two public [[university|universities]], seventeen privately funded degree-granting institutions, twenty-four [[college]]s, and over 500 private career colleges.  
+
In Ontario, higher education includes postsecondary education and skills training regulated by the Ministry of Training, Colleges, and Universities and provided by universities, colleges of applied arts and technology, and private career colleges. The ministry administers laws covering 22 public [[university|universities]], 17 privately funded degree-granting institutions, 24 [[college]]s, and over 500 private career colleges.  
  
The Canadian constitution provides each province with the responsibility for [[higher education]] and there is no corresponding national federal ministry of higher education.
+
The Canadian constitution provides each province with the responsibility for [[higher education]], and there is no corresponding national federal ministry of higher education.
  
 
Ontario has two types of publicly funded [[community college]]s: Colleges of Applied Arts and Technology and Institutes of Technology and Advanced Learning. Some courses of study lead to official certifications in skilled trades that are regulated by professional associations. Institutes of Technology and Advanced Learning offer a limited number of degree programs, either in conjunction with a nearby university or on their own.
 
Ontario has two types of publicly funded [[community college]]s: Colleges of Applied Arts and Technology and Institutes of Technology and Advanced Learning. Some courses of study lead to official certifications in skilled trades that are regulated by professional associations. Institutes of Technology and Advanced Learning offer a limited number of degree programs, either in conjunction with a nearby university or on their own.
Line 303: Line 208:
  
 
==Culture==
 
==Culture==
 +
The National Arts Centre in Ottawa is Canada's largest showcase for the performing arts. Home of the National Arts Centre Orchestra, it also features [[opera]], [[ballet]], and contemporary [[dance]] as well as [[theater]] in both [[English language|English]] and [[French language|French]].
 +
 +
Toronto attracts the third largest theater-going audience in the English-speaking world. [[Drama]], [[Broadway]] shows, and major international [[musical]]s are all performed in downtown theaters. One of Canada's most influential alternative theaters, [[Theatre Passe Muraille]], is also located in Toronto. The city also boasts a world-class [[symphony]] as well as outstanding opera and ballet companies.
 +
 +
The Art Gallery of Ontario is the tenth largest [[art]] [[museum]] in North America, home to more than 40,000 works representing almost 2,000 years of art. It also houses the world's largest public collection of [[Henry Moore]] [[sculpture]]s. The National Gallery of Canada in Ottawa maintains a collection of historic and contemporary works of art, many with special reference to Canada. Hundreds of museums throughout the province provide diverse cultural experiences and showcase special interests.
 +
 +
Each year, [[jazz]] festivals are held in Orillia and Toronto and classical music festivals in Elora. Theater productions are presented at the Shaw Festival in Niagara-on-the-Lake and at the Stratford Festival, North America's largest classical repertory theater.
 +
 +
Ontario's ethnic diversity is celebrated with many local festivals, such as the Scottish Highland Games in Fergus and Maxville, Toronto International Carnival (one of North America's biggest cultural street festivals, attracting one million revelers each year) and the Oktoberfest in Kitchener-Waterloo.
 +
 
===Tourism and recreation===
 
===Tourism and recreation===
Northern Ontario offers the visitor [[lake]]s and [[river]]s, the boreal [[forest]], [[mountain]]s and hills, [[skiing]], snowshoeing, [[hiking]] trails, and other outdoor pursuits. In 2007, tourism to Northern Ontario generated:
+
Northern Ontario offers the visitor [[lake]]s and [[river]]s, the boreal [[forest]], [[mountain]]s and hills, [[skiing]], snowshoeing, [[hiking]] trails, and other outdoor pursuits.  
* 7.8 million visits, with 71 percent coming from Ontario and 15 percent from U.S. border states;
 
* $1.3 billion in visitor spending;
 
* 22,000 jobs in the region and $1.3 billion towards the region's GDP; and
 
* $717 million in tax revenue from the region for all three levels of government.<ref>[http://www.tourism.gov.on.ca/english/about/Northern_Strategy_NR.pdf] Ministry of Tourism. Retrieved January 23, 2009</ref> As of mid-2008, however, the worsening recession in the United States had taken its toll. The number of visitors, hotel occupancy rates, and employment in tourist-related industries had all fallen.<ref>[http://www.tourism.gov.on.ca/english/research/performance/index.html] Ministry of Tourism. Retrieved January 23, 2009</ref>
 
  
==Looking to the future==
+
==Looking ahead==
Ontario is providing financial assistance to encourage innovative new businesses, such as ethanol producers. A 12-year, $520-million Ontario Ethanol Growth Fund (OEGF) was launched in 2005 following the announcement of the Ethanol in Gasoline Regulation, requiring an average of at least 5 percent ethanol in all gasoline sold. The OEGF provides, in addition to capital assistance, a research and development fund.
+
[[File:Toronto - ON - Skyline10.jpg|250px|thumb|[[Toronto]], Ontario's capital city and Canada's largest metropolis]]
 +
The government's economic development plan focuses on new technologies as well as attracting investment in existing industries, such as automotive production. <ref>John Irwin, [https://www.autonews.com/manufacturing/ontario-releases-plans-encouraging-auto-investment Ontario releases plans for encouraging auto investment]  ''Automotive News'', February 14, 2019. Retrieved March 15, 2019.</ref> This includes promoting electric vehicles, through efforts such as City of Toronto's Consolidated Green Fleet Plan.<ref>[https://electricenergyonline.com/article/energy/category/general/16/657636/city-paves-the-way-for-a-greener-fleet-with-new-electric-vehicles.html City paves the way for a greener fleet with new electric vehicles] ''EE Online'', September 26, 2017. Retrieved March 15, 2019.</ref>
  
 
== Notes ==
 
== Notes ==
Line 317: Line 229:
  
 
==References==
 
==References==
 
+
* Ciment, James (ed.). ''Colonial America: An Encyclopedia of Social, Political, Cultural, and Economic History''. New York, NY: M.E. Sharpe, 2006. ISBN 0521232287
* Ciment, James ed. 2006. ''Colonial America: An Encyclopedia of Social, Political, Cultural, and Economic History''. New York, NY: M.E. Sharpe. ISBN 0521232287.
+
* ''Library and Archives Canada''. [http://www.collectionscanada.ca/virtual-vault/ Virtual Vault.] Retrieved March 15, 2019.
*[http://www.collectionscanada.ca/virtual-vault/ Virtual Vault], an online exhibition of Canadian historical art at Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved November 11, 2007.
+
* Taylor, Alan. ''The Divided Ground: Indians, Settlers and the Northern Borderland of the American Revolution''. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2006. ISBN 978-0679454717
 +
* Tobin, Jacqueline, and Hettie Jones. ''From Midnight to Dawn: The Last Tracks of the Underground Railroad''. New York: Doubleday, 2007. ISBN 978-0385514316
  
 
==External links==
 
==External links==
 +
All links retrieved November 17, 2022.
 +
*[https://www.ontario.ca/ Government of Ontario]
  
{{Sisterlinks}}
+
  
*[http://www.gov.on.ca/ Government of Ontario]. Retrieved November 11, 2007.
 
*[http://www.tourism.gov.on.ca/ Tourism Ontario]. Retrieved November 11, 2007.
 
*[http://globalgenealogy.com/countries/canada/ontario/searchable-on.htm Historical and Genealogical Resources of Ontario] historical census, birth marriage and death records, immigration, settlement, biography, cemeteries, burial records, land records, First Nations and more. Retrieved November 11, 2007.
 
*[http://www.historicbridges.org/map_ont.htm Historic Bridges in Ontario]. Features numerous photos, detailed information, and maps. Retrieved November 11, 2007.
 
*[http://atlas.gc.ca/site/english/maps/reference/provincesterritories/ontario/referencemap_image_view Map]. Retrieved November 11, 2007.
 
*[http://www.ontariotenants.ca/government/mpp.phtml Ontario MPP Contact Information]. Retrieved November 11, 2007.
 
*[http://archives.cbc.ca/IDD-1-73-893/politics_economy/elections_ontario/ CBC Digital Archives - Ontario Elections: Twenty Tumultuous Years]. Retrieved November 11, 2007.
 
*[http://www.embargo.ca/highway11 Ontario's Highway 11 Homepage - A Virtual Town-by-Town Trip along the World's Longest Street]. Retrieved November 11, 2007.
 
 
<br/>{{Subdivisions of Ontario}}
 
 
{{Provinces and territories of Canada}}
 
{{Provinces and territories of Canada}}
  
 
[[Category:Geography]]
 
[[Category:Geography]]
 
[[Category:North America]]
 
[[Category:North America]]
 
+
[[Category:Canada]]
 
{{credit|137838714}}
 
{{credit|137838714}}

Latest revision as of 00:41, 18 November 2022


Ontario
Flag of Ontario Coat of arms of Ontario
Flag Coat of arms
Motto: Ut Incepit Fidelis Sic Permanet (Latin)
("Loyal she began, thus she remains")
Map of Canada with Ontario highlighted
Capital Toronto
Largest city Toronto
Official languages English (de facto)
Government
- Lieutenant Governor Elizabeth Dowdeswell
- Premier Doug Ford (Progressive Conservative)
Federal representation in Canadian Parliament
- House seats 121
- Senate seats 24
Confederation July 1, 1867 (1st, with QC, NS, NB)
Area  Ranked 4th
- Total 1,076,395 km² (415,598 sq mi)
- Land 917,741 km² (354,342 sq mi)
- Water (%) 158,654 km² (61,257 sq mi) (14.8%)
Population  Ranked 1st
- Total (2016) 13448494[1]
- Density 14.8/km² (38.3/sq mi)
GDP  Ranked 1st
- Total (2015) C$763.276 billion[2]
- Per capita C$55,322 (7th)
Abbreviations
- Postal ON
- ISO 3166-2 CA-ON
Time zone Eastern: UTC-5/-4
(most of province)
Eastern: UTC-5 (No DST)
(Atikokan)
Central: UTC-6/-5
(Most of NW Ontario)
Postal code prefix K L M N P
Flower White Trillium
Tree Eastern White Pine
Bird Great Northern Loon
Web site www.ontario.ca
Rankings include all provinces and territories

Ontario is a province located in the east-central part of Canada, the largest by population and second largest (after Quebec) in total area. Ontario has the largest economy in Canada. It is bordered by the provinces of Manitoba to the west, Quebec to the east, and the American states of Michigan, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Minnesota. Most of Ontario's borders with the United States are natural, starting at the Lake of the Woods and continuing through the four Great Lakes: Superior, Huron, Erie, and Ontario (for which the province is named), then along the Saint Lawrence River.

The capital of Ontario is Toronto, the largest city in Canada. Ottawa, the capital of Canada, is located in Ontario as well. The 2006 census counted 12,160,282 residents in Ontario, which accounted for 38.5 percent of the national population.

The province takes its name from Lake Ontario, which is thought to be derived from ontarí:io, a Huron word meaning "great lake," or possibly skanadario which means "beautiful water" in Iroquoian. Along with New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Quebec, Ontario is one of the four original provinces of Canada when the nation was formed on July 1, 1867, by the British North America Act.

Ontario is Canada's leading manufacturing province, accounting for 52 percent of total national manufacturing shipments in 2004.

Geography

The province of Ontario consists of three main geographical regions:

  • The thinly populated Canadian Shield in the northwestern and central portions, which covers over half the land area in the province; though mostly infertile land, it is rich in minerals and studded with lakes and rivers.
  • The virtually unpopulated Hudson Bay lowlands in the extreme north and northeast, mainly swampy and sparsely forested
  • The temperate, and therefore most populous region, fertile Great Lakes-Saint Lawrence Valley in the south where agriculture and industry are concentrated. Southern Ontario is sub-divided into four regions; Southwestern Ontario (parts of which were formerly referred to as Western Ontario), the Golden Horseshoe, Central Ontario (although not actually the province's geographic center), and Eastern Ontario.
Ontario's Lake of the Woods.
Lake of the Woods from space.

Despite the absence of any mountainous terrain, there are large areas of uplands, particularly within the Canadian Shield, which traverses the province from northwest to southeast, and also above the Niagara Escarpment, which crosses the south. The highest point is Ishpatina Ridge at 693 m above sea level, located in northeastern Ontario.

The Carolinian forest zone covers most of the southwestern section; its northern extent is part of the Greater Toronto Area at the western end of Lake Ontario. The best-known geographic feature is Niagara Falls, part of the much more extensive Niagara Escarpment. The Saint Lawrence Seaway allows navigation to and from the Atlantic Ocean as far inland as Thunder Bay in northwestern Ontario. Northern Ontario occupies roughly 85 percent of the surface area of the province; conversely, southern Ontario contains 94 percent of the population.

Point Pelee National Park is a peninsula in southwestern Ontario (near Windsor, Ontario, and Detroit, Michigan) that extends into Lake Erie and is the southernmost extent of Canada's mainland. Pelee Island in Lake Erie extends slightly farther. Both are south of 42°N—slightly farther south than the northern border of California.

Lake of the Woods occupies parts of Ontario and Manitoba and the U.S. state of Minnesota. It separates a small land area of Minnesota from the rest of the United States. The lake drains into the Winnipeg River and then into Lake Winnipeg. Ultimately, its outflow goes through the Nelson River to Hudson Bay.

Lake of the Woods is over 70 miles long and wide and contains over 14,552 islands and 65,000 miles (105,000 km) of shoreline, which would amount to the longest coastline of any Canadian lake, except that the lake is not entirely within Canada. The lake's islands provide nesting habitat for the piping plover and large numbers of American white pelicans. There are also several hundred nesting pairs of bald eagles in this area.

Climate

Ontario has three main climate zones. Most of southwestern Ontario has a moderate humid continental climate, similar to that of the inland Mid-Atlantic States and the lower Great Lakes portion of the U.S. Midwest. The region has hot, humid summers and cold winters. It is considered a temperate climate when compared with most of Canada. Throughout the year, but especially in the fall and winter, temperatures are moderated somewhat by the lower Great Lakes, making it considerably milder than the rest of the provinces and allowing for a longer growing season than areas at similar latitudes in the continent's interior. Annual precipitation ranges from 30 inches (750 mm) to 40 inches (1,000 mm) and is well distributed throughout the year, with a summer peak.

The more northern parts of southern Ontario, all of central and eastern Ontario, and the southern parts of northern Ontario have a more severe humid continental climate. This region has warm to hot summers (although somewhat shorter than in southwestern Ontario) with cold and somewhat longer winters and a shorter growing season. Wind-whipped snow squalls or lake effect snow can affect areas as far as 62 miles (100 km) or greater from the shore of Lake Huron, but the heaviest snows usually occur within 12 miles (20 km) from the shoreline. Some snow belt areas receive an annual average of well over 120 inches (300 cm) of snow annually.

The northernmost parts of Ontario have a subarctic climate with long, very cold winters and short, warm summers and dramatic temperature changes from time to time. In the summer, hot weather occasionally reaches even the northernmost parts of Ontario, although humidity is generally lower than in the south. It is not uncommon to see snow on the ground from October to May.

Severe thunderstorms peak in frequency in June and July in most of the province, although in southern Ontario they can occur at any time from March to November due to the collision of colder, Arctic air and warm, often moist Gulf air. The regions most prone to severe weather are southwestern and central Ontario. London has the most lightning strikes per year in Canada, and is also one of the most active areas in the country for storms. Tornadoes are common throughout the province, especially in the southwestern/south-central parts, although they are rarely destructive.

Sandbanks Provincial Park on Lake Ontario
Bruce Peninsula
The Thames River in London, Ontario

History

Pre-1867

Before the arrival of the Europeans, the region was inhabited both by Algonquian (Ojibwa, Cree, and Algonquin) and Iroquoian (Iroquois Confederacy and Huron) peoples. French explorer Étienne Brûlé explored part of the area in 1610-1612. Henry Hudson sailed into Hudson Bay in 1611 and claimed the area for England, but Samuel de Champlain reached Lake Huron in 1615 and French missionaries began to establish posts along the Great Lakes. French settlement was hampered by their hostilities with the Iroquois, who allied themselves with the British.

The British established trading posts on Hudson Bay in the late seventeenth century and began a struggle for domination of Ontario. The 1763 Treaty of Paris ended the Seven Years' War by awarding nearly all of France's North American possessions (New France) to Britain. The region was annexed to Quebec in 1774.

Population growth

Present-day monument to the United Empire Loyalists who settled in Canada after the American Revolution, in Hamilton, Ontario.

From 1783 to 1796, the United Kingdom granted Loyalists leaving the United States following the American Revolution 200 acres (0.8 km²) of land and other items with which to rebuild their lives. This measure substantially increased the population of Canada west of the St. Lawrence-Ottawa River confluence during this period, a fact recognized by the Constitutional Act of 1791, which split Quebec into The Canadas: Upper Canada southwest of the St. Lawrence-Ottawa River confluence, and Lower Canada east of it.

American troops in the War of 1812 invaded Upper Canada across the Niagara and the Detroit Rivers but were successfully defeated and pushed back by British and Native American forces. The Americans gained control of Lake Erie and Lake Ontario, however, and during the Battle of York occupied the town of York (later named Toronto) in 1813. Not able to hold the town, the departing soldiers burned it to the ground.

After the War of 1812, relative stability allowed for increasing numbers of immigrants to arrive from Britain and Ireland. Despite affordable and often free land, many newcomers from Europe found frontier life and the harsh climate difficult, and some of those with the means eventually returned home or went south. However, population growth far exceeded emigration in the decades that would follow.

Ontario's numerous waterways aided travel into the interior and supplied water power for development. As population increased, so did the industries and transportation networks. By the end of the century, Ontario vied with Quebec as the nation's leader in terms of growth in population, industry, arts, and communications.

Many in the colony, however, began to chafe against the aristocratic Family Compact that governed while benefiting economically from the region's resources, and who did not allow elected bodies the power to effect change. This resentment spurred republican ideals and sowed the seeds for early Canadian nationalism. Accordingly, rebellion in favor of responsible government rose in both Upper and Lower Canada.

Although both rebellions were put down in short order, the British government sent Lord Durham to investigate the causes of the unrest. He recommended that self-government be granted and that Lower and Upper Canada be rejoined in an attempt to assimilate the French Canadians. Accordingly, the two colonies were merged into the Province of Canada by the Act of Union (1840). Parliamentary self-government was granted in 1848.

Due to heavy waves of immigration in the 1840s, the population of the western region more than doubled by 1851 over the previous decade, and as a result for the first time the English-speaking population surpassed the French-speaking population in the east, tilting the representative balance of power.

An economic boom in the 1850s coincided with railway expansion across the province, further increasing the economic strength of central Canada.

A political stalemate between the French- and English-speaking legislators, as well as fear of aggression from the United States during the American Civil War, led the political elite to hold a series of conferences in the 1860s to effect a broader federal union of all British North American colonies. The British North America Act took effect on July 1, 1867, establishing the Dominion of Canada, initially with four provinces: Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Quebec, and Ontario. The Province of Canada was divided at this point into Ontario and Quebec so that each linguistic group would have its own province. Both Quebec and Ontario were required to safeguard existing educational rights and privileges of their Protestant and Catholic minorities. Thus, separate Catholic schools and school boards were permitted in Ontario. However, neither province had a constitutional requirement to protect its French- or English-speaking minority. Toronto was formally established as Ontario's provincial capital at this time.

Decentralization (1867 to 1896)

Once constituted as a province, Ontario proceeded to assert its economic and legislative power. In 1872, the lawyer Oliver Mowat became premier and remained as premier until 1896. He fought for provincial rights, weakening the power of the federal government in provincial matters. His battles with the federal government greatly decentralized Canada. He consolidated and expanded Ontario's educational and provincial institutions, created districts in northern Ontario, and fought tenaciously to ensure that those parts of northwestern Ontario not historically part of Upper Canada (the vast areas north and west of the Lake Superior-Hudson Bay watershed), would become part of Ontario, a victory embodied in the Boundary Act (1889). He also presided over the emergence of the province into the economic powerhouse of Canada.

Industrialization (1896 to the present)

Mineral exploitation accelerated in the late nineteenth century, leading to the rise of important mining centers in the northeast. The province harnessed its water power to generate hydroelectric power. The availability of cheap electric power facilitated the development of industry. Ford Motor Company of Canada was established in 1904. General Motors of Canada Ltd. was formed in 1918. The motor vehicle industry would go on to become the most lucrative industry for the Ontario economy.

In July 1912, the Conservative government severely limited the availability of French-language schooling to the province's French-speaking minority. French-Canadians reacted with outrage, and the move was repealed in 1927.

The post-World War II period was one of exceptional prosperity and growth. Ontario, and the Greater Toronto Area in particular, have been the recipients of most immigration to Canada, largely immigrants from war-torn Europe in the 1950s and 1960s and, after changes in federal immigration law, a massive influx of non-Europeans since the 1970s. From a largely ethnically British province, Ontario has rapidly become quite culturally diverse.

The nationalist movement in Quebec, particularly after the election of the Parti Québécois in 1976, contributed to driving many businesses and English-speaking people out of Quebec into Ontario. As a result, Toronto surpassed Montreal as the largest city and economic center of Canada. Depressed economic conditions in the Maritime Provinces also resulted in depopulation of those provinces in the twentieth century, with heavy migration into Ontario.

Government and politics

The Ontario Legislature Building at Queen's Park.

The British North America Act 1867 stipulated a unicameral legislature for Ontario. The Legislative Assembly has 103 seats representing ridings elected in a first-past-the-post system across the province. Following the Westminster system, the leader of the party currently holding the most seats in the assembly is known as the premier. The premier chooses the cabinet or Executive Council.

Politics

Ontario has traditionally operated under a three-party system. In the last few decades the liberal Ontario Liberal Party, conservative Ontario Progressive Conservative Party, and social-democratic Ontario New Democratic Party have all ruled the province at different times.

Ontario is known as the province that offers the strongest support for the Liberal Party of Canada. The majority of the party's present 106 seats in the Canadian House of Commons represent Ontario ridings. As the province has the most seats of any province in Canada, earning support from Ontario voters is considered a crucial matter for any party hoping to win a Canadian federal election.

Economy

Ontario's rivers, including its share of the Niagara River, make it rich in hydroelectric energy. Despite its diverse range of power options, because of problems related to increasing consumption, lack of energy efficiency, and aging nuclear reactors Ontario has been forced in recent years to purchase power from its neighbors, Quebec and Michigan, to supplement its power needs during peak consumption periods.

One London Place, London, Ontario.
The CN Tower in Toronto is the world's tallest freestanding structure on land.

An abundance of natural resources, excellent transportation links to the American heartland and the inland Great Lakes, making ocean access possible via ship containers, have all contributed to making manufacturing the principal industry, found mainly in the "Golden Horseshoe" region, which is the largest industrialized area in Canada. Important products include motor vehicles, iron, steel, food, electrical appliances, machinery, chemicals, and paper.

As a result of steeply declining sales, General Motors and Ford Motor Co. have made thousands of layoffs. In January 2009, GM said it was reducing production at its Oshawa, Ontario, facility. Toyota, however, has built a new plant in Woodstock, and Honda opened a state-of-the art engine plant at its facility in Alliston in September 2008.

Some economists believe that the North American Free Trade Agreement contributed to a decline in manufacturing. The biggest contributing factor is increased globalization, particularly increased manufacturing from China and India, which has led to the de-industrialization of Ontario and the gradual shift to a dominant service-oriented economy. These factors considered, Ontario remains an industrial giant within North America; therefore, its overall economic health is still responsive to changes that occur in this sector.

Toronto, the capital of Ontario, is the center of Canada's financial services and banking industry. Suburban cities in the Greater Toronto Area are large product distribution centers, in addition to having manufacturing industries. The information technology sector is also important, particularly in Markham, Waterloo, and Ottawa. Hamilton is the largest steel manufacturing city in Canada, and Sarnia is a center for petrochemical production. Construction employs at least seven percent of the work force, but due to undocumented workers, the figure is likely over 10 percent. This sector thrived due to steadily increasing new house and condominium construction combined with low mortgage rates and climbing prices, particularly in the Greater Toronto area.

Mining and the forest products industry, notably pulp and paper, are vital to the economy of northern Ontario. More than any other region, tourism contributes heavily to the economy of central Ontario, peaking during the summer months owing to the abundance of fresh water recreation and wilderness found in reasonable proximity to the major urban centers. At other times of the year, hunting, skiing, and snowmobiling are among the draws. This region has some of the most vibrant fall color displays anywhere on the continent and tours directed at overseas visitors are organized to see them. Tourism also plays a key role in border cities with large casinos, among them Windsor and Niagara Falls, which attract many U.S. visitors.

Transportation

Historically, the province has used two major east-west routes, both starting from Montreal in the neighboring province of Quebec. The northerly route, which was pioneered by early French-speaking fur traders, travels northwest from Montreal along the Ottawa River, then continues westward toward Manitoba. The much more heavily traveled southerly route, which was popularized by English-speaking Loyalists from the American colonies and later other European immigrants, travels southwest from Montreal along the Saint Lawrence River, Lake Ontario, and Lake Erie before entering the United States in Michigan. Most of Ontario's major transportation infrastructure is oriented east-west and roughly follows one of these two original routes.

Water transportation
Niagara Falls is a major tourist attraction in Ontario as well as a huge supplier of hydroelectric energy.
The O-Train, Ottawa's light rail train system (LRT).

The St. Lawrence Seaway, which extends across most of the southern portion of the province and connects to the Atlantic Ocean, is the primary water transportation route for cargo, particularly iron ore and grain. In the past, the Great Lakes and Saint Lawrence River were also a major passenger transportation route, but over the past half century they have been nearly totally supplanted by vehicle, rail, and air travel.

Rail transportation

Via Rail operates the inter-regional passenger train service on the Quebec City-Windsor Corridor. In addition Amtrak connects Ontario with key New York cities, including Buffalo, Albany, and New York City. Ontario Northland provides rail service to destinations as far north as Moosonee near James Bay. Freight rail is dominated by the founding cross-country CN and CP rail companies, which during the 1990s sold many short rail lines from their vast network to private companies operating mostly in the south. Regional commuter rail is limited to the provincially owned GO Transit, which serves a train/bus network spanning the Golden Horseshoe region, with its hub in Toronto. The TTC in Toronto operates the province's only subway and streetcar system, one of the busiest in North America. Outside of Toronto, the O-Train LRT line operates in Ottawa, with ongoing expansion of the current line and proposals for additional lines.

Air transportation

Lester B. Pearson International Airport is the nation's busiest and the world's 29th busiest, handling over 30 million passengers per year. Other important airports include Ottawa International Airport and John C. Munro International Airport in Hamilton, which is an important courier and freight aviation center. Most Ontario cities have regional airports. Isolated towns and settlements in the northern areas of the province rely partly or entirely on air service for travel, goods, and even ambulance services, since much of the far northern area of the province cannot be reached by road or rail.

Agriculture

Once the dominant industry, agriculture occupies a small percentage of the population. The number of farms decreased from 68,633 in 1991 to 59,728 in 2001, but farms have increased in average size and many are becoming more mechanized. Cattle, grains, and dairy were the common types of farms in the 2001 census. The fruit, grape, and vegetable growing industry is located primarily on the Niagara Peninsula and along Lake Erie, where tobacco farms are also situated. Tobacco production has decreased leading to an increase in some other new crop alternatives gaining popularity, such as hazelnuts and ginseng. The Ontario origins of Massey-Ferguson Ltd., once one of the largest farm implement manufacturers in the world, indicate the importance agriculture once had to the Ontario economy.

Southern Ontario's limited supply of agricultural land is going out of production at an increasing rate. Urban sprawl and farmland severances (authorized separations into smaller adjoining properties) contribute to the loss of thousands of acres of productive agricultural land in Ontario each year.

Demographics

The majority of Ontarians are of British (English, Scottish, Welsh) and Irish ancestry.

The majority are Christian, with a larger number of Roman Catholics Protestants. A large number report no religious affiliation.

The vast majority of Ontarians are of British or other European descent. Slightly less than 5 percent of the population of Ontario is Franco-Ontarian, that is those whose native tongue is French, although those with French ancestry account for 11 percent of the population. Ontario has no official language, but English is considered the de facto language. Numerous French-language services are available under the French Language Services Act of 1990 in designated areas where sizable francophone populations exist.

Immigration is a huge population growth force in Ontario as it has been over the last two centuries, in relation to natural increase or inter-provincial migration. More recent sources of immigrants, with already large or growing communities in Ontario include Caribbeans (a majority of whom are Jamaicans), South Asians (for example, Pakistanis, Indians, Bangladeshis, and Sri Lankans), East Asians (mostly Chinese and Filipinos), Central/South Americans, Eastern Europeans such as Russians and Bosnians, and groups from Iran, Somalia, and West Africa. Most groups have settled in the Greater Toronto area. A smaller number have settled in other cities such as London, Kitchener, Hamilton, and Ottawa.

Education

Elementary and secondary

The Ministry of Education has three core priorities: Providing higher levels of student achievement, reducing gaps in achievement, and increasing confidence in publicly funded education.[3]

More than 540,000 primary students are now in classes of 20 or fewer, compared to only 166,000 students five years ago. Elementary teachers receive more support for teaching reading, writing, and math. Focused high school programs will give students more choices and opportunities to explore careers. This includes specialist high skills majors and dual credits, which have helped raise the graduation rate to 75 percent. Since 2003, the ministry has funded more than 200 new schools and nearly 12,000 renovation projects.

Higher education

In Ontario, higher education includes postsecondary education and skills training regulated by the Ministry of Training, Colleges, and Universities and provided by universities, colleges of applied arts and technology, and private career colleges. The ministry administers laws covering 22 public universities, 17 privately funded degree-granting institutions, 24 colleges, and over 500 private career colleges.

The Canadian constitution provides each province with the responsibility for higher education, and there is no corresponding national federal ministry of higher education.

Ontario has two types of publicly funded community colleges: Colleges of Applied Arts and Technology and Institutes of Technology and Advanced Learning. Some courses of study lead to official certifications in skilled trades that are regulated by professional associations. Institutes of Technology and Advanced Learning offer a limited number of degree programs, either in conjunction with a nearby university or on their own.

Most of these colleges were founded in the 1960s, after Ontario's then Minister of Education, William Grenville Davis, announced a plan to create a post-secondary educational system different from that of universities. As of the early 2000s, these colleges may—and many do—offer one or more bachelor's programs in an applied area of study.

Culture

The National Arts Centre in Ottawa is Canada's largest showcase for the performing arts. Home of the National Arts Centre Orchestra, it also features opera, ballet, and contemporary dance as well as theater in both English and French.

Toronto attracts the third largest theater-going audience in the English-speaking world. Drama, Broadway shows, and major international musicals are all performed in downtown theaters. One of Canada's most influential alternative theaters, Theatre Passe Muraille, is also located in Toronto. The city also boasts a world-class symphony as well as outstanding opera and ballet companies.

The Art Gallery of Ontario is the tenth largest art museum in North America, home to more than 40,000 works representing almost 2,000 years of art. It also houses the world's largest public collection of Henry Moore sculptures. The National Gallery of Canada in Ottawa maintains a collection of historic and contemporary works of art, many with special reference to Canada. Hundreds of museums throughout the province provide diverse cultural experiences and showcase special interests.

Each year, jazz festivals are held in Orillia and Toronto and classical music festivals in Elora. Theater productions are presented at the Shaw Festival in Niagara-on-the-Lake and at the Stratford Festival, North America's largest classical repertory theater.

Ontario's ethnic diversity is celebrated with many local festivals, such as the Scottish Highland Games in Fergus and Maxville, Toronto International Carnival (one of North America's biggest cultural street festivals, attracting one million revelers each year) and the Oktoberfest in Kitchener-Waterloo.

Tourism and recreation

Northern Ontario offers the visitor lakes and rivers, the boreal forest, mountains and hills, skiing, snowshoeing, hiking trails, and other outdoor pursuits.

Looking ahead

Toronto, Ontario's capital city and Canada's largest metropolis

The government's economic development plan focuses on new technologies as well as attracting investment in existing industries, such as automotive production. [4] This includes promoting electric vehicles, through efforts such as City of Toronto's Consolidated Green Fleet Plan.[5]

Notes

  1. Population and Dwelling Count Highlight Tables, 2016 Census Statistics Canada. Retrieved March 15, 2019.
  2. Gross domestic product, expenditure-based, by province and territory (2015) Statistics Canada. Retrieved March 15, 2019.
  3. About the Ministry Ontario Ministry of Education. Retrieved March 15, 2019.
  4. John Irwin, Ontario releases plans for encouraging auto investment Automotive News, February 14, 2019. Retrieved March 15, 2019.
  5. City paves the way for a greener fleet with new electric vehicles EE Online, September 26, 2017. Retrieved March 15, 2019.

References
ISBN links support NWE through referral fees

  • Ciment, James (ed.). Colonial America: An Encyclopedia of Social, Political, Cultural, and Economic History. New York, NY: M.E. Sharpe, 2006. ISBN 0521232287
  • Library and Archives Canada. Virtual Vault. Retrieved March 15, 2019.
  • Taylor, Alan. The Divided Ground: Indians, Settlers and the Northern Borderland of the American Revolution. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2006. ISBN 978-0679454717
  • Tobin, Jacqueline, and Hettie Jones. From Midnight to Dawn: The Last Tracks of the Underground Railroad. New York: Doubleday, 2007. ISBN 978-0385514316

External links

All links retrieved November 17, 2022.


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