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Ontario

Toronto, Ontario | Photo: Berkay Gumustekin, Unsplash

Toronto, Ontario

Introduction to Ontario

Ontario (ON) is the province with the highest population and second largest total area in Canada. Some people confuse the province’s capital city, Toronto (which is also Canada's largest city) with Canada’s capital, which is Ottawa, Ontario. About 80% of Ontario’s population lives in the southern part of the province.

Ontario's varied landscape includes the Canadian Shield across its centre. There is fertile farmland (Niagara Fruit Belt) in the south and the grassy lowlands in the north. The province has over 250,000 lakes, about a third of the world's fresh water.

The economy in northern Ontario is based on natural resources (forestry, mining) while southern Ontario is heavily industrialized.

Ontario is one of the four provinces that established the Dominion of Canada (British North America Act) on July 1, 1867.

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Locations in Ontario

Travel

Cities, Towns & Communities

Parks

NP: National Parks
PP: Provincial Parks
RP: Regional Parks

Algonquin PP

Bruce Peninsula NP

Ontario Parks

Point Pelee NP

 

Did you know?

Ontario Trivia

Flag
Coat of arms
Symbols
Flower is White Trillium
Bird is Common Loon

Nicknames
The Heartland Province
The Province of Opportunity

Provincial slogans
Loyal she began, loyal she remains
A Place to Stand (Expo 67)

License plate slogans
Yours to Discover (1982 to 2020)
A Place to Grow (current)

News
CBC | CTV Toronto | CTV Northern | Global

Other resources
Books about Ontario
Discover Southern Ontario
Indigenous Canada
Northeastern Ontario blog
Ontario Away
Ontario Canada Travel
Ontario Explorer

Ontario Facts

Date ON entered confederation

July 1, 1867

Area of ON

1,076,395 sq km (415,598 sq miles)
(Natural Resources Canada, 2001)
Ontario is Canada's second largest province

Topography

Ontario is made up of Canadian Shield, borders on four of the five Great Lakes. It has 177,398 sq km (68,490 sq miles) made up of 250,000 lakes (one third of the world's fresh water)

Capital city of ON

Toronto

Population of ON

14,223,942(Statistics Canada, 2021 Census)

Residents are known as

Ontarians

Indigenous people of ON

Six Nations, Ontario First Nations Map
(see also Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada and Indigenous Services Canada)

Main ON industries

Manufacturing and service sectors

ON statutory holidays (in addition to national holidays)

Family Day (third Monday in February)

Professional sports teams

Hamilton Tiger Cats (football)
Ottawa Redblacks (football)
Ottawa Senators (ice hockey)
Toronto Argonauts (football)
Toronto Blue Jays (baseball)
Toronto Maple Leafs (ice hockey)
Toronto Raptors (basketball)
 

Ontario 775px

Climate

Most of Ontario has hot humid summers with tropical-like thunderstorms and cold winters. In the Great Lakes region, there is a snow belt that receives up to 3m (10ft) of snow during the winter. Northern Ontario is affected by arctic air.
 

Time zone

Most of Ontario is on Eastern Standard Time (EST). Some of Western/Northern Ontario (for example, Kenora) is on Central Standard Time (CST).
 

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