Ontario Geography: A Comprehensive Overview of Canada's Largest Province

Geography of Ontario Browse the article Geography of Ontario

Introduction to Geography of Ontario

Ontario, the most populous and second largest province of Canada. It lies between Quebec on the east and Manitoba on the west, just north of the Great Lakes. Ontario is the only province touching the Great Lakes; it borders on all of them except Lake Michigan.

Ontario has played a dominant role in building the nation and in the development of its institutions. The national capital, Ottawa, is in Ontario.

Ontario's provincial bird is the loon.Ontario in briefGeneral informationEntered the Dominion: July 1, 1867, as one of the original four provinces.Provincial abbreviation: ON (postal).Provincial capital: Toronto, the capital since 1867. The region had several other capitals as Upper Canada and part of the Province of Canada.Provincial motto: Ut Incepit Fidelis Sic Permanet (Loyal She Began, Loyal She Remains).Symbols of OntarioProvincial flag and shield: Ontario's provincial flag, adopted in 1965, bears the British union flag and the shield of Ontario. The shield has the cross of St. George, representing the province's ties with England. The three maple leaves symbolize Canada. The crest is a bear atop a wreath of green and gold. A moose and a deer support the shield. The shield was granted by royal warrant in 1868. The crest and supporters were granted in 1909.Floral emblem: White trillium.Land and climateArea: 412,581 mi2 (1,068,580 km2), including 68,491 mi2 (177,390 km2) of inland water.Elevation: Highest--2,275 ft (693 m) above sea level in Timiskaming District. Lowest--sea level.Coastline: 752 mi (1,210 km).Record high temperature: 108 °F (42 °C) at Biscotasing on July 20, 1919, at Atikokan on July 11 and 12, 1936, and at Fort Frances on July 13, 1936.Record low temperature: –73 °F (–58 °C) at Iroquois Falls on Jan. 23, 1935.Average July temperature: 66 °F (19 °C).Average January temperature: 9 °F (–13 °C).Average yearly precipitation: 31 in (79 cm).PeoplePopulation: 12,160,282 (2006 census).Rank among the provinces: 1st.Density: 29 per mi2 (11 per km2), provinces average 13 per mi2 (5 per km2).Distribution: 85 percent urban, 15 percent rural.Largest cities and towns: Toronto (2,503,281); Ottawa (812,129); Mississauga (668,549); Hamilton (504,559); Brampton (433,806); London (352,395) .EconomyChief productsAgriculture: milk, beef cattle, hogs, corn, soybeans, chickens and eggs, ornamental plants.Manufacturing: transportation equipment, metal products, food and beverage products, chemicals, electronic equipment.Mining: gold, nickel, cement, petroleum, sand and gravel, stone.GovernmentProvincial governmentPremier: term of 4 years.Members of the Legislative Assembly: 103, terms of 4 years.Federal governmentMembers of the House of Commons: 106 .Members of the Senate: 24.Sources of informationFor information about tourism in Ontario, write to: Ontario Tourism Marketing Partnership Corporation, 10th Floor, Hearst Block, 900 Bay Street, Toronto ON M7A 2E1. The Web site at http://www.ontariotravel.net also provides information on tourism in the province. For information on Ontario's economy, government, and history, write to: Citizens' Inquiry Bureau, Room M1-52, MacDonald Block, 900 Bay Street, Toronto ON M7A 1N3. The Ontario government's Web site at http://www.gov.on.ca also provides a gateway to much information on the province's economy, government, and history.

Physical Geography

Ontario is a province in the south-central region of Canada.Land

Ontario lies within three distinct regions: the Canadian Shield (or Laurentian Plateau), the Great Lakes–St. Lawrence Lowland, and the Hudson Bay Lowland.

The Canadian Shield spans all the province except the north and the extreme southeast. It is an area of geologically ancient rock, dating from Precambrian times. Surface features stem mainly from the last Ice Age, when advancing and retreating glaciers scoured the land. On their retreat, they left a poorly drained land studded with thousands of lakes and laced by rivers. Forests and lakes cover most of this region; in some sections muskegs (bogs) are widespread. Settlements are found mainly along Lakes Huron and Superior and in scattered mining and lumbering areas in the interior.

Although the Canadian Shield appears to be flat, it rises gently southward. The highest point in the province is north of Sudbury, where the Shield reaches an elevation of 2,275 feet (693 m).

The Great Lakes–St. Lawrence Lowland, in the southeast, is made up of two parts—the valley of the St. Lawrence River and a peninsular area wedged between Lakes Ontario, Erie, and Huron. Separating the two sections is a low, narrow extension of the Canadian Shield that connects with the Adirondack Mountains in New York. The Thousand Islands, in the St. Lawrence River, are outcroppings of the Shield. Level to rolling land prevails throughout the lowland, although there are hilly uplands and escarpments. At one, the Niagara Escarpment, is the mighty Niagara Falls. The Great Lakes–St. Lawrence Lowland region is Canada's leading center of population, agriculture, industry, and commerce.

The Hudson Bay Lowland is a low-lying plain fringing Hudson and James bays in the north. Its surface is exceptionally flat and often marshy, for it consists of marine deposits that were raised above sea level in very recent geologic time. Scrubby forests cover much of the region; tundra vegetation of mosses, lichens, and other extremely hardy small plants occurs in the far north.

Interesting facts about OntarioThe Dionne quintuplets were born in a farmhouse near Callander in 1934. They were the first quintuplets known to live more than a few days after birth. All five girls were identical. There had been only two previous cases of identical quintuplets in medical history.Insulin, a hormone that regulates the body's use of sugar, was discovered in 1921 at the University of Toronto by Frederick G. Banting, Charles H. Best, John J. R. Macleod, and James B. Collip.The Ambassador Bridge connecting Windsor and Detroit, Mich., is the world's longest international suspension bridge. It has a span of 1,850 feet (564 meters).The CN (Canadian National) tower in Toronto is the world's tallest freestanding structure. The tower rises, 1,815 feet (553 meters) and is used for broadcasting and observation.Ontario's provincial tree is the white pine.Water

About 17 per cent of Ontario is covered by inland water, nearly all of which is accounted for by the Great Lakes and the lakes of the Canadian Shield. On the Shield the largest lakes are Lake Nipigon; Lake of the Woods, which Ontario shares with Manitoba and Minnesota; Lac Seul; and Lake Nipissing.

Slightly more than three-fifths of the land is drained by rivers flowing northward to Hudson and James bays; the rest by rivers flowing southward to the Great Lakes–St. Lawrence system. Except for the Ottawa River, a major tributary of the St. Lawrence, the northern rivers are longest. These include the Severn, Albany, Attawapiskat, and Moose-Mattagami rivers. Southern rivers, particularly the Niagara, the Ottawa, and the St. Lawrence, are chief sources of hydroelectric power.

Climate

Ontario has a continental type of climate, the result mainly of the province's northerly location in the North American land mass. Only in the south, especially the southeast, is the tempering effect of the Great Lakes felt. Winters are long and often severely cold. Average January temperatures range from about –20° F. (–29° C.) in the extreme north to around 0° F. (–18° C.) in the central part and 25° F. (–4° C.) along the lake shores in the southeast. Summers are short and vary from warm in the south to cool in the north. Average July temperatures range from about 55° F. (13° C.) in the far north to 70° F. (21° C.) in the extreme south.

Precipitation increases southward, varying from 15 inches (380 mm) annually near Hudson Bay to almost 40 inches (1,010 mm) in the southeast. Snowfall is heavy throughout most of the settled area, averaging some 70 to 120 inches (1,780 to 3,050 mm) a year. The far north receives less.

Natural Vegetation

About two-fifths of Ontario is covered by forests, almost all of which are owned by the provincial government. Though most have potential use, only forests in the more accessible areas have been logged. Forests on the Canadian Shield consist primarily of virgin stands of coniferous trees, mainly spruces, larches, firs, and pines They extend northward hundreds of miles and become increasingly thinner and poorer in quality in the northern parts of the Shield. There are no trees in the far north, only tundra vegetation. In the south near the Great Lake, the forests contain increasing numbers of broad-leaved deciduous trees.

Ontario's provincial flower is the white trillium.

Economy

Ontario is the most industrialized province of Canada and accounts for more of the nation's gross domestic product—about 40 per cent—than any other province. Some of the leading economic activities are manufacturing, services, farming, mining, and lumbering. Also important are retail and wholesale trade. The province has abundant natural resources, hydroelectric power, and skilled labor. Its location on the Great Lakes and its easy access to large markets in the United States and Canada also contribute to its economic strength. Southeastern Ontario is the most highly developed part of the province. Many United States companies and other foreign firms have invested heavily in Ontario. The province is Canada's chief financial center. Most of the nation's largest banks have headquarters in Toronto.

Manufacturing

Ontario accounts for about half of Canada's manufactured goods by value and has about half of the nation's factory workers. The chief industry is the manufacturing of automobiles, automobile parts, and other transportation equipment. The automobile industry is closely linked to its counterpart in the United States. Other major manufacturing activities include the production of foods and beverages; metals; electrical appliances and equipment; chemicals; paper, particularly newsprint; machinery; petroleum products; and rubber and plastic goods. Many of Ontario's manufactured products are exported in substantial amounts.

The greatest concentration of manufacturing facilities is along the western shore of Lake Ontario, particularly the Toronto-Hamilton area. Toronto and its suburbs form the largest and most diversified manufacturing area in Canada. Hamilton is the nation's chief producer of iron and steel. The province's largest industrial center outside of the Lake Ontario area is Windsor, opposite Detroit.

Agriculture

Only about five per cent of the land is farmed, yet Ontario produces much of Canada's farm goods. Farming is limited almost entirely to the southeast, where climate and soils are favorable to the production of a great variety of crops. The growing season here lasts up to 180 days, about twice as long as in northern regions. Farms are moderately large and highly mechanized.

Ontario has a large number of commercial livestock farms and many dairy farms. Beef, pork, poultry, dairy products, and eggs are major farm products. Hay and other forage crops, corn, and wheat are widely grown. Ontario produces a number of crops that are not grown in sizable amounts elsewhere in Canada. Among them are tobacco and soybeans.

Apples are widely grown. The Niagara Peninsula accounts for most of Canada's output of grapes, peaches, and strawberries. A variety of vegetables are grown.

Mining

For many years, until overtaken by petroleum-rich Alberta in the early 1970's, Ontario was Canada's leading province in the production of minerals. It still provides roughly 40 per cent of Canada's metallic minerals.

Most of Ontario's mineral production consists of metals from the Canadian Shield. Nickel and gold accounts for a large part of the province's total mineral output. Copper, zinc, silver, and platinum are also of major importance. The rest of Ontario's mineral production consists largely of clay, sand and gravel, and stone. There is very little production of mineral fuels.

Lumbering

Lumbering is carried on in many parts of central and southern Ontario, especially where rivers and lakes make it possible to float logs to mills. The annual cut is used mostly for making pulp and paper, particularly newsprint. Lumber, plywood, and veneers are also produced. Conifers provide most of the wood.

Fisheries and Furs

Ontario accounts for much of Canada's commercial freshwater fish. The catch comes mainly from the Great Lakes and consists chiefly of perch, smelt, whitefish, pickerel, and pike. Economically, sport fishing is considerably more important than commercial fishing. Countless anglers are attracted to the province's many lakes, rivers, fishing camps, and resorts.

Ontario is Canada's leading fur-producing province. Trapping accounts for the greatest number of pelts, but pelts of animals raised on fur farms, especially mink, provide greater overall revenue.

Transportation

Ontario has excellent land, water, and air transportation in the central and southern parts of the province, particularly in the southeast. Settlements in the north are accessible only by air.

Ontario leads all provinces in railway mileage. Trackage is mainly that of the Canadian National Railway, Canadian Pacific Railway, and VIA Rail.

The highway network is a fine and extensive route in Canada. The chief routes are the Trans-Canada Highway and the modern expressways along the shores of Lakes Erie and Ontario.

The Welland Canal is a vital link in the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway. By tonnage, the chief ports are Thunder Bay, Hamilton, Nanticoke, Sarnia, Sault Ste. Marie, and Windsor.

Toronto Pearson International Airport, near Toronto, is the busiest air terminal in Canada. There is also a major international airport at Ottawa.

The People

The greater part of the people in Ontario are of British descent. Others have Scottish, Irish, French, or German ancestry. There are some 130,000 North American Indians.

Nearly all of Ontario's largest cities and towns are in the extreme southeast. Less than one-fifth of the people live in rural areas.

Annual events in OntarioJanuary-MarchWiarton Willie Festival (January-February); Ontario Winter Carnival Bon Soo in Sault Ste. Marie (January-February).April-JuneDoors Open Ontario provincewide (April-October); Canadian Tulip Festival in Ottawa (May); Thunder Bay Kite Festival (May); Welland Rose Festival (June); Burlington’s Sound of Music Festival (June); Festival de la St. Jean Baptiste in Kapuskasing (June); Oakville Waterfront Festival (June); Mississauga Waterfront Festival (June-July)July-SeptemberCanada Day Celebration in Oshawa (July); Kingston Buskers Rendezvous (July); Toronto Bluesfest (July); Kapuskasing Lumberjack Heritage Festival (July); Canal Days Marine Heritage Festival in Port Colborne (July-August); Fergus Scottish Festival and Highland Games (August); Dockside Festival of the Arts in Gravenhurst (August); Canadian National Exhibition in Toronto (August-September); Tecumseh Corn Festival (August); Winona Peach Festival (August); Niagara Grape and Wine Festival in St. Catharines (September).October-DecemberPort Elgin Pumpkinfest (October); Ball’s Falls Thanksgiving Festival in Jordan (October); Bala Cranberry Festival (October); Simcoe Christmas Panorama (November-January); Winter Festival of Lights in Niagara Falls (November-January).Language and Religion

English is the predominant language of the province. Approximately 75 per cent of (he people speak English only; nearly 5 per cent speak only French; about 3 per cent speak both languages; and some 17 per cent speak other languages. The major religious denominations are Roman Catholic, United Church of Canada, and Anglican.

Education

Schooling is free and attendance compulsory from age 6 to 16. Elementary and secondary education is provided in public schools, separate Roman Catholic and Protestant schools, and private schools. The public and separate schools are supported by local taxation and provincial grants and are administered by locally elected school boards. The Ministry of Education has overall direction of education in the province.

The University of Toronto, founded in 1827, is the provincial university. Several private colleges and universities are affiliated or federated with it. Other leading institutions of higher learning include Carleton University and the University of Ottawa (both located in Ottawa), McMaster University (Hamilton), Queen's University (Kingston), University of Western Ontario (London), University of Guelph, University of Waterloo, York University (Toronto), and University of Windsor. The Royal Military College of Canada, established in 1876, is in Kingston.

Universities and colleges in OntarioThis table lists the universities and colleges in Ontario that grant bachelor's or advanced degrees and are members of the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada.NameMailing addressBrescia College LondonBrock University St. CatharinesCarleton University OttawaDominican University College OttawaGuelph, University of GuelphHuron University College LondonKing's University College LondonLakehead University Thunder BayLaurentian University of Sudbury SudburyMcMaster University HamiltonNipissing University North BayOttawa, University of OttawaQueen's University at Kingston KingstonRedeemer University College AncasterRoyal Military College of Canada KingstonRyerson University TorontoSt. Jerome’s University WaterlooSt. Michael's College, University of TorontoSt. Paul University OttawaSudbury, University of SudburyToronto, University of TorontoTrent University PeterboroughTrinity College, University of TorontoVictoria University TorontoWaterloo, University of WaterlooWestern Ontario, University of LondonWilfrid Laurier University WaterlooWindsor, University of WindsorYork University Toronto

Government

Ontario's Provincial Parliament Buildings are in Toronto, the capital since 1867.

Ontario's official heard of government is the lieutenant governor, appointed by the federal government to represent the British Crown. The lieutenant governor, however, has only nominal powers and can act only on the advice of the executive council, or cabinet, which is led by the premier.

The legislature is the single-house Legislative Assembly. It has 103 members elected by voters aged 18 years and older. Elections must be held at least once every four years. The premier and the executive council are chosen from members of the majority party (or coalition of parties) in the legislature and are responsible to it.

The provincial judiciary is headed by the Court of Appeal. The Court of Appeal hears cases on appeal from the Court of Justice. Lower courts include county, district, and division courts. Judges of the upper courts are appointed by the federal government; other judges are appointed by the province.

On the local government level, Ontario is divided into counties and metropolitan, regional, and district municipalities. These units of government are generally responsible for such matters as taxation, police protection, roads, and sanitation for the smaller units within their boundaries. The smaller constituent units—cities, towns, villages, or townships—usually provide the remaining services for their residents. The largely unsettled area of Ontario is under direct provincial control.

Ontario is represented in the Canadian Parliament by 24 senators and 99 members of the House of Commons.