Toronto is the capital of Ontario, the largest province of Canada by population, and the country's largest city. Ottawa is the capital of Canada and is also located in Ontario
on the banks of the Ottawa River. Ontario borders the Great Lakes on the south and Hudson's Bay on the north. Much of the northern half of Ontario is part of the Canadian Shield: sparsely settled,
with tundra in the far north and boreal forests in the south. The Hudson Bay Lowlands are virtually unpopulated and swamps cover much of the area.
Southern Ontario, south of the French River is the more temperate region around the Great Lakes and along the Saint Lawrence Valley, and is where the bulk of the population, industry, and
agriculture is concentrated. Southern Ontario is traditionally divided into four regions: Southwestern Ontario, The Golden Horseshoe, Central Ontario, and Eastern Ontario. Fishing, hiking,
Southwestern Ontario has three significant metropolitan areas: Kitchener, London, and Windsor. Agriculture, manufacturing, and high-tech, are the principal industries. The tourist will be most
interested in the many wineries, the Doon Heritage Crossroads, and a trip to the Historic Gaol with its octagonal shaped architecture is interesting. Port Stanley is a quaint fishing village on
Lake Erie with sandy beaches and a thriving art colony. Sauble Beach is all about sand and the warm waters of Lake Huron in the summer. Visit Port Rowan's grist mill.
The Golden Horseshoe is a heavily populated and industrialized area along the shore of Lake Ontario, stretching from Niagara Falls in the east to Toronto in the west. The Royal Botanical Gardens
in Burlington have the largest collection of lilacs and roses in the world. In summer, the city of Hamilton looks out over Lake Ontario dotted with sailboats and wind surfers. Do lunch in one of
Guelph's cafes,
Central Ontario is where the cities of Barrie and Peterborough are located, both of which are linked economically to Toronto while being significant urban centers in their own right. Sometimes
referred to as "Cottage Country," Algonquin Provincial Park is located here and the province is spanned by the Trent-Severn Waterway which connects Lake Ontario with Georgian Bay.
Lodged between the Ottawa and Saint Lawrence rivers is the area known as Eastern Ontario. Sixty percent of the population of Eastern Ontario lives in and around the city of Ottawa. Much of the
remainder of the region depends on agriculture and tourism. Webster's Falls on the Niagara Escarpment exhibits the beauty of a picture book drawing at its top and a darker, wilderness at the
bottom in Spencer Gorge. Rattlesnake Point provides visitors with breathtaking views of the Escarpment.
|
