51 Ontario Facts : Things To Know About 'A Place To Grow'

Based on the rule of law and the respect for rights and freedoms, Canada follows a constitutional monarchy where the monarch is the head of the state.

Canada follows strong democratic traditions and functions within the framework of parliamentary democracy and a federal system of parliamentary government. The authority is derived from the Canadian people, and the government acts in the name of the Crown.

Canada is divided into ten different provinces within the geographic areas of the nation. The Constitution Act of 1867 provides the guidelines to govern the provinces. The provinces are considered sovereign based on how the responsibilities are divided among the federal and provincial governments based on the Constitution Act.

The lieutenant governor represents each province, which is actually a ceremonial position on behalf of the Crown, that does not have any real political power. Parliament is Canada's legislature, the federal institution to make laws, raises taxes, and authorizes government spending.

The Parliament of Canada consists of the Senate, composed of individuals who represent Canada's provinces and territories and are appointed by the Governor-General. Canadians eligible for voting elect the members of the House of Commons.

History Of Ontario

Étienne Brûlé was the first French explorer to travel through southern Ontario. In 1611 Henry Hudson, a mariner and explorer laid claim to the Hudson Bay area for Great Britain.

In 1649 during a conflict with Huron, a trader and French supporter, the Iroquois warriors destroyed North America's first inland French settlement. Iroquois led more revolts against the French and other First Nation groups during the coming decades.

Sault Ste Marie became the first permanent European community in present-day Ontario in 1668. The small northern settlement of Moose Factory is the oldest English-speaking community in Ontario and was founded as a Hudson's Bay Company trading post in 1730.

After the seven years of war in 1763 and the American Revolution in 1776, present-day Ontario became a home for settlers loyal to the British Crown. The cheap land of Ontario attracted about 9,000 loyalist settlers.

The present-day Ontario was officially named Upper Canada in 1791, and the French-speaking Quebec was called Lower Canada. In 1796 the small settlement of York became the capital of Upper Canada and changed its name to Toronto.

The parliamentary deadlock between East Canada and West Canada finally ended, and both agreed to form a federal union with other British North American colonies. These two colonies, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, joined Quebec and Ontario to create a new nation of Canada in 1867.

Ottawa's Parliament Hill became the country's new seat of government, and in 1875 construction of the first Canadian Pacific Railway began. In 1976 the tall CN Tower became the world's tallest free-standing structure in Toronto and this modern city's prominent landmark.

Though Alberta has now surpassed Ontario as the most prosperous province, immigrants still choose Ontario due to its central location and status as a multicultural city.

Geography And Climate

The landscape of Ontario is the most varied than any other Canadian province. More than 65% of the province falls under the Canadian Shield. Excluding the Hudson Bay lowlands, the Canadian Shield covers most of the North. The Eastern Ontario plain lies between St Lawrence and the Ottawa rivers.

You can find the belted rolling plains and hills from Kingston towards the west. Ontario is consonantly flat towards the extreme southwestern region. The Niagara Escarpment extends from Niagara north through Manitoulin Island in Georgian Bay until Tobermory.

The rocks of the Canadian Shield belong to the Precambrian era (542 million to four billion years ago) and are the oldest found on Earth. The formation of these rocks contains vast mineral deposits that contribute considerably to Northern Ontario's economy.

The sedimentary limestone, sandstone, and shale found in Southern Ontario are comparatively more recent than the Shield and are dated (485 million to 359 million years ago). The outcrops of these rocks are rare, apart from the others, the Niagara Escarpment.

Ontario, once upon a time, was covered in ice. The last ice sheet covering the province receded about 11,000 years ago and carved many of the lakes in the North, such as Lake Ontario and Lake Erie.

As the geography evolved and the rivers that drained left behind carvings of a sand base, most of the roads were located beside these sand bases. The rivers like the Grand River, which drained the lakes, now flow through the wide valleys.

A wide range of climates is experienced in Ontario. The temperature reaches above 86 F (30 C) during the summer and falls to -40 F (-40 C) in winter, with variations throughout the province.

In the Great lakes in southwestern Ontario and below the Niagara Escarpment, the temperatures recorded are the highest during winter.

In this part of the province during January, the daily mean temperatures range from 26.6 F (-3 C) near Windsor to 25.34 F (-3.7 C) in Toronto. In July, the area between Chatham and Windsor is warmest.

Winters are stormy and severe in this province and fall under the Snow Belt. Areas around Parry Sound and west of Sault Ste.

Marie records snowfall over 8.2 ft (250 cm), and in the areas around Toronto and Hamilton, the partial rain shadow of Niagara Escarpment receives less than 4.9 ft (150 cm) snowfall annually.

Language, Religion, And Culture

Anyone with minimal knowledge of English can survive in Canada and hence can quickly adapt to the culture of the country of Canada. The population of Canada has never been divided, making it very easy for immigrants to embrace the country's culture.

Canada's most commonly spoken languages are English and French, making them the nation's official languages. All the laws, state documents, and official literature must be in both English and French. Other unrecognized languages include Ukrainian, Italian, Spanish, Punjabi, and Chinese.

The linguistic integrity of the nation is always restored because the children of the immigrants tend to speak English and French. Most French people live in Quebec and Manitoba, and the English-speaking population lives in Montreal.

There are many variants of pronunciation in English that have evolved due to the mixture of British and American slang. Due to the influx of Chinese, a particular dialect of Chinese is also heard in Vancouver, Montreal, and Toronto.

You will also find native speakers who speak the ancient language Inuktitut, the traditional language of the Eskimos.

 Religion has neither been a cult nor a main thing in the lives of Canadians. Moreover, Canadians prefer the separation of Churches from the state; hence there are no religious confrontations in Canadian society. Geographically, Canada is a vast country, the religion is also diverse, and 77% of the population are believers and Christians.

Due to the country's political culture and predominance of religion, many religions are unrecognized but freely followed. Christianity is divided into Catholics, Protestants, and Orthodox.

Islam is also widely spread, and the followers are from poor Arab countries who immigrated to Canada during the past decades.

You can also find the Jews, Buddhists, and other religious followers who immigrated to the country in the earlier days. About 10% of the population are unbelievers, and not all are atheists. Many call themselves humanists who are tolerant of all religions and do not follow.

The Atheists generally live in large cities like Toronto, Vancouver, and Montreal. Due to the influence of the neighboring countries, there has been an increase of atheists in the nation and spread over to America and Europe.

Canadians are humble, polite, and friendly by nature. The Canadians will always stand by the door to welcome you. Canadians are very proud to be Canadians, and never are they exclusive to themselves.

The beauty of living in Canada is that though you are an immigrant, you will still be identified as a Canadian.

At the slightest opportunity, they will show their commitment to unity. Interacting with different cultures can be confusing; however, Canadians have consistently shown the spirit to love and respect everyone. 

Cities & Towns

Canada is best known for its multicultural places in the world; they welcome immigrants from all over the globe to settle in their country. More than 20% of the population of Canada is foreign-born. Ontario is the largest province in Canada, with more than 14 million.

Ontario has 52 cities and 444 municipalities having town status. Toronto is the capital city of Ontario and Canada's most populous municipality, with over 3 million people residing in this vibrant, diverse city. More than 51% of the population of Toronto are immigrants.

Niagara Falls is a small city and has a small-town feel. It is one of the best natural attractions globally and is a tourist-friendly city open to business. It is hardly 80 minute's drive from Toronto and is an easy day trip.

Prince Edward County lies between Toronto and Kingston, has more than 35 wineries, and boasts one of the best sandy beaches in Ontario. The Sandbank provisional park contains one of the largest bay-mouth barrier formations in the world.

Waterloo is located in the South Western region of Ontario and is one of the most multicultural and diverse cities sought by new immigrants living in Canada. It is the home of Waterloo University, making it a regional tech hub.

North America's biggest Caribbean Carnival, also known as Caribana, starts in Toronto every year, wherein the roads are stages for the performers.

The Bridal Veil Falls is a stunning waterfall on Manitoulin Island and is a municipality with town status in Ontario. The fall is one of the famous scenic attractions of the Island.

Queen Victoria Park is the heart of Niagara park and is situated in the majestic and breathtaking Niagara Falls. The Niagara River flows across the falls at this fantastic location, attracting millions of tourists from around the globe.

Polar bears are the largest carnivore in Ontario, and the Polar Bear Provincial Park is home to the southern population of these animals in the world.

A lot of efforts are being put in by the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources to ensure the long-term survival of these bears in the Hudson Bay and James Bay eco-system.

The Blue Mountains is a real town in Grey County and is famous for its picturesque mountains. It is best to visit this beautiful town during the winter when the Blue Mountain Ski Resort is in operation, which is one of the best Ski Resorts in Ontario. 

Ottawa is the capital city of Canada and is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River, which is the chief tributary of the St. Lawrence River. It is a perfect place to settle as it is cheaper than Toronto or Vancouver.

One of the reasons to choose Ottawa as the capital of Canada is because of its proximity to English and French Canada.

As per the 2016 census, the largest cities in Southwestern Ontario concerning population are London, Kitchener, Windsor, Guelph, Cambridge, Waterloo, Brentford, Sarnia, Woodstock, St. Thomas, Leamington, and Stratford.

Burlington is a peaceful city fondly known as the Golden Horseshoe, which comes from the shape of Ontario Lake. Niagara Falls is just 54 minute's drive from Burlington.

Mississauga is the third-largest city in Ontario and borders Toronto. Canada's busiest airport Toronto Pearson International Airport is largely located in Mississauga.

Brampton is the fourth most populous city in Ontario and was incorporated as a village in 1853 and upgraded to a town in 1873. Brampton has a large population from South Asia and has experienced rapid growth in its population

Hamilton is Ontario's fifth biggest city, located on the shores of Lake Ontario. It is referred to as the Steel Capital of Canada because it produces more than 60% of the country's steel.

Dryden is the smallest city in Ontario in terms of population and is located in North Eastern Ontario. The city's economy depends on the paper and pulp industry and now focuses on mining, agriculture, and tourism.

The town of Stratford is located in Ontario and is long known as an art and culture center. The Stratford Festival originated from this town, and the plays of William Shakespeare were first performed live on stage.

Grand Bend is one of Ontario's summer beach towns and has attracted sunseekers since 1900. You will find one of the famous Pinery Provisional Park of Ontario just down the road.

Elora's downtown area is packed with restored buildings of the 19th century. You can visit the Elora Gorge Conservation Area, rent inner tubes, and float through the Grand River.  

Other Facts

Victoria Falls, located near Kawartha Lakes, is almost double the height of Niagara Falls and is a giant sheet of falling water; however, Niagara Falls is more popular.

The Loon (Gavia immer), nicknamed the 'loonie,' was adopted by Ontario as its official bird on June 23, 1994. This official bird is a common sight near rivers and lakes around the province.

The Eastern White Pine is a native of Southern Ontario and is found in deciduous forests. Unfortunately, these trees are susceptible to many pests and diseases.

The Eastern White Pine is one of the lightest, softest, and uniformly straight-grained trees.

The White Trillium, also known as the white lily, is the official flower of Ontario. This official flower was adopted as the floral emblem in 1937. Though the official flower is not illegal to pick in Ontario, it's currently illegal to pick trilliums in British Columbia, Michigan, and New York state.

Ontario's tallest eastern white pine tree is found in the town of Arnprior near Ottawa.

The five Great Lakes form the most extensive freshwater system globally. These lakes span a surface area of 94,600 sq mi (245012 sq km).

Lake Huron was the first of the Great Lakes explored by European settlers.

86% of Canada's population lives in the four largest provinces of Canada by area: Quebec, Ontario, British Columbia, and Alberta. Quebec is the largest province out of them.

Ontario is a vast province offering unlimited travel, family fun, and adventure opportunities. It is almost 15 times more than the state of Texas.

Camp X was the nickname of a spy school that dates back to the '40s in Canada. This spy school played an essential role during World War II when the spy school recruited people from Canada and the US for secret missions overseas.

Almost 1/6th of the surface of Ontario is covered in water. It is the most sought freshwater cruising in the world. It is filled with touring boat trips using powerboats, yachts, or personal watercraft, with so much water around.

Ontario provides opportunities to explore plenty of options to make your holiday memorable!

FAQs

What was Ontario called initially?
Ontario was initially called The United Provinces of Canada.

Does Ontario have its flag?
On May 21, 1965, the flag of Ontario was adopted by the Legislature and approved by Queen Elizabeth II of the UK.

What is Ontario's climate?
Ontario's climate is continental, and the province experiences hot, humid summers followed by freezing winters with heavy rainfalls.

How many languages are spoken in Ontario?
The official languages of Ontario are English and French. However, around 200 languages are spoken in Ontario. As per the 2016 census, 98.3% of the population of Ontario speaks the top 25 languages of the globe.

How many cities are in Ontario?
Ontario has 52 cities, as per 2016 reports.

What is the oldest town in Ontario?
The oldest town in Ontario is Sault Ste. Marie. 

Who Discovered Ontario?
Henry Hudson was the first European settler to have approached the present frontiers of Ontario and explored the coast of James Bay.

Who named Ontario?
The earliest recorded name of Ontario was in 1641 and was used to name a mass of land on the north shore in the Eastern part of the Great Lakes. Ontario was initially called Upper Canada when it separated in 1867 from Quebec.

What River runs through Ontario?
St. Lawrence River is one of the rivers that runs through Ontario.

What is the longest road in Ontario?
Yonge Street is the longest road in Ontario, which measures 1178 mi (1895 km).