Ontario

Ontario

1 Location and Size
2 Topography
3 Climate
4 Plants and Animals
5 Environmental Protection
6 Population
7 Ethnic Groups
8 Languages
9 Religions
10 Transportation
11 History
12 Provincial Government
13 Political Parties
14 Local Government
15 Judicial System
16 Migration
17 Economy
18 Income
19 Industry
20 Labor
21 Agriculture
22 Domesticated Animals
23 Fishing
24 Forestry
25 Mining
26 Energy and Power
27 Commerce
28 Public Finance
29 Taxation
30 Health
31 Housing
32 Education
33 Arts
34 Libraries and Museums
35 Communications
36 Press
37 Tourism, Travel, and Recreation
38 Sports
39 Famous Ontarians
40 Bibliography

ORIGIN OF PROVINCE NAME: Derived from the Iroquois Indian word Kanadario, meaning "sparkling water" or "beautiful lake."

CAPITAL: Toronto.

ENTERED CONFEDERATION: 1 July 1867.

MOTTO: Ut incepit fidelis sic permanet (Loyal it began, loyal it remains).

COAT OF ARMS: In the center, the provincial shield of arms displays in the upper third the cross of St. George (a red cross on a white background) and in the lower two-thirds three gold maple leaves on a green background. Above the shield is a black bear standing on a gold and green bar. Supporting the shield is a brown moose on the left and a brown Canadian deer on the right. Beneath the shield the provincial motto appears.

FLAG: The flag has a red field, with the Union Jack displayed in the upper quarter on the left side and the provincial shield of arms centered in the right half.

FLORAL EMBLEM: White trillium.

BIRD: Common loon (unofficial).

TREE: Eastern white pine.

GEMSTONE: Amethyst.

TIME: 7 AM EST = noon GMT; 6 AM CST = noon GMT.

1 Location and Size

Ontario, two times as large as France, covers some 412,579 square miles (1,068,580 square kilometers) and is bordered on the north by Hudson Bay; on the east by Québec; on the south by the St. Lawrence River, the Great Lakes, and the US state of Minnesota; and on the west by Manitoba.

2 Topography

Three main geological regions make up Ontario: the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Lowlands, the Canadian Shield, and the Hudson Bay Lowlands. The Hudson Bay Lowlands are narrow coastal plains bordering Hudson Bay and James Bay; the land is wet and covered by scrub growth. The Canadian Shield, covering the rest of northern Ontario from Lake Superior to Hudson Bay, and extending into the southern part of the province, is a vast rocky plateau. Although the soil is poor and not well suited to large-scale farming, there is a wealth of minerals, forests, and water power. The Canadian Shield and the Hudson Bay Lowlands cover 90% of the province's territory. Four of the five Great Lakes are the most visible results of the ice age in Ontario, providing the longest fresh water beach in the world. The biggest, Lake Superior, is the world's largest body of fresh water. About 68,490 square miles (177,390 square kilometers), or one-sixth of Ontario's terrain, is covered by some 400,000 lakes and 37,000 miles (59,000 kilometers) of rivers.

The Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Lowlands comprise the rest of southern Ontario. Here is where most of Ontario's population can be found; it is also the area with the most of province's industry, commerce, and agricultural lands.

The short Niagara River, which flows from Lake Erie into Lake Ontario is the site of Niagara Falls (at the Ontario-New York border), which drains some 800,000 gallons (3,000,000 liters) of water per second over its 187-foot (57-meter) drop. The highest point in Ontario is found at Ishpatina Ridge in the Timiskaming District, at an elevation of 2,274 feet (693 meters).

Ontario: Population Profile

Estimated 2006 population	12,160,282
Population change, 2001–2006	6.6%
Percent Urban/Rural populations, 2001
Urban	84.7%
Rural	15.3%
Foreign born population	26.8%
Population by ethnicity
Canadian	3,350,275
English	2,711,485
Scottish	1,843,110
Irish	1,761,280
French	1,235,765
German	965,510
Italian	781,345
Chinese	518,550
Dutch (Netherlands)	436,035
East Indian	413,415
North American Indian	248,940
Métis	60,535

Population by Age Group

Major Cities by Population

City	Population, 2006
Toronto	2,503,281
Ottawa	812,129
Mississauga	668,549
Hamilton	504,559
Brampton	433,806
London	352,395
Markham	261,573
Vaughan	238,866
Windsor	216,473
Kitchener	204,668

3 Climate

The relatively temperate climate is more severe east of the Great Lakes. Mean annual summer temperatures reach 72°f (22°c) in the south, where the temperate climate and fertile soils nurture a major agricultural industry. This relatively small area has more than half of Canada's best agricultural land. At Winisk, average daily temperatures reach only 54-59°f (12-15°c) in July, dropping to −13°f (−25°c) in January. The warmest recorded temperature in Ontario was 108°f (42.2°c) on 20 July 1919 at Biscotasing; the coldest recorded temperature was −73°f (−58.3°c) on 23 January 1935 at Iroquois Falls.

In a 72-hour period during October 1954, Hurricane Hazel poured 8.4 inches (214 millimeters) of rain on Toronto, triggering the worst flood in Canada's history.

4 Plants and Animals

The relatively temperate climate of the south is hospitable for a wide variety of native as well as imported European plants. Many migratory flying species annually traverse Ontario: Point Pelee is a yearly site for the autumnal exodus of monarch butterflies, and Aylmer is the annual layover location for 60,000 migrating tundra swans headed for the Arctic. Muskie and trout are common stream and lake fish species. Woodland caribou, moose, muskrats, beavers, eagles, and wolves inhabit the northern reaches of the province. Polar bears live in the far north along Hudson Bay.

In 2006, there were 60 plant species listed as threatened or endangered. Endangered plants included the American chestnut, American ginseng, eastern prickly pear cactus, hoary mountain mint, spotted wintergreen, and wood poppy. Macoun's shining moss was listed as extinct. Also in 2006, there were 56 animal species listed as threatened or endangered. Endangered birds included the barn owl, Henslow's sparrow, and Kirtland's warbler. Endangered fish included aurora trout, pugnose shiner, and shortnose cisco. The American badger was listed as endangered, while the grey fox and woodland caribou were listed as threatened. The spotted turtle and northern cricket frog were also listed as endangered. Blue walleye, deepwater cisco, Lake Ontario kiyi, and passenger pigeons have become extinct.

5 Environmental Protection

The Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) is responsible for the management of provincial parks, forests, fisheries, wildlife, minerals, and Crown lands and waters, which comprise 87% of Ontario's area. The MNR also develops policies on forestry, fisheries, wildlife, parks, and land and water issues. These policies aim to sustain Ontario's natural resources for future generations. The MNR has helped create several partnership arrangements in resource management that show to the public the social costs and benefits of resource development. Some of these partnerships include the Wildlife Working Group, the Strategic Plan for Ontario Fisheries, and the Forest Management Agreements. Ontario's Chapleau Game Preserve is the largest in the world.

For decades, tons of sulfur dioxide and other chemicals have been put into the air by factories in the American Midwest. Prevailing winds carry the toxins northward across Ontario, Québec, and the northeastern United States. As a result, poisonous rain clouds have released acidic rain on the lands and lakes to the north. Hundreds of lakes in Ontario became severely damaged; forests and farms were affected as well. By 1980, the damage from acid rain across northeastern Canada was extensive.

In 2002, a total of 9,645,633 metric tons of non-hazardous waste was disposed of in public and private waste disposal facilities in the province of Ontario. Of that total, residential sources accounted for 3,438,408 metric tons, while industrial, commercial and institutional sources accounted for 5,193,240 metric tons, and construction and demolition sources accounted for 1,013,985 metric tons.

6 Population

With an estimated population of 12.2 million people, as of 1 April 2006, Ontario is Canada's most heavily populated province, with over one-third of the country's total population. The Canadian Shield and the Hudson Bay Lowlands cover 90% of the province's territory, but are home to only 10% of Ontario's population. Toronto, Ontario's capital and Canada's largest city, had a population of 2.5 million in 2006. Ottawa, the bilingual, bicultural national capital, sits at the junction of the Gatineau, Rideau, and Ottawa rivers. Its population in 2006 stood at 812,129. Other cities and their 2006 populations include: Mississauga, 668,549; Hamilton, 504,559; Brampton, 433,806; London, 352,395; Markham 261,573; Vaughan 238,866; Windsor, 216,473; and Kitchener, 204,668.

7 Ethnic Groups

About 42% of Ontario's population is of British origin, and many individuals are of mixed British and French ancestry. Other heritages for those reporting a single ethnic origin include Irish, French, Italian, German, Dutch, Chinese, Portuguese, South Asian, Ukrainian, and Polish.

In 2001, Ontario had approximately 309,475 people of Aboriginal (native) or Métis origin. Six Nations of the Grand River, which consists of 13 different groups, has the largest native band in Canada.

8 Languages

In 2001, English was the mother tongue of 70.6% of Ontario's residents, while French was the primary language of 4.3% of Ontarians and 23.7% had other first languages (1.4% had two or more native languages). English is the only official language, but Ontario's French speakers play an essential part in the province's cultural life and are the largest language minority The provincial government provides services in French in the regions where the French-speaking population is sufficiently high. Toronto has more Italian speakers than any city outside of Italy.

9 Religions

About 35% of the population, or approximately 3,935,745 people, are Protestant, the majority of whom are members of the United Church of Canada or Anglicans, but there are significant numbers of Presbyterians, Baptists, Lutherans, and Pentecostals. Ontario also has about 3,911,760 Catholics, who make up 34.7% of the population. There are about 264,055 people of Eastern Orthodox faith, 352,530 Muslims, 190,795 Jews, 217,555 Hindus, 128,320 Buddhists, and 104,785 Sikhs. Some 1,841,290 provincial residents profess no religious affiliation.

10 Transportation

Northern Ontario's towns were built because of the railway, and today rails and roads carry the products of the mines and mills southward. Farther north, travel is often limited to air and water.

There are over 10,253 miles (16,500 kilometers) of highways as of 2006. In 2005, Ontario had 7,130,323 registered motor vehicles, with 26,151 registered buses, 128,143 registered motorcycles and mopeds, and 523,373 off road, construction, and farm vehicles. There were 1,825,637 registered trailers.

Ontario has 61 commercial ports. Access to the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence Seaway helps make waterborne traffic an important part of the province's transportation system.

Public transportation is well-developed in the metropolitan Toronto area. Toronto Transit operates the subway system, with streetcar and bus service available as well. The provincial government operates the GO (Government of Ontario) commuter train service, connecting Toronto to Richmond Hill, Georgetown, and Bradford in the north; to Whitby in the east; and to Hamilton in the west. Urban transit consists of over 4,600 buses operated by about 50 establishments. There are also some 300 trolley coaches and light-rail vehicles each, and over 600 heavy rail vehicles. In 2004, the province had about 12,674 miles (20,397 kilometers) of rail track.

International air service is available from Ottawa International Airport as well as Pearson International Airport in Toronto. Pearson is a hub for Air Canada and is one of the biggest international aviation facilities in Canada. Over 29.9 million passengers traveled through Toronto Pearson in 2005.

11 History

Ontario surrounds the Great Lakes. Sailing into the large bay that bears his name, Henry Hudson became the first European to reach the shores of present-day Ontario in 1610. Three years later, in 1613, Samuel de Champlain and Ètienne Brûlé made the first contacts with the aboriginal, or native, people in the southern part of the province.

In 1774 the British ruled over southern Ontario, which was then part of the British colony of Québec. Under the Constitutional Act of 1791, "Québec" was divided in two, and Ontario became Upper Canada. This area was populated by a large number of Loyalists (American colonists who had sided with Great Britain) after the American Revolution. In 1840, the Act of Union reunited Upper and Lower Canada, this time under the name Canada. When the Dominion of Canada was created in 1867, the region was split into the separate provinces of Ontario and Québec.

The new province of Ontario developed slowly until the launch of large-scale industry in the early 1900s. In the space of three years between 1903 and 1906, the Ford Motor Company started to manufacture vehicles in Windsor, silver mining began at Cobalt in Northern Ontario, and the Ontario Hydro-Electric Commission was founded.

Canada experienced losses of over 68,000 soldiers in World War I (1914–18), and veterans returning to Ontario faced a bleak future of scarce, low-paying jobs. At the same time, tariffs (taxes) on imports kept prices for consumer goods high. Overall, Canada experienced a period of rapid industrialization in the 1920s. Improvements were made to railways and roads, and this helped trade to flourish. Automobiles, telephones, electrical appliances, and other consumer goods became widely available. Consumer confidence led to the rapid expansion of credit, which allowed businesses to grow. Ontario's farmers had prospered during the war, but by 1920 wheat prices had fallen by 50%. Farmers organized the powerful United Farmers Movement in Ontario to protest low farm product prices and high transportation rates.

During the 1920s, grain prices rose and heavy industry developed across southern Ontario. In fact, almost half of Canada's manufacturing output came from Ontario at this time. Automobiles, telephones, electrical appliances, and other consumer goods became widely available. As in the United States, consumer confidence led to the rapid expansion of credit, which created even more business opportunities.

Prosperity suddenly ended in 1929 with the start of the Great Depression, a period of extreme economic slowdown. All of Canada suffered greatly, and in Ontario, the pulp and paper industry in the North was particularly hard hit. On the agricultural front, in addition to the problems with grain prices during the early 1920s, droughts and frequent crop failures devastated the national economy, which still heavily relied on agriculture. Social welfare programs rapidly expanded during the 1930s to help the citizens of Canada during this rough economic period.

Economic Expansion in Ontario

World War II (1939–45) brought both the United States and Canada out of the depths of the Depression. Following the war, Ontario's economy expanded. Prosperity increased as more and more people immigrated to Ontario from the United Kingdom, Germany, and Italy. Many of these immigrants settled in Toronto. Urbanization spread quickly as a result of the National Housing Act, which made it easier for people to own their own homes. As cities expanded, farmland—especially between Toronto and Niagara Falls—began to disappear.

Ontario's railways, seaways, and roads became top priorities in the 1950s and 1960s. In 1954 in Toronto, Canada's first subway system opened. With the completion of the St. Lawrence Seaway five years later, ocean-going ships were allowed access to southern and western Ontario through the Great Lakes. Thousands of kilometers of highways were also built, particularly in the area along Lake Ontario's western shore down to the Canadian-U.S. border. Highway 401, which stretches across southern Ontario, opened in 1968 and quickly became one of the busiest highways in Canada.

Ontario's economic expansion continued during the 1960s and 1970s. The provincial government spent more money on health and education, and a large number of universities opened during this period. In 1967, a new community college system was established. Soon, Toronto became the financial center of all of Canada. In 1976, Toronto also became home to the world's tallest building with the completion of the CN Tower.

Events Since the 1980s

The 1980s and 1990s saw a number of firsts in Ontario history: 1) In 1985, Liberal Party member David Peterson became Ontario's Premier, a post that had been held by Progressive Conservatives for more than 40 years. 2) In 1991, Ontario's population reached 10 million. 3) Ontario native Roberta Bondar became Canada's first woman in space in 1992. 4) That same year, Canada joined the United States and Mexico in signing the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), which was built upon the US-Canada Free Trade Agreement. NAFTA, which was implemented in 1994, seeks to create a single market of 370 million people. The agreement was expected to boost Ontario's already extensive trade with the United States.

By 1995, the Progressive Conservative Party had returned to power in Ontario under the leadership of Mike Harris. His "Common Sense Revolution" had its supporters, but there was also resistance that led to protests, riots, and massive labor strikes. In addition, Harris was blamed for the tainted-water tragedy in Walkerton, Ontario, that occurred in 2000. The mishap, which led to the deaths of seven people and the illness of many more, was attributed to Conservative cuts to Ontario's Environment Ministry. Mike Harris stepped down as premier of Ontario on 23 March 2002.

Same-sex marriages (SSM) were legalized in Ontario in June 2003. On 20 August 2005, SSM in all jurisdictions within Canada became legal, when federal law C-38, passed in July of that same year, went into effect.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) was first recognized in Toronto in a woman who had returned from Hong Kong on 23 February 2003. Transmission to others subsequently led to an outbreak among 257 people in the greater Toronto area. On 22 April 2003, the World Health Organization (WHO) issued a travel advisory to Toronto. The advisory was lifted on 30 April. Between 23 February and 7 June, the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care received reports of 361 SARS cases.

On 14 August 2003, a massive blackout struck Ontario and parts of the Midwest and Northeast in the United States. Power was severed for 50 million people from Detroit to Toronto and Ottawa to east of New York. Ten million people in Ontario were affected. Ontario premier Ernie Eves declared a state of emergency. His handling of the crisis was criticized, and the government fell in October. (He was replaced as premier by Dalton McGuinty.) By 15 August, Ontario Hydro had reestablished 75% of the power in the province, although rolling blackouts were still occurring. In Ottawa, looting and two deaths (a pedestrian hit by a car and a fire victim) resulted from the crisis. It was estimated that the blackout would cost Ontario c$550 million.

In 2006, Ontario strengthened a program begun in 2004 designed to promote the development of environmentally friendly cars. The goal was to produce large vehicles that are cleaner. The program has resulted in investments of c$7 billion in the auto industry.

12 Provincial Government

The structure of the provincial government reflects that of the federal government. For example, the provincial premier, as the majority party leader of the legislature, functions much like the Canadian prime minister. Provincial legislators, like their federal counterparts in Parliament, are elected to represent a constitutional jurisdiction and pass legislation. They do so as members of the 103-seat Legislative Assembly. A provincial lieutenant-governor approves laws passed by the legislature, much like the Governor General at the federal level. There is no provincial equivalent, however, to the federal Senate.

Premiers of Ontario

TERM	PREMIER	PARTY
1867–71	John Sandfield Macdonald	Liberal-Conser.
1871–72	Edward Blake	Liberal
1872–96	Oliver Mowat	Liberal
1896–99	Arthur Sturgis Hardy	Liberal
1899–1905	George William Ross	Liberal
1905–14	James Pliny Whitney	Conservative
1914–19	William Howard Hearst	Conservative
1919–23	Ernest Charles Drury	United Farmers
1923–30	George Howard Ferguson	Conservative
1930–34	George Stewart Henry	Conservative
1934–42	Mitchell Frederick Hepburn	Liberal
1942–43	Gordon Daniel Conant	Liberal
1943	Harry Corwin Nixon	Liberal
1943–48	George Alexander Drew	Conservative
1948–49	Thomas Laird Kennedy	Conservative
1949–61	Leslie Miscampbell Frost	Conservative
1961–71	John Parmenter Robarts	Conservative
1971–85	William Grenville Davis	Conservative
1985	Frank Miller	Conservative
1985–90	David Robert Peterson	Liberal
1990–95	Robert Keith Rae	New Democratic
1995–02	Michael Harris	Conservative
2002–03	Ernie Eves	Conservative
2003–	Dalton McGuinty	Liberal

13 Political Parties

The Liberal Party was the principal political group in the 1800s, and held power continuously from 1848 to 1905. After 1905, the Conservative Party dominated, reaching a high point in 1929 by winning 92 of 112 seats. During the late 1910s and early 1920s, the United Farmers of Ontario (UFO) controlled a considerable minority of seats. After 1943, the province began to see three parties vie for power; from the 1940s to 1960s, the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation (CCF) and later the New Democratic Party (NDP) irregularly won control over a sizable minority of seats. Finally in 1990, the NDP won control of the Legislative Assembly.

The most recent general election was held in 2003. The parties held the following number of seats in Ontario's Legislative Assembly in 2006: Progressive Conservative Party, 24; Liberal Party, 70; New Democratic Party, 8; one seat was vacant.

14 Local Government

The populous regions of southern Ontario are divided into counties and regional municipalities. Cities and towns within counties are not under the jurisdiction of county governments. Restructured municipalities have over 60% of Ontario's population and contain fewer but larger incorporated municipalities than those of the counties. Restructured units provide more extensive services than do counties, such as water supply, sewage treatment, waste management, regional planning, social services, long-term financing, and police services.

Northern Ontario is divided into 11 territorial districts. The far northern parts of Ontario are not organized into any municipal units.

15 Judicial System

The Canadian Constitution grants provincial jurisdiction over the administration of justice, and allows each province to organize its own court system and police forces. The federal government has exclusive domain over cases involving trade and commerce, banking, bankruptcy, and criminal law. The Federal Court of Canada has both trial and appellate divisions for federal cases. The nine-judge Supreme Court of Canada is an appellate court that determines the constitutionality of both federal and provincial statutes. The Tax Court of Canada hears appeals of taxpayers against assessments by Revenue Canada.

The provincial court system consists of the Ontario Court of Justice, the Superior Court of Justice, and the Court of Appeal, which is Ontario's highest appeals court. There is a small claims court, and there are family courts and divisional courts as well.

In 2005, there were there were nearly 748 violent crimes per 100,000 persons, and about 2,808 property crimes per 100,000 persons.

16 Migration

Ontario's first immigrants arrived about 10,000 years ago, during the last ice age. The European explorers encountered the Iroquois and Algonquin descendants of those first migrants in the 17th century. From 1779 on, waves of English, Scottish, and Irish immigrants followed one another, moving up the St. Lawrence and populating the country. Immigration continues to be important to Ontario, and there are large numbers of people of Italian, German, Chinese, Dutch, Portuguese, Indian, and Polish origin.

In 2001, there were 3 million immigrants living in Ontario (the majority in Toronto). The leading places of birth were the United Kingdom, 11.3%; Southern Europe, 16% (many from Italy); East Asia (mostly from China), 11.5%; Southern Asia (mostly from India), 10.7%; Eastern Europe, 9.5%; and Southeast Asia (mostly from the Philippines), 7.5%.

As Canada's most populous province, Ontario is both the primary origin and primary destination for internal migration. Québec is the leading province of origin for people entering Ontario from other provinces; British Columbia is the principal destination for Ontarians leaving to live elsewhere in Canada. In the period 1996–2001, Ontario had a net gain of 51,905 people or 0.5%.

17 Economy

Ontario is Canada's most productive province, having generated c$537.604.1 billion of the country's gross domestic product (GDP) in 2005, up from c$517.407 billion, the year before. The province's main industries are manufacturing, finance, construction, tourism, agriculture, and forestry.

18 Income

The average family income was c$62,500 in 2004. Average weekly earnings in 2005 were c$768.59.

19 Industry

Beginning in the 1880s, industrial corporations in Ontario became larger, and farming was no longer the province's largest sector of employment. Toronto is Canada's leading producer of manufactured goods, as well as the headquarters of a large number of Canadian manufacturing companies.

Transportation equipment is Ontario's major manufacturing industry, accounting for 34% of all manufacturing shipments by value in 2005. Other leading manufacturing sectors were food products, chemicals, and primary metals.

In 2005, the shipment value of all manufactured products was c$300.158 billion, of which transportation equipment totaled c$102.512 billion, followed by food products at c$26.549 billion, chemicals at c$23.015 billion, and primary metals at c$21.743 billion.

A total of 1.064 million people were employed in the province's manufacturing sector in 2005, or 16.6% of all those actively employed.

20 Labor

In 2006, Ontario's labor force consisted of 6.9 million people. That year, the unemployment rate was 6.4%. There were over 6.5 million persons employed and 446,600 persons unemployed. The hourly minimum wage as of January 2004 was c$6.85. In 2005, the average hourly wage among all industries was c$19.06.

The sectors with the largest number of employed persons in 2005 were manufacturing, 1,064,000; trade, 995,200; health care and social services, 626,300; finance, insurance, and real estate and leasing, 451,900; professional, scientific, and technical services, 443,400; educational services, 428,200; accommodation and food services, construction, 394,800; 364,300; public administration, 322,400; information, culture, and recreation, 300,700; transportation and warehousing, 289,400; business and other support services, 282,500; other services, 256,900; agriculture, 93,100; utilities, 49,900; and forestry, fishing, mining, and oil and gas, 34,700.

21 Agriculture

In 2001, Ontario had 59,728 farms, the highest number among the provinces. That year, the total land area of farms in Ontario was 13.5 million acres (5.5 million hectares), of which 9.04 million acres (3.7 million hectares) were under crops. A total of 405 farms were growing certified organic products in 2001. Over 2,000 farms had greenhouses under glass, plastic, or other protection. There were 1,443 farms producing nursery products, 135 sod farms, and 918 farms producing Christmas trees in 2001.

The primary field crops in 2005 included 2.5 million metric tons of soybeans, 1.7 million metric tons of wheat, and 24,900 metric tons of canola. Tomatoes accounted for the largest vegetable crop by volume with 1.3 billion pounds (589 million kilograms) of field tomatoes and 275 million pounds (124 million kilograms) of greenhouse tomatoes. Other major vegetable crops produced in 2005 included 373 million pounds (169 million kilograms) of sweet corn, 299 million pounds (135 million kilograms) of cucumbers, 293 million pounds (132 million kilograms) of carrots, and 125 million pounds (56 million kilograms) of onions.

Apples were by far the largest fruit crop with over 426 million pounds (193 million kilograms) produced in 2005. Other fruit crops included 42 million pounds (19 million kilograms) of peaches and 19 million pounds of cherries (8.6 million kilograms). About 64 million pounds (29 million kilograms) of grapes were produced. Some 15 wineries in the Niagara Peninsula have produced wines of international acclaim; 80% of the national wine production comes from this area. About 261,794 gallons (991 kilolitres) of maple syrup were produced.

In 2005, total farm cash receipts were about $9 billion, the highest of all the provinces.

22 Domesticated Animals

Ontario has over 30,000 livestock farms. Livestock farms cover some 2.5 million acres (1.04 million hectares) of pasture land. The livestock population in 2006 included 2.2 million head of cattle, including 344,700 milk cows. The same year, there were 3.6 million pigs and 302,000 sheep and lambs. In 2005, there were about 205 million chickens valued at c$526 million and nearly 8.5 million turkeys valued at over c$121 million. Livestock receipts in 2003 were c$4.63 billion. Milk and cream production in 2005 was estimated at over 634 million gallons (2.4 billion liters) valued at c$1.5 billion. Egg production in 2005 was valued at over c$260 million. About 3,543 metric tons of honey were produced that year from 76,000 bee colonies.

23 Fishing

Ontario has about 1,500 registered freshwater commercial fishers who operate mainly on the Great Lakes. Aquaculture (fish farming) is increasingly important, especially the raising of trout. In 2003, 18,675 tons of fish, valued at c$104.9 million, were exported from Ontario.

Sport fishing is a popular activity on Ontario's rivers and lakes. In 2000, some 814,887 Ontario residents were actively engaged in sport fishing within the province.

24 Forestry

In 2002, Ontario had 143.3 million acres (58 million hectares) of forest land, of which provincial ownership accounted for 88%; private lands, 11%; and federal areas, 1%. The provincial government licenses logging rights.

In 2004, lumber production totaled 312.8 million cubic feet (8.857 million cubic meters). Principal timber species include spruce, poplar, birch, pine, and maple. There are over 2,400 logging, wood processing, and paper manufacturing establishments in the province—many Ontario towns have at least one industry connected to forestry. In 2005, Ontario exported c$8.376 billion in forestry products, including newsprint, wood pulp, and softwood lumber. A total of 85,000 people were employed by the forestry sector in that same year.

In 2001, Ontario's 918 Christmas tree farms covered 21,765 acres (8,808 hectares).

25 Mining

The principal minerals and metals produced in Ontario are gold, nickel, copper, zinc, cobalt, salt, stone, cement, and sand and gravel. The first metal mine in Canada started mining copper ore in 1850 on the north shore of Lake Huron. The Creighton nickel and copper mine in Sudbury is the deepest mine in Canada, reaching a depth of about 7,200 feet (2,200 meters). Thunder Bay has the largest open pit gemstone mine in North America; all types of amethyst are found there.

In 2005, Ontario ranked first in the nation in gold production with 158,638 pounds (71,957 kilograms) valued at over c$1.2 billion. About 60% of all the gold in the nation is produced in Ontario. The province was also first in the nation for nickel production, with 111,828 metric tons valued at c$2.1 billion representing 64% of the nation's nickel production. The same year, 187 metric tons of silver were produced with a value of c$52 million. The total value of metallic minerals in 2005 was estimated at c$4.79 billion. The province produced 8.7 million metric tons of salt in 2005, valued at c$254 million. That year, the total value of non-metallic minerals (excluding fuels) was estimated at c$2.4 billion.

26 Energy and Power

The majority of Ontario's electric power comes from thermal (steam, nuclear, internal combustion, and combustion turbine) sources. In 2004, the province's installed power generating capacity stood at 32.930 million kilowatts, of which thermal power generation accounted for 24.471 million kilowatts of generating capacity, and hydroelectric at 8.443 million kilowatts of generating capacity. Of all thermal generating capacity, nuclear accounted for the largest portion at 11.450 million kilowatts, followed by steam at 11.128 million kilowatts of generating capacity. Electric power output in 2004 totaled 155.869 million megawatt hours (second only to Quebec), of which nuclear sources accounted for the largest share at 76.063 million megawatt hours, followed by hydroelectric at 39.498 million kilowatt hours, and steam generation at 32.489 million kilowatt hours. As of that same year, wind/tidal generating sources produced 25,110 megawatt hours.

In the 1890s, Canada began large-scale development of its hydroelectric potential, with generators and transmission lines constructed at Niagara Falls, Ontario. The Bruce Nuclear Power Station in Bruce Township opened in 1967 as Canada's first nuclear power-generating plant, and became fully operational in 1969. There are two other nuclear power stations: the Pickering Generating Station; and the Darlington Generating Station.

Electrical power in Ontario is relatively inexpensive. Ontario opened its electricity market to competition in May 2002. The former Ontario Hydro was broken up into successor companies, including Ontario Power Generation (OPG) and Hydro One. OPG generates about 75% of the electricity in the province. Hydro One distributes electricity to rural and remote communities.

In 1858, Ontario was the site of the first commercial oil well drilled in North America, and while the province is not a major producer of crude oil or natural gas, it does have 2,500 low producing oil and gas wells. In 2005, Ontario produced an average of 2,400 barrels per day of crude oil, and 30 million cubic feet per day of natural gas. As of 2004, Ontario had crude oil reserves of 12 million barrels, and natural gas reserves of 400 billion cubic feet. Ontario is Canada's leading petroleum refining region. The province has five refineries with a collective refining capacity of 468,000 barrels per day.

Natural gas is the major fuel for all sectors of the economy except transportation. It is used in residential, commercial, and industrial heating. Industry is looking to natural gas to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

27 Commerce

In 2005, international exports by Ontario amounted to almost c$201 billion, while imports that same year totaled c$228.5 billion. The United States was the largest consumer of Ontario's exports at c$178.3 billion, followed by the United Kingdom, Mexico, and China. The United States was also the leading source of imports to the province that same year at nearly c$153 billion, followed by China, Mexico, and Japan.

In 2005, general merchandise store sales amounted to over c$17.4 billion. Total retail trade that year amounted to over c$135 billion.

Southern Ontario's heavy population density makes the region the most commercially active in Canada for supermarkets, motor vehicle dealers, general merchandise stores, and gasoline service stations. Ontario's proximity to key US markets puts the province's products less than a day's drive away from a large portion of American consumers.

28 Public Finance

The fiscal year runs from 1 April to 31 March. For fiscal year 2006, total revenues came to c$86.811 billion, while total expenditures stood at c$89.061 billion, leaving a deficit of c$2.250 billion. Major expenditures were for health, education, social services, debt charges, transportation and communication, and for the protection of persons and property. As of 31 March 2004, the province's total net direct debt amounted to c$138.557 billion.

29 Taxation

In 2005, the provincial personal income tax system was set in three brackets with rates ranging from 6.05% to 11.6%. The retail sales tax was 8%. Major excise (consumption) taxes were levied on gasoline at c$0.147 per liter and cigarettes at c$23.45 per carton (in addition to the federal tax of c$15.85 per carton). Alcoholic beverages purchased from liquor stores were taxed at a rate of 12%. Liquor purchases at licensed establishments were taxed at 10%. The general corporate income tax rate for large businesses was set at 14%. Manufacturing and processing businesses were taxed at a rate of 12%. Small businesses (with an annual income of c$400,000 or less) were taxed at a rate of 5.5%. Property taxes are collected by municipalities.

The average family of four (two parents and two children) in 2003 earned c$89,100. Such a family paid c$40,117 in taxes.

In 2005/06, it was estimated that the province collected c$20 billion in personal income tax, c$9.2 billion in corporate income tax, and c$15.4 billion in general sales tax.

30 Health

In 2005, there were an estimated 131,454 live births in Ontario, an increase of 333 over 2004. In 2005, there were 88,919 deaths, an increase of 2,548 from 2004. Life expectancy for men in 2001 was 77.5 years, and 82.2 years for women. Reported cases of selected diseases in 2002 included gonococcal infections, 3,006; campylobacteriosis, 4,569; salmonellosis, 2,455; giardiasis, 1,870; and type B hepatitis, 132. Between November 1985 and June 2003, 22,784 residents had become infected with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS.

31 Housing

Ontario had 4,219,410 households in 2001, with an average size of 2.7 persons. There were 2,447,800 households living in single-detached houses, 678,325 households living in apart-ments in buildings with five or more stories, 12,375 households living in mobile homes, and 1,080,915 households living in other dwellings, including row houses and apartments in buildings with fewer than five stories. In 2002, c$22.1 billion was invested in residential housing construction. From 2001–05, there were 405,968 new housing starts in the province.

32 Education

In 2003/04, Ontario had 2,129,742 students enrolled in its public elementary and secondary schools, down from 1,245,339 the year before. There were also 127,572 educators in those school systems in 2003/04. Total spending in that same period by the province on its public elementary and secondary schools amounted to c$17.393 billion.

As of January 2005, there were 36 public, 30 private, and 28 community college or university campuses in Ontario. A total of 394,710 students were enrolled in the province's colleges and universities in 2003/04, of which 313,655 were full-time and 81,060 were part-time students.

The University of Toronto, founded in 1827, is the largest university in Canada, with about 37,000 full-time undergraduate and graduate students as of 2004. Other universities in Ontario (with location and year founded) include York University (North York, 1959); University of Western Ontario (London, 1878); University of Waterloo (1957); University of Guelph (1964); University of Ottawa (1848); Carleton University (Ottawa, 1942); Queen's University (Kingston, 1841); McMaster University (Hamilton, 1887); Ryerson University (Toronto, 1948); University of Windsor (1857); Brock University (St. Catharines, 1964); Laurentian University (Sudbury, 1960); Lakehead University (Thunder Bay, 1965); Trent University (Peterborough, 1963); and the Royal Military College of Canada (Kingston, 1876).

College tuition has always been regulated by the provincial governments, largely because it has been heavily subsidized by taxpayers. In 1996, the Ontario government deregulated foreign student tuition, allowing schools to set their own fees. After the deregulation, several universities in the province began to market aggressively for American students, enticing them with low tuition rates.

33 Arts

Toronto is well-known for its impressive theatrical productions, which have included The Phantom of the Opera and Miss Saigon in the past, and Mamma Mia and The Producers in 2004. More than 100 professional companies perform plays, cabaret, opera, and dance in Toronto. The Toronto Symphony Orchestra is Canada's foremost symphonic ensemble. More than 400,000 patrons visit the Orchestra each year, and an additional 5 million Canadians listen to its broadcasts on CBC Radio. Toronto also boasts North America's largest film festival which is held each year in September. Ontario's over 100 performing arts companies give 13,000 performances before a total attendance of 5 million each year. In 2000/01, however, per capita provincial spending on the arts in Ontario was c$45, the lowest amount among the provinces and territories. Municipal spending on the arts was c$58 per person, and federal spending on the arts in Ontario was c$98 per person, slightly higher than the national average of c$96.

34 Libraries and Museums

The Ontario Public Libraries are organized under the Heritage and Libraries branch of the Ministry of Culture, which divides the library system into two divisions: Ontario Library Service-North and Southern Ontario Library Service. In 2005, there were 393 municipal library boards, First Nations Bands and local service boards sponsoring a 1,186 library sites with a circulation of 103 million books and other materials. The Metropolitan Toronto Reference Library is Canada's largest public library, with more than 4 million items in its collections. There are more than 50 public libraries focusing on the province's First Nations (native people, including Métis, and Inuits). The National Library of Canada is in Ottawa. There are three academic libraries in the province serving as depository libraries for the United Nations: the Joseph S. Stauffer Library of Queens University in Kingston, the Bibliothèque Morrisset of the University of Ottawa, and the University of Toronto Library. In 2004, about 93.5% of all secondary and elementary schools had libraries.

In 2006, there were about 674 museums in the province. The Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto is Canada's largest, with over 6 million examples of works of art, artifacts, and scientific treasures. Toronto also has the Art Gallery of Ontario, which houses over 15,000 paintings, prints, drawings, and sculptures, including the world's largest public collection of Henry Moore sculptures. Other museums in Toronto include the Bata Shoe Museum, Canada's Sports Hall of Fame, and the Hockey Hall of Fame. The Ontario Science Centre in North York has popular educational hands-on exhibits. Ottawa has many national museums, including the Canadian Museum of Contemporary Photography, the National Gallery of Canada, the Canadian War Museum, the Canadian Museum of Nature, the National Museum of Science and Technology, the Agricultural Museum, and the National Aviation Museum.

35 Communications

Toronto is the headquarters of several broadcasting and cable networks, including the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the Canadian Television Network, the Family Channel, First Choice, Much Music, The Sports Network, Vision TV, and the Youth Channel. As of 2005, about 66.5% of the population had home access to the Internet.

36 Press

Over 40 daily newspapers were published in Ontario, including some of the largest in the country. In 2005, The Toronto Star was the largest paper in the country with an average weekly circulation of 3,236,655. The Globe and Mail, also published in Toronto, was ranked as 2nd in the nation with an average weekly circulation of 1,970,216. The National Post and The Toronto Sun ranked 5th and 6th in the nation and The Ottawa Citizen ranked 9th. Other leading dailies in the province included The Hamilton Spectator and The London Free Press. Le Droit is a French-language daily published in Ottawa.

In 2005 there were about 246 weekly newspapers published in the province. There are several ethnic newspapers published out of Toronto, typically with weekly or monthly circulation. These include Da Zhong Bao (Chinese), Philippine Reporter, Kanadai Magyarsag (Hungarian), New Canada (English, French, and Urdu), and El Expreso (Spanish)

Thomson, a multinational publishing corporation, is headquartered in Toronto and is Canada's largest media company.

Some of the most popular magazines in the country are published in Ontario, including Maclean's, Canadian Business, and Toronto Life.

37 Tourism, Travel, and Recreation

Tourism is an important sector of the Ontario economy. In 2001, tourists generated about c$19.4 billion in total revenue for the province and more than 261,700 direct jobs. A total of 129.8 million people visited Ontario in 2002.

Toronto's Canadian National Exhibition, with crafts and exhibits from around the world, draws thousands of tourists every August. Its Symphony of Fire is the largest fireworks display in the world, while the Caribana is the world's largest Caribbean festival. Ottawa annually holds the largest tulip festival in the world, and Fergus is the site of the biggest Scottish festival in North America.

38 Sports

Hockey is a popular sport in the province. Ontario has two teams in the National Hockey League (NHL): the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Ottawa Senators. The Maple Leafs were the Stanley Cup winners in 1932, 1942, 1945, 1947–49, 1951, 1962–64, and 1967; the Senators won it in 1909, 1911, 1920, 1921, 1923, and 1927. The Toronto Marlies and the Hamilton Bulldogs play for the American Hockey League.

Women's hockey has grown in popularity and is played extensively in Ontario. The National Women's Hockey League (NWHL) has five teams in Ontario: Durham Lightning, Oakville Ice, Mississauga Aeros (formerly the Toronto Aeros, the 2005 championship team), Brampton Thunder, and Ottawa Raiders. In addition, The Ontario Women's Hockey Association (OWHA) promotes women's hockey through provincial tournaments on all levels, novice to professional. There are 17 teams in the Ontario Hockey League, a development league for the National Hockey League. The province also hosts four Canadian Junior A Hockey Leagues.

The Canadian Football League (CFL) fielded two teams in Ontario for the 2006–07 season: the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, CFL champions in 1957, 1963, 1965, 1967, 1972, 1986 and 1999, and the Toronto Argonauts, CFL champions in 1983, 1991, 1996, 1997, and 2004. The Ottawa Renegades, who began CFL play in 2001, were suspended by the league in 2006 while the franchise was awaiting new ownership. Six of the seven teams in the National Division of the Canadian Soccer League are based in Ontario: Brampton Stallions, London City, North York Astros, Oakville Blue Devils, St. Catherines Wolves, and Windsor Border Stars. The Toronto Lynx are a First Division team of the United Soccer Leagues. There are four Ontario teams in the W-League (women's league) of the United Soccer Leagues: Hamilton Avalanche, Ottawa Fury Women, Sudbury Canadians, and Toronto Lady Lynx.

The SkyDome, the world's first stadium with a completely retractable roof, is the home of Major League Baseball's Toronto Blue Jays, who in 1992 became the first Canadian team to win the World Series. The Blue Jays were baseball's champions again in 1993. The Toronto Raptors play for the National Basketball Association (NBA). The Toronto Rock play for the East Division of the National Lacrosse League and won the Champion's Cup in 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, and 2005.

Ontario has more than 500 public golf courses; the only Professional Golf Association (PGA) Tour event outside the United States is held near Toronto. Kenora's Lake of the Woods Regatta in August is the largest freshwater sailing regatta in the world. Snowmobiling across the province's 21,000 miles (33,800 kilometers) of snowmobile trails is a popular winter activity.

Several sports related museums are located in the province, including the Canadian Football Hall of Fame and Museum (Hamilton), the International Ice Hockey Federation Museum (Kingston), the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame and Museum (Oakville), the Canadian Ski Museum (Ottawa), and the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum (St. Mary's).

39 Famous Ontarians

Ontarians Sir John A. Macdonald (b.Scotland, 1815–1891) and Alexander Mackenzie (b.Scotland, 1822–1892) served as Canada's first and second prime ministers, respectively. Other prime ministers native to Ontario have included Arthur Meighen (1874–1960), Mackenzie King (1874–1950), John Diefenbacker (1895–1975), and Lester Pearson (1897–1972), who received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1957.

Military figures include General Sir Arthur Curiae (1875–1933), Canadian infantry commander in World War I, and the World War I flying ace Roy A. Brown (1893–1944), who is credited with shooting down Captain Manfred von Richthofen ("the Red Baron"), Germany's leading war hero, on 21 April 1918.

Ontario has been the birthplace of many prominent figures in entertainment and the arts, including actors and actresses Mary Pickford (b.Gladys Smith, 1893–1979), Cecilia Parker (1909–1993), Robert Beatty (1909–1992), Hume Cronyn (1911–2003), Lou Jacobi (b.1913), Lorne Greene (1915–1987), Ann Rutherford (b.1917), Don Harron (b.1924), John Colicos (b.1928), Christopher Plummer (b.1929), Eugene Levy (b.1946), Phil Hartman (1948–1998), John Candy (1950–1994), Kate Nelligan (b.1951), Dan Aykroyd (b.1952), Rick Moranis (b.1953), Hart Bochner (b.1956), Jim Carrey (b.1962), and Mike Myers (b.1963); directors David Cronenberg (b.1943) and Norman Jewison (b.1926); comedians Frank Shuster (1916–2002), Rich Little (b.1938), Martin Short (b.1950), and Howie Mandel (b. 1955); musicians and singers Teresa Stratas (b.1938), Gordon Lightfoot (b.1938), Sylvia Tyson (b.1940), Paul Anka (b.1941), Neil Young (b.1945), Geddy Lee (b.1953), Dan Hill (b.1954), Jeff Healey (b.1966), Avril Lavigne (b.1984), and Shania Twain (b.1965); pianist Glenn Gould (1932–1982); classical guitarist Liona Boyd (b.England, 1949); big band leader Guy Lombardo (1902–1977); artists Frank Carmichael (1890–1945), Jack Bush (1909–1977), and Ken Danby (b.1940); prima ballerinas Melissa Hayden (b.1923) and Karen Kain (b.1951); broadcasters and journalists Knowlton Nash (b.1927), Morley Safer (b.1931), Barbara Frum (1938–1992), and Peter Jennings (1938–2005); and television host Alex Trebek (b.1940).

Noted Ontarian authors include novelists Morley Callaghan (1903–1990), Robertson Davies (1913–1995), Elizabeth Smart (1913–1986), Timothy Findley (b.1930), Howard Engel (1933–1985), Sylvia Fraser (b.1935), Matt Cohen (1942–1999), and Joan Barfoot (b.1946); playwrights Mazo De la Roche (1879–1961), James Reaney (b.1926), and Paul Quarrington (b.1953); humorist and historian Stephen Leacock (b.England, 1869–1944); children's author Dennis Lee (b.1939); "subjective nonfiction" writer Farlay Mowat (b.1921); short story writer Alice Munro (b.1931); poets Pauline Johnson (1861–1913), John McCrae (1872–1918), Al Purdy (1918–2000), David Helwig (b.1938), Margaret Atwood (b.1939), Gwendolyn MacEwen (1941–1987), and M. T. Kelly (b.1946); and writer/journalists June Callwood (b.1924), and Silver Donald Cameron (b.1937).

Famous Ontarians in science include physiologist Sir Frederick Grant Banting (1891–1941), who received the 1923 Nobel Prize in medicine for his codiscovery of insulin. Alexander Graham Bell (b.Scotland, 1847–1922), inventor of the telephone, was raised in Brantford. Roberta Bondar (b.1945 was the first Canadian woman astronaut).

James Naismith (1861–1939), inventor of basketball, was born in Almonte. Hockey stars from Ontario include Frank Selke (1893–1985), Leonard Patrick ("Red") Kelly (b.1927), Alex Peter Delvecchio (b.1931), Robert Marvin "Bobby" Hull Jr. (b.1939), Ed Giacomin (b.1939), Barclay Plager (1941–1989), Phil Esposito (b.1942), Robert "Bobby" Orr (b.1948), Douglas Bradford "Brad" Park (b.1948), Larry Clark Robinson (b.1951), and Wayne Gretzky (b.1961).

40 Bibliography

BOOKS

Bankston, John. Frederick Banting and the Discovery of Insulin. Bear, DE: Mitchell Lane Publishers, 2002.

Dahms, Fred. Beautiful Ontario Towns. Toronto: James Lorimer, 2001.

Ferry, Steven. Ontario. San Diego: Lucent, 2003.

LeVert, Suzanne. Ontario. Philadelphia: Chelsea House, 2000.

Walsh, Kieran. Canada. Vero Beach, FL: Rourke Publishing Co., 2005.

WEB SITES

Government of Ontario. www.gov.on.ca (accessed on March 28, 2007).

Ontario Tourism Marketing Partnership. Ontario: There's More to Discover. www.ontariotravel.net/TcisCtrl?site=consumers&key1=home&lan guage=EN (accessed on March 28, 2007).

Statistics Canada. www.statcan.ca/english (accessed on March 28, 2007).