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Accessed 11 November In The Canadian Encyclopedia. Historica Canada. Article published April 27, ; Last Edited April 27, The Canadian Encyclopedia , s. Thank you for your submission Our team will be reviewing your submission and get back to you with any further questions. Thanks for contributing to The Canadian Encyclopedia. Farmland north of London, Ontario. Associated Collections. In terms of beef cattle farms, Ontario ranks third, after Alberta and Saskatchewan.
As in other jurisdictions, Ontario farmers are accustomed to selling their products through marketing boards that were established as far back as the s. These boards do not command universal support, even among farmers, but are intended to introduce a degree of regularity and predictability into the marketing of agricultural products. In terms of value, Ontario produces more metals and other minerals than any other province or territory.
The southern portion of the province is primarily responsible for industrial material production. From the late s to the midth century, mineral discoveries dotted Northern Ontario. Near the town of Cobalt, a major discovery of high-grade silver was made in Large gold deposits were discovered near the towns of Porcupine and Kirkland Lake from to , Red Lake in and near Hemlo in In , one of the largest uranium deposits in the world was found at Elliot Lake.
A major copper, zinc and silver deposit was discovered near Timmins in Limestone, sand and gravel are available in many parts of Southern Ontario as a result of glacial deposits. The vast majority of electricity in Ontario is transmitted by Hydro One.
For example, in Toronto , local distribution is provided by Toronto Hydro. The province is home to three nuclear power plants. Bruce Power, located just north of Tiverton on the shores of Lake Huron , is one of the largest nuclear power plants in the world. The Pickering and Darlington nuclear stations are located east of Toronto on the shores of Lake Ontario. Natural gas and hydroelectric stations are scattered throughout the province; the largest natural gas station, the St.
The company was a crown corporation until the provincial government, under the leadership of Kathleen Wynne , began the controversial process of privatizing the firm. By the end of November , Hydro One had completed its first initial public offering. The government plans to retain 40 per cent of Hydro One shares while the remainder will be held by other investors.
Between and , Ontario shut down all of its coal-fired power plants, replacing them with a combination of renewable, natural gas and nuclear energy sources. As a result of this shift, greenhouse gas emissions produced by the electricity sector dropped 80 per cent during the same time period. There are roughly 71 million hectares of forested land in Ontario, amounting to about two-thirds of the province.
Ninety per cent of these lands are owned by the Crown. Ontario is home to the largest freshwater fishery in North America. Lawrence River.
Commonly caught fish include yellow perch , walleye , lake whitefish , white bass and rainbow smelt. Ontario is the leading manufacturing province in Canada. This situation was well-established at the time of Confederation, as the desire was to place industry in a province favoured by ample transportation, abundant natural resources and accessibility to export markets in the United States.
Historically, proximity to the American automotive industry encouraged the location of manufacturing plants in Ontario. The establishment of Ford, General Motors and Chrysler plants spawned a series of related industries dotted all across Southern Ontario.
Between and , there was a 25 per cent decrease in manufacturing jobs in Ontario, or , jobs lost. The decline was in large part due to a strong Canadian dollar in the early s, in turn tied to the high price of oil at the time. A strong dollar meant companies had higher labour costs, prompting many to close or move their businesses elsewhere. The financial crisis only added to the challenges faced by manufacturing firms.
For example, in , unemployment in Ontario was 6. By industry, the largest number of Ontarians are employed in the retail and wholesale trade, followed by health care and social assistance, manufacturing, professional services, and financial and real estate industries.
According to the Elections Act , provincial elections are to be held on the first Thursday of June, every four years. Sometimes, should the party in power see it as advantageous, an election may be called before this date. Elections may also occur before four years have passed in cases where the government no longer has the confidence of the Legislative Assembly see Minority Government.
As with the other provinces, Ontario uses a first past the post electoral system, meaning the candidate with the most votes in each electoral district wins. Typically, the party with the most seats forms the government, and the leader of this party becomes premier. However, a party with fewer seats may also form a coalition with members of another party or parties in order to form the government. The premier typically appoints members of the Cabinet from among the MPPs also belonging to the party in power.
Cabinet members are referred to as ministers and oversee specific portfolios. Typical portfolios include finance, health and education. See also Politics in Ontario. Most medical services in Canada are free. Money from taxes is pooled together to fund a health care system often referred to as medicare.
While the federal government sets guidelines, each province and territory is responsible for administering its own health care insurance plan; funding for the plan comes from both governments. As with other provinces and territories, certain services in Ontario are not covered by the provincial health insurance plan.
Lower Trent. Mississippi Valley. Raisin Region. Rideau Valley. South Nation. Lakehead Region. Mattagami Region. North Bay-Mattawa. Lawrence River and the Great Lakes to the south. Learn more about these resources below:. Ontario's many lakes, rivers and streams played a central role in the province's history and development.
For Aboriginal peoples and the early European settlers, the lakes and rivers were a means of transportation and a source for food. Waterways determined the patterns of settlement as well as the patterns of industrialization. Harvested wood is used to make building materials, pulp and paper and a wide range of other value-added products, such as furniture and flooring.
But there is more than one kind of forest in Ontario. These include the deciduous forest of southern Ontario and the Great Lakes - St. Lawrence Forest of central Ontario. Ontario's varied climate and geography support habitat for more than 3, species of plants, species of fish, 50 species of amphibians and reptiles, species of birds, and more than 81 species of mammals. In Ontario's southernmost regions, you will find prickly pear cactus and sassafras trees, while polar bears roam our northern tundra.
Common fish in Ontario include yellow perch, bluegill, northern pike, and walleye. The mammals that call Ontario home include beavers, black bears, muskrats, gray wolves, white-tailed deer and walrus. Familiar birds include blue jays, northern cardinals, great blue herons, red-tailed hawks, great horned owls and pileated woodpeckers.
Look carefully and you might see some reptiles and amphibians, including eastern garter snakes, northern leopard frogs, eastern massasauga rattlesnakes, midland painted turtles or one of 11 types of salamanders and newts.
Since then, Ontario's provincial parks have stood for protection of the natural environment and enjoyment of the great outdoors. Today, Ontario's vast system of parks and protected areas totals over 9 million hectares, and includes areas of magnificent old-growth forest, woodland caribou ranges, wilderness rivers, wetlands and habitat for rare and endangered plants and animals.
Our parks attract about 10 million visitors each year and provide places for outdoor activities such as camping, hiking, swimming, canoeing, nature viewing and fishing. Parks are also important for scientific research, environmental monitoring and outdoor education. Most importantly, Ontario's provincial parks will protect and conserve our rich natural and cultural heritage for the benefit of future generations. It produces more than 25 different metal and non-metal mineral products.
Ontario stone was used to build the Ontario legislature, the federal parliament buildings in Ottawa, and the Canadian Embassy Washington, DC. The ancient rocks of the Canadian Shield cover two-thirds of Ontario and host many mineral deposits. Younger sedimentary rocks also contain valuable minerals and unconsolidated glacial deposits are another important source of mineral riches.
Amethyst, a variety of 6-sided purple quartz crystal, was adopted as Ontario's official gemstone in Amethyst, while occurring worldwide, is in rich supply along Lake Superior's north shore near Thunder Bay.
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