The Provinces of Canada: ONTARIO

Symbols of Ontario The provincial bird is the Common Loon The provincial flower is the Trillium The provincial tree is the Eastern White Pine Add a picture here. Add a picture here. Add a picture here.

Provincial Flag Ontario’s flag has a red field with the Union Jack in the upper left corner and the Ontario shield at right.

Province Meaning The name Ontario, from an Iroquoian word sometimes translated as meaning "beautiful lake" or "beautiful water", is apt, since lakes and rivers occupy one-sixth of the province's total area of just over one million square kilometres. There are over 250,000 lakes in Ontario - they make up about one-third of the world's fresh water.

Province History First Inhabitants Exploration Settlement Artifacts and archaeological excavation that show human habitation of what is today Ontario date back at least 7000 years. Exploration French explorers Etienne Brulé and Samuel de Champlain sailed the St. Lawrence into Ontario. Settlement The first large settlement was York (now Toronto), which became the capital in 1793.

Province History, continued Pre-Confederation Days A railway boom in the 1850s made year-round transportation routes a reality, though the boom abruptly ended in 1857. When the American Civil War started in 1861, the population of Canada West was about 1.5 million. In 1867, Ontario joined with Quebec, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick to form the Dominion of Canada.

Provincehood This province became one of the first four provinces of Canada on July 1, 1867. The first Lieutenant Governor of the province after Confederation was Major-General The Honourable Henry William Stisted. The first Premier of the province after Confederation was The Honourable John Sandfield Macdonald.

Government National Government Provincial Government There are currently 24 Senators and 106 Members of Parliament representing Ontario in the federal government. Provincial Government The current Lieutenant Governor of Ontario is His Honour The Honourable David Onley. The current Premier of Ontario is The Honourable Dalton McGuinty. There are 107 Members of Provincial Parliament in the Ontario Legislature.

Map of Ontario Toronto

Statistics Population: 12 500 000 (2005) Area: 1,076,395 km² Population Density: 12.94 / km² Largest City: Toronto (2 500 000) Capital City: Toronto Other Cities: Ottawa, Hamilton, London, Windsor, Kitchener-Waterloo

Economy Chief aspects of the provincial economy include: cultivating crops mining minerals manufacturing automobiles designing software and leading-edge technology

Weather The average high temperature in July is 23°C. The average high temperature in January is -13°C. The average yearly precipitation is 95 cm.

Natural Resources Water Minerals 250 000 lakes Great Lakes St. Lawrence River Minerals Gold Nickel Copper Zinc

Natural Resources, continued Plant Life deciduous forest of the Niagara Peninsula mixed forest of the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence region conifer-dominated boreal forest of the north Animal Life Fish Beavers Bears Birds

Places to Visit Toronto Ottawa Algonquin Provincial Park CN Tower The Ex Ottawa Parliament Buildings Museums Algonquin Provincial Park Camping

Famous People Wayne Gretzky, hockey player Lt.Col. John McCrae, author of In Flanders Fields The Rt. Hon. Lester B. Pearson, Prime Minister Christopher Plummer, actor Neil Young, singer Norman Bethune, inventor Sir Frederick Banting, inventor

Provincial Motto & Coat of Arms Ut Incepit Fidelis Sic Permanent "Loyal she began, loyal she remains"

Works Cited Canadian Heritage. (2005) Ontario. Retrieved on September 1, 2005 from www.pch.gc.ca/progs/cpsc-ccsp/atc-ac/on_e.cfm Government of Ontario. (2005) About Ontario (Government of Ontario, Canada). Retrieved on September 1, 2005 from \www.gov.on.ca/MBS/english/about/index.html Marlatt, Craig. (2005) CanadaInfo: Provinces and Territories: Ontario. Retrieved on September 1, 2005 from www.craigmarlatt.com/canada/provinces&territories/ON.html