Ontario, often referred to as “The Heartland Province,”[1] is the second-largest province in Canada and is the most populated of the Canadian Provinces. The province covers an area of approximately 1.08 million square kilometers (415,598 square miles). It is the second largest province.[2] Ontario is the most populous province in Canada, with an estimated population of around 15.26 million people as of 2024.[3] Ontario is a Canadian province bounded by Manitoba to the west, Hudson Bay to the north, Québec to the east, and New York, the Great Lakes, Michigan and Minnesota to the south.[4]
Ontario is Canada’s economic powerhouse, contributing around 37% of the national GDP.[5] The province has a highly diversified economy, with significant contributions from the manufacturing, service, and technology sectors. Key industries include automobile manufacturing, technology and innovation, agriculture and mining.[5] Agriculture: Ontario has more than half of Canada’s highest quality farmland, producing a variety of crops such as grapes, apples, and berries.[5] The Canadian Shield in Ontario is rich in minerals, including gold and nickel.[5] There are over 250,000 lakes in Ontario, which contain approximately one-fifth of the world’s fresh water supply.[4]
Ontario boasts a wealth of natural beauty, with numerous national and provincial parks. Ontario has over 300 provincial parks.[6] Some notable parks include: Algonquin Provincial Park, Bruce Peninsula National Park, Point Pelee National Park, Ontario is home to several iconic attractions: Niagara Falls, Toronto’s CN Tower, and the city of Ottawa.
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History of Ontario
The province was founded on parts of the traditional territories of the Ojibwa, Odawa, Potawatomi, Algonquin, Mississauga, Haudenosaunee, The Neutral Confederacy, Wendat, Cree, Oji-Cree and Métis.
The first known European to explore Ontario was the French explorer Étienne Brûlé, who traveled through the region between 1610 and 1612.[7] French explorer René-Robert Cavelier de La Salle built and sailed the Griffon on the Great Lakes, and the Ontario region became a vital link between the French settlements in Québec and their fur trading posts on the Mississippi.[8]
Ontario’s journey to becoming a province began with the influx of Loyalists following the American Revolutionary War. In response to this influx,[9] the Constitutional Act of 1791 was enacted, splitting the colony of Quebec into Lower Canada (present-day Quebec) and Upper Canada (present-day southern Ontario). The Canadas were reunited as the Province of Canada by the Act of Union 1840. On July 1, 1867, the Province of Canada was split into Ontario and Quebec as part of the Confederation, forming the Dominion of Canada along with New Brunswick and Nova Scotia.[10]
Ontario’s economy has evolved significantly from its early days. Initially, agriculture was the primary economic activity, with Loyalists and other settlers clearing land and establishing farms4. By the mid-19th century, Ontario had become a major agricultural producer, with wheat being a staple export5.
The late 19th and early 20th centuries saw Ontario’s economy diversify and industrialize. The shift from an agricultural to an industrial economy was driven by advancements in transportation and the adoption of steam power6. Ontario became a hub for manufacturing, particularly in the automotive sector, which remains a significant part of its economy today.
Demographics of Ontario
The demographic distribution of the [state] population is as follows:[3]
At the 2011 census, the racial and ethnic composition of Ontario was 71.7% white, 25.9% visible minority groups and 2.4% Aboriginal groups (1.6% First Nations, 0.7% Metis, 0.1% other Aboriginal). The visible minority groups include:
- South Asian: 7.6%
- Chinese: 5%
- Black: 4.3%
- Filipino: 2.2%
- Latin American: 1.4%
- Arab: 1.1%
- Southeast Asian: 1.1%
- West Asian: 1%
- Korean: 0.6%
- Japanese: 0.2%
- Other: 0.6%
- Multiple visible minorities: 0.8%
Most common surnames in Ontario
Researching family history in Ontario
The Archives of Ontario and the Library and Archives of Canada share records upon request. The Archives of Ontario also has a page for "Tracing your ancestry at the Archives of Ontario." The Hudson Bay Company also played an important part in early history of Ontario and has many records in the Hudson Bay Company Archives, located in Manitoba Province, are relevant to family history in Ontario. The Toronto Reference Library has a wide ranging genealogical research record collection. The Ontario Genealogical Society known as Ontario Ancestors has 30 Branches representing counties & districts across Ontario and 6 Special Interest Groups (British Home Children, Eastern European, Scottish, Irish and Irish-Palatine and Genetic Genealogy).
Ontario regions, counties, districts and municipalities
The borders and sizes of many Ontario counties have significantly changed over time. Currently Ontario is divided into counties, districts, regional municipalities, single-tier municipalities, and separated municipalities.[12] The districts and municipalities are the functional equivalents of counties and county government is a federation of the local municipalities within its boundaries. [12] Ontario has 8 regional municipalities, 19 counties, 11 districts, a total of 444 municipalities which are further divided into 241 lower-tier municipalities and 173 single-tier municipalities.[12]
See also
Explore more about Ontario
MyHeritage.com has 24 collections of records that contain information relevant to genealogical research in Ontario. Some of these important records include Ontario Births, 1869-1912, Canada, French Newspapers 1807-2007, and the Canadian Census records. More records are available in the Ontario Collection Catalog.
References
- ↑ Why Are Ontario And Quebec Called The Heartland Of Canada?
- ↑ The Largest And Smallest Canadian Provinces/Territories By Area
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Ontario Population 2024
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Ontario
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 About Ontario
- ↑ Locate Provincial Parks in Ontario
- ↑ Ontario - Exploration, Fur Trade, Confederation | Britannica
- ↑ Ontario
- ↑ Loyalists in Canada (Plain-Language Summary)
- ↑ Ontario and Confederation
- ↑ Most Common Last Names In Ontario
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 Ontario Municipalities | AMO