Ontario is Canada’s most populous province, and denotes this through the sheer size and energy of its two cities (one the federal capital, the other the provincial capital),
Ottawa and
Toronto. Toronto, in particular, is widely regarded as one of the most vibrant and cosmopolitan cities on the continent, in part due to its huge influx of immigrants. The city heaves with
galleries,
museums and
shops, all against the backdrop of both
heritage buildings (such as the Old City Hall, built in 1899) and
innovative modern architecture (such as the CN
Tower, arguably the world’s tallest building).
Yet away from the cities, due to the enormity of the province, there are always plenty of places where you can savour some silence. The far north and west of Ontario is a largely
uninhabited wilderness of lakes, swamps and forests. Throughout Ontario are six
national parks and 260 provincial parks. And, surreal as it may seem when compared to the orovince’s urban centers, there are parts of this province where you can see more
polar bears than humans.
Ontario is also a province of water, containing four of the five
’Great Lakes’ of North America. There is also
Niagara Falls for those who crave their watery landscapes a little more dramatic; partly lodged in Ontario (and partly in New York State, USA), the falls provide a snapshot of nature at its most phenomenal.
GeographyOntario is an eastern-central province bordered by Manitoba and Québec, with a northern coastline on James Bay and Hudson Bay; it also shares the shores of the Great Lakes with the USA. The two main populated areas, around Toronto and Ottawa, are in the southern spur, and the north remains a landscape of forests and lakes. The province contains the Niagara Falls, one of the most spectacular sights in the world.
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