Southern Ontario | |
|---|---|
| Southern Ontario | |
 ██ Core area██ Extended area | |
| Coordinates:44°00′N80°00′W / 44.000°N 80.000°W /44.000; -80.000 | |
| Country |  Canada |
| Province |  Ontario |
| Area | |
• Total | 114,217 km2 (44,099 sq mi) |
| • Core area | 101,264 km2 (39,098 sq mi) |
| • Extended area | 12,953 km2 (5,001 sq mi) |
| Population (2021) | |
• Total | 13,481,332 |
| • Density | 118/km2 (310/sq mi) |
| • Core area | 13,367,749 |
| • Extended area | 113,583 |
| Demonym | Southern Ontarian |
| Time zone | UTC−05:00 (EST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−04:00 (EDT) |
| Postal code prefixes | |
| Area codes | 226,249,289,343,365,416,437,519,548,613,647,705,905 |
Southern Ontario is aprimary region of the Canadianprovince ofOntario. It is the most densely populated and southernmost region in Canada, with approximately 13.5 million people, approximately 36% of Canada's population of 37 million.[1] The region lies south of the province's other primary region,Northern Ontario, although the exact northern boundary of Southern Ontario is disputed. However, its core region is situated south ofAlgonquin Park, the latter being in an area of transition betweenconiferous forest north of theFrench andMattawa Rivers and southerndeciduous forest. It covers between 14 and 15% of the province, depending on the inclusion of theParry Sound andMuskoka districts which also lie in the transitional area between northern and southern forest regions. Southern Ontario differs greatly fromNorthern Ontario, having a much higher population density, a different climate, and a different culture than its northern counterpart. It is broken into smaller subregions, includingCentral Ontario,Eastern Ontario, theGolden Horseshoe, andSouthwestern Ontario.
The core area of Southern Ontario is part of theQuebec City–Windsor Corridor, which extends northeast into southernQuebec. The transitional northern area of this primary region extends north to the Mattawa River and occupies part of theGrenville Geological Province of theCanadian Shield, which also extends northeast into southern Quebec; most of Northern Ontario lies within theSuperior Geological Province.
Southern Ontario can be distinguished from Northern Ontario because it is far more densely populated and contains most of the province's cities, major roads, and institutions. Northern Ontario, in contrast, contains more natural resources and remote wilderness. Although it has no saltwater coastline, the region has an abundance of freshwater coastlines on threeGreat Lakes (Huron,Erie andOntario), as well as smaller lakes such asLake Simcoe andLake St. Clair. It is a majorvineyard region and producer ofCanadian wines.[2]
While Southern Ontario has been a part of the province of Ontario since its establishment atConfederation in 1867, previously forming the colony of Upper Canada, a large portion of Northern Ontario did not become part of Ontario until 1912.
The French explored and colonized Territorial Southern Ontario in the 17th century and forged relations with theWyandotHuron people, based around the Georgian Bay/Lake Simcoe area. OtherIroquoian speaking people to the south were thePetun andNeutral Nation, and further northeast,Algonquins inhabited the upper Ottawa River/Madawaska Valley areas and theMississaugas moved south from northern Lake Huron, settling lands in both theKawartha region and just west of Toronto.
Following theSeven Years' War, the British wrested control of Southern Ontario, and more significant colonization efforts were spurred on by the arrival ofUnited Empire Loyalists brought on by theAmerican Revolution.
Southern Ontario was where a large portion of the battles took place during theWar of 1812,[3] and was a major destination for escaping slaves using theUnderground Railroad.[4]
Following the enactment ofProhibition in the United States in 1919, Southern Ontario immediately became a hotbed of smuggling alcohol(spirit) across the border.
Southern Ontario is home to over 94%, or 12.1 million, of Ontario's total population of 12.9 million (and about 35% of Canada's total population), compared to approximately 750,000 in Northern Ontario. This is due to many factors, including the more arable land in the south, its more moderate climate, well-used transportation (water, land, and air) routes, as well as a long history of early Europeansettlers andcolonialism.
For thousands of years, Ontario has been home toindigenousaboriginal communities, with numerous nations with differing languages at the time of European contact. Over 200,000 aboriginal Canadians live in Southern Ontario today.
Southern Ontario was colonized by theFrench and theBritish. After the area began to be developed for European settlement, especially after the American Revolutionary War, otherEuropean immigrants arrived as well, with increased immigration in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Since the late 20th century, many immigrants have come from Asia and other parts of the world. The region is one of the top destinations for immigrants worldwide,[5] particularly theGreater Toronto Area.
The area has a large manufacturing sector. Since the mid-2000s, Ontario has produced more vehicles per year than the state ofMichigan.[6] In a cross-border definition, a swath of Southern Ontario could be considered a part of theRust Belt.[7] Factory closings because of industry restructuring and globalization (corresponding movement of jobs overseas and to non-unionized labour markets in the United States) have for the past few decades taken their toll. This is most evident in the region's southern tier cities, which have large automobile or associated industrial bases, such asWindsor,London,St. Thomas andSt. Catharines. Still affected by these factors, but to a lesser extent, isHamilton, the centre of steel production, andSarnia, the centre of petrochemical production. The province's two largest cities, Toronto and Ottawa, have moved increasingly to a service and knowledge economy. Toronto is home to the country's financial sector, including themajor Canadian banks andToronto Stock Exchange. Ottawa, the national capital, is home to theGovernment of Canada and most governmentdepartments and agencies, in addition to having a strong technology sector.[8][9]
Some parts of Southern Ontario are heavily entwined with bordering cities inNew York and Michigan in terms of industry and people. The focus areas are theBuffalo–Niagara,Sarnia andDetroit–Windsor. Many people work and live on opposite sides of the border. TheNEXUS program for frequent travelers across the border[10] is increasing in popularity among bordering communities. Other areas with heavy trade traffic with Southern Ontario includeMontreal and the province ofQuebec, parts of northernOhio, and westernPennsylvania.
Most of the province's agriculture is found here. That includes most of Ontario's berry growers, who are represented byOntario Berries.[11]
Southern Ontario is well known for its attractions and tourism. Some popular tourist attractions include theCN Tower,Parliament Hill,Niagara Falls,National Gallery of Canada,Canada's Wonderland,CNE,Caesars Windsor,Canadian War Museum,Toronto Zoo,Hockey Hall of Fame,Ripley's Aquarium of Canada,Royal Canadian Mint,Marineland,The Rideau Canal, theCanadian Museum of History and theRoyal Ontario Museum.
Niagara Falls is the 6th most visited attraction by domestic and international tourists worldwide, with over 14 million tourists annually. In 2006,Toronto was the 14th most visited city by international tourists in the world, with over 4.1 million visitors in the year.[12]Ottawa is the most visited city in Canada by domestic tourists, hosting over 6.9 million Canadian visitors per year.[13]
Southern Ontario is home to several professional sports teams, including theOttawa Senators andToronto Maple Leafs in theNHL; theToronto Blue Jays inMajor League Baseball; theNBA'sToronto Raptors; soccer'sToronto FC inMLS andAtlético Ottawa in theCanadian Premier League; and three teams in theCanadian Football League—theHamilton Tiger-Cats,Ottawa Redblacks, andToronto Argonauts. The region also hosts theCanadian Open in golf andRogers Cup in tennis.[a]
The area sponsors many internationally renowned festivals and events, includingToronto International Film Festival,Winterlude,Caribana,Bluesfest,Pride Week,Kitchener Oktoberfest,Havelock Jamboree,Toronto Indy,Sarnia Bayfest,Canada Day in Ottawa,International Freedom Festival inWindsor,Stratford Festival,Shaw Festival andVirgin Festival.
Several large legal gambling establishments have been built throughout the Province,[14] withCaesars Windsor andFallsview Casino being the two flagship casinos.[15][16] In addition to casinos, Ontario has many legalhorseracing facilities withslot machines. Racetrack slots are located throughout the Province. All gaming in the Province is overseen by theOntario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG), and theAlcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario.[17]
Southern Ontario has many natural attractions.Wasaga Beach,Grand Bend,Sauble Beach, andSandbanks are beaches along theGreat Lakes. TheNiagara Escarpment offers hiking, skiing, and hundreds of waterfalls, includingNiagara Falls. TheOttawa River has white-water rafting which attractsrafters andkayakers from all over the world.Ontario Parks governs all provincial parks, andParks Canada governs allnational parks.
Southern Ontario is home to both Canada's capital city (Ottawa), and Canada's largest city (Toronto).
Southern Ontario communities have 13 telephonearea codes: 226, 249, 289, 343, 365, 382, 416, 437, 519, 548, 613, 647, 705, and 905.
Statistics Canada's measure of a "metro area", theCensus Metropolitan Area (CMA),[18][19] roughly bundles together population figures from the core municipality with those from "commuter" municipalities.[20] Note: A city'smetropolitan area may actually be larger than its CMA. For example;Oshawa is part of theGreater Toronto Area; however, it is considered its own CMA.
| Southern Ontario Cities† | 2021 | 2016 | 2011 | 2006 | 2001 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Toronto CMA | 6,202,225 | 5,928,040 | 5,583,064 | 5,113,149 | 4,682,897 |
| Ottawa CMA | 1,488,307 | 1,323,783 | 1,236,324 | 1,130,761 | 1,067,800 |
| Hamilton CMA | 785,184 | 747,545 | 721,053 | 692,911 | 662,401 |
| Kitchener–Cambridge–Waterloo CMA | 575,847 | 523,894 | 477,160 | 451,235 | 414,284 |
| London CMA | 543,551 | 494,069 | 474,786 | 457,720 | 435,600 |
| St. Catharines–Niagara CMA | 433,604 | 406,074 | 392,184 | 390,317 | 377,009 |
| Windsor CMA | 422,630 | 398,718 | 319,246 | 323,342 | 307,877 |
| Oshawa CMA | 415,311 | 379,848 | 356,177 | 330,594 | 296,298 |
| Barrie CMA | 212,856 | 197,059 | 187,013 | 177,061 | 148,480 |
| Kingston CMA | 172,546 | 161,175 | 159,561 | 152,358 | 146,838 |
| Guelph CMA | 165,588 | 151,984 | 141,097 | 127,009 | 117,344 |
| Brantford CMA | 144,162 | 134,203 | 135,501 | 124,607 | 118,086 |
| Peterborough CMA | 128,624 | 121,721 | 118,975 | 116,570 | 110,876 |
The region is broken up into 40census divisions, including 22counties, eightregional municipalities, ninesingle-tier municipalities and depending on its inclusion, onedistrict. The line between the counties and regions of the south and the districts of the north can be considered a boundary between Southern and Northern Ontario.
This is disputed, however, as the demarcation line that is referenced in provincial documents is the Nipissing Passageway, originally anIndian trail between Georgian Bay and theOttawa River. The trail follows theFrench River fromGeorgian Bay toLake Nipissing. AtNorth Bay, 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) of land separates Lake Nipissing from Trout Lake. From Trout Lake, the trail follows theMattawa River to theOttawa River.[21][22]
1 Muskoka and Parry Sound are commonly regarded as transitional regions between Southern and Northern Ontario. Both divisions may be regarded as northern districts geographically, culturally, and politically in some contexts.
The 2011 census revealed that the major urban divisions of York, Halton, Peel, and Ottawa had the largest growth. While the heavy industrial divisions of Chatham, Lambton, and Essex,[23] as well as the mostly recreational divisions of Huron[24] and Prince Edward had a decrease in population.
Southern Ontario has long been an international destination for higher learning. It houses numerous internationally acclaimed publicuniversities and colleges amongst its 13universities and 20colleges. It is also home to numerous private post-secondary institutions.
Many notable Canadians have been based in Southern Ontario, as it is Canada's most populated area. Toronto is notable for itsmulticulturalism and cosmopolitan nature:[25] Southern Ontario also features in the literary genre ofSouthern Ontario Gothic, a major strand in Canadian literature.
Southern Ontario has a highly developed transport system, including manyhighways, airports, ports, trains, and buses. The freeway system in Southern Ontario is referred to as theKing's highways system, or the400 series highways. The freeways are digitally monitored by theMinistry of Transportation (Ontario) using theCOMPASS-Freeway Traffic Management System[26] With the long-awaited upgrade of Highway 406, all the freeways in Ontario are at least 4 lanes wide, fully controlled with interchanges and divided. The major freeways are400,401,402,403,404,405,406,407 (Toll),409,410,412,416,417,418,420,427,Don Valley Parkway,Gardiner Expressway,Queen Elizabeth Way,Queensway,Lincoln M. Alexander Parkway,Red Hill Valley Parkway,Conestoga Parkway, and theE. C. Row Expressway.
Southern Ontario also has severalborder crossings with the United States. TheAmbassador Bridge, unfinishedGordie Howe International Bridge,Detroit–Windsor Tunnel, andBlue Water Bridge connect the region with theU.S. state ofMichigan, while thePeace Bridge,Rainbow Bridge,Whirlpool Rapids Bridge,Lewiston–Queenston Bridge,Thousand Islands Bridge,Ogdensburg–Prescott International Bridge, andSeaway International Bridge link Southern Ontario with the U.S. state ofNew York.
The region has a long history of marine transportation, with hundreds of millions of tonnes of cargo moving along theGreat Lakes, andSaint Lawrence Seaway each year. TheWelland Canal is a vital part of theGreat Lakes Waterway, allowing ships to avoidNiagara Falls. TheSt. Clair River andDetroit River are also well travelled rivers between Lake Huron and Lake Erie in theWindsor,Sarnia area. Major regional ports include thePort of Hamilton and Port of Windsor, with smaller ports inOshawa,Toronto,Goderich and Sarnia. Southern Ontario also has thousands of other freshwater lakes and rivers, as well as theTrent-Severn Waterway andRideau Canal.
Inter-city train service in the region is provided mainly byVia Rail.[27] TheGreater Toronto area also has a commuter train system called theGO Train, which is supplemented by a network of bus services.[28]
There are several major international airports, including the busiest airport in the country,Toronto Pearson International Airport (ranked 15th busiest worldwide by flights in 2014),Ottawa Macdonald–Cartier International Airport,John C. Munro Hamilton International Airport,London International Airport, andRegion of Waterloo International Airport. Many Southern Ontarians living close to theMichigan orNew York State borders use eitherDetroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport orBuffalo Niagara International Airport as their local airport.
Southern Ontario has ahumid continental climate with four distinct seasons.[29] The average highs in July for the region range between 25 and 29 °C (77 and 84 °F). The average high in January ranges from −6 to 0 °C (21 to 32 °F). The highest recorded temperature in Southern Ontario was 45 and 52 °C (113 and 126 °F) with thehumidex. During cold snaps, winter temperatures can occasionally drop below −30 °C (−22 °F). The climate found over most of southern Ontario falls within theDfb and Dfa climate subtypes, much warmer or milder than the northern part of the province due to lower latitude, presence of bodies of water, and intense urbanization.[30]
Harsh weather is not uncommon in the region. In the summer months, Southern Ontario is susceptible totornadoes[31] but far more often, straight line wind damage, hail and localized flooding from severe thunderstorms. Although the majority of tornadoes rarely cause excessive damage, the region is on the periphery ofTornado Alley and(F4) tornadoes touchdown every few decades, causing widespread damage. Southern Ontario also getshurricane remnants,floods,ice storms, heavyfog,hail, andblizzards.
Smallearthquakes occur in the region. The Mw 5.8Cornwall–Massena earthquake occurred in 1944 and had a maximumMercalli intensity of VII (Very strong).
Many tourists visit the area in the autumn months to look at the bright, vibrant colours offall foliage.
Southern Ontario has a very different climate from the rest of the country. It is the only area of Canada that hasCarolinian forest.[32] Many trees, plants, and wildlife in Southern Ontario are not found anywhere else in Canada. Some rare trees in this region include thetulip tree,pawpaw fruit tree, and thecucumber tree. The Carolinian forests of Southern Ontario have in large part been destroyed by development sprawl. Very few original growth areas remain.
The region has the most freshwater beaches in the nation. With relatively warm waters by mid-summer due to the hot and humid summer months with significant coastlines of white sand, the major beaches in the region are visited by millions of tourists every summer. The most popular beaches areWasaga Beach,Grand Bend,Sauble Beach, andSandbanks.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link){{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)Places adjacent to Southern Ontario | |
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