Wikipedia

Southern Ontario

Southern Ontariois aprimary regionof the CanadianprovinceofOntario.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 forestnorth of theFrenchandMattawaRivers and southerndeciduous forest.It covers between 14 and 15% of the province, depending on the inclusion of theParry SoundandMuskokadistricts 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.

Southern Ontario
Primary region
Southern Ontario
██ Core area ██ Extended area

██Core area██Extended area
Coordinates:44°00′N80°00′W/ 44.000°N 80.000°W/44.000; -80.000
CountryCanada
ProvinceOntario
Area
• Total
114,217 km2(44,099 sq mi)
• Core area101,264 km2(39,098 sq mi)
• Extended area12,953 km2(5,001 sq mi)
Population
(2021)
• Total
13,481,332
• Density118.0/km2(306/sq mi)
• Core area
13,367,749
• Extended area
113,583
DemonymSouthern Ontarian
Time zoneUTC−5(EST)
• Summer (DST)UTC−4(EDT)
Postal code prefixes
K,L,M,N
Area code(s)226,249,289,343,365,416,437,519,548,613,647,705,905

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 Provinceof theCanadian Shield,which also extends northeast into southern Quebec; most of Northern Ontario lies within theSuperior Geological Province.

Identity

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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,ErieandOntario), as well as smaller lakes such asLake SimcoeandLake St. Clair.It is a majorvineyardregion and producer ofCanadian wines.[2]

While Southern Ontario has been a part of the province of Ontario since its establishment atConfederationin 1867, previously forming the colony of Upper Canada, a large portion of Northern Ontario did not become part of Ontario until 1912.

History

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Main article:History of Ontario
Underground Railroadmonument, Windsor

The French explored and colonized Territorial Southern Ontario in the 17th century and forged relations with theWyandotHuronpeople, based around the Georgian Bay/Lake Simcoe area. OtherIroquoianspeaking people to the south were thePetunandNeutral Nation,and further northeast,Algonquinsinhabited the upper Ottawa River/Madawaska Valley areas and theMississaugasmoved south from northern Lake Huron, settling lands in both theKawartharegion 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 Loyalistsbrought 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 Statesin 1919, Southern Ontario immediately became a hotbed of smuggling alcohol(spirit)across the border.

Demographics

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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 Europeansettlersandcolonialism.

For thousands of years, Ontario has been home toindigenousaboriginalcommunities, 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 theFrenchand theBritish.After the area began to be developed for European settlement, especially after the American Revolutionary War, otherEuropeanimmigrants 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.

Toronto skyline in 2005

Economy

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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. ThomasandSt. 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 banksandToronto Stock Exchange.Ottawa, the national capital, is home to theGovernment of Canadaand most governmentdepartmentsand agencies, in addition to having a strong technology sector.[8][9]

Some parts of Southern Ontario are heavily entwined with bordering cities inNew Yorkand Michigan in terms of industry and people. The focus areas are theBuffalo–Niagara,SarniaandDetroit–Windsor.Many people work and live on opposite sides of the border. TheNEXUSprogram for frequent travelers across the border[10]is increasing in popularity among bordering communities. Other areas with heavy trade traffic with Southern Ontario includeMontrealand 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]

Tourism

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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 Historyand theRoyal Ontario Museum.

Niagara Fallsis the 6th most visited attraction by domestic and international tourists worldwide, with over 14 million tourists annually. In 2006,Torontowas the 14th most visited city by international tourists in the world, with over 4.1 million visitors in the year.[12]Ottawais 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 SenatorsandToronto Maple Leafsin theNHL;theToronto Blue JaysinMajor League Baseball;theNBA'sToronto Raptors;soccer'sToronto FCinMLSandAtlético Ottawain theCanadian Premier League;and three teams in theCanadian Football League—theHamilton Tiger-Cats,Ottawa Redblacks,andToronto Argonauts.The region also hosts theCanadian Openin golf andRogers Cupin tennis.[a]

Niagara Falls in 2009

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 Dayin Ottawa,International Freedom FestivalinWindsor,Stratford Festival,Shaw FestivalandVirgin Festival.

Several large legal gambling establishments have been built throughout the Province,[14]withCaesars WindsorandFallsview Casinobeing the two flagship casinos.[15][16]In addition to casinos, Ontario has many legalhorseracingfacilities 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,andSandbanksare beaches along theGreat Lakes.TheNiagara Escarpmentoffers hiking, skiing, and hundreds of waterfalls, includingNiagara Falls.TheOttawa Riverhas white-water rafting which attractsraftersandkayakersfrom all over the world.Ontario Parksgoverns all provincial parks, andParks Canadagoverns allnational parks.

Cities

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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 areamay actually be larger than its CMA. For example;Oshawais part of theGreater Toronto Area;however, it is considered its own CMA.

See also:Golden Horseshoe,Detroit–Windsor,andNational Capital Region (Canada)
Ottawa in 2005
Southern Ontario Cities† 2021 2016 2011 2006 2001
TorontoCMA 6,202,225 5,928,040 5,583,064 5,113,149 4,682,897
OttawaCMA 1,488,307 1,323,783 1,236,324 1,130,761 1,067,800
HamiltonCMA 785,184 747,545 721,053 692,911 662,401
Kitchener–Cambridge–WaterlooCMA 575,847 523,894 477,160 451,235 414,284
LondonCMA 543,551 494,069 474,786 457,720 435,600
St. Catharines–NiagaraCMA 433,604 406,074 392,184 390,317 377,009
WindsorCMA 422,630 398,718 319,246 323,342 307,877
OshawaCMA 415,311 379,848 356,177 330,594 296,298
BarrieCMA 212,856 197,059 187,013 177,061 148,480
KingstonCMA 172,546 161,175 159,561 152,358 146,838
GuelphCMA 165,588 151,984 141,097 127,009 117,344
BrantfordCMA 144,162 134,203 135,501 124,607 118,086
PeterboroughCMA 128,624 121,721 118,975 116,570 110,876

Census divisions

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The region is broken up into 40census divisions,including 22counties,eightregional municipalities,ninesingle-tier municipalitiesand 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 trailbetween Georgian Bay and theOttawa River.The trail follows theFrench RiverfromGeorgian BaytoLake Nipissing.AtNorth Bay,2 kilometres (1.2 mi) of land separates Lake Nipissing from Trout Lake. From Trout Lake, the trail follows theMattawa Riverto theOttawa River.[21][22]


1Muskoka 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.

Higher education

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Southern Ontario has long been an international destination for higher learning. It houses numerous internationally acclaimed publicuniversities and collegesamongst its 13universitiesand 20colleges.It is also home to numerous private post-secondary institutions.

Culture

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Many notable Canadians have been based in Southern Ontario, as it is Canada's most populated area. Toronto is notable for itsmulticulturalismand cosmopolitan nature:[25]Southern Ontario also features in the literary genre ofSouthern Ontario Gothic,a major strand in Canadian literature.

Transportation

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Highway 401 at theDon Valley Parkwayin Toronto
Kichi Zibi Mikaninterchange inOttawa

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 highwayssystem, 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 crossingswith the United States. TheAmbassador Bridge,Detroit–Windsor Tunnel,andBlue Water Bridgeconnect the region with theU.S. stateofMichigan,while thePeace Bridge,Rainbow Bridge,Whirlpool Rapids Bridge,Lewiston–Queenston Bridge,Thousand Islands Bridge,Ogdensburg–Prescott International Bridge,andSeaway International Bridgelink 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 Seawayeach year. TheWelland Canalis a vital part of theGreat Lakes Waterway,allowing ships to avoidNiagara Falls.TheSt. Clair RiverandDetroit Riverare also well travelled rivers between Lake Huron and Lake Erie in theWindsor,Sarniaarea. Major regional ports include thePort of Hamiltonand Port of Windsor, with smaller ports inOshawa,Toronto,Goderichand Sarnia. Southern Ontario also has thousands of other freshwater lakes and rivers, as well as theTrent-Severn WaterwayandRideau Canal.

Inter-city train service in the region is provided mainly byVia Rail.[27]TheGreater Toronto areaalso 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 theMichiganorNew York Stateborders use eitherDetroit Metropolitan Wayne County AirportorBuffalo Niagara International Airportas their local airport.

Climate

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Typical Great Lakes beach

Southern Ontario has ahumid continental climatewith 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 theDfbandDfaclimate 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 Alleyand(F4)tornadoes touchdown every few decades, causing widespread damage. Southern Ontario also getshurricaneremnants,floods,ice storms,heavyfog,hail,andblizzards.

Smallearthquakesoccur in the region. The Mw  5.8Cornwall–Massena earthquake occurred in 1944and had a maximumMercalli intensityof 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,pawpawfruit 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.

See also

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Footnotes

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  1. ^"Rogers Cup" is the current sponsored name. The men's version, held in Toronto in even-numbered years, is generically known as the Canada Masters, and the women's version, held in Toronto in odd-numbered years, is generically known as the Canadian Open.

References

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  1. ^Statistics Canada (January 15, 2001)."Census of Population".RetrievedMarch 9,2022.
  2. ^"Canada's Wine Regions".
  3. ^"Battles".The War of 1812 Website.The Discriminating General.RetrievedMay 29,2011.
  4. ^"Showing Gratitude during Black History Month".Ontario Black History Society.RetrievedMay 29,2011.
  5. ^"Census 2001 Highlights: Factsheet 5: Immigration to Ontario".
  6. ^"Ontario auto industry outpaced Michigan last year".Investment Executive. February 1, 2005. Archived fromthe originalon 2011-09-28.RetrievedMay 19,2011.
  7. ^Craig S. Campbell, "Rust Belt," in The American Midwest: An Interpretive Encyclopedia, eds. Richard Sisson, Christian Zacher, and Andrew Cayton, Indiana University Press, 2007, p. 78.
  8. ^"Ottawa's economy expected to weather pandemic better than other Canadian cities | CBC News".CBC.Retrieved2021-01-28.
  9. ^Dept, Finance (2019-08-07)."Economy and demographics".ottawa.ca.Retrieved2021-01-28.
  10. ^Canada Border Services Agency."NEXUS".[permanent dead link‍]
  11. ^"Berry Growers Ontario".Ontario Berries.Retrieved2022-08-16.
  12. ^Caroline Bremner (October 2007)."Top 150 City Destinations: London Leads the Way".Euromonitor International.RetrievedMay 19,2011.
  13. ^"Cashing in: The economic impact of an Ottawa casino".August 2013. Archived fromthe originalon 2013-10-13.RetrievedOctober 12,2013.
  14. ^"Slots and Casinos".Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation. Archived fromthe originalon 2011-07-04.RetrievedMay 19,2011.
  15. ^"Caesars Windsor".Caesars License Company, LLC.RetrievedMay 19,2011.
  16. ^"Fallsview Casino Resort Home".Fallsview Casino Resort.RetrievedMay 19,2011.
  17. ^"Welcome to the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario".RetrievedMay 28,2011.
  18. ^"Geographic Units: Census Metropolitan Area (CMA) and Census Agglomeration (CA)".Statistics Canada. Archived fromthe originalon September 30, 2020.RetrievedMay 28,2011.
  19. ^"Population and population growth rate of census metropolitan areas in Canada, 2011 to 2016 and 2016 to 2021, ranked by percentage of growth in 2021".9 February 2022.RetrievedMarch 9,2022.
  20. ^"Population and dwelling counts, for Canada, provinces and territories, census metropolitan areas and census agglomerations, 2006 and 2001 censuses - 100% data".Statistics Canada. 2008-11-05. Archived fromthe originalon 2009-05-04.Retrieved2009-04-01.
  21. ^Peake, Michael."French River: Canoeing the River of the Stick-Waivers".All About Canoes.Canoe.ca. Archived from the original on August 1, 2012.RetrievedMay 28,2011.{{cite web}}:CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  22. ^Woodrow, Maureen."Challenges to Sustainability in Northern Ontario".Environmental Commissioner of Ontario. Archived fromthe originalon 2009-10-03.
  23. ^"Archived copy"(PDF).Archived fromthe original(PDF)on 2013-01-15.Retrieved2012-02-16.{{cite web}}:CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  24. ^"Archived copy"(PDF).Archived fromthe original(PDF)on 2011-08-27.Retrieved2012-02-16.{{cite web}}:CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  25. ^"Toronto: 'most multicultural city in the world'".Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.Retrieved2015-10-27.
  26. ^"Welcome to the Traveller's Road Information Portal (TRIP)".Ontario Ministry of Transportation.RetrievedMay 28,2011.
  27. ^"Trains by Region".viarail.ca.Via Rail Canada Inc.RetrievedJune 2,2011.
  28. ^"GO Transit".GO Transit. Archived fromthe originalon March 15, 2018.RetrievedJune 3,2011.
  29. ^"Ontario Climate".Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. April 7, 2011.RetrievedJune 3,2011.
  30. ^"Interactive Canada Koppen-Geiger Climate Classification Map".www.plantmaps.com.Retrieved2018-10-11.
  31. ^"Weather and Meteorology: Hazardous Weather; Summer Weather; Summer Hazards".Environment Canada. Aug 4, 2010.RetrievedJune 3,2011.
  32. ^"What is a Carolinian Forest?".Carolinian Canada.RetrievedMay 29,2011.
  • Chapman, L. J. and Putnam, D. F. The Physiography of Southern Ontario. 3rd ed. Toronto: Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, 1984. (Ontario Geological Survey. Special volume 2)ISBN0-7743-9422-6.
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