Ontario

Ontario is after Quebec the second larges province of Canada and is the largest province by population. With over 250,000 lakes -- they make up about one-third of the world's fresh water – Ontario is a world – class destination for all kinds of outdoor activities: sailing, swimming, hiking, or  a beach vacation - travelers can enjoy the many experiences Ontario has to offer, from a wilderness expedition in the north, to a "shop till you drop into your theatre seat" city excursion.

Quick Facts

• Capital - Toronto
• Flower - White Trillium
• Entered Confederation - 1 July 1867
• Population, approx.- 11,405,000
• Land area out of Canada's total area - 10.7%

Cities

Toronto (pop; 4,000,000 app.) located on Lake Ontario is the capital of Ontario and Canada's largest city. It is also the commercial, industrial and financial centre of Canada. The 'Golden Horseshoe' along the western end of Lake is home to Ontario's major cities:

• Ottawa, the capital of Canada.
• Hamilton
• London
• Windsor
• Kingston
• Sudbury

Sault St. Marie and Thunder Bay are smaller cities in the northwest.
Time Zones
Most of Ontario is in the Eastern Time zone. Some of Western/Northern Ontario is in the Central Time Zone.

Climate

Ontario's climate ranges from sub arctic in the far north to humid continental in the south. The major influence on the climate is the large bodies of water to both the north and south. These bodies of water influence the climate with cold winters, warm summers, and lots of humidity. There is a great deal of rain and snow caused by cold polar air from the north meeting warm moist air from the United States. Northern Ontario's annual precipitation varies from 508 mm along the Hudson Bay coast to 889 mm near North Bay. Southern Ontario averages about 762 mm per year. The heaviest snowfalls happen in a belt lying inland from Lake Huron and Georgian Bay. More than 2,540 mm of snow may fall in one winter.
Climactic conditions can vary a great deal. The winter average temperature in the Ottawa area is -13 C, where as, to the south, along the Niagara to Windsor area of Southern Ontario it is -4 C. In the north along the Hudson Bay coast the average yearly temperature is less than 4 C with record lows being -47 C and a record high at 38 C.