Delivery Areas

Ontario

Ontario, Canada’s largest province by number of inhabitants, took its name from Lake Ontario, a word thought to originate from the Huron language that means “great lake” or, alternatively, the Iroquoian word “skanadario”, meaning “beautiful water”. It is in fact a place of inspiration, of beauty and opportunity with many world-famous artists claiming it as their roots. Among them Neil Young, Avril Lavigne, Alanis Morissette and Shania Twain form the tip of a modern celebrity iceberg.

Provincial Flower

Its provincial flower is the Trillium (Trillium Grandiflorum), a favourite food of the white-tailed deer and also a favourite gardening flower among enthusiasts. The flower itself is large, mostly white (though sometimes pink) and rests upon a whorl of three egg-shaped leaves. There is however an environmental concern associated with these flowers due to the period it takes from germination to flowering – seven years in the wild – and the difficulty associated with their artificial cultivation.

Capital City

The capital city of Ontario is Toronto, home to the Canadian capital Ottawa and also the Canadian financial capital. It is a cosmopolitan city with half of its inhabitants having been born outside the borders of Canada. It is also one of the safest cities in the world with a high standard of living, making it one of the world’s most liveable cities according to the Economist Intelligence Unit and The Mercer Quality of Living Survey.

History

As with most other provinces in Canada, the area of Ontario first played home to a number of First Nations tribes, which include the Ojibwa, Cree, Algonquin, Iroquois and Huron. European discovery of this area only started with French explorer, Étienne Brûlé. Shortly after, Henry Hudson landed at Hudson Bay, claiming the area for England but it was Samuel de Champlain who was the first to reach Lake Huron, with an ensuing settlement of missionary stations along the shores of the Great Lakes. Subsequent conflicts followed between the British and the French until the matter was resolved by the 1763 Treaty of Paris which awarded almost all of France's North American colonies to Britain.

In The War of 1812, American troops invaded Upper Canada, gaining control of Lake Erie and Lake Ontario, but were soon beat by British regulars, First Nations warriors and Canadian Militias. Years later after many political events of note and a substantial immigration of Irish and British residence, an economic boom took place strengthening the position of Ontario as well as the Canadian government to establish the Ontario we know today.

Geography

The geography of Ontario supplies a vastness to suit almost all tastes with regard to personal choice of living space. To the northwest, on the Canadian Shield, are the mineral-rich lands studded with lakes and rivers. These areas tend to be sparsely populated due to the infertile soil. Even less populated are the Hudson Bay Lowlands to the north and the northeast. It therefore stands to reason that the most densely populated area of Ontario is the Great Lakes-Saint Lawrence Valley in the south. This are is sub-divided into four parts: South-western Ontario, Golden Horseshoe, Central Ontario and Eastern Ontario.

One of the most well-known geographic marvels of Ontario are perhaps the Niagara Falls which form part of the elaborate Niagara Escarpment.