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ONTARIO
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ONTARIO
, a See also:province of See also:Canada, having the province of See also:Quebec to the E., the states of New See also:York, See also:Ohio, See also:Michigan, See also:Wisconsin, and See also:Minnesota to the S., See also:Manitoba to the W., and the See also:district of
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See also:Keewatin with See also: In the last See also:petroleum, natural See also:gas, See also:salt and See also:gypsum are obtained, but elsewhere in See also:southern Ontario no economic minerals except building materials are obtained . Covering the higher parts of the south-western Palaeozoic area in most places are See also:rolling hills of See also:boulder clay or stony moraines; while the See also:lower levels are plains gently sloping toward the nearest of the Great Lakes and sheeted with silt deposited in more See also:ancient lakes when the St Lawrence outlet was blocked with ice at the end of the glacial See also:period . The old See also:shore cliffs and See also:gravel bars of these glacial lakes are still well-marked topographical features, and provide favourite sites for towns and cities . See also:London, for example, is built on the old shore of Lake See also:Warren, the highest of the See also:extinct lakes; and St Catharines, Hamilton and See also:Toronto are on the old shore of Lake See also:Iroquois, the lowest . The Niagara escarpment mentioned above, generally called " the See also:mountain " in Ontario, is the cause of waterfalls on all the rivers which plunge over it, Niagara Falls being, of course, the most important; and in most cases these falls have eaten their way back into the tableland, forming deep See also:gorges or canyons like that below Niagara itself, through which the water pours as violent rapids . Between the Palaeozoic area near Ottawa, and Georgian Bay to the north of the region just referred to, there is a southward See also:projection of the Archaean protaxis consisting of See also:granite and See also:gneiss of the Laurentian, enclosing bands of crystalline See also:limestone and See also:schists, which are of See also:interest as furnishing the only mines of " Old Ontario." From these rocks in the Ottawa valley are quarried or See also:mined granite, See also:marble, magnificent See also:blue See also:sodalite, See also:felspar, See also:talc, actinolite, See also:mica, See also:apatite, See also:graphite and See also:corundum; the latter See also:mineral, which occurs on a larger See also:scale here than else-where, is rapidly replacing See also:emery as an abrasive . Several metals have been mined also, including See also:gold, See also:copper, See also:lead, See also:iron and See also:arsenic; but the amounts produced have not been great, and many of the mines are no longer working . While all the larger cities and most of the manufacturing and farming districts of the province belong to old Ontario, there is now in See also:process of development a " New Ontario," stretching for hundreds of See also:miles to the north and north-west of the region just described and covering a far larger area, chiefly made up of Laurentian and Huronian rocks of the Archaean protaxis . The rocky hills of the tableland to the north See also:long repelled See also:settlement, the region being looked on by the thrifty farmers of the south as a See also:wilderness useless except for its forests and its furs; and unfortunate settlers who ventured into it usually failed and went west or south in See also:search of better See also:land . Gradually, however, areas of good soil were opened See also:I14 up, in the See also:Rainy river valley, near Lake Temiscaming and elsewhere, and mines of various kinds were discovered, as the See also:Canadian Pacific railway and its branches extended through the region, and at length the finding of very See also:rich See also:silver mines attracted See also:world-wide See also:attention to See also:northern Ontario . In the better explored parts along the great lakes and the See also:railways, ores of gold, silver, See also:nickel, See also:cobalt, See also:antimony, arsenic, See also:bismuth and See also:molybdenum have been obtained, and several important mines have been opened up . Gold has been found at many points across the whole province, from the mines of the Lakeof-the-Woods on the west to the discoveries at Larder Lake on the east; but in most cases the returns have been unsatisfactory, and only a few of the gold mines are working . Silver mines have proved of far greater importance, in See also:early days near See also:Thunder Bay on Lake See also:Superior, more recently in the cobalt region near Lake Temiscaming on the east See also:side of the province . ' Silver Islet mine in Lake Superior produced in all $3,250,000 See also:worth of silver, but this See also:record will no doubt be surpassed by some of the mines in the extraordinarily rich cobalt district . The See also:veins are small, but contain native silver and other rich silver ores running sometimes several thousand ounces per ton, the output being 5,500,000 OZ. in 1906 . Associated with the silver minerals are rich ores of cobalt and nickel, combined with arsenic, antimony and See also:sulphur, which would be considered valuable if occurring alone, but are not paid for under See also:present conditions; since they are difficult to See also:separate and refine . The cobalt silver ores are found mainly in Huronian See also:conglomerate, but also in older Keewatin rocks and younger See also:diabase, and the silver-bearing region, which at first included only a few square miles, is found to extend 25 m. to the west and as much to the north . Up to the present the most important mineral product of Ontario is nickel, .which is mined only in the neighbourhood of See also:Sudbury, where the ores occur in very large deposits, which in 1905 produced 9503 tons, more than See also:half of the world's See also:supply of the See also:metal . With the nickel copper is always found, and copper ores are worked on their own See also:account in a few localities, such as Bruce mines . Iron ores have been discovered in many places in connexion with the " iron formation " of the Keewatin, but nowhere in amounts comparable with those of the same formation in Michigan and Minnesota . The See also:total mineral output of Ontario, including building materials and See also:cement, is larger than that of any other province of the dominion, and as more careful exploration is carried on in the northern parts, no doubt many more deposits of value will be discovered . It has been found that northern Ontario beyond the See also:divide between the Great Lakes and See also:Hudson Bay possesses many millions of acres of arable land, clay deposits in a See also:post-glacial lake, like those in the southern part of the province, running from east to west from Lake See also:Abitibbi to a point north of Lake See also:Nipigon . Railways are opening up this tract . The clay See also:belt is in latitudes south of See also:Winnipeg, with a good summer See also:climate but See also:cold winters .
The spruce See also:timber covering much of the area is of great value, compensating for the labour of clearing the land
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Lakes and Rivers.—All parts of Ontario are well provided with lakes and rivers, the most important chain being that of the St Lawrence and the Great Lakes with their tributaries, which drain the more populous southern districts, and, with the aid of canals, furnish communication by fairly large vessels between the lower St Lawrence and the Lake Superior
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Lake Nipigon, a beautiful See also:body of water 852 ft. above the sea, 70 M. long and 50 M. wide, may be looked upon as the headwaters of the St Lawrence, since Nipigon river is the largest tributary of Lake Superior, though several other important rivers, such as the Kaministiquia, the Pic and the Michipicoten, enter it from the north
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All these rivers have high falls not far from Lake Superior, and Kakebeka Falls on the Kaministiquia supplies See also:power to the twin cities of Fort See also: Niagara Falls, with rapids above and below, carry the waters of the upper lakes over the Niagara escarpment . Power from the falls is put to use in New York See also:state and Ontario, a large amount being sent to Toronto 8o m. away . Welland canal, between Port Colborne on Lake Erie and See also:Dalhousie on Lake Ontario, carries vessels of 14 ft. See also:draught from one lake to the other . From Lake Ontario the St Lawrence emerges through the meshes of the Thousand Islands, where it crosses Archaean rocks, after which follow several rapids separated by quieter stretches before See also:Montreal is reached at the head of ocean See also:navigation . Steamers not of too great draught can run the rapids going down, but vessels must come up through the canals . All the other rivers in southern Ontario are tributaries of the lakes or of the St Lawrence, the Ottawa, navigable in many parts, being the largest, and the Trent next in importance . In northern Ontario lakes are innumerable and often very picturesque, forming favourite summer resorts, such as Lake Temagami, the Muskoka Lakes and Lake-of-the-Woods . The latter lake with Rainy Lake and other connected bodies of water belong to the Hudson Bay See also:system of waters, their outlet being by Winnipeg river to Lake Winnipeg, from which flows See also:Nelson river . In Ontario the Albany, See also:Moose, Missanabi and Abitibbi flow into Hudson Bay, but none of these rivers is navigable except for canoes . Climate.—The climate of Ontario varies greatly, as might be expected from its wide range in See also:latitude and the relationships of the Great Lakes to the southern peninsula of the province . The northern parts as far south as the north shore of Lake Superior have long and cold but See also:bright winters, sometimes with temperatures reaching 50° F. below zero; while their summers are delightful, with much See also:sunshine and some hot days but pleasantly cool nights . Between Georgian Bay and Ottawa the winters are less cold, but usually with a plentiful snowfall; while the summers are warm and sometimes even hot .
The south-west peninsula of Ontario has its climate greatly modified by the lakes which almost enclose it
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As the lakes never freeze, the prevalent cold north-west winds of North See also:America are warmed in their passage over them, and often much of the See also:winter precipitation is in the See also:form of See also:rain, so that the See also:weather has much less certainty than in the north
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The summers are often sultry, though the presence of the lakes prevents the intense See also:heat experienced in the states to the west and south
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Owing to the mildness of its winters, the south-west peninsula is a famous See also:fruit See also:country with many See also:vine-yards and orchards of apples, plums and peaches
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See also:Indian See also:corn (See also:maize) is an important See also: 40.6 38.5 31.1 See also:June, See also:July and See also:August 65.4 67.4 58.9 See also:September, See also:October and See also:November 47.0 44.8 38.5 See also:Average See also:annual precipitation . . in. in. in . 33.944 32.650 23.580 (A . P . C.) See also:Population.—The following table shows the population of the province: 1881 . 1891 . 1901 . i Townships . 1,346,623 1,283,281 1,247,190 2 Towns and villages 323,188 935 935,757 Cities 257,111 8,128 398,128 1,926,922 2,114,321 2,182,947 1 The name given to the rural municipalities . 2 Any See also:town in Canada can become incorporated as a city on attaining a population of ro,000 . Ontario is thus pre-eminently an agricultural province, though the growth of manufactures has increased the importance of the towns and cities, and many of the farmers are seeking new homes in the provinces of Manitoba, See also:Alberta and See also:Saskatchewan . This See also:emigration accounts in large measure for the slow increase of the population, though there has also been a slight decrease in the See also:birth-See also:rate .
The population was long entirely confined to the southern and eastern sections of the province, which comprise an area of about 33,000 sq. m.; but in these districts it is now stationary or decreasing, whereas the northern and western portions are filling up rapidly
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Toronto, the provincial See also:capital, has grown from 59,000 in 1871 to about 300,000, partly through the absorption of neighbouring towns and villages
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Other
important cities are Ottawa (the capital of the Dominion) (59,928 in 1901), Hamilton (52,634), London (37,981), See also:Kingston (17,961)
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The number of See also:males slightly exceeds that of See also:females
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The population is chiefly of See also:British descent, though in the eastern counties numerous French Canadians are flocking in from Quebec and in some instances by See also:purchase of farms replacing the British
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There are also about 20,000 See also:Indians, many of whom are civilized, enjoy the See also:franchise and are enrolled in the Dominion See also:militia
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There is no state See also: On it have been modelled the municipal systems of the other provinces . Municipal ownership does not prevail to any extent, and in the larger cities the See also:powers of certain great corporations have tended to cause See also:friction, but such matters as the See also:provision of electric power and See also:light are gradually being taken in See also:hand both by the municipalities and by the province, and a railway and municipal See also:board appointed by the local legislature has certain powers over the railways and electric tramlines . See also:Finance.—By the British North America Act, which formed in 1867 the Dominion of Canada, the provinces have the right of See also:direct taxation only . Against this, however, a strong See also:prejudice exists, and in Ontario the only direct taxation takes the form of taxes on corporations (See also:insurance, See also:loan and railway companies), See also:succession duties, liquor licences, &c . These, together with returns from various investments, earnings of provincial buildings, &c., yield about one-third of the See also:revenue . Another third comes from the Dominion See also:subsidy, granted in lieu of the power of indirect taxation, and the See also:remainder from the See also:sale or See also:lease of See also:crown lands, timber and minerals . Owing to the excellence of the municipal system there has been a tendency to devolve thereon, in whole or in part, certain See also:financial burdens on the plea of decentralization . The finances of the province have been well administered, and only in See also:recent years has a See also:debt been incurred, chiefly owing to the construction of a provincial railway to aid in the development of the northern districts . See also:Education.—As early as 1797 500,000 acres of crown lands were set apart for educational purposes, and a well-organized system of education now exists, which, since 1876, has constituted a See also:department of the provincial government . A laudable See also:attempt has been made to keep the education department See also:free from the vagaries and the strife of party politics, and the advantages of See also:political See also:control have been as much See also:felt as its drawbacks . Since 1906 a See also:superintendent has been appointed with large powers, See also:independent of political control and with the assistance of an advisory council ; attention is also paid to the See also:advice of the provincial Educational Association, which meets yearly at Toronto . School attendance is compulsory between the ages of eight and fourteen, and is enforced by truant See also:officers .
The See also:primary or public See also:schools are free and undenominational
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They cannot, however, be called See also:secular, as they are opened and closed with the See also:Lord's See also:Prayer and closid with the -See also:reading of the See also:Bible
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From these religious exercises any See also:children may absent themselves whose parents profess conscientious objections
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After a long and See also:bitter struggle the Roman Catholics won in 1863 the right to separate schools
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These may be set up in any district upon the See also:request of not less than five heads of families
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The rates levied on their supporters are devoted exclusively to the separate schools, which also See also:share See also:pro rata in the government See also: There are also numerous private schools . Of these such as are incorporated are aided by exemption from municipal taxation . In and around Toronto are numerous boarding schools and colleges, of which those for boys are on the model of the great public schools of See also:England . Of these the most celebrated is Upper Canada See also:College, founded in 1829, and long part of the educational system of the province, but now under private control . The provincial university is situated in Toronto, and since 1906 has been governed by an independent board, over which a power of See also:veto is retained by the lieutenant-governor in council . With the affiliated colleges, it had in 1908 a See also:staff of 356, and 3545 students . There are also numerous See also:universities throughout the province, founded in early days by the various religious bodies . Of these See also:Victoria (Methodist) and Trinity (See also:Anglican) are in Toronto, and have become federated with the provincial university, in which they have merged their degree-conferring powers . MacMaster (Baptist) is also in Toronto, and retains its See also:independence . The others are See also:Queen's University, Kingston (Presbyterian): the Western University, London (Anglican) ; and the university of Ottawa (Roman Cathclic) . See also:Women students are admitted to all the universities See also:save Ottawa on the same terms as men, and form nearly one-third of the whole number of students . Theological colleges are supported by the various religious bodies, and are in See also:affiliation with one or other of the universities . 
The public and high schools tend rather to follow See also:American than British methods, though less freedom is allowed to the local authorities than in most of the American states . Only those See also:text books authorized by the central department may be used . Free text books may be Issued at the discretion of the local authorities, but in most cases are provided by parents . Every school, public, separate or high, shares in the provincial grant, but the chief financial See also:burden falls on the local authorities . Owing to the See also:low rate of salaries, the percentage of women teachers, especially in the public schools, is steadily increasing, and now amounts in these to almost 83 % . The same cause has also reduced their age, and the teachers are in many cases exceedingly immature . The institution of a minimum See also:salary by the provincial department led to such resistance that it was withdrawn, but a distinct advance in salaries has taken place since 1906 . In the rural |