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Table of Contents
Ontario is a province in east-central Canada that borders the U.S. and the Great Lakes. It’s home to Ottawa, Canada’s capital, known for Parliament Hill’s Victorian architecture and the National Gallery, featuring Canadian and indigenous art. Toronto, Ontario’s capital, is home to the 553m-high CN Tower, with expansive views from its revolving restaurant, as well as High Park, site of a rare oak savannah habitat.
See the fact file below for more information on the Ontario or alternatively, you can download our 24-page Ontario worksheet pack to utilise within the classroom or home environment.
Key Facts & Information
HISTORY OF ONTARIO
- Ontario was inhabited by the Algonquian and Huron people, in the northwestern regions and southeastern regions, respectively.
- British and French colonization was the main theme of the 17th century.
- Many explorers from Europe, such as Etienne Brule, Henry Hudson, Samuel de Champlain, as well as many French Jesuit missionaries, surveyed and explored the area, which was claimed for England in 1611. However, in 1615, the French Jesuits began to establish trading posts along the Great Lakes.
- The Iroquois tribes around the Great Lakes allied themselves with the British, and the Huron tribes sided with the French.
- It was during the 17th century that the British and French, along with their respective Indigenous allies, sought control over Ontario.
- The Seven Years’ War, which ended in the signing of the Treaty of Paris in 1763, gave almost all of France’s possessions in what was then known as “New France” to Britain.
- In 1774, the Quebec Act established Ontario as part of an extended colony that was ruled from Quebec.
- Due to the high number of British loyalists who fled from the United States after the War of Independence, the Constitutional Act of 1791 split the Quebec colony into Lower Canada (dominated by French-speaking settlers) and Upper Canada (a predominantly English-speaking loyalist province, which would later become the future province of Ontario).
- The Dominion of Canada formed on July 1st, 1867 and included four provinces – Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Quebec, and Ontario.
- In the late 19th century, mining grew exponentially, and energy policy focused on hydroelectric power, which led to the formation of the Hydroelectric Power Commission of Ontario in 1906.
- During World War I, Ontario participated patriotically; about 68,000 Ontario servicemen died or were wounded during the war.
- Prior to World War II, the Great Depression hit Ontario’s industries hard, except for the mining sector.
- Many Ontarians, like in World War I, signed up to join the armed forces.
- In the postwar years, Ontario grew and prospered, with the GTA (Greater Toronto Area) a magnet for new immigrants.
GEOGRAPHY AND CULTURE OF ONTARIO
- Ontario is located in east/central Canada, and is the second largest province in area, after Quebec.
- Nearly 94% of Ontario’s population lives in Southern Ontario, with the “Golden Horseshoe” being the most populous part.
- Compared to Southern Ontario, the north is vast and sparse.
- About 61% of Ontario is covered by the Canadian Shield, which contains rock with large mineral deposits that are crucial to the economy of the mining sector in the province.
- Ontario is popular for its vast amount of lakes, rivers, and waterfalls, including the Great Lakes, the St. Lawrence River, Niagara Falls, Hudson Bay, and many other bodies of water.
- Ontario’s climate varies depending on the season and whereabouts in the province you are.
- Southern Ontario typically experiences weather that is affected by the Great Lakes; severe thunderstorms are common from June to August due to fluctuating humidity levels and cool air masses.
- In Northern Ontario, boreal forest makes up the majority of vegetation and includes many varieties of trees and soils.
- Animals such as moose, caribou, wolves, black bears, skunks, rabbits, beavers, foxes, ducks, eese, hawks, owls, and finches can all be seen throughout Ontario, but more so in the northern parts.
- Ontario’s economy relies mostly on agriculture, forestry, fishing, and mining – Southwest Ontario is known mostly for corn and soybean production, and the Niagara Peninsula is known for producing fresh fruits and vegetables year-round.
- Toronto is a well-known cultural capital of the province and is home to the TIFF, National Ballet of Canada, numerous choir groups, and many art galleries and museums.
- The city of Stratford in Ontario is home to the Shakespeare Theatre, which puts on several Shakespeare plays each year.
- Niagara Falls, pictured to the right, is Ontario’s top tourist attraction.
- Ottawa, the nation’s capital, is also a popular tourist destination in the province, and is where the federal government of Canada is located; it is also home to the Byward Market and the Rideau Canal Skateway.
Ontario Worksheets
This is a fantastic bundle which includes everything you need to know about Ontario across 24 in-depth pages. These are ready-to-use Ontario worksheets that are perfect for teaching students about the Ontario which is a province in east-central Canada that borders the U.S. and the Great Lakes. It’s home to Ottawa, Canada’s capital, known for Parliament Hill’s Victorian architecture and the National Gallery, featuring Canadian and indigenous art. Toronto, Ontario’s capital, is home to the 553m-high CN Tower, with expansive views from its revolving restaurant, as well as High Park, site of a rare oak savannah habitat.
Complete List Of Included Worksheets
- The War of 1812
- Notable Indigenous Ontarians
- Water Word Scramble
- The Beaver Wars
- Map of Ontario
- Ontario Celebrity Match-Up
- Postcard from Ontario
- Ontario Wordsearch
- Document Dissection
- Ontario Crossword
Link/cite this page
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Link will appear as Ontario Facts & Worksheets: https://kidskonnect.com - KidsKonnect, April 24, 2019
Use With Any Curriculum
These worksheets have been specifically designed for use with any international curriculum. You can use these worksheets as-is, or edit them using Google Slides to make them more specific to your own student ability levels and curriculum standards.