Picture the North American continent - bounded by the Pacific Ocean to the west - the Atlantic to the east - and in middle - the five inland seas - the Great Lakes. In the U.S. the Great Lakes border on eight states. To the North in Canada, it’s the sprawling province of Ontario.
Ontario is the Canada’s widest province with some ten million people. It’s the industrial, commercial, and cultural center of Canada. And it is a vast region of fertile farms and orchards, a northern wilderness of forests, lakes, and rivers, and bustling vibrant cities.
First and foremost, there is Toronto, Canada’s “world-class city” - home of the two-time World Champion Blue Jays who play in the fabulous SkyDome. Next door to SkyDome is the symbol of Toronto - the CN Tower, the world’s highest free-standing structure.
Toronto is a city of great ethnic diversity. People from the four corners of the globe have settled here (there are no fewer than three Chinatowns in greater Toronto). You can visit elegant Edwardian neighborhoods - Rosedale, Forest Hill and indulge in world-class shopping in Eaton Centre and Yorkville. For fine dining, Toronto offers every cuisine. And the attractions are unforgettable - the Royal Ontario Museum, the Art Gallery of Ontario, Metro Toronto Zoo, and the new Hockey Hall of Fame.
Toronto is in a league with London and New York as the place to go for great theater. The new Princess of Wales was built especially for the current production of “Miss Saigon.” And the North York Performing Art Centre is staging a brand new Harold Prince production of “Show Boat.” A short drive from Toronto are the world-famous Shaw and Stratford Festivals, staging classic and contemporary theater of the highest calibre.
Ottawa - Canada’s picturesque capital city - boasts the beautiful Parliament Buildings, the country’s national museums, and green parkland along rivers and canal. A spectaculor gem collection has a new home in the Viola Macmillan Gallery in the Canadian Museum of Nature. And the Changing of the Guard Ceremony is a perennial favorite.
Ontario cherishes the legacy of her history. French missionaries and fur-traders were the first Europeans to settle in Ontario back in the 17th century. A living history museum at Ste. Marie-among-the-Hurons tells the tragic story of that period. In Lake Huron’s Georgian Bay, a new attraction is a dramatic cruise aboard a schooner, the S.S. Tecumseh, a typical sailing vessel of the 19th century. Other attractions celebrate the military and colonial past of Ontario - Old Fort Henry in Kingston and Upper Canada Village in Morrisburg. And in the Kitchener-Waterloo region, you can witness the peaceful, rural lifestyle of the Mennonite people and visit a bustling farmers’ market where homemade delicacies and country crafts will tempt you.
If it’s magnificent scenery you’re after, Ontario is the place to go. Tourists have been vacationing in the Thousand Islands for more than a hundred years. Niagara Falls is unspoiled and thrilling. Take a cruise in the Maid of the Mist or a new Jet Boat that goes upstream against the rapids. A train ride on the Algoma Central carries you through canyons and river gorges. Paddle a canoe on the lakes of Algonquin Park - home to beaver, moose, and loon. Or take a ferry to Manitoulin Island - the largest freshwater island in the world - and browse for native crafts and artwork in quaint villages.
A big city vacation, a country getaway, or a wilderness experience - Ontario has it all, from the shores of the Great Lakes to the northern forest. Once you discover the pleasures of Ontario - the land of shining waters - we think you will come back again and again.
