Beautiful Ontario [antikvár]

Ontario, the second largest province of Canada, lies between the Hudson and James bays to the north, Quebec to the east, the St. Lawrence and the Great Lakes to the south and Manitoba to the west. The province can be divided into two distinct regions. Northern Ontario is composed of lakes and rivers, dense forests of spruce, pine, balsam and birch, with a band of tundra along Hudson Bay. Southern Ontario, about ten percent of the province, contains ninety percent ofthe population and is the major industrial region, not only of Ontario, but ofthe whole of Canada. Automobiles, textiles, food processing, aircraft and electrical goods are the main manufacturing industries. This part of the province has several beautiful lake districts and, of course, the spectacular Niagara Falls. Toronto, on the northern shore of Lake Ontario, is Canada's second city and the capital of Ontario. The first known settlement in the Toronto area is believed to have been called Teiaiagon, inhabited by the Seneca and later the Mississauge Indians. In time it became a trading post, and an important one, due to its position at the crossing of ancient Indian trails leading to the north and west; trails that were gratefully used by the early explorers and fur traders. The name Toronto was given to a small for^ one of three built by the French between 1720 and 1750 in order to defend their trade with the Indians against the English. In 1757 the French were defeated and the forts destroyed, although the settlement at Toronto continued as a trading post. After the massive influx of Loyalists into the province following the ending ofthe American War of Independence, Lord Dorchester, Govemor-in-Chief of Canad^ negotiated with three Indian chiefs for the purchase of a site for a future Ontario capital. The land chosen was 250,000 acres adjoining Lake Ontario. It was eventually bought for L1,700, bales of cloth, axes and a variety of other goods. Ontario's first parliament, however, met at Niagara in 1792, but a year later the Lieutenant Governor chose the present site of Toronto, impressed by its strategic defensive position. Curiously, he changed its name from Toronto to York, which it remained until 1834, when the city, with a population of about 9,000, was incorporated. A serious fire in 1849 destroyed fifteen acres of the downtown area, including the cathedral and St. Lawrence market, but the city quickly recovered. The construction of the Grand Trunk and Great Western Railway in the next decade was responsible for the city's rapid development in industry, trading, distribution and population. In 1861 the population was 45,000; in 1901208,000, and in 1921522,000. However, like many other cities, Toronto suffered during the depression years of the 1930s, and an increase in population after World War II only fuelled the problem of finding enough money to finance essential services. The Toronto of today is a cosmopolitan metropolis and the powerhouse of the nation. It has expanded along the curving western shoreline of Lake Ontario, from Oshawa to St. Catherines; an area known as the Golden Horseshoe. In the city centre clusters of gleaming skyscrapers house the offices of multi-national corporations, concrete symbols of Toronto's affluence. It is, in addition, the headquarters ofthe English-speaking press and prides itself on a wide range of cultural activities. The Toronto Symphony Orchestra, three maj or theatres, the Royal Ontario Museum and the Art Gallery of Ontario are just a few of the city's amenities. Here, as well as throughout the province, there are universities and colleges providing excellent educational opportunities, and there are everywhere realistic social services. Toronto and Ontario are still favourite destinations for immigrants from many countries, and it is said that a quarter of a million Ontarians speak no English at all. It is no wonder, however, given the opportunities that exist for those prepared to work hard, that so many people have chosen to make their homes in this particular part of Canada. Facing page: Toronto's CN Tower, the world's highest free-standing structure.