Ontario [antikvár]

In the heart of the Canadian Shield, a lone canoeist paddles through the early morning mist. This is an image that captures Ontario's essence, a waterscape rather than landscape. More than 170,000 square kilometres of the province is water-an interconnecting array of marshlands, rivers, and lakes that first carried European settlers across the province and still permeates the local way of life. Water is central to both industry and recreation. The grain from the picturesque farmlands of southwestern Ontario is carried by ships from Thunder Bay through the Great Lakes and down the St. Lawrence for export to countries around the world. Meanwhile, in small towns such as Gananoque, residents spend summer days fishing and boating. Each of Ontario's riverside towns is fiiled with intriguing stories. From the First Nations legend of creation on Manitoulin Island to the heartwrenching story of the end of Terry Fox's run near Thunder Bay, each community boasts an eventful history. In Queenston, visitors can tour the restored home of Laura Secord, a hero who ran 30 kilometres during the War of 1812 to warn the British of an impending attack. In Perth, the pistols used in Canada's last fatal duel are on display in the local museum. Of course, Ontario is not all small towns and waterways. Toronto, the nation's largest city, combines the high-energy bustle of downtown with the character buildings and art vendors of Queen Street West. Just a few hours away, the nation's future is debated in the capital city of Ottawa. Ninety percent of Ontario's people live along the southern bordér, most of them in cities. While this creates a bustling úrban atmosphere of culture and industry, it leaves most of the land virtually uninhabited, fiiled with wilderness attractions, such as Algonquin Provinciai Park and the La Cloche Mountain Rangé in Killarney Provinciai Park. These places inspired Canada's most famous painters, the Group of Seven, and continue to draw thousands of visitors each year.