Ontario

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Quick Facts
Capital Toronto
Time Zone UTC -5 & -6

For other places with the same name, see Ontario (disambiguation).

Ontario [1] is the most populous and second-largest province of Canada, home to the Canadian capital city of Ottawa, as well as Ontario's own capital Toronto, Canada's largest city. Ontario is bordered by the province of Quebec to the east, by the Great Lakes region of the United States to the south, by Manitoba to the west and by Hudson and James Bays to the north.

[edit] Regions

[edit] Cities

Ontario has many cities. Here are some of the major ones.

  • Toronto -- Canada's largest city and capital of Ontario

[edit] Other destinations

[edit] Understand

[edit] Talk

English is spoken throughout Ontario. French is spoken in many parts of the province. Services are available in both English and French at all Federal and Provincial Government offices as well as many Municipal Government offices. Many large and small business offer services in French although this is not always mandated by statute. The closer one gets to Quebec, the more likely one is to be able to receive service in French in stores, restaurants and other businesses. Some banks and ATMs offer service in Chinese, particularly in Ottawa and Toronto.

[edit] Get in

Most visitors arrive in Ontario by way of Lester B. Pearson International Airport in Toronto. Several flights from within Canada and from the United States land in Ottawa. If you are going to Windsor, you will land at Detroit Metro Airport just across the border.

[edit] Get around

[edit] By car

Let's be realistic -- Ontario is a large province and, as a result, the car is nearly the most convenient way to explore it. If you are arriving by plane initially, cars are easily rented if you are over 23, but easiest if you are over 25 years of age. The train offers you too little flexibility, and planes often only take you to major centres. Despite what you may have been led to believe, there is more to Ontario than Southern Ontario and Toronto (or Hamilton, or Niagara, or whatever). Coming from the USA, your options are numerous.

Here's a brief rundown of some of the most common crossings from the USA: International Falls, Minn. to Fort Frances, Ontario; Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan to Sault Ste Marie, Ontario; Port Huron, Michigan to Sarnia, Ontario; Detroit, Michigan to Windsor, Ontario; Buffalo, NY to Fort Erie, Ontario; Niagara Falls, NY to Niagara Falls, Ontario; Wolfe Island to Lansdowne; Massena to Cornwall.

In Northern Ontario, the car is a must if you wish to get from place to place. In most cases, you will be driving the TransCanada Highway (a cross-Canada network of highways, often offering more than one route), either on Highway 17 or Highway 11. 17 follows a more Southerly route hugging Lake Superior, while 11 ventures Northward at North Bay and heads through a slightly less populous region of the province before heading southwards. Do note that 11 and 17 come together in the Thunder Bay region. To the west, 11 heads to its end at Rainy River and the USA, while 17 heads up to lead to Manitoba.

If you are coming from Quebec, the southern routes are TransCanada Highways 20 and 40. 20 connects to the 401 (a direct route to Toronto) and 40 connects to 417 (heading to Ottawa). If your intentions are Northerly, the Ottawa route is the most direct.

From Manitoba, there really is only one option by car (unless you are coming via the USA), and that option is TransCanada Highway 1, which connects to 17 in Ontario.

NOTE: Even by car, you will be unable to access the Northern half of Ontario. Roads are the exception, not the rule, and you will rely on plane and train nearly anywhere north of Lake Nipigon).

Speed limits are posted in metric. Roadways are usually in good condition. On major highways, drivers routinely exceed the speed limit by up to 40 km/h notwithstanding the threat of a $295 fine. Do not occupy the left lane unless you intend to pass everything else on the road.

Ontario has High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lanes on Highway 403 and 404. Cars and even motorcycles require at least two occupants per vehicle to use them around the clock. If you are coming from the USA, remember that motorcycles without passengers are banned from Ontario HOV lanes. It is different from most USA HOV lanes allowing motorcycles, even if without passengers, to get federal funds.

[edit] By bus

Within the Greater Toronto Area (which includes a large portion of the area around Toronto), GO Transit is an option. The fees depend on distance to travel, but for the most part are reasonable. This is the best mode of public transit between cities and towns in this region. Unfortunately, government cutbacks have caused many direct buses to be done away with, so expect your bus ride to include numerous stops. GO also has train service in this area.

Greyhound Canada travels to nearly 1,100 towns and cities in Canada, via 400 coaches during peak travel periods. As well, Coach Canada is another big bus service that runs in partnership with Trentway Wagar Lines.

Pacific Western offers charter services, which is available throughout the entire GTA, Mississauga, Brampton, Niagara Falls Region, Buffalo NY Airport and Montreal Airport. But, they could assist you with any transportation requirements outside of these areas including: All of Canada and the USA.

A quick, convenient, and frequent bus service that links Toronto to Toronto Pearson Airport is Airport Express, which operates at peak periods: every 20 minutes and off-peak periods: every 30 minutes. It picks up at both terminals, and stops at several major hotels in the downtown core. Adult fares are $18.95 one way, $29.25 for round trips. There is a 10% discount for online reservations.

[edit] By boat

From outside of the province, the only boat options are between the USA and Ontario. Recently, a ferry service opened connecting Rochester, NY to Toronto, Ontario; the service has been suspended and it is unclear whether or when it might resume operations. To be honest, however, ferry service is only recommended when it poses a substantial reduction to driving time.

Ontario contains many excellent recreational waterways including: the Great Lakes, the Rideau Canal, the Trent-Severn Waterway, the Ottawa and St Lawrence Rivers. The St Lawrence River includes the Thousand Islands region as well as the St Lawrence Seaway system.

The Niagara River is one of the wonders of our natural world although it is most definitely not a recreational waterway! The River includes the great cataract we know as Niagara Falls and is bypassed for navigational purposes by the Welland Ship Canal.

  • The Pelee Islander, tel: 1-800-661-2220. Daily trips to Pelee Island and mainland Ontario, Canada. Service from Sandusky is limited to once daily during the summer months, and is further restricted during the spring and fall. Advance vehicle reservations.
  • The MV Jiimaan, Jackson St, [2]. The largest passenger ferry along the Lake Erie route to Pelee Island. Leaves from the foot of Jackson St., Sandusky. To Lemington, Canada, Kingsville Govt. Dock, Ontario, Canada and Pelee Island, Ontario, Canada.

[edit] By train

Within Southern Ontario's Greater Toronto Area, GO Transit is a convenient and fast way to travel, if you can do so either in the early and late rush hour periods.

Within Canada, Via Rail Canada is the most common way to enter Ontario. It is not unheard of to enter Ontario from the USA by train, but the customs waits between the USA and Canada are no different than might be expected by car or plane, especially with the constant increases in Terror alerts south of the border.

The big exception to the above is if your destination is Northern Ontario (as in Fort Albany, Moosonee or Polar Bear Provincial Park). There are train services to these areas that are your only options, excepting planes.

[edit] By plane

Toronto's Lester B. Pearson International Airport (IATA: YYZ), is the province's largest airport. The airport is a major hub for most Canadian air carriers. If your ultimate destination is in Southern Ontario, you will likely pass through Pearson at some point. Many flights from overseas will land in Toronto, and daily flights are available from many Canadian cities and most American hubs.

Ottawa has another international airport for destinations in Eastern Ontario and the Ottawa Valley. There are fewer overseas flights terminating in Ottawa than in Toronto but the number is always increasing. Many American hubs also have daily direct flights into Ottawa.

In Southern Ontario, there are airports at Windsor, Sarnia, London, Hamilton and Kingston which are served by Air Canada and/or WestJet to various Canadian destinations (but most commonly only to Toronto). There is also an airport at Kitchener which is served by NorthWest Airlines to Detroit.

If you plan to travel to Northwestern Ontario or the North of Superior region, then Thunder Bay International Airport would be your best bet. Air Canada has direct flights from Toronto and Winnipeg, to name a few, and Westjet has flights from Hamilton and Winnipeg.

[edit][add listing] See

  • Old Fort William in Thunder Bay, a historical fort with the best historical reenactments available in Ontario
  • Lake Huron Lighthouses along Southwestern Ontario's Lake Huron coastline
  • The National Capital Region in Ottawa
  • Take in the view from the CN Tower in Toronto
  • Sainte-Marie among the Hurons [3], 1.5 hours north of Toronto on Hwy. 12, tel: +1705 5267838. French Jesuits settled here for 10 years until they fled in 1649 after attacks from the Iroquois.
  • Explore the Historic Nipissing Road[4] now part of the Trans Canada Trail. You can drive the road as well as hike it. See Magnetawan.

[edit] Itineraries

[edit][add listing] Do

[edit][add listing] Eat

[edit][add listing] Drink

In Ontario, the legal drinking age is 19. In Southern Ontario, you will find a great variety of beer and spirits at your disposal, while in Northern Ontario your options are usually limited to the most common North American standards. Do take note that drinking in public is discouraged by law in Ontario and most parts of Canada, exceptions being licensed patios and the like.

[edit] Where

Beer is available from the Beer Store (run by Molson, Labatt and Sleeman), while beer, wine and other alcohol is available from the Liquor Control Board of Ontario, commonly called the LCBO, (run by the government). In Northern Ontario, you will typically only see the LCBO (and this will also be the case in some rural areas of Southern Ontario). The only time you will ever see alcohol in a grocery store is when that store has an internal LCBO. You can also buy wine at the Wine Rack in some areas.

Of course, pubs and bars are no rarity in Ontario. In nearly every community you will enter, you will be able to find at least one tavern or bar. A domestic bottled beer will typically cost around $3.50 and a cocktail-type drink around $4.50 or higher. Expect the prices to vary, with prices being much higher in urban centres.

[edit] Beer

Ontario has an active beer culture that has blossomed recently in Southern Ontario in particular. Below are some of the breweries you can expect to find:

[edit] Wine

The Niagara region, home to Niagara Falls and Niagara on the Lake, is Ontario's wine-production region.

The Vinters Quality Association (VQA) is an association of wineries that provide insight into the quality of Ontario wines. When purchasing wine made in Ontario, look for a "VQA" logo on the bottle - this tells you the wine has been approved by the association. Keep in mind that there are still many wines that are not certified, but lack of certification does not necessarily mean a poor wine. Although a matter of opinion, Ontario wines are not generally considered by most experts to be of the same quality as their European counterparts. Most of the awards they boast tend to be an internal 'patting themselves on the back'.

[edit] Smoke

In Ontario, recent Supreme Court rulings have made it difficult to convict on charges of possession, and police are generally lenient towards possession of up to 30 grams. However, buying, selling, cultivating (for non-medical use) and smoking marijuana in public is still illegal. The federal government has expressed a willingness to "get tough" on drugs, and as a result marijuana posession charges have jumped. Tourists are advised to avoid smoking marijuana in public areas, though the risk of criminal prosecution is miminal relative to most of the world.

[edit] Get out

Quebec, to the east, is the nearest populated area of Canada and presents an interesting contrast to Ontario.

  • Lake Erie Tour Route and Lighthouses. Go back to the mainland and see the shoreline. The drive (or boat ride) around Lake Erie takes you through the Working Waterfronts around Buffalo NY, Cleveland OH, Detroit MI, Erie PA, Toledo, OH, and southern Ontario and is intermingled with beautiful preservations of flora and fauna as well as the history of North America's first westward expansion, the Old Northwest Territory.
  • Ohio is directly south, ferries are available to Sandusky and Cedar Point.

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