2011-05-02
Information
Info: Formed: 1867
Population: 13,167,894 people
Area: 1,076,395 sq/ kilometres
Loyal She Began Loyal She Remains - Ontario, or Upper Canada as it was once known houses the capital of our country in Ottawa. It is also the largest populated province of all. It has a diverse set of economics ranging from hunting, logging, technology, and mining.Ontario is bordered by Manitoba on its west, Hudson Bay on its north, and Quebec on its east, and by three states of the United States to its south (from west to east): Minnesota, Michigan, and New York. Ohio and Pennsylvania are across Lake Erie. All but a small portion of Ontario's 2,700 km (1,677 mi) border with the United States follow inland waterways: from the west at Lake of the Woods, eastward along the major rivers and lakes of the Great Lakes/St. Lawrence River drainage system. These are the Rainy River, Lake Superior, the St. Mary's River, Lake Huron, the St. Clair River, Lake St. Clair, Lake Erie, the Niagara River, Lake Ontario, and along the St. Lawrence River from Kingston, Ontario to the Quebec boundary just east of Cornwall, Ontario.Ontario is sometimes broken into two regions, Northern Ontario and Southern Ontario. The great majority of Ontario's population and its arable land is located in the south, mostly along the northern lakeshores of Lake Erie and Lake Ontario. In contrast, the northern three-quarters of Ontario is sparsely populated.The province is named after Lake Ontario, which is thought to have been derived from Ontaríio, a Huron (Wyandot) word meaning "great lake"Ontario contains about 250,000 freshwater lakes.Ontario's rivers, including its share of the Niagara River, make it rich in hydroelectric energy. In 2009 Ontario Power Generation generated 70% of the electricity of the province, of which 51% is nuclear, 39% is hydroelectric and 10% is fossil fuel derived. Much of the newer power generation coming online in the last few years is natural gas or combined cycle natural gas plants. OPG is not however responsible for the transmission of power, which is under the control of Hydro One. Despite its diverse range of power options, problems related to increasing consumption, lack of energy efficiency and aging nuclear reactors, Ontario has been forced in recent years to purchase power from its neighbours Quebec and Michigan to supplement its power needs during peak consumption periods.An abundance of natural resources, excellent transportation links to the American heartland and the inland Great Lakes making ocean access possible via container ships, have all contributed to making manufacturing the principal industry, found mainly in the Golden Horseshoe region, which is the largest industrialized area in Canada, the southern end of the region being part of the North American Rust Belt. Important products include motor vehicles, iron, steel, food, electrical appliances, machinery, chemicals, and paper. Ontario surpassed Michigan in car production, assembling 2.696 million vehicles in 2004. Ontario has Chrysler plants in Windsor and Bramalea, two GM plants in Oshawa and one in Ingersol, a Honda assembly plant in Alliston, Ford plants in Oakville and St. Thomas and Toyota assembly plants in Cambridge and Woodstock.Government of Ontario WebsiteTourism OntarioWikipedia Entry
My Experience
My time in Ontario was fantastic, and it took quite along time to make it through this vast expanse of Canada. It seemed every 5 days I was in new landscapes, environments, and weather patterns, sometimes not being able to trust anything more than the upcoming 8 hours forecast. Steep hills, tonnes of wildlife, well paved roads and a great look at nature prepared me for coming into the Southern tip where the majority of the population resides. Horses and Buggies shared roads with cars and cyclists, and gravestones dotting the landscape dating back to the 1600's provided endless entertainment while passing through small communities, large city sprawls, and farmland throughout this month long venture. I was pleasantly surprised at how organized and well setup Ontario was and recommend anyone to visit this province and stop to take the time to find its hidden gems as opposed to sticking on one of its busy roadways intending on getting you to the next large city centre as fast as possible - just be ready to be without cellular service in the north!
I'd recommend checking out the Manitoulin Island area, Owen Sound, and if you are really adventurous, take the detour off of Highway 17 in Wawa and head into Chapleau!
Photos
Journal Entries
The following is a list of journal entries I wrote while traveling through Ontario. Click one to read!
2010-09-24
Historical Waterfront Riding
2010-09-21
The Centre of the Universe
2010-09-15
Soggy tents and windy roads.
2010-09-12
Sand in my Underpants (The Video Post)
2010-09-11
Detouring off the beaten path
2010-09-10
Living in the future at present
2010-09-08
Superior Riding
2010-08-31
Staring at Satellites
Statistics
Totals
| Distance Traveled: 2418.91 km Distance Ascended: 14,762 m Distance Descended: 14,696 m Energy Consumed: 110,087 calories | Overall Cost: $873.42 Food: $625.88 Drink: $157.70 Transport: $37.10 Entertainment: $10.00 Equipment: $36.99 Misc: $5.75 |
| Longest Day: 2010-09-13 - 158.04 km Most Climbed: 2010-09-06 - 1141.00 m | Most Energy Burned: 2010-09-25 - 7644.00 calories Most Expensive Day: 2010-09-19 - $ 77.00 |
Daily Statistics
Date | Location | Distance (km) | Cost ($CAD) | Map |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010-09-28 | Monkland, CA | 100.00 | $0.00 | Map |
| 2010-09-27 | North Gower, CA | 0.00 | $47.00 | |
| 2010-09-26 | North Gower, CA | 0.00 | $40.00 | |
| 2010-09-25 | North Gower, CA | 141.57 | $32.49 | Map |
| 2010-09-24 | Kingston, CA | 5.05 | $7.10 | |
| 2010-09-23 | Kingston, CA | 97.33 | $20.45 | Map |
| 2010-09-22 | Rossmore, CA | 134.57 | $39.70 | Map |
| 2010-09-21 | Darington Provincial Park, CA | 83.47 | $48.65 | Map |
| 2010-09-20 | Toronto, CA | 18.10 | $17.25 | Map |
| 2010-09-19 | Toronto, CA | 0.00 | $77.00 | Map |
| 2010-09-18 | Toronto, CA | 15.75 | $14.60 | |
| 2010-09-17 | Kitchener, CA | 98.23 | $17.00 | Map |
| 2010-09-16 | Neustadt, CA | 85.13 | $24.34 | Map |
| 2010-09-15 | Wiarton, CA | 81.55 | $41.50 | Map |
| 2010-09-14 | South Baymouth, CA | 117.09 | $36.64 | Map |
| 2010-09-13 | Espanola, CA | 158.04 | $30.84 | Map |
| 2010-09-12 | Tunnel Lake, CA | 85.59 | $4.38 | Map |
| 2010-09-11 | Wenebegon River, CA | 107.43 | $53.75 | Map |
| 2010-09-10 | Chapleau, CA | 113.00 | $32.00 | Map |
| 2010-09-09 | Whitefish Lake, CA | 99.76 | $33.49 | Map |
| 2010-09-08 | Obatanga Provincial Park, CA | 120.39 | $24.50 | Map |
| 2010-09-07 | Marathon, CA | 79.00 | $44.00 | Map |
| 2010-09-06 | Terrace Bay, CA | 108.25 | $37.00 | Map |
| 2010-09-05 | Nipigon, CA | 112.00 | $6.00 | Map |
| 2010-09-04 | Thunder Bay, CA | 0.00 | $22.00 | |
| 2010-09-03 | Thunder Bay, CA | 2.89 | $26.00 | Map |
| 2010-09-02 | Upsala, CA | 107.10 | $10.77 | Map |
| 2010-09-01 | Ignace, CA | 114.27 | $17.45 | Map |
| 2010-08-31 | Dryden, CA | 130.62 | $61.52 | Map |
| 2010-08-30 | Kenora, CA | 0.00 | $0.00 | |
| 2010-08-29 | Kenora, CA | 102.73 | $6.00 | Map |