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Over seven million Ontarians live in what is called the
Golden Horseshoe, an area around the western end of
Lake Ontario from
Oshawa
to
Hamilton
and then east
to
St. Catharines
and the Niagara region.
Toronto
is the
biggest city in the Golden Horseshoe—including the sur-
rounding cities of
Mississauga
,
Brampton
,
Markham
and others, over 5.5 million people—and it is the biggest
in all of Canada. It is also the most diversified in terms
of work opportunities. It is home to huge financial insti-
tutions and corporate headquarters, to service organiza-
tions and communications companies, as well as large
health care institutions, media companies and research
institutes.
Across Lake Ontario from
Toronto
we discover
St. Cath-
arines
, the largest city of the Niagara region, home to
wine-making, tourism, agribusiness, manufacturing and
financial services firms.
Around the western end of Lake Ontario lies Ontario’s
third largest city,
Hamilton
, long known for its steel
industry and other manufacturing, increasingly known
for construction, food and beverage, transportation and
waste management companies, and for its educational
institutions.
Not far from
Hamilton
is Ontario’s fourth most populat-
ed urban area, “Canada’s Technology Triangle” of
Kitch-
ener
,
Waterloo
, and
Cambridge
, with significant sized
research, technology, manufacturing, higher education
and financial service sectors.
Further west we find
London
, Ontario, home to one of
Canada’s largest universities, several large manufacturing
operations, financial services firms and an internationally
renowned health sciences network.
Ontario’s most southerly large population centre is
Wind-
sor
, with a long tradition of automobile and parts manu-
facturing, also known for its tourism and distillery firms.
To the Northwest are the Great Lake port cities of
Thun-
der Bay
and
Sault Ste. Marie
, while in the Northeast
are the mining towns of
Sudbury
and
Timmins
, and the
tourism and transportation center of
North Bay
.
Heading back south towards Lake Simcoe we find
Bar-
rie
, with strong retail, service, transportation and manu-
facturing sectors, then east of Toronto,
Oshawa
, another
city with a long tradition in automobile manufacturing,
and
Kingston
, known for its educational institutions,
military base, correctional institutions, historical buildings
and beautiful setting at the eastern end of Lake Ontario.
Heading northeast we find last, but certainly not least,
the city of
Ottawa
– Canada’s national capital and On-
tario’s second largest city, with its thousands of govern-
ment employees, telecommunications firms and well-de-
veloped high-tech sector.
Ontario Day to Day
Workbook 2010
12
Technologically advanced and industrialized, Ontario has
a diversified economy with a strong services sector and
substantial trade, particularly with the United States.
Ontario’s economy offers excellent opportunities for
immigrants in many sectors ranging from manufacturing
to information and telecommunications technology,
software design and life sciences to financial services,
health care, construction, hospitality and retail trade.
Ontario’s economy had its beginnings in the pursuit of
natural resources: timber, fur andminerals. The province’s
many rivers and lakes, particularly the Great Lakes, made
for natural transportation routes. As the population of
Ontario increased, people started new industries and
surveyed, cleared and farmed the rich agricultural land
in the south.
Today, Ontario’s economy still depends on natural
resources, particularly in the north, while southern
Ontario, with its proximity to the enormous U.S. market,
is heavily industrialized. Ontario is part of the North
American manufacturing heartland and is favourably
located to serve major Canadian and U.S. markets.
You will find more information on Ontario’s economy, and
economic sectors at
www.ontario.ca
(click on “Topics”
then “Economy”)
ONTARIO’S ECONOMY
ONTARIO’S CITIES