"Land of the silver bush, home of the beaver, where still the mighty moose wanders at will. Blue lake and rocky shore, I will return once more...."

This Canadian folk song stirs memories of boating across linked lakes near Magnetewan, Ontario. The shores dotted with small cottages between rocky outcroppings. We'd get lost for a day on waterways that never seemed to end.

Ontario offers coastline to four of the Great Lakes, Huron, Superior (largest freshwater lake in the world), Ontario and Erie. Sixteen percent of Ontario is covered in water.

Northern Ontario is wild and wonderful, beautiful and vast. It is home to the Canadian Shield, the oldest known rock on earth. Although this land isn't great for farming it provides a multitude of mining opportunities.

There are 272 Provincial Parks in Ontario. The largest and oldest protected park is Algonquin.

In the south, cities such as Toronto offer an abundance of rich cultural experiences. The land surrounding these cities is perfect for farming. The Niagara peninsula is famous for it's wine and produce.

Explorer Etienne Bruleé travelled Ontario's southern shores in 1610-12 while Henry Hudson sailed into Hudson Bay in 1611. It wasn't until several years later that trading posts started to be established in Ontario. In 1791, Ontario became known as Upper Canada.

In 1867, Ontario became one of the 4 founding provinces of Canada.