The five nations of the Iroquois Confederacy
inhabited the inner reaches of New France
in the early 17th century before French voyageurs and fur traders penetrated
the area. Further European settlement would take another century. Following
the American Revolution, Loyalist settlers trickled in slowly, and what
is now Ontario was carved out of Québec in 1867. Ontario, Canada's second
largest province, stretches more than 1,600 kilometers (994 miles) east
to west and holds much of the nation's population. Most of Ontario's
residents live along the southern edge of the province. To explore Ontario
properly takes time, you'll find enormous tracts of woodlands, 250,000
icy lakes, white-sand beaches, 260 provincial parks, abundant historical
sites, and population centers. Too numerous to mention all of them,
we have put together a few examples of the Parks in Ontario, listed
below.
Places to see
Wasaga Beach Provincial Park
Wasaga's 14-kilometre-long graceful crescent of shore sands on a gentle,
shallow bay draws thousands of visitors each summer. Camping is not
permitted within the boundary of this recreation park, but there are
many privately owned campgrounds, motels, hotels, and cottages nearby
for visitors who wish to extend their stay. Families enjoy swimming
in the warm, shallow waters and playing on the wide sandy beach. The
park is divided into eight beach areas each with its own parking lot.
While swimming is the big draw, hiking, fishing, picnicking, and canoeing
on the Nottawasaga River are some other
activities to be pursued in the park and area. Nottawasaga
Bay is suitable for many types of watercraft, especially large
motorboats, sailboats and windsurfers. Boats can be rented from one
of several marinas in the Town of Wasaga Beach.
Fishing is best from a boat, but you can also try your luck anywhere
near the river bank within park boundaries. A fishing access point is
located in the dunes area of the park. The fragile dune environment
in the Natural Environment Zone may be
explored over several interconnected trails called the Blueberry
Plains Trails, totalling some 26 kilometres in length. There
is also a marked bicycle path along the shoreline. The glaciers that
covered much of Ontario during the last Ice Age left their marks on
the Wasaga Beach area. As ancient Lake Algonquin
receded, a series of shorelines were left behind. These ancient beach
ridges played an important role in determining the Wasaga landscape
today. The unique geological features have preserved over 10,000 years
of history, painting a picture of the forces that have shaped our landscape
today. Unique vegetation includes yellow puccoon, ground juniper, butterfly
weed, New Jersey tea, and a rare arctic flower, Hobell's rock cress.
The grass and shrub area gradually turns into a forest of pine and oak
interspersed with bogs between the beach ridges. Various ferns, sedges,
dogwood, holly and ash grow here. White-tailed deer are frequent visitors
to the park, while smaller animals like the snowshoe hare, porcupine,
and raccoon are more common. Some 232 species of bird have been identified
here. Shorebirds include various types of gulls, plovers, sandpipers
and the sanderling. Warblers, sparrows, owls and the pileated woodpecker
can be spotted in the sand dune area of the park. Wasaga Beach offers
some of the most exciting nordic ski terrain
in Central Ontario with 30 kilometres of trails. Expert skiers are challenged
on the groomed and track set "High Dunes Trail",
or you may choose a more leisurely ski on the "Blueberry
Plains Trail". The Blueberry Nordic Centre
offers modern equipment rentals, warm-up shelter and outback ski shelters
to warm up a lunch on a crisp winters day. A quiet skier will be rewarded
with wildlife viewing as white-tailed deer and winter birds are abundant.
Petroglyphs Provincial Park
Deep within a forest northeast of Peterborough
is an extraordinary collection of rock carvings, called petroglyphs.
It is generally believed that Algonkian-speaking people carved this
assortment of shapes and figures on an outcrop of gleaming white marble
between 900 and 1400 AD. The 900 images depicting turtles, snakes, humans,
and other symbols, are believed to express the teachings of the spirit
world. With one of the largest concentrations of Aboriginal
rock art in North America, the site is regarded as an archaeological
treasure. The petroglyphs were carved in a roughly rectangular area
on a fairly flat stone surface that slopes gently towards the southeast.
It is believed the carvers considered this marble outcrop a special
place where access to the spirit worlds was possible. With only 300
distinct and clearly outlined carvings, the full meaning of the petroglyphs
remains a mystery. It is difficult to say when the site was abandoned,
or how long it remained undisturbed but some elders from the Curve
Lake First Nation recall knowing about the petroglyphs in the
early 1900s. Although the petroglyphs are the main attraction of the
park, its forests, two small lakes, marshes, hiking trails, and picnic
areas offer recreational opportunities. White-tailed deer, black bears,
wolves, coyotes, moose, beavers, and fishers are some examples of the
park's wildlife. Birds such as gray jays, wild turkeys, ruffed grouse
and various types of hawks may also be seen. In spring, the ground is
carpeted with wildflowers. Hikers enjoy the peaceful forests, wetlands,
and rocky ridges on four trails, travelling over boardwalks, bridges
and rocky ridges. The trails, ranging from 5 km to 16 km in length,
include the Nanabush, a self-guided interpretive
trail. Comfortable footwear and insect repellant are recommended. Two
picnic areas are located at McGinnis Lake,
each with water fountain and washrooms. The eastern McGinnis Lake site
has a picnic shelter with barbecue pit.
Algonquin Provincial park
Algonquin stretches across 7,725 square kilometres of wild and beautiful
lakes and forests, bogs and rivers, cliffs and beaches a camper's paradise
as far as the eye can see. Established in 1893, Algonquin is Ontario's
first and perhaps best known provincial park. Algonquin has maple hills,
rocky ridges, spruce bogs, and thousands of lakes, ponds and streams.
The only way to explore the rugged beauty of Algonquin's
Interior is by canoe or on foot, although there is a highway
running through the park, for the less mobile. Among the activities
to enjoy are camping swimming, museums, hiking, learning and picnicking
with the comfort of modern amenities. Easily accessible for daytrippers,
about one-third of all Algonquin visitors stay nearby and come to the
Park to visit a museum, walk a trail, or go for a swim and a picnic.
Swimming is especially good at the beautiful sand beaches at Lake
of Two Rivers. Roughly 1,200 campsites are available in eight
campgrounds along the Parkway Corridor,
while another 1,900 campsites dot the Interior. There are eight campgrounds
in the corridor that accommodate tents or trailers, and offer a range
of amenities. Algonquin can be enjoyed year-round. Some campgrounds
open as early as late April (opening of trout season), and some close
for the season as late as mid-October. Camping is permitted in one campground
in winter. Choose from the Highland, Western
Uplands, or Eastern Pines backpacking
trails with loops ranging from six to 88 kilometres in length. Throw
on your pack and head out for a few days into real back country. Sixteen
interpretive walking trails of varying lengths explore aspects of the
natural environment. Thirteen of these are accessible along the Highway
60 corridor. Algonquin offers good opportunities for wildlife,
and is unequalled in Ontario for seeing moose. Moose viewing is best
in spring, early summer and during the mating season in late September.
White-tailed deer and bear also inhabit the Park. Algonquin is famous
for its wolves which are heard but not often seen. More than 250 bird
species have been recorded in the Park. Many southern and overseas birders
make special trips to Algonquin just to see northern specialties such
as the Gray Jay and the Spruce Grouse, not to mention the rich variety
of warblers or Algonquin's most famous bird of all -- the Common Loon,
found nesting on just about every lake. Along the highway, many of the
lakes are stocked with Splake (a hybrid of Brook and Lake trout) and
fishing is outstanding. Spring is the best season for trout and summer
brings on more enjoyment with Smallmouth Bass. Cool nights and sunny
days with no mosquitoes make autumn an ideal time to camp and hike in
Algonquin. Fall colour usually peaks the
last week of September, and the spectacle of hundreds of square kilometres
of red and golden orange forest, blue lakes and shores lined with evergreens
is not to be missed. A couple of weeks later the aspens, Tamaracks and
Red Oaks take centre stage before giving way to a more subdued November.
There is an excellent visitors center at the park, a restaurant, bookstore
and a theatre can be found here. Just inside the East
Gate, the Algonquin Logging Museum
brings to life the story of logging from the early square timber days
to the last of the great river drives. A recreated camboose
camp and a fascinating steam-powered amphibious tug called an
"alligator" are among the many displays. An outstanding collection
of Canadian and international wildlife art is exhibited at the old Park
Museum at km 20, now completely refurbished and re-named the
Algonquin Gallery.
Polar Bear Provincial Park,
Remote and accessible only by air, Ontario's largest and most northerly
park features unspoiled low-lying tundra.
Home to woodland caribou, moose, marten, fox, beaver, goose, black bear,
and polar bear, the park is not sparse on wildlife. Seals, walruses,
beluga and white whales frequent coastal and esturial areas. As many
as 200 polar bears lumber through coastal areas at certain times. The
peak period is early November. In late
spring, hundreds of species of bird descend upon the region including
White geese. Caribou lichen, reindeer and sphagnum moss grow along the
tundra. This is considered the most temperately located mainland tundra
in the world. The simple plant cover decomposes into the uppermost layers
of the peat soils, bogs, and muskeg that carpet the terrain, much of
which is given to permafrost. Lapland rhododendron, crowberry, and mountain
cranberry also flourish here. In early summer, the tundra becomes an
exquisite heath of plants in delirious bloom. Adding to the spectacle,
the many ponds that dot the landscape turn rust, yellow, green, turquoise,
black, ivory, brown, and other colors, depending on the plant micro-organisms
and minerals in the water. Archeologists have determined that Algonquian
people lived here perhaps 1000 years ago. Their descendents are the
present-day Cree who reside in the coastal settlement of Winisk.
The only evidence of human habitation in the park is an abandoned radar
station, part of a former military defence line. It consists of squat
metal buildings, oil tanks, radio towers, and a few radar dishes and
a landing airstrip. Visitors to Polar Bear
should be prepared for any eventuality. They should take with them at
least one week's extra supplies in case their departure is delayed due
to bad weather. Tents should not rise any higher than necessary, due
to the possibility of strong winds.
As with the parks, the cities in Ontario are too numerous to list all, so
here are a few examples
