About Ontario ... The Canadian Shield

The Canadian Shield

The largest rock formation in Canada is the Canadian Shield. The scars from the advance and retreat of glaciers are evident on the rocks of the Canadian Shield. The Canadian Shield covers about two-thirds of Ontario.

The Canadian Shield is Canada’s largest physiographic area as it can be found in at least six provinces (Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec plus Newfoundland and Labrador) and two territories (Northwest and Nunavut). It covers about two-thirds of Ontario and contains Precambrian rocks that are more than 570 million years old. The rocks are exposed or are covered by soils, peat, sand, gravel, clay and debris from the glacial activity in the past.

In Ontario, the Canadian Shield extends from the Manitoba border in a wide swath through the province to the Thousand Islands area of the St. Lawrence River just east of Kingston, then north to just west of Ottawa and on to Quebec.

Glacial features found in the Shield include outwash, eskers, moraine, kames, whalebacks and drumlins. Glacial activity helped to form the basins and paths for the many picturesque lakes, rivers and streams on the Shield that vacationers are attracted to. The cottages, resorts and waterways have inspired writers and painters to produce some very creative works.

The Canadian Shield has vast forest regions which are logged by the forest industry. And there is a long history of trapping and hunting for the fur trade in this area of Ontario.

Today, it also provides the mining industry with resources for amethyst, cobalt, copper, gold, iron, nickel, platinum, silver, zinc and many other minerals.

Land of Water

Ontario’s quarter million lakes and countless rivers and streams hold about one-third of the world’s fresh water. The rivers of southern Ontario flow into the Atlantic Ocean by way of the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence River system. Most northern Ontario rivers flow into James Bay and Hudson Bay.

The Ontario-U.S. border is almost entirely defined by water. To the east of Thunder Bay, the border runs along the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway, and to the west it follows a series of lakes and rivers.

There are actually 1,864 islands in the Thousand Islands.

Topography

Ontario’s landforms are the products of continental uplift and erosion, the movement of glaciers, and the continuing actions of wind, waves, water and gravity. In the north are the Hudson Bay Lowlands, consisting of swamp, meadow and forest. The Canadian Shield covers the rest of northern Ontario, and extends into the southeast. The Shield is marked by impressive granite formations, pine forests, lakes and rivers. The Great Lakes – St. Lawrence River Lowlands in southern Ontario provide fertile soils and ideal farmland.

Interesting Facts:

The Ishpatina Ridge, located in the Timiskaming area, is the highest point in Ontario at 693 meters (785 yards) above sea level.Manitoulin Island in Georgian Bay is the world’s largest freshwater island covering 2,766 square kilometers (1,068 sq. miles). 

Climate

Ontario’s climate ranges from humid continental in the south, with chilly winters, warm summers and lots of humidity, to subarctic in the north. The large bodies of water in the north and south have a moderating effect on climate, making summer and winter temperatures less extreme, delaying autumn frosts, and reducing the differential between day and night temperatures. On average the coldest month of the year is January and the warmest is July. January temperatures around the Ottawa River in eastern Ontario average -13°C (9°F). From Niagara Falls to Windsor, the January average is about -4°C (25°F). The average temperatures in July range from 23°C (74°F) in southwestern Ontario, to 19°C (64°F) in eastern Ontario. The seasonal temperature differential is much greater in Northern Ontario. For example, at Kapuskasing the record low is -47°C (-53°F), while the record high is 38°C (101°F).

Ontario’s weather is marked by considerable rain or snow throughout the year, caused by cold polar air from the north meeting warm moist air from the south. Annual precipitation in northern Ontario varies from 70 cm (28 in) in Moosonee, to 97 cm (38 in) in North Bay. In southwestern Ontario, precipitation averages about 95 cm (37 in) per year. The heaviest snowfalls occur in a belt lying inland to the east from Lake Huron and Georgian Bay, including Owen Sound where annual snowfall can exceed 339 cm (134 in).

Transportation Corridors

Ontario’s lakes and rivers have historically provided natural traveling and trade routes. Beginning in the 19th century, canals were built to link certain lakes and rivers, including the Welland and Rideau canals. The St. Lawrence Seaway, completed in 1959, makes it possible for freighters to travel between Thunder Bay and the Atlantic Ocean, carrying goods to and from overseas markets. The Trent-Severn Waterway and the Rideau Canal are no longer used for high-volume commercial purposes but are still very popular with recreational boaters.

More than 16,500 centerline kilometers (10,253 miles) of provincial highways link Ontario’s cities and towns, including the Queen Elizabeth Way (QEW) and the 400 series of highways. Highway 401 stretches 820 kilometers (510 miles) from Windsor to the Quebec border, and is one of the busiest roads in the world. One section in the Toronto area carries 400,000 vehicles daily.

The railways were largely responsible for opening up northern Ontario, beginning in the 1880’s when copper and nickel were discovered on the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) transcontinental route. Today, railways are important for both passenger and freight service.

Interesting Facts:  

To drive to Windsor, Ontario from Detroit, Michigan, you head south.The longest east-west distance in Ontario is 1,690 kilometers (1050 miles).The longest north-south distance is 1,730 kilometers (1075 miles).

Interesting Websites:

For the current weather conditions and local forecasts in Ontario communities, visit Environment Canada at:

http://weatheroffice.ec.gc.ca/forecast/canada/index_e.html?id=ON

To view the current conditions on selected Ontario Highways, visit the Ministry of Transportation at:

http://www.mto.gov.on.ca/english/traveller/compass/

To view satellite images in areas of Ontario and Canada, visit the Canada Centre for Remote Sensing at:

http://www.ccrs.nrcan.gc.ca/index_e.php

To search the names of Ontario settlements or land and water features, visit the Natural Resources Canada site at:

http://geonames.nrcan.gc.ca/index_e.php

   

© Queen’s Printer for Ontario, 2006

Reprinted from the Government of Ontario, Canada website, for non-commercial purposes only.