Southwestern Ontario

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"Western Ontario" redirects here. For the far western part of Ontario, see Northwestern Ontario. For the university in London, Ontario, see University of Western Ontario.
Southwestern Ontario
Secondary region
Coordinates: 43°30′N 81°00′W / 43.500°N 81.000°W / 43.500; -81.000
CountryCanada Canada
ProvinceOntario Ontario
Area
 • Total36,797.54 km2 (14,207.61 sq mi)
Population
 (2021)
 • Total2,796,367
 • Density76/km2 (200/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC−5 (EST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−4 (EDT)
Postal code prefixes
N
Area code(s)519, 226, 548, 905, 289, 365

Southwestern Ontario is a secondary region of Southern Ontario in the Canadian province of Ontario. It occupies most of the Ontario Peninsula bounded by Lake Huron, including Georgian Bay, to the north and northwest; the St. Clair River, Lake St. Clair, and Detroit River, to the west; and Lake Erie to the south. To the east, on land, Southwestern Ontario is bounded by Central Ontario and the Golden Horseshoe. The region had a population of 2,796,367 in 2021. It is sometimes further divided into "Midwestern Ontario" covering the eastern half of the area and the heart of Southwestern Ontario encompassing the western half of the region.

Definitions[edit]

The Government of Ontario also classifies municipalities along the eastern side of Southwestern Ontario near the Grand River, including Wellington County (containing Guelph), the Region of Waterloo (containing Kitchener, Waterloo, and Cambridge), and Brant County (containing Brantford), as part the "Greater Golden Horseshoe" region that surrounds western Lake Ontario.[1] Some non-profit organizations, government bodies, and news organizations also classify a larger swath of the eastern side of Southwestern Ontario (the area from Huron County, Bruce County, and Grey County in the north, southward through Dufferin County, Wellington County, the Region of Waterloo, Perth County, and Oxford County, and sometimes south to Brant County and Norfolk County on Lake Erie) as being "Midwestern Ontario."[2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][excessive citations] This thereby places only the counties southwest of this in their definition of Southwestern Ontario,[12] although in some cases Perth County is also grouped in Southwestern Ontario.[citation needed]

London, Ontario in June 2009.

History[edit]

Archaeological findings from the Princess Point Complex suggest that indigenous peoples grew maize in the region as early as 260 CE. Iroquoians are recognizable from 500 CE, and by 900 CE longhouse villages began appearing near modern-day Brantford.[13]

Europeans settlement began in the early 18th century, when it was part of the Royal Province of New France. One of the oldest continuous settlements in the region is Windsor, which originated as a southerly extension of the settlement of Fort Detroit in 1701. With the transfer of New France to British control in 1763, the region was part of the British Province of Quebec, 1774 to 1791; the Province of Upper Canada, 1791 to 1841; and the Canada West division of the Province of United Canada, 1841 to Confederation in 1867, when United Canada was formally partitioned into the provinces of Ontario and Quebec.

During the 19th century and early 20th century, the largest city in Southwestern Ontario was Windsor; however, as both cities grew, Windsor was outpaced by the faster growth of London, and passed the mantle of regional anchor to that city in the 1960s. Late in the 20th century the Kitchener–Cambridge–Waterloo metropolitan area became the most populous metropolitan area in southwestern Ontario surpassing the London-St. Thomas metropolitan area, and serves as the anchor of Midwestern Ontario.

Southwestern Ontario is a prosperous agricultural region whose chief crops are tobacco, sweet corn, soybean, winter wheat, canola, and tomatoes.[14] Additionally, Southwestern Ontario has developed a significant concentration of commercial greenhouses, predominantly centred in the town of Leamington, where tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, flowers, and cannabis are grown. It is the largest concentration of commercial greenhouses in North America. Dairy and beef farming, breeding and training of standardbred horses and wine growing and production are also important industries. Its climate is among the mildest in Canada. Although brief periods of winter can be severe, summers are hot and humid with a longer growing season than in most of the country.

A large section of Southwestern Ontario was part of the Talbot Settlement, and the region has benefited from the settlement’s facilitation of agriculture and of trade in general. Its economy is heavily tied in with that of the midwestern United States, in particular the border state of Michigan. Auto manufacturing and parts, agriculture and hi-tech industries are key components of the region’s economy. The region also provides important transportation routes for commercial trucking, railway and tanker shipping from Detroit-Windsor and Port Huron, Michigan-Sarnia linking Canada with major markets in the eastern and midwestern United States.

Demographics[edit]

Population[edit]

Census Region Population

(2021)[15]

Population

(2016)[15]

Population

(2011)[15]

Population

(2006)[15]

Population

(2001)[15]

Area

(km2)[15]

Waterloo 587,165 535,154 507,096 478,121 438,515 1,368.92
London-Middlesex 500,563 455,526 439,151 422,333 403,185 2,821.00
Windsor-Essex 422,860 398,953 388,782 393,402 374,975 1,662.73
Guelph-Wellington 241,026 222,726 208,360 200,425 187,313 2,665.36
Brant 144,771 134,808 136,035 125,099 118,485 817.66
Sarnia-Lambton 128,154 126,638 126,199 128,204 126,971 2,999.93
Oxford 121,781 110,846 105,719 102,756 99,270 2,036.61
Chatham-Kent 104,316 102,042 104,075 108,589 107,709 2,457.90
Grey 100,905 93,830 92,568 92,411 89,073 4,513.50
St. Thomas-Elgin 94,752 88,978 87,461 85,351 81,553 1,845.41
Stratford-Perth 81,565 76,812 75,112 74,344 73,675 2,177.78
Bruce 73,396 68,147 66,102 65,349 63,892 3,978.76
Norfolk 67,490 64,044 63,175 62,563 60,847 1,607.55
Dufferin 66,257 61,735 56,881 54,436 51,013 1,486.44
Huron 61,366 59,297 59,100 59,325 59,701 3,399.27
Total 2,796,367 2,599,536 2,515,816 2,452,708 2,336,177 36,797.54

Census Metropolitan Areas[edit]

Metropolitan Area Type Population[16][17] Change Land Area

(km2)[16]

Population

Density (/km2)

(2022) Estimate (2021) (2016)
Kitchener–Cambridge–Waterloo CMA 622,497 575,847 523,894 +9.92% 1092.33 527.2
London CMA 574,238 543,551 494,069 +10.02% 2661.48 204.2
Windsor CMA 434,655 422,630 398,718 +6.00% 1803.17 234.4
Guelph CMA 172,400 165,588 151,984 +8.95% 595.08 278.3
Brantford CMA 158,391 144,162 134,203 +7.42% 1074.00 134.2
Chatham-Kent CA 109,051 104,316 102,042 +2.23% 2464.52 42.3
Sarnia CA 102,216 97,592 96,151 +1.50% 1117.20 87.4
Norfolk CA 73,166 67,490 64,044 +5.38% 1597.68 42.2
Woodstock CA 49,819 46,705 41,098 +13.64% 56.46 827.2
Owen Sound CA 34,606 32,712 31,820 +2.80% 624.18 52.4

Geography[edit]

Bruce Peninsula National Park near Tobermory, Ontario

Southwestern Ontario is located within the Mixedwood Plains Ecozone (as classified by Environment and Climate Change Canada, further subclassified into the Lake Erie Lowland and Manitoulin-Lake Simcoe regions),[18] which largely consists of glacial till plains underlain by sedimentary limestone bedrock. The vast majority of Southwestern Ontario maintains a relatively flat geography with rolling hills, with the exception of areas near the Niagara Escarpment in Bruce and Grey Counties, where exposed limestone cliff faces can be seen along the shores of Georgian Bay. Sandier soils are generally located near Lake Erie, resulting in the creation of a sandy escarpment along the entire north shore, in addition to many sandspit peninsulas, including Point Pelee in Essex County, Pointe aux Pins (Rondeau) in Chatham-Kent, and Long Point in Norfolk County. Pelee Island, the southernmost populated area in Canada, is located south of Point Pelee in Lake Erie.

Southwestern Ontario was originally covered by vast forests prior to agricultural development in the region. Two forest regions are located in Southwestern Ontario;[19] Carolinian forest, located predominantly along Lake Erie and the southern tip of Lake Huron,[20] and Great Lakes-St. Lawrence forest, located around Lake Huron and Georgian Bay.[21] A very small percentage of forest coverage areas remain in the region due to extensive agricultural development and urbanization, but conservation efforts are underway to preserve and/or protect these forests. Three major federally protected areas, Point Pelee National Park, Bruce Peninsula National Park, and Long Point National Wildlife Area, are located in Southwestern Ontario. In 2021, the federal government announced plans to designate a new National Urban Park in Windsor's Ojibway Prairie Complex.[22]

The Carolinian forest zone is Canada's smallest forest zone, but it is home to a very high biodiversity of species due to it being one of the warmest regions in the country. Over 500 rare and/or endangered species are located in this region[20] and is estimated to contain around 25% of Canada's species at risk, including the American badger, Midland painted turtle, Jefferson salamander, monarch butterfly, and southern flying squirrel.[23]

Climate[edit]

Köppen Climate Map of Ontario

Southwestern Ontario's climate is heavily influenced by the proximity of the Great Lakes. Winters in the region are typically milder than the rest of Ontario due to the gradual release of stored heat in the lakes. Despite this, however, portions of the region experience significantly more snow than others due to lake-effect snow caused by eastward winds. A portion of the regional Snowbelt is located in Bruce, Grey, Huron, and Middlesex Counties.[24] In a sharp contrast, Essex County and Chatham-Kent receive less snow than average due to their location further south.[25] Summers are typically hot and humid, with Windsor experiencing the warmest weather in Ontario. Summers are often cooler and less humid on the peninsulas in Lake Erie and Lake Huron. Southwestern Ontario also experiences the highest annual frequency of thunderstorms in Canada, with Windsor, Chatham-Kent, and London experiencing the most days on average with lightning per year.[26] Southwestern Ontario also regularly experiences severe weather events, including tornadoes, due to its proximity to the Great Lakes and warmer-than-average weather during the summer.

Under the Köppen climate classification, the vast majority of Southwestern Ontario has a humid continental climate, with the vast majority of the area experiencing a warm-summer Dfb climate, with the exception of Windsor and Chatham-Kent, which experiences a hot-summer Dfa climate. Additionally, a very small area near Long Point experiences a temperate oceanic Cfb climate, due to its location in Lake Erie creating slightly cooler summers and slightly warmer winters than the remainder of the province.

Infrastructure[edit]

Roads[edit]

Main article: Roads in Ontario

The vast majority of the primary vehicular traffic network in Southwestern Ontario is served mainly by the controlled-access 400-series highways. Highway 401, the main highway in the network, starts in Windsor at the terminus of the under-construction Gordie Howe International Bridge and runs northeast to Waterloo Region, where it continues northeast through the Golden Horseshoe and Eastern Ontario. Highway 402, another major highway, runs east from the United States border with Michigan in Sarnia to London, where it connects with Highway 401 in southern London. Highway 403 connects with Highway 401 in Woodstock and runs east toward Brantford, where it continues toward Hamilton and the Greater Toronto Area. Additional major provincial highways in the region include Highway 3, Highway 4, Highway 6, Highway 7, Highway 8, Highway 10, and Highway 85.

Additionally, the cities of Windsor and London have municipally-owned expressways. E.C. Row Expressway is a fully grade-separated freeway running east-west through Windsor, formerly known as Highway 2. Veteran's Memorial Parkway is a limited-access highway running north-south through London, formerly known as Highway 100. Dougall Avenue is a road in Windsor with a small section of freeway running north from Highway 401, formerly known as Highway 3B. Highbury Avenue is a road that runs from St. Thomas to London, with a small section of freeway running north from Highway 401, formerly known as Highway 126.

Southwestern Ontario also has multiple road connections with the United States. These include the Ambassador Bridge in Windsor, the Bluewater Bridge in Sarnia, and the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel that runs from downtown Detroit to downtown Windsor. A new bridge crossing, the Gordie Howe International Bridge, is currently under construction and slated to open in 2025,[27] and is meant to serve as a direct freeway-to-freeway connection between Highway 401 and E.C. Row in Windsor and Interstate 75 in Detroit.

Rail[edit]

Via Rail operates inter-regional passenger train service on the Quebec City–Windsor Corridor, in Windsor-London-Toronto and Sarnia-London-Toronto configurations, running both on the northern route through Stratford and Kitchener, and the southern route through Woodstock and Brantford.[28] GO Transit also operates inter-regional commuter rail in the region, currently limited to as far west as Waterloo Region on the Kitchener Line.[29] In fall 2021, the provincial government announced a pilot program extending GO commuter rail service to London through Stratford and St. Mary's, but this service was discontinued in fall of 2023 due to poor ridership and travel times along the corridor.[30] As of 2024, the provincial government and Waterloo Region are planning for an extension of GO rail service into Cambridge.[31] Only one municipality in Southwestern Ontario, Waterloo Region, currently has a rail-based transit system in operation. This transit system is known as the iON LRT and runs from Waterloo to Kitchener.[32] A southern extension of this rail line into Cambridge is currently being planned.[33]

Freight rail in the region is dominated by CN Rail and CPKC, the two major cross-national Canadian rail companies. Smaller railway companies operating in the region include Essex Terminal Railway, Goderich-Exeter Railway, Ontario Southland Railway, Southern Ontario Railway, and Waterloo Central Railway.[34]

Waterways[edit]

Southwestern Ontario has two major ports, located in Goderich and Windsor, that service cargo ships as part of the Great Lakes/St. Lawrence Seaway system. The Port of Goderich is predominantly used for the export of salt from the Goderich Salt Mine, but also moves grain and calcium chloride.[35] The Port of Windsor is significantly more developed and is the third-busiest Great Lakes port, behind the ports in Hamilton and Thunder Bay. The port of Windsor moves a wider variety of cargo including aggregates, salt, grain, fertilizer, lumber, steel, petroleum, vehicles and machinery.[36] Minor ports are also located in Sarnia, Kingsville, Owen Sound, and Nanticoke.

Airports[edit]

Southwestern Ontario is home to three major airports; Region of Waterloo International Airport (YKF), London International Airport (YXU), and Windsor International Airport (YQG), in addition to multiple minor airports in various smaller communities, such as Sarnia Chris Hadfield Airport (YZR) and St. Thomas Municipal Airport (YQS). The three major airports predominantly offer limited international flights (mainly to vacation destinations such as the United States, Mexico, and the Caribbean) on a seasonal basis, in addition to some select all-season routes to other Canadian cities. All airports also offer frequent connecting flights to Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ), usually via Air Canada.[37][38][39]

Culture[edit]

Language[edit]

The accent in the region, Southwestern Ontario English, is distinct from the rest of Ontario.

Administrative divisions[edit]

Blue Water Bridge, Sarnia, Ontario
Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Southwestern Ontario.

Single-tier municipalities[edit]

Separated municipalities[edit]

Regional municipalities[edit]

Counties[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Transportation Profile gghtransport2051.ca
  2. ^ "BlackburnNews.com - Midwestern Ontario News - Your Local News Network". BlackburnNews.com. 2021-06-16. Retrieved 2021-06-17.
  3. ^ "Midwestern Ontario District: | SouthWesternOntario.ca". Archived from the original on 2018-02-07.
  4. ^ "Ontario Newsroom". news.ontario.ca. Retrieved 2021-06-17.
  5. ^ "A2001.100 - Kitchener - Waterloo Record / Map of / Midwestern Ontario, 1951. | Wellington County Museum & Archives". wcma.pastperfectonline.com.
  6. ^ "Ontario Hockey League – Official Site of the Ontario Hockey League". Retrieved 2021-06-17.
  7. ^ "WELCOME TO THE OFFICIAL HOME OF THE MID". 2005-07-21. Archived from the original on 2005-07-21. Retrieved 2021-06-17.
  8. ^ "Bereaved Families of Ontario – Midwest Region". bfomidwest.org. Retrieved 2021-06-17.
  9. ^ "University of Toronto Libraries". search.library.utoronto.ca. Retrieved 2021-06-17.
  10. ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2020-11-30. Retrieved 2019-10-07.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  11. ^ "Midwestern Branch". www.oasw.org. Retrieved 2021-06-17.
  12. ^ "The Official Tourism Website of Ontario".
  13. ^ Warrick, Gary (2000). "The Precontact Iroquoian Occupation of Southern Ontario". Journal of World Prehistory. 14 (4). Springer: 415–466. doi:10.1023/A:1011137725917. ISSN 0892-7537. JSTOR 25801165. S2CID 163183815. Retrieved 2022-02-14.
  14. ^ Zong Jia, Chen (15 June 2022). "Ontario is an agricultural powerhouse that leads in many farming categories". Statistics Canada. Retrieved June 23, 2023.
  15. ^ a b c d e f "Census Mapper (Canada Census 2021, 2016, 2011, 2006, 2001)". Census Mapper. Retrieved 2024-03-31.
  16. ^ a b Government of Canada, Statistics Canada (2022-02-09). "Population and dwelling counts: Census metropolitan areas, census agglomerations and census subdivisions (municipalities)". www150.statcan.gc.ca. Retrieved 2024-03-31.
  17. ^ Government of Canada, Statistics Canada (2019-04-17). "Population estimates, July 1, by census metropolitan area and census agglomeration, 2016 boundaries". www150.statcan.gc.ca. Retrieved 2024-03-31.
  18. ^ "Mixedwood Plains Ecozone". www.ecozones.ca. Retrieved 2024-03-31.
  19. ^ "Forest regions | ontario.ca". www.ontario.ca. Retrieved 2024-03-31.
  20. ^ a b "Carolinian Canada | Carolinian Canada". caroliniancanada.ca. Retrieved 2024-03-31.
  21. ^ "The Great Lakes–St. Lawrence forest; highly valued woodlands". www.the-forest-time.com. Retrieved 2024-03-31.
  22. ^ Parks Canada Agency, Government of Canada (2023-04-06). "Pre-feasibility report for Windsor, Ontario - Windsor, Ontario: Candidate national urban park pre-feasibility report". parks.canada.ca. Retrieved 2024-03-31.
  23. ^ "Seven rare species in the Carolinian zone". WWF.CA. 2018-05-22. Retrieved 2024-03-31.
  24. ^ "Lake-effect Snow in the Great Lakes Region | GLISA". Retrieved 2024-03-31.
  25. ^ "Weather Elements: Lake-Effect Snow Climatology in the Great Lakes Region". www.heidorn.info. Retrieved 2024-03-31.
  26. ^ Canada, Environment and Climate Change (2010-07-27). "Lightning in cities". www.canada.ca. Retrieved 2024-03-31.
  27. ^ "https://www.gordiehoweinternationalbridge.com/en/Gordie-Howe-International-Bridge-Opening-Planned-for-Fall-2025". Gordie Howe International Bridge. January 4, 2024. Retrieved 2024-03-31. {{cite web}}: External link in |title= (help)CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  28. ^ "Explore Canada: Train Map & Routes | VIA Rail". www.viarail.ca. Retrieved 2024-03-31.
  29. ^ "System Map". www.gotransit.com. Retrieved 2024-03-31.
  30. ^ "GO Train service between London and Toronto ending this fall as VIA Rail returns". CBC News. July 2, 2023.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  31. ^ "Regional staff working on first steps to bring GO rail service to Cambridge". CBC News. March 6, 2024.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  32. ^ "ION light rail". www.grt.ca. 2023-06-23. Retrieved 2024-03-31.
  33. ^ "Stage 2 ION". www.regionofwaterloo.ca. 2023-12-22. Retrieved 2024-03-31.
  34. ^ "Ontario Railway Network (ORWN)". geohub.lio.gov.on.ca. Retrieved 2024-03-31.
  35. ^ "Goderich Port Management Corp. | goderichport.ca". www.goderichport.ca. Retrieved 2024-03-31.
  36. ^ "About The Port". web.archive.org. 2012-04-02. Retrieved 2024-03-31.
  37. ^ "Destinations". www.waterlooairport.ca. 2024-02-27. Retrieved 2024-03-31.
  38. ^ "Route Map & Flight Schedule". London International Airport. Retrieved 2024-03-31.
  39. ^ Airport, Windsor International. "Flight Information – Fly YQG". flyyqg.ca. Retrieved 2024-03-31.
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