# Ontario Peninsula

The Ontario Peninsula is the southernmost part of the province of Ontario and of Canada as a whole. It is bounded by Lake Huron on the west, Lake Ontario on the east, and Lake Erie on the south. At its tip, it is separated from Michigan by the Detroit and St. Clair rivers, as well as Lake St. Clair. The peninsula also includes the Bruce and Niagara peninsulas, one projecting into Lake Huron and the other projecting towards New York, from which it is separated by the Niagara River.
The corner of the peninsula that lies on Lake Ontario is known as the Golden Horseshoe and forms Canada's largest population centre. Other large cities include London and Windsor.

## Climate

Like other parts of southern Canada, the Ontario Peninsula enjoys warm or hot summers often passing 30°C and rarely 40°C during extreme heatwaves. During the summer, the peninsula has normal thunderstorm activity, including severe thunderstorms that can have hail, damaging winds, and even tornadoes during peak season. It has cold winters, and snowfall can be abundant, particularly in the affected Snowbelt locations. However, there are many winter thaw periods that break the entrenched cold. The Ontario Peninsula has a humid continental climate; specifically, most of it falls into the Köppen climate classification Dfb except for Essex County, Chatham-Kent, and parts of the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area and the Niagara Peninsula, which are within the Dfa zone. However, the entire peninsula is near the Dfa/Dfb borderline.

## History

Anishinaabe tribes, particularly the Mississaugas, are indigenous to the Ontario Peninsula. Southern Ontario was colonized by France in the 1600s, but the British gained control of Ontario after the Seven Years' War.
The Ontario Peninsula experienced much of the fighting during the War of 1812, including the Americans invading it and burning York (now called Toronto). After the war, population and trade boomed, and the Welland Canal was built.
When the British divided Canada into separate provinces, Toronto became the capital of Ontario and eventually became Canada's main economic centre.

## Most populous entities

By each definition, Toronto or its corresponding entity is the most populous not only in the Ontario Peninsula but also in Canada as a whole.

### Most populous metropolitan areas

| Rank (2016) | Rank (2011) | Geographic name | Type | Population (2016) | Population (2011) | Change |
| 1 | 1 | Toronto (Mississauga, Brampton, Markham, Vaughan) | CMA | 5,928,040 | 5,583,064 | +6.18% |
| 2 | 2 | Hamilton (Burlington) | CMA | 747,545 | 721,053 | +3.67% |
| 3 | 3 | Kitchener–Waterloo–Cambridge | CMA | 523,894 | 496,383 | +5.54% |
| 4 | 4 | London | CMA | 494,069 | 474,786 | +4.06% |
| 5 | 5 | St. Catharines–Niagara (Niagara Falls, Welland) | CMA | 406,074 | 392,184 | +3.54% |
| 6 | 6 | Oshawa (Whitby, Clarington) | CMA | 379,848 | 356,177 | +6.65% |
| 7 | 7 | Windsor (Lakeshore) | CMA | 329,144 | 319,246 | +3.10% |
| 8 | 8 | Barrie (Innisfil) | CMA | 197,059 | 187,013 | +5.37% |
| 9 | 9 | Brantford (Brant) | CMA | 134,203 | 135,501 | −0.96% |
| 10 | 10 | Chatham-Kent | CA | 102,042 | 104,075 | −1.95% |
| 11 | 11 | Sarnia (St. Clair) | CA | 96,151 | 97,131 | −1.01% |
| 12 | 12 | Norfolk | CA | 64,044 | 63,175 | +1.38% |
| 13 | 13 | Leamington (Kingsville) | CA | 49,147 | 49,765 | −1.24% |
| 14 | 14 | Woodstock | CA | 40,902 | 37,754 | +8.34% |
| 15 | 15 | Midland (Tay, Penetanguishene) | CA | 35,859 | 35,419 | +1.24% |
| 16 | 16 | Owen Sound (Georgian Bluffs) | CA | 31,820 | 32,092 | −0.85% |
| 17 | 17 | Stratford | CA | 31,465 | 30,903 | +1.82% |
| 18 | 18 | Centre Wellington | CA | 28,191 | 26,693 | +5.61% |
| 19 | 19 | Collingwood | CA | 21,793 | 19,241 | +13.26% |
| 20 | 20 | Wasaga Beach | CA | 20,675 | 17,537 | +17.89% |
| 21 | 21 | Tillsonburg | CA | 15,872 | 15,301 | +3.73% |
| 22 | 22 | Ingersoll | CA | 12,757 | 12,146 | +5.03% |

### Most populous municipalities

| Rank (2016) | Municipality | Municipal status | Land area (km$^2$, 2011) | Growth Rate 2011–2016 | Population (2016) | Population (2011) | Population (2006) | Population (2001) | Population (1996) |
| 1 | Toronto | City | 630.2 | 4.46% | 2,731,571 | 2,615,060 | 2,503,281 | 2,481,494 | 2,385,421 |
| 2 | Mississauga | City | 292.4 | 1.14% | 721,599 | 713,443 | 668,549 | 612,925 | 544,382 |
| 3 | Brampton | City | 266.3 | 13.31% | 593,638 | 523,911 | 433,806 | 325,428 | 268,251 |
| 4 | Hamilton | City | 1,117.2 | 3.26% | 536,917 | 519,949 | 504,559 | 490,268 | 467,799 |
| 5 | London | City | 420.6 | 4.83% | 383,822 | 366,151 | 352,395 | 336,539 | 325,669 |
| 6 | Markham | City | 212.6 | 9.03% | 328,966 | 301,709 | 261,573 | 208,615 | 173,383 |
| 7 | Vaughan | City | 273.5 | 6.22% | 306,233 | 288,301 | 238,866 | 182,022 | 132,549 |
| 8 | Kitchener | City | 136.8 | 6.42% | 233,222 | 219,153 | 204,668 | 190,399 | 178,420 |
| 9 | Windsor | City | 146.3 | 2.99% | 217,188 | 210,891 | 216,473 | 209,218 | 197,694 |
| 10 | Richmond Hill | Town | 101.0 | 5.11% | 195,022 | 185,541 | 162,704 | 132,030 | 101,725 |
| 11 | Oakville | Town | 138.9 | 6.20% | 193,832 | 182,520 | 165,613 | 144,738 | 128,405 |
| 12 | Burlington | City | 185.7 | 4.29% | 183,314 | 175,779 | 164,415 | 150,836 | 136,976 |
| 13 | Oshawa | City | 145.68 | 6.6% | 159,458 | 149,607 | 141,590 | 139,051 | 134,364 |
| 14 | Barrie | City | 77.4 | 4.22% | 141,434 | 135,711 | 128,430 | 103,710 | 79,191 |
| 15 | St. Catharines | City | 96.1 | 1.30% | 133,113 | 131,400 | 131,989 | 129,170 | 130,926 |
| 16 | Guelph | City | 87.2 | 8.30% | 131,794 | 121,688 | 114,943 | 106,170 | 95,821 |
| 17 | Cambridge | City | 113.0 | 2.50% | 129,920 | 126,748 | 120,371 | 110,372 | 101,429 |
| 18 | Whitby | Town | 146.53 | 5.2% | 128,377 | 122,022 | 111,184 | 87,413 | 73,794 |
| 19 | Ajax | Town | 67.1 | 9.19% | 119,677 | 109,600 | 90,167 | 73,753 | 64,430 |
| 20 | Milton | Town | 363.2 | 30.54% | 110,128 | 84,362 | 53,939 | 31,471 | 32,104 |
| 21 | Waterloo | City | 64.0 | 6.28% | 104,986 | 98,780 | 97,475 | 86,543 | 77,949 |
| 22 | Chatham-Kent | Municipality | 2,458.1 | -1.95% | 101,647 | 103,671 | 108,177 | 107,341 | 109,950 |
| 23 | Brantford | City | 72.5 | 4.11% | 97,496 | 93,650 | 90,192 | 86,417 | 86,417 |
| 24 | Pickering | City | 231.6 | 3.44% | 91,771 | 88,721 | 87,838 | 87,139 | 78,989 |
| 25 | Niagara Falls | City | 209.7 | 6.11% | 88,071 | 82,997 | 82,184 | 78,815 | 76,917 |
| 26 | Newmarket | Town | 38.3 | 5.31% | 84,224 | 79,978 | 74,295 | 65,788 | 57,125 |
| 27 | Sarnia | City | 164.7 | -1.07% | 71,594 | 72,366 | 71,419 | 70,876 | 72,738 |
| 28 | Caledon | Town | 688.2 | 11.84% | 66,502 | 59,460 | 57,050 | 50,605 | 39,893 |
| 29 | Norfolk County | City | 1,607.6 | 1.38% | 64,044 | 63,175 | 62,563 | 60,847 | 60,534 |
| 30 | Halton Hills | Town | 276.3 | 3.64% | 61,161 | 59,013 | 55,289 | 48,184 | 42,390 |
| 31 | Aurora | Town | 49.8 | 4.21% | 55,445 | 53,203 | 47,629 | 40,167 | 34,857 |
| 32 | Welland | City | 81.1 | 3.28% | 52,293 | 50,631 | 50,331 | 48,402 | 48,411 |

### Most populous population centres

| Rank | Population centre | Size group | Population in 2016 | Population in 2011 |
| 1 | Toronto | Large urban | 5,429,524 | 5,144,412 |
| 2 | Hamilton | Large urban | 693,645 | 671,008 |
| 3 | Waterloo | Large urban | 470,015 | 446,295 |
| 4 | London | Large urban | 383,437 | 365,715 |
| 5 | Windsor | Large urban | 287,069 | 277,970 |
| 6 | St. Catharines–Niagara | Large urban | 229,246 | 220,616 |
| 7 | Barrie | Large urban | 145,614 | 140,383 |
| 8 | Guelph | Large urban | 132,397 | 122,457 |
| 9 | Milton | Large urban | 101,715 | 75,880 |
| 10 | Brantford | Medium | 98,179 | 94,269 |
| 11 | Sarnia | Medium | 72,125 | 73,044 |
| 12 | Welland–Pelham | Medium | 62,388 | 60,540 |
| 13 | Chatham | Medium | 43,550 | 44,676 |
| 14 | Georgetown | Medium | 42,123 | 40,185 |
| 15 | St. Thomas | Medium | 41,813 | 40,973 |
| 16 | Woodstock | Medium | 40,404 | 37,443 |
| 17 | Leamington | Medium | 32,991 | 32,520 |
| 18 | Stouffville | Small | 32,634 | 24,654 |
| 19 | Stratford | Medium | 31,053 | 30,516 |
| 20 | Orangeville | Medium | 30,734 | 29,007 |
| 21 | Bradford | Small | 29,862 | 23,024 |
| 22 | Keswick–Elmhurst Beach | Small | 26,757 | 26,002 |
| 23 | Bolton | Small | 26,378 | 27,108 |
| 24 | Midland | Medium | 24,353 | 23,791 |
| 25 | Innisfil | Small | 23,992 | 20,365 |
| 26 | Owen Sound | Small | 22,032 | 22,354 |
| 27 | Fergus | Small | 20,767 | 19,335 |
| 28 | Collingwood | Small | 20,102 | 17,986 |
| 29 | Alliston | Small | 18,809 | 15,343 |
| 30 | Wasaga Beach | Small | 17,808 | 15,378 |
| 31 | Tillsonburg | Small | 15,594 | 14,933 |
| 32 | Port Colborne | Small | 15,037 | 15,079 |
| 33 | Fort Erie | Small | 14,621 | 14,490 |
| 34 | Strathroy | Small | 14,401 | 14,391 |
| 35 | Simcoe | Small | 13,922 | 13,383 |
| 36 | Amherstburg | Small | 13,910 | 13,724 |
| 37 | New Hamburg | Small | 13,595 | 11,709 |
| 38 | Angus–Borden CFB-BFC | Small | 12,640 | 10,132 |
| 39 | Ingersoll | Small | 12,587 | 11,977 |
| 40 | Paris | Small | 12,310 | 11,722 |
| 41 | Beamsville | Small | 11,834 | 10,655 |
| 42 | Elmira | Small | 10,161 | 9,677 |
| 43 | Wallaceburg | Small | 10,098 | 10,127 |
| 44 | Caledonia | Small | 9,674 | 9,871 |
| 45 | Acton | Small | 9,462 | 9,506 |
| 46 | Binbrook | Small | 8,794 | 4,926 |
| 47 | Crystal Beach | Small | 8,524 | 8,059 |
| 48 | Kincardine | Small | 8,315 | 7,802 |
| 49 | Shelburne | Small | 8,126 | 5,841 |
| 50 | Port Elgin | Small | 7,862 | 7,304 |
| 51 | Aylmer | Small | 7,621 | 7,249 |
| 52 | Goderich | Small | 7,536 | 7,327 |
| 53 | Sutton | Small | 7,531 | 6,694 |
| 54 | Listowel | Small | 7,530 | 6,828 |
| 55 | Essex | Small | 7,446 | 7,127 |
| 56 | Hanover | Small | 7,413 | 7,240 |
| 57 | King | Small | 6,970 | 4,603 |
| 58 | St. Marys | Small | 6,951 | 6,373 |
| 59 | Port Dover | Small | 6,161 | 5,710 |
| 59 | Dunnville | Small | 5,759 | 5,267 |
| 61 | Corunna | Small | 5,686 | 5,892 |
| 62 | Chippawa | Small | 5,620 | 5,246 |
| 63 | Smithville | Small | 5,489 | 4,842 |
| 64 | Tay | Small | 5,408 | 5,217 |
| 65 | Petrolia | Small | 5,375 | 5,144 |
| 66 | Tottenham | Small | 5,143 | 4,720 |
| 67 | Mount Albert | Small | 4,925 | 4,044 |
| 68 | Meaford | Small | 4,910 | 4,860 |
| 69 | Tilbury | Small | 4,768 | 4,675 |
| 70 | Mississauga Beach | Small | 4,662 | 4,349 |
| 71 | Exeter | Small | 4,649 | 4,210 |
| 72 | Mount Forest | Small | 4,643 | 4,466 |
| 73 | Rockwood | Small | 4,629 | 4,290 |
| 74 | Nobleton | Small | 4,614 | 2,554 |
| 75 | Mitchell | Small | 4,573 | 4,257 |
| 76 | Walkerton | Small | 4,517 | 4,403 |
| 77 | Blenheim | Small | 4,344 | 4,595 |
| 78 | Caledon East | Small | 4,282 | 2,706 |
| 79 | Delhi | Small | 4,240 | 4,172 |
| 80 | Ayr | Small | 4,171 | 3,909 |
| 81 | Vineland | Small | 4,074 | 3,807 |
| 82 | Stayner | Small | 4,029 | 3,844 |
| 83 | Dorchester | Small | 3,911 | 4,003 |
| 84 | Beeton | Small | 3,730 | 3,730 |
| 85 | Southampton | Small | 3,678 | 3,382 |
| 86 | St. George | Small | 3,255 | 3,124 |
| 87 | Wellesley | Small | 3,246 | 2,929 |
| 88 | Ballantrae | Small | 3,223 | 2,994 |
| 89 | Waterford | Small | 3,132 | 3,027 |
| 90 | Clinton | Small | 3,049 | 2,979 |
| 91 | Ridgetown | Small | 3,002 | 2,986 |
| 92 | Tavistock | Small | 2,955 | 2,784 |
| 93 | Hagersville | Small | 2,939 | 2,579 |
| 94 | Virgil | Small | 2,937 | 2,734 |
| 95 | Wingham | Small | 2,934 | 2,875 |
| 96 | Wheatley | Small | 2,898 | 2,934 |
| 97 | Norwich | Small | 2,852 | 2,707 |
| 98 | Harrow | Small | 2,710 | 2,713 |
| 99 | Schomberg | Small | 2,691 | 2,321 |
| 100 | Grand Bend | Small | 2,684 | 2,564 |
| 101 | Seaforth | Small | 2,680 | 2,627 |
| 102 | Erin | Small | 2,647 | 2,523 |
| 103 | Palmerston | Small | 2,624 | 2,599 |
| 104 | Durham | Small | 2,609 | 2,635 |
| 105 | Lucan | Small | 2,541 | 2,014 |
| 106 | Thornbury | Small | 2,485 | 2,363 |
| 107 | Dresden | Small | 2,451 | 2,385 |
| 108 | Wyoming | Small | 2,361 | 2,248 |
| 109 | Arthur | Small | 2,333 | 2,314 |
| 110 | Elmvale | Small | 2,314 | 2,248 |
| 111 | Forest | Small | 2,277 | 2,389 |
| 112 | Colchester | Small | 2,229 | 2,104 |
| 113 | Port Stanley | Small | 2,148 | 2,270 |
| 114 | Glencoe | Small | 2,126 | 2,065 |
| 115 | Thamesford | Small | 2,116 | 1,953 |
| 116 | Drayton | Small | 2,111 | 1,775 |
| 117 | Dundalk | Small | 2,046 | 1,988 |
| 118 | Wiarton | Small | 1,989 | 2,034 |
| 119 | St. Jacobs | Small | 1,988 | 1,891 |
| 120 | Carlisle | Small | 1,869 | 1,879 |
| 121 | McGregor | Small | 1,859 | 1,474 |
| 122 | Ilderton | Small | 1,856 | 1,700 |
| 123 | Chesley | Small | 1,843 | 1,895 |
| 124 | Mount Brydges | Small | 1,842 | 1,834 |
| 125 | Harriston | Small | 1,797 | 1,700 |
| 126 | Parkhill | Small | 1,737 | 1,853 |
| 127 | Cayuga | Small | 1,713 | 1,622 |
| 128 | Oro Station–Hawkestone | Small | 1,691 | 1,682 |
| 129 | Everett | Small | 1,670 | 1,645 |
| 130 | Grand Valley | Small | 1,643 | 1,476 |
| 131 | Milverton | Small | 1,576 | 1,476 |
| 132 | Watford | Small | 1,536 | 1,491 |
| 133 | Caledon | Small | 1,482 | 1,572 |
| 134 | Dutton | Small | 1,368 | 1,300 |
| 135 | Plattsville | Small | 1,366 | 1,143 |
| 136 | West Lorne | Small | 1,337 | 1,415 |
| 137 | Mildmay | Small | 1,219 | 1,178 |
| 138 | Markdale | Small | 1,216 | 1,175 |
| 139 | Cookstown | Small | 1,214 | 975 |
| 140 | Claremont | Small | 1,202 | 1,175 |
| 141 | Stevensville | Small | 1,179 | 1,054 |
| 142 | Creemore | Small | 1,170 | 1,147 |
| 143 | Bourget | Small | 1,169 | 1,080 |
| 144 | Belmont | Small | 1,140 | 1,026 |
| 145 | Lucknow | Small | 1,121 | 1,095 |
| 146 | New Dundee | Small | 1,119 | 1,219 |
| 147 | Bayfield | Small | 1,112 | 951 |
| 148 | Port Rowan | Small | 1,102 | 1,069 |
| 149 | Stoney Point | Small | 1,087 | 1,146 |
| 150 | Paisley | Small | 1,045 | 998 |
| 151 | Palgrave | Small | 1,044 | 1,002 |
| 152 | Jarvis | Small | 1,037 | 913 |