Entertainment and Tourism
Ontario has numerous provincial parks, which provide recreational opportunities such as hiking, fishing, camping, biking, and wildlife watching. These parks include, for example,Woodland Caribou Provincial Park, located near the Manitoba/Ontario border; Sleeping Giant Provincial Park, located near Thunder Bay, in the northern part of the province; Killarney Provincial Park, located near Sudbury; and Algonquin Provincial Park, located north of Toronto. The province also has six national parks: Bruce Peninsula, Georgian Bay Islands, Point Pelee, Pukaskwa, Rouge, and Thousand Islands.
Historical sites in the province include Battle Hill in Southwest Middlesex, a battle site from the War of 1812; numerous forts (Fort William, Fort Malden, Fort St. Joseph, and Fort St. Pierre, for example), which were established by European settlers; a number of churches, such as Old Stone Church; and small museums and preserved properties such as Woodside, the childhood home of William Lyon Mackenzie King (the longest serving Prime Minister of Canada).
Arts and culture activities can be found throughout the province, but especially in the more populated southern area. The Royal Ontario Museum features exhibits about the natural and social history of the province as well as art from around the world, while the Canadian War Museumfocuses on military history and the impact of war.Ontario is home to the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, the National Ballet, and the Canadian Opera Company. The Toronto Zoo and the Art Gallery of Ontario are also popular spots. Festivals include the Canada Day celebrations held in Ottawa each year, the Toronto International Film Festival, the Stratford Shakespeare Festival, and the International Food Festival.