Which Provinces Border Ontario?

Ontario is the largest Canadian province by population. It is also the second-largest province in Canada by total area. Its capital city is Toronto, which also happens to be the country’s most populous town. Ontario hosts the capital city of Canada known as Ottawa. Conceptually, the province of Ontario is usually divided into two regions: Southern Ontario and Northern Ontario. Most of the arable land is found in the south. Besides, a large portion of the population lives in southern Ontario. Ontario borders Manitoba, Hudson Bay, James Bay, and Quebec. It also borders some US states namely New York, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Minnesota, and Ohio. Most of Ontario’s borders with the United States fall along inland waterways.

Manitoba

Manitoba is a Canadian province that borders Ontario to the west. It is located at the longitudinal center of the country and covers 250,900 square miles of land. The population of Manitoba is approximately 1.3 million people. The Ontario-Manitoba border was designated in 1953 and included in the constitution of Canada. This inter-provincial boundary was surveyed and marked by commissioners who were appointed for that sole purpose. According to the Ontario-Manitoba Boundary Line Act of 1953, the boundary demarcations that exist to date were placed at the twelfth baseline located on Monument No.220 to the southern shore of Hudson Bay.

Hudson Bay

Hudson Bay was named after an explorer called Henry Hudson who sailed into the land and possessed it for England in 1611. The British setup trading posts at the bay. Later, it got into a struggle against the French for the possession of Ontario. After seven years of war, they took over Ontario to Quebec regions. Today, Hudson Bay is a part of the Nunavut territory and borders Ontario. The bay has a watershed known as Rupert’s Land.

James Bay

James Bay is a large water body located on the southern tip of Hudson Bay. It extends from the Atlantic Ocean and forms part of the Nunavut territory. The bay is located between the provinces of Quebec and Ontario. It consists of many islands including Charlton, Akimski, and North and South Twin as well as dozens of other smaller islands. Besides, hundreds of rivers flow into the bay such as the Cheepash, Albany, Rupert, Eastmain, Muketei, and Moose. James Bay is home to the Cree and Inuit Indian peoples. The indigenous settlements are located within the Eastmain, Chisasibi, and Attawapiskat regions. James Bay has not had any major border issues. The only dispute that has been witnessed was in regards to the hydro-electric project which was initiated in 1971. The project raised environmental concerns arising from the diversion of water flowing from four main rivers into the dam.

Quebec

Quebec is a province in Canada which is located east of Ontario. It covers a land area of 527,079 square miles occupied by people numbering slightly above 8.4 million. Quebec and Ontario share a long border, much of it passing through remote surrounding areas.