Geography of Ontario - Canadian Shield
The Canadian Shield (pictured in shades of red) 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.
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 pictureque 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 to assist with the tourism industry.
In Ontario the area within the Canadian Shield also provides vast forest regions for the lumber industry and historically it has also provided areas that are ideal for trapping and hunting to the benefit of the fur trade in Ontario.
Today it also provides the mining industry with resources for amethyst, cobalt, copper, gold, iron, nickel, platinum, silver, zinc and many other minerals.
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. The Ishpatina Ridge is the highest point in Ontario at 693 metres.
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