Economy - Overview

Ontario's economy had its beginnings in the pursuit of natural resources: fur, timber and minerals. The province's many rivers and lakes, particularly the Great Lakes, made for natural transportation routes. As the population of Ontario increased, people started new industries and surveyed, cleared and farmed the rich agricultural land.

Today, northern Ontario's economy is still highly dependent on natural resources while southern Ontario, with its proximity to the enormous U.S. market, is heavily industrialized. Ontario is part of the North American manufacturing heartland and is favourably located to serve major Canadian and U.S. markets. 106 million people live within a day's trucking distance of Toronto with a personal income totaling US $2.7 trillion. However, in the 21st century, more Ontarians are employed in service industries than on assembly lines. Ontario's highly diversified economy offers excellent opportunities in all sectors ranging from automotive, plastics, aerospace to information and telecommunications technology and the life sciences.