North of the border Ontario is the most populated of Canada's provinces. The majority of the population resides around the cities of Toronto and Ottawa, with small pockets of populations scattered about the western and central parts of the province. This land with a rich history is home to several historical landmarks where tourists come each year to learn about the area on sightseeing tours or simply wander about this region amid the Great Lakes.

Ottawa Area

In the Ottawa area, several historical landmarks are in the form of buildings. Parliament Hill is located in Ottawa. This is the center of Canadian government and the home of many historical buildings that visitors often want to see. The buildings here, which include the homes of the Canadian House of Commons and the Senate, were built in Gothic-style architecture. One of the most recognizable parts of Parliament Hill is the Peace Tower, a clock tower 300 feet tall made from more than 50,000 stones with a clock face 16 feet wide. The area is also home to the Laurier House, the former residence of Wilfrid Laurier, former Prime Minister of Canada. There are self-guided tours offered within the walls of this massive castle-like home. The Notre Dame Basilica and Cathedral are also historic landmarks in Ottawa.

Toronto Area

Toronto is, for the most part, a modern city. It is the most populous city in Canada and the fifth most populous in North America. But despite its modern appeal, a couple of places in this metropolis are historical landmarks worth noting. The most recognizable feature of the Toronto skyline is one of them. The CN Tower was built in 1976, but it is still a historic accomplishment even though it has been around much less time than some other landmarks. When it was completed it was the tallest free-standing structure in the world at 1,815 feet tall. It is still the tallest structure in the Western Hemisphere. A ride to the top provides a panoramic view for many miles and a glass-bottom floor observation deck will definitely get your heart pumping. In more of a traditional "historical" sense, Toronto also has Casa Loma, the castle in the middle of this urban sprawl. This unique building in Toronto is an Edwardian design complete with 98 rooms, secret passages, tunnels and towers. It was constructed from 1911 to 1914 as a residence for financier Sir Henry Mill Pellatt.

Central Ontario

Although much more sparsely populated, there are still some important places to see in Central Ontario. North of Lake Ontario in the town of Woodview, the Petroglyphs Provincial Park is home to the largest collection of Aboriginal rock carvings in Canada. There are 900 carvings that depict everything from early humans to turtles and snakes and birds. Also located in the Central Ontario region is the Bethune House National Historic Site in the North Central Ontario town of Gravenhurst. This house was the residence of Knox Presbyterian Church minister Malcolm Bethune and the site of the birth of his son, Norman Bethune. The house was built in 1880, but it is famous because it is the birthplace of a man who went on to become a very famous Canadian. Dr. Henry Norman Bethune helped fight tuberculosis after fighting the disease himself, created new surgical techniques still used today, invented mobile blood transfusion during the Spanish Civil War and assisted the Chinese by helping them on the front lines of their war with Japan. The interesting story of the man's life is contained within this historical home.

The Golden Horseshoe

The area known as The Golden Horseshoe is located on the west banks of Lake Ontario. This area's top landmark is Niagara Falls, the collective name of three waterfalls along the same area at the U.S. and Canadian border. American Falls is to the south, with Bridal Vail Falls in the center. But the best-known waterfall is Horseshoe Falls, located on Canadian soil and spanning across a 2,600-foot brink. At 167 feet tall, the falls dump 600,000 gallons of water into the Niagara River below every second.

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