Top Reasons to Go to Province of Ontario

Museums

Ontario's museums document the province's evolution from a pioneer outpost to a lively urban society. Living-history museums, such as Upper Canada Village and Fort Henry, re-create life in earlier centuries. The country's development can also be seen through paintings, carvings, and artifacts—the legacy of European, Canadian, and native artists—displayed at Ottawa's National Gallery of Canada. Contemporary art is regularly unveiled at the Museum London. An ongoing homage to Shania Twain is held at the singer's eponymous center in Timmins, which is connected to the town's historical mining museum.

Performing Arts Festivals

By combining public and private resources, Ontario has fostered one of North America's most supportive environments for the arts. Each year thousands flock to see great Shakespeare at the Stratford Festival and top-notch plays at Niagara-on-the-Lake's Shaw Festival. Hamilton has Ontario's third-largest art gallery, and Ottawa's National Arts Centre is the biggest performing-arts complex in the country.

Shopping

Visitors from the United States often relish Ontario's handsome inventory of things British, scooping up everything from china teacups to crumpet tins. Others marvel at the province's rich handicraft tradition. Ottawa, Sault Ste. Marie, Midland, and Thunder Bay have museum shops and galleries that specialize in First Nations crafts, including Inuit carvings and prints. Antiques stores abound; some of the best are in small towns like Cobourg, Peterborough, and St. Jacobs.