Toronto

Toronto (pop. 3.893,000), capital of Ontario province and York County, second-largest city in Canada (after Montreal), on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. It is a major port, as well as a commercial, manufacturing, and educational center. The cultural focus of English-speaking Canada, Toronto is home to the Royal Conservatory of Music, the Canadian Music Center, the Royal Ontario Museum, and a parks system that covers 6,000 acres (2,400 hectares). Its industrial products include chemicals, machinery, electrical goods, and clothing. The French settled the area and built Fort Rouillé (1750), which was replaced by the English city of York (1793). Sacked in the War of 1812, York was renamed Toronto in 1834.

See also: Ontario.