Central Ontario

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Central Ontario is a secondary region of

The population of the region was 1,123,307 in 2016; however, this number does not include large numbers of seasonal cottage country residents, which at peak times of the year swell its population to well in excess of 1.5 million. Although it contains many small and medium-sized urban centres, much of Central Ontario is covered by farms, lakes (with freshwater beaches), rivers or sparsely populated forested land on the southern edge of the Canadian Shield.

Definitions

Central Ontario is located within the primary region of Southern Ontario, which places it geographically in the south-central part of the province. Although most of the census divisions (which in Ontario take the form of counties, regional and district municipalities, territorial districts, and some cities) in the south-central tier of the province are commonly grouped as a distinct secondary provincial region, nearly all of them have affiliations or orientations towards other primary or secondary provincial regions to the north, south, and east.

The Parry Sound territorial or judicial district and Muskoka district municipality are geographically within Central Ontario but are administered as part of the primary region of Northern Ontario by federal economic development programs because of these districts' special economic circumstances. Parry Sound, but not Muskoka, is also classed administratively with an extended primary Northern Ontario region by the provincial government for reasons similar to those at the federal level. The southern part of the territorial or judicial district of Nipissing lies in Central Ontario which extends geographically as far north as the Mattawa River. However like Muskoka and Parry Sound, all of Nipissing is treated administratively as part of Northern Ontario.

The Canadian Shield runs over the northern part of Central Ontario, a recreational area with a much-increased summer-time population, including the wilderness of Algonquin Provincial Park. Often referred to as 'Cottage Country', this area's lakes and rivers are dotted with numerous cottages, some of them seasonal, but in recent years there is a growing trend for some of these 'summer cottages' to be used as year-round residences due to a number of factors, abundance of outdoor recreation, baby-boom retiree population, increased local services and improved wireless communication.

The

• Kawartha Lakes
• Prince Edward County

Separated municipalities

• City of Barrie
• City of Belleville
• City of Orillia
• City of Peterborough
• City of Quinte West

Districts

• Parry Sound District

Regional municipalities

• District Municipality of Muskoka

Counties

• Dufferin County
• Haliburton County
• Hastings County
• Northumberland County
• Peterborough County
• Simcoe County

References

44°N 79°W / 44°N 79°W / 44; -79