The province of Ontario is home to nearly 11 million people, more than one third of Canada's total population. Ontario covers one million kms² and has more than 400,000 lakes and rivers. The province's northern coast reaches a higher latitude than the beginning of the Alaskan panhandle and its southern extremity is on the same latitude as northern California and Rome. From East to West, it reaches halfway across the neighbouring United States.

Ontario's just the spot for adventure. Imagine fishing on a lake in a wilderness that can only be reached by sea plane. Imagine having a corporate meeting at a rustic lakeside resort, or an elegant country inn, or in a houseboat cruising along a picturesque canal.

Ontario's cities have it all. Toronto, the provincial capital, is Canada's largest city. As the country's main financial and commercial centre, it has a strong appeal for the business, corporate or leisure traveller.

Toronto is home to more than 80 different cultures and 5,000 restaurants, any of which feature the province's internationally-acclaimed wines from the Niagara peninsula and Lake Erie's north shore.

Toronto is a great city for shopping, boasting every imaginable shopping experience from street bazaar, to the upscale shopping of the Bloor/Yorkville area, to bargain basement. The Easton Center, Toronto's largest downtown shopping mall, stretches one city block and has over 300 stores. There are also several concentrations of underground shops linked together in an underground city called the Path.

Often called 'Hollywood North', Toronto has become one of the biggest film and television production centres in the world. Rivalling Broadway for stage productions, Toronto has more than 125 professional stage companies performing on more than 40 stages. The city is home to the National Ballet of Canada, the Canadian Opera Company and the Toronto Symphony Orchestra.

The expansion to the Metro Toronto Convention Center (MTCC), (just by the Sky Dome where the famous Blue Jays baseball team plays) opened on 1 July. The $180 million expansion doubled the size of the MTCC, adding 250,000 ft² of exhibition space and 42 more meeting rooms. The new National Trade Center located in the Canadian National Exhibition (CNE) grounds also opened this year. The National Trade Center now has 24 divisible meeting rooms on the same level as its new 700,000 ft² of exhibition space, which is also divisible into five halls. Toronto has become one of the best places for groups of any size to meet.

Ontario is also home to Ottawa, the nation's capital. The co-existence of the English and French cultures and many of Canada's national treasures have given Ottawa a cosmopolitan outlook all its own. Ottawa has an amazing array of activities and attractions, including whitewater rafting, canal and river cruises, golfing, tennis and arts and culture.

The new Corel Center opened earlier this year is an 18,500-seat world-class sports and entertainment facility. The Corel Center is the new home of the Ottawa Senators hockey team. The site offers several meeting and conference rooms and can offer 22,000 ft² of space for larger exhibitions. The Ottawa Congress Center can provide 70,000 ft² of meeting space and the Civic Center offers 50,000 ft² of exhibition space, accommodating 10,000 people.

In Ontario, the opportunities are limitless for conventions, corporate retreats and leisure activities.