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Ontario

  • Total area: 1,076,395 km2
  • Capital: Toronto

Demographics (2007)

Population of the province

  • 12.8 million that represents over 100 ethnic cultures
  • More than half of all new Canadians settle in Ontario

Population of major urban centres (000s)

  • Toronto: 2,503
  • Ottawa: 812.1
  • Hamilton: 504.6
  • London: 352.4
  • Kitchener: 204.7
  • St. Catharines-Niagara: 132.0

Total labour force (000s)

  • 7,044

Employment by industry (000s)

  • Sales and Services: 1,580.7
  • Business, Finance and Administrative: 1,224.7
  • Trades, Transport, Equipment Operators and Related: 906.7

Economy (2007)

  • Real GDP Growth: -0.4%
  • CPI1 Inflation: 1.8%
  • Unemployment Rate: 6.4%

Trade and Investment (2007)

International export markets (%)

  • United States: 83.5
  • European Union: 7.2
  • Asia: 3.3

Top three international exports (%)

  • Motor Vehicles, parts and accessories: 35.7
  • Electrical Machinery and mechanical appliances: 15.9
  • Nickel and articles thereof: 4.2

Business and Investment Environment

  • In 2009, the Ontario government proposed $4.5 billion in tax cuts over three years for businesses—Once fully implemented, the comprehensive tax reform package would cut Ontario’s marginal effective tax rate on new business investment in half, making Ontario one of the most competitive jurisdictions in the industrialized world for new investment.
  • Home to almost 40% of all head offices and 59% of foreign-controlled head offices in Canada
  • Entrepreneurs and investors can get businesses started fast—it takes on average only one simple step to start a business, compared to as many as 20 needed in other industrialized countries
  • Producer of 48% of total national manufacturing shipments and 42% of goods exports
  • Telecommunications and transportation infrastructure provides seamless international links
  • Canada's banking system has been recognized as the world's healthiest and soundest—Ontario is the heart of that system

Sectoral Strengths

Information and communications technologies (ICT)

  • The Greater Toronto Area (GTA) is the third largest ICT cluster in North America.
  • ICT workforce of more than 249,000, with 75% holding a postsecondary degree.
  • Home to over 5,500 innovative ICT companies.

Automotive

  • Manufactured more than 2.5 million vehicles in 2007—that's one in six vehicles in North America—and exported about 85% of them to the U.S. and around the world.
  • Home to six of the world's largest vehicle manufacturers, more than 450 auto-parts manufacturing facilities, as well as 450+ dynamic parts manufacturers including Ontario-based giants Magna, Linamar and The Woodbridge Group.

Life sciences (biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, medical devices)

  • In Ontario, the life sciences employ more than 43,000 people at more than 815 companies.
  • More than $12.5 billion is spent every year on R&D in Ontario.
  • There are top ranked public research institutes and private-sector R&D facilities across the province. Bioscience incubators and the Ontario Centres of Excellence Inc. help life sciences entrepreneurs successfully move innovations from the lab to the marketplace.

Chemical and plastics

  • A North American leader in the production of key raw materials – minerals, chemicals and plastics – creating an integrated value chain for advanced materials manufacturing in Ontario.
  • World-leading companies and researchers along our Innovation Corridor, which stretches from Ottawa to Windsor, are producing revolutionary new super-alloys, ceramics, coatings and composites that allow manufacturers to make dramatic leaps in efficiency.
  • Ontario’s chemical industry employs 46,000 people and contributes $22 billion towards Canada’s total revenue.

Aerospace

  • More than 350 globally competitive aerospace firms.
  • Industry is made up of market leaders, including Bombardier, Pratt & Whitney Canada, L-3 Communications, Goodrich Landing Gear, Messier-Dowty, Honeywell, Magellan Aerospace and more
  • Employs one-third of Canada's highly skilled aerospace workforce of 85,000 (about 23,000).

Online Resources

  1. CPI: Consumer Price Index (return to source paragraph)