TORONTO. The capital of the Province of Ontario, Canada, on the north shore of Lake On tario, 333 miles southwest of Montreal (Map: Ontario, D 4). It is situated on the north side of a spacious inlet called the Bay of Toronto, has a water frontage of about eight miles from east to west, and extends inland from south to north about three miles. The harbor or bay, about five miles long and one mile in width, is protected by a sandy islet, which extends into the lake in a south and west direction to a distance of five miles. The port accommodates the larg est vessels that navigate the lakes, has a dry dock 198 feet long, and is defended at the en trance by a fort. The Grand Trunk and the Canadian Pacific railroads pass through the city, and connect with all parts of Canada and of the United States.
The scenery of the vicinity is somewhat tame, and the situation of the town is low and flat. The most elevated quarter—the Queen's or Uni versity Park in the west—lies from 100 feet to 200 feet above the level of the lake. There are many handsome official buildings, including the new city hall and court house, the supreme courts of the province, the legislative buildings, the Government House, the custom-house, the post-offiee, the horticultural gardens, and benevo lent institutions. There are several parks, in cluding Riverdale; the Queen's Park, already re ferred to with its beautiful monument to the vol unteers who fell at Ridgeway in 1806; and the exhibition grounds where the important annual fair of the Industrial Association is held each September. Toronto is distinguished for its churches. The principal are Saint James's Cathe
dral (Anglican), a noble edifice in early English, erected in 1852; Saint Michael's Cathedral (Ro man Catholic) ; Saint James's and Saint An drew's (Presbyterian) ; the Metropolitan Metho dist Church, noted for its huge organ; Jarvis Street Baptist; Bond Street Congregational; and the Church of the Ascension (Anglican). Toronto is the head of the Canadian school system. Its higher institutions include the Torouto Univer sity, in Queen's Park; Victoria University, a Methodist institution also in Queen's Park; Trin ity College; Baptist College; Knox College; and Upper Canada College, etc. The city maintains an excellent free library of over 100,000 volumes, which has branch libraries; has water-works, gas and electric lighting plants, and electric street railways. Cabinet-ware, iron rails, agricultural implements, stoves, pianos, bicycles, carpets, and shoes are manufactured, and there are ship building yards, foundries, breweries, distilleries, and flour mills; the exports are manufactured lumber, flour, wheat, and other grain. Toronto ranks second among the commercial centres of Canada. The name Toronto, 'place of meeting,' is of Indian origin. The town was founded in 1794 by Governor Simcoe, and incorporated in 1834. It was burned by the Americans in 1813, and suffered severely as the headquarters of the rebel lion in 1S37, and also from fire in 1849. Popula tion, in 1S91, 181,220; in 1901, 207,971.