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Western Ontario Western Ontario is bounded very definitely on three sides by the Niagara Escarpment, Georgian Bay and Lake Huron, but the fourth, or southern boundary, is a rather indefinite transition zone. Western Ontario represents old rural, agricultural Ontario. It has only one small seaport city, Owen Sound, with about 22,000 inhabitants, but a number of smaller towns which serve as local market centres and supply points. Among these may be mentioned Goderich, Kincardine, Walkerton, Hanover, Orangeville, Southampton, Wiarton and Meaford. Western Ontario consists of a high plain, 1,700 feet above sea-level, with an eastern hilly belt of moraines along the eastern border above the precipitous slopes of the Niagara Escarpment. From this high plain which occupies about half of Dufferin and Grey counties, long gentle slopes lead to the west and southwest. The long Bruce Peninsula stretching northward between Georgian Bay and Lake Huron is a limestone plain with shallow drift cover and much rock exposure. Land use in Western Ontario varies with the different soil areas, but features spring grains, forage crops and pasture with most of the cash income derived from livestock. The limestone plains, rough moraines and hard clay soils are mainly devoted to grazing. The shores of Georgian Bay constitute a small region quite distinct from the uplands. Here on the loamy soils of the Algonquin shorelines an important orchard area is found near Clarksburg, Thornbury, with lesser areas near Meaford and Collingwood. An attempt has been made to grow flue cured tobacco on the sandy soils of the old Saugeen delta near Port Elgin. Owen Sound Owen Sound with a population of 22,000 is located on a fine harbour opening into Georgian Bay. It was settled in the 1840's and soon became an important lumbering and shipbuilding centre. Later for a time it had important cement factories. Boat building, metal castings, stoves, ship propellers, furniture, electric light bulbs, paints, hosiery, tents and awnings are among the important manufacturing goods. The city is picturesquely located on the flat floor of a deep valley indenting the Niagara Escarpment. Railways must enter the city by circuitous routes but springs along the Escarpment furnish a fine domestic water supply. Extensive waterfront locations are available as industrial sites. Owen Sound also functions as a tourist headquarters for along the shores of Lake Huron and Georgian Bay there are many beaches and resort colonies. Among them may be mentioned those near Port Elgin, Sauble Beach, Lion's Head and Tobermory. From the last named point, ferries connect with Manitoulin Island which, also, has many resort areas. Southern Ontario Southern Ontario is an area in which regional characteristics are still developing. The strong contrast between the Canadian Shield and the drift covered Paleozoic areas will always be of fundamental importance, but within these major divisions human patterns are taking shape. On the Shield there is a little agriculture, while forestry and recreation are major land use objectives. Further south, a rather uniform general farming economy is being replaced by many types of specialized agriculture, catering to nearby city markets. The most significant factor, however, is the growth of the industrial cities themselves. The majority of the population now live in cities, and Southern Ontario, along with Southern Quebec, has become part of the great industrial region of eastern North America. Home