The Province of Ontario was created at the time of confederation, July 1, 1867, before then it was known as Canada West and before 1841 as Upper Canada. The name, Ontario, comes from an Iroquoian word that is sometimes translated as meaning "beautiful lake", "beautiful water" or "handsome lake". The first Europeans to visit Ontario arrived by boat, into Lake Ontario in 1610 and 1615. Both the French and the British were keenly interested in Ontario’s commercial possibilities particularly the fur trade.

After the War of 1812 with the USA, English, Irish and Scottish immigrants moved into Southern Ontario after 1825. In 1834, Toronto was made the first city in Ontario. The first prime minister was Sir John A. Macdonald. As the 1900s dawned, Ontario boasted a population of two million. Large-scale industry had come to Ontario.

In 1906, the water power of Niagara Falls was harnessed, one of the world's largest power utilities. Between 1911 and 1913, one million people immigrated to Canada, most settling in Ontario. In 1968, the Macdonald-Cartier Freeway, or Highway 401, opened. It stretched 800 kilometres across southern Ontario and would soon become Canada’s busiest highway.

Industrialization had changed Ontario forever. Back in 1901, almost 60 per cent of the population was rural. By 1981, less than 20 per cent lived outside of cities. In 1901, more than 80 per cent of Ontarians were native-born. By 1981, only 65 per cent can claim Ontario as their birthplace.