Southwestern Ontario

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Southwestern Ontario

Much of Southwestern Ontario consists of old lake plains bordering Lake Erie and Lake Huron where the sand, silt and clay plains form important agricultural regions. The sandy soils of Norfolk and Elgin counties have, during the past twentyfive years, become the tobacco belt of Ontario, specializing in flue cured cigarette tobacco. Fruits and canning crops are grown in the same areas. The clay plains of Kent and Essex counties form the "Corn Belt" of Ontario. Sugar beets and other cash crops are also grown. The far southwest with its early spring season, specializes in truck crops such as asparagus, early potatoes, sweet corn and tomatoes. Canning factories are numerous throughout the area.

The northeastern portion consists of undulating to rolling till plains and moraines, cut by great spillways in which the branches of the present Grand and Thames river systems now flow. The soils are mostly loams well suited for the production of grass and silage corn. This area is an important dairy region, producing milk for city delivery and to supply condenseries located in the region.

Both the Thames and Grand Rivers overflow their banks in spring floods causing much damage to the towns located on their flood plains. Valley conservation authorities have been formed to build dams and undertake other remedial measures.

Southwestern Ontario has more cities than any other region, but none of them are found in lake shore locations. Lake Erie is a shallow body of water and its north shore is a zone of rapid wave erosion and has no first class harbours. There are no good harbours either, at the south end of Lake Huron. The Grand River basin contains a group of cities including Kitchener-Waterloo, Guelph, Galt and Brantford as well as the towns of Paris, Preston, Hespeler, Elmira and Fergus, all of which help to make this an important manufacturing area. Somewhat scattered through the body of the region are Woodstock, Stratford, St. Thomas and London. In the southwest are Sarnia, Chatham and Windsor.