The Best of Ontario

Frances Emery is an editor and writer in Nepean, Ontario.

From potteries to willow works, wonderful gardens to world-renowned
wilderness areas, this book brings us a wealth of unusual “bests”
that Ontario has to offer. Arranged in the logical sections (Artisans
and Craftspeople, Things for House and Home, Clothing, Down on the Farm,
Food and Drink, Events and Festivals, Seeing Ontario, Gardens, Wildlife,
and Ontario Outdoors), the book introduces about 100 places to visit or
things to do or see, with a couple of information-packed pages about
each. Short paragraphs of “Ontario trivia,” arranged alphabetically,
attractively fill the pages (Emo has one of the world’s smallest
churches, holding only eight people; Dundas is the home of the world’s
tallest white elm; Georgian Bay’s 30,000 islands are the largest
concentration of islands in the world).

We learn about the most valuable legal crop in the world today
(ginseng, grown in Waterford), and about where to find a wild-game farm
as well as world-famous peanuts, popcorn, garlic, goat’s milk cheese,
and, of course, tomatoes. We are taken to the province’s northernmost
highways, and read about one of the most spectacular train excursions in
North America. We visit historic sites and the restored homes of some of
Canada’s famous pioneers, and are shown spectacular views and
wonderful, little-known parks. More than just listing such treasures,
the book delves into their backgrounds and the personalities that make
them famous. We learn the best time to visit, how to get there, and what
we can expect to find. Understandably, but frustratingly, one aspect is
missing: cost. Prices do change, but some indication of comparative
costs would be useful. That minor quibble aside, this is an ideal
coffee-table book to browse through on an otherwise gloomy day.