TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA

Toronto, the capital of Ontario Province, is the second-largest city in Canada. It is a port of entry, an important commercial and industrial centre, and the banking and stock-exchange centre of the country. The seat was built by the French in 1749 as an early fur-trading centre, but the post was destroyed in 1759 to prevent its occupation by the British who purchased the site from the Indians in 1787. It was chosen by Sir John Simcoe in 1793 to be the capital of Upper Canada and was named York. In the War of 1812, the city was raided twice by the Americans, and many buildings were destroyed. In 1834, it was incorporated as Toronto. The University of Toronto, chartered in 1827 and open in 1843 as King’s College, is Canada’s largest university and most important graduate research centre. York University is also in Toronto. Other institutions include the Pontifical Institute of Medieval Studies, the Osgoode Hall Law School, and the Royal Ontario Museum. Toronto has Anglican and Roman Catholic bishoprics and is the headquarters of the United Church of Canada.