Wanderlust World Wanderlust World Ottawa was never considered Ontario's breadbasket. That designation more accurately belongs to the Stratford–Bruce County area in southwestern Ontario.
This region's deep, fertile soils (grey-brown luvisols), favorable climate (longer growing season, adequate moisture), and relatively flat topography create ideal conditions for intensive grain and livestock production—historically and currently Ontario's agricultural heartland.
Ottawa's surrounding land supports farming, but the Canadian Shield's thin, rocky soils north of the city and the region's earlier role as a timber/trade hub—not grain producer—prevented it from earning the "breadbasket" title.