The most easterly Great Lake, Lake Ontario is the eighth-largest body of water in North America. The Niagara river flows into this lake, and it borders on Toronto, Canada, and on Mexico Bay in the U.S. In 1615, Étienne Brule was the first European to discover the lake. Its name is Iroquoian, meaning "beautiful lake" or "sparkling water."
The Albany River is the second-longest river in Ontario at 611 miles. The river begins at Cat Lake in northwestern Ontario, flowing east to James Bay. It is part of the Canadian Shield, which is the Precambrian mountain belt extending from the Arctic Circle to Wisconsin and New York in the U.S. The Albany River is considered one of the last pristine rivers in Ontario due to its limited access. Only one highway, Highway 599, gives access to the river at the city of Osnaburgh. The Albany River Provincial Park helps protect its ecology with the Provincial Parks Act of 2007.
Lake Nipigon, in the Thunder Bay District of southwestern Ontario, is approximately 70 miles long and 50 miles wide. The lake is at an elevation of 1,050 feet, and it is 540 feet deep. Its name is Native American, meaning "deep, clear lake." The lake also has many islands.
Lake of the Woods is located in the southwesternmost area of Ontario. It is fed by the Rainy River and drains into the Winnipeg River. Its south shore is sandy and low, while the north shore is granite-edged and full of channels. The lake has 14,632 islands near the north shore. Lake of the Woods played a part in the fur trade route, and the lake hosts a seven-day sailboat race in August.
Lake Huron is the third-largest of the Great Lakes in North America. It actually joins with Lake Michigan at Straits of Mackinac. Lake Huron is one of the borders between Canada and the United States. Lake Huron has 3,827 miles of shallow sandy and rocky shoreline. The deepest part of the lake is 750 feet, while its average depth is 195 feet.
