Central Canada
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Central Canada refers to the two largest and most populous Canadian provinces: Ontario and Quebec. Historically Ontario was named Upper Canada or Canada West and Quebec Lower Canada or Canada East.
Combined, the two provinces have approximately 20 million inhabitants which represents 62% of Canada's population. They are represented in the Canadian House of Commons by 181 MPs (Ontario - 106, Quebec - 75) out of a total of 308. The southern portions of the two provinces (particularly the Windsor-Quebec City corridor) form the most urban and industrialized region of Canada, containing the country's two largest cities Toronto and Montreal and the national capital Ottawa.
They are also the locations of the headquarters of most Canadian national institutions and large corporations. Thus, when these two provinces act together they can control the federal government, and often impose their will on the rest of Canada.
This political and cultural predominance regularly makes the rest of Canada view Central Canada somewhat warily. It is regarded as an outside hegemonizing force, against which they must stand on guard to protect their local cultures and interests.
The majority of the population of Quebec do not see themselves as Central Canadians, primarily because of the distinct Francophone culture which they feel is radically different from the culture of English-speaking Ontario. To Québécois, the economic, political and cultural power of Ontario is often seen as a dangerous force, requiring them to also protect the French culture and Quebec business interests. Another reason is geographical - only one province (Newfoundland and Labrador, and only a small percentage of that) extends further east than Quebec.
Geographically speaking, the longitudinal centre of Canada is a meridian passing just east of Winnipeg, Manitoba; the Geographic centre of Canada is located near Arviat, Nunavut. However, Winnipeg is considered to be located in Western Canada and Nunavut in the Canadian Arctic.
See Also