This travelogue is about Ontario, the second largest province of Canada. Despite only a small fraction of its land being used for that purpose, it contains the most important agricultural land in Canada. Toronto is the province's largest city, sitting on the shores of Lake Ontario. After the War of 1812, the Rideau Canal was built connecting the Ottawa River to Lake Ontario. The canal figures prominently in the geography and history of the City of Ottawa, the capital of Canada. Many of the government buildings there, including the Parliament Building, are among the most important gothic structures in the world.