Making Ontario: Agricultural Colonization and Landscape Re-Creation Before the Railway

The transformation of Ontario from a forested landscape to agricultural land was driven primarily by the settlers' efforts following the American Revolution and the War of 1812. The influx of around 10,000 Loyalists marked the beginning of this shift, leading to a diverse agricultural environment by the mid-19th century. David Wood highlights how this dramatic change not only reshaped the region's economy but also significantly impacted its ecosystem, affecting various life forms from large herbivores to microscopic organisms.