1950s Vintage Travel Poster / Travel Ad for Ontario- Canada's Vacation Province.
Source: I Desire vintage Posters

Today’s post is going to showcase Vintage Travel Posters of Ontario in the 1920’s-1960’s. Ontario is where my home of Toronto is located (and TO is the capital of Ontario) and it also is home to my childhood home of Sarnia. So Ontario is very special to me and since it’s Canada’s 150th birthday I want to show-off the vintage side of my beloved province.

Lets Begin!

Disclosure: Some of the links on my blog from Etsy , eBay, are Affiliate Links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase. 


In 1924 a Tourist and Publicity Bureau was set up to promote Ontario’s attractions, especially those associated with nature and the outdoors.

To encourage tourism, the Bureau published an annual guide to “point out some of the advantages of the Province of Ontario as a tourist centre in summer and winter”(Source).

1926 Ontario Travel Guide- “The Lake-Land Playground“.

1926 Ontario Travel Guide Booklet
Source: Archives of Ontario Library Collection

Ontario Canada Resorts, 1920s vintage poster.

Ontario Canada Resorts 1920s vintage poster

Archives of Ontario State:

By the 1930s, three out of every four Americans visiting Canada chose Ontario for their vacation. The government’s tourism marketing strategy through the forties and fifties was to target Americans who wanted an outdoor vacation. This advertising was directed at families who desired to holiday on one of the many lakes, as well as at individuals who wanted to hunt and fish in Ontario’s forests and streams.

Publications and photographs promoting Ontario as “the Lakeland Playground of America” were forwarded to travel editors and inserted in newspapers and magazines throughout the United States (Source).

1930's Ontario travel pamphlet vintage
1930’s. Source: Archives of Ontario Library Collection

1940s traval poster: “Ontario-Canada’s Vacation Province! For Your Victory Vacation”

1940s vintage travel poster for Ontario Canada featuring two women in 1940s swimsuits and 1940s hairstyles playing on a dock.
Source: Made Man

Ontario has lots of lovely lakes and you can see many of them by traveling by train (I have).

Ontario vintage travel poster illustration for Ontario's Lakelands
Source: Pinterest

1950s Travel Poster: Ontario is this way! Bring the family!

Ontario 1950s travel poster vintage
Source: Pinterest

Ontario Travel & Publicity Bureau wants you to know all about “Ski-ing in Ontario. It’s so convenient for you”.

As a person who used to downhill ski a lot, i will say that this statement is true.

vintage skiing in Ontario Canada Travel Brochure -1940s
Source; Pinterest

1950s Travel Ad: “Make your vacation a family frolic in…Ontario”. The ad is targeted to Americans.

1950s Vintage Travel Ad for Ontario Canada featuring a family visiting all the sites.
Source: Etsy

“Last one in’s a loser….” “Don’t wait – don’t be late planning to spend your holiday in Ontario”. 1953 vintage travel ad.

1953 Ontario Canada vintage travel ad featuring an illustration and photos of people enjoying visiting Ontario.
Source: Etsy

Fishing is one of the actvities you could do when visiting Ontario in the 1950s and today.

1950s vintage travel poster illustration for Ontario Canada.

“Plenty to do and see in Ontario. 33 vacation areas”. Cute 1950s travel brochure.

1950s Vintage Ontario Travel Brochure featuring 3 women in 1950s swimsuits sitting on a dock at a lake.
Source: PicClick

Inside of above travel brochure.

1950s Vintage Ontario Travel Brochure
Source: PicClick

Here is another 1950s travel brochure featuring all that fishing you could do on the cover.

vintage Ontario Travel Brochure from the 1950s.
Source: Flickr

And that friends was your virtual visit to Ontario. Hope you enjoyed your trip!

FURTHER READING: You can also check out my archived blog posts on all things Vintage Travel HERE.

On an end note, there will be no blog post next week as I will be in London, UK and Paris, France celebrating my husband and I’s 5th wedding anniversary and my Big 4-0 birthday. March 30th, 2022 Update: Here is the link to part of my Paris Trip.

Liz

10 Comments on Vintage Travel Advertising for Ontario-Canada’s Vacation Province!

  1. Thanks for that tour. And so familiar. When we’re at the cottage (in Haliburton) we sometimes still feel we’re in a 1950s time warp (except for the neighbours’ water toys)

    (But wait, no Algonquin Park??)

    • My friend has a cottage up in that general area as well and she says the same thing as you lol!

      I could not find ANY advertising for Algonquin Park, not sure why. I mean there was very modern stuff but nothing for the time periods I was searching for. I might have to dig deeper next time.

    • I wish I knew. You could try ETSY as people tend to take old advertising and make them into posters, other style artwork etc. Maybe Art.com (type in Ontario and see what comes up).

      Good luck!

      Liz

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