Hamilton (/ˈhæməltən/; 2011 population 519,949; UA population 670,580; CMA population 721,053)[a] is a port city in the Canadian province of Ontario. Conceived by George Hamilton when he purchased the Durand farm shortly after the War of 1812,[10] Hamilton has become the centre of a densely populated and industrialized region at the west end of Lake Ontario known as the Golden Horseshoe. On January 1, 2001, the new City of Hamilton was formed through the amalgamation of the former city and the other constituent lower-tier municipalities of the Regional Municipality of Hamilton-Wentworth with the upper-tier regional government.[11] Residents of the old city are known as Hamiltonians.[12] Since 1981, the metropolitan area has been listed as the ninth largest in Canada and the third largest in Ontario.