This is the list of cities in ONT. - Portal:Ontario · In Ontario, city status is conferred by the provincial government, generally upon the request of the incorporated municipality. A municipality may apply for city status anytime after its population surpasses 10,000. Not all municipalities which reach this population target have pursued city designation (as, for example, Markham, Ajax and Oakville). Once designated a city, however, a municipality does not lose this status even if its population later falls back below 10,000 (as, for example, Dryden.)