The Canadian Press

Prince Charles, left, and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, arrive in a horse-drawn carriage for the opening ceremony of the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair in Toronto Ont. Friday, November 6, 2009. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darren Calabrese)

TORONTO — Prince Charles trekked through manure-laden mulch Friday and later a construction site as the Prince of Wales' last day in Ontario saw him visit two ventures dedicated to giving city-dwellers a taste of rural living.

The prince and his wife Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, opened this year's instalment of the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair, which features equestrian competitions, eateries and livestock exhibits.

The prince and the duchess arrived in a landau, a horse-drawn carriage, to what's billed as the world's largest indoor agricultural show.

"Ladies and gentleman, nothing could give me greater pleasure than to declare the 87th Royal Agricultural Winter Fair officially open," Charles said.

They toured the fair separately, with the prince seeing sheep, cattle, organic vegetables and giant show pumpkins. The couple both presented the championship ribbon to the supreme champion steer of the Queen's Guineas beef cattle competition.

Similar to other events during their 11-day Canadian tour -- their first to this country as a married couple -- there were gifts.

Charles was presented with maple syrup and honey by the fair president's 10-year-old grandson. Her granddaughter presented Camilla with a western saddle.

Charles departed to visit the Evergreen Brick Works, where a visit to an adjacent farmers' market left Canada's secretary to the Queen, Kevin MacLeod, carrying out another armload of gifts given to the prince.

The brick works is a 120-year-old brickyard undergoing a restoration dedicated to sustainability and bringing nature to Canada's cities.

Charles donned a black hard hat to tour the construction site, which he visited with Finance Minister Jim Flaherty. At the farmers' market he met celebrity chef Jamie Kennedy, who showed him around.

Charles stopped to shake hands, engage nearly every vendor in conversation and sample their fare -- to the detriment of his schedule. He smiled, laughed and chatted with the vendors and sampled some of their products such as tea, cheese, coffee and bread.

Many of the more than one dozen vendors also sent Charles away with gifts, such as a basket of crackers.

Andrew Akiwenzie, from the Chippewas of Nawash reserve on Georgian Bay, sells smoked fish that he catches using traditional methods, which are sustainable.

He said Charles asked him about the type of fish he sells, where it comes from and the type of wood used for smoking.

Many of the crowds who have greeted Charles and Camilla during the Ontario leg of their visit have said they were excited to see the royal couple because it's a part of their heritage -- many of them having British roots.

Though Akiwenzie's First Nations heritage doesn't have ties to Britain, he said it was a thrill to meet the prince because of his attentiveness.

"Our government doesn't really seem to realize who we are and what we're doing anymore," he said of the struggle for aboriginals across Canada.

"It's hard for us to get our voices out... Just even speaking to (Charles) there is more than I've gotten in five years of trying to get a hold of my government."

The couple departed for Victoria in the early afternoon, kicking off the next leg of their tour that began Wednesday in St. John's.

Charles and Camilla shook hands with various dignitaries, including Lt.-Gov. David Onley, before boarding the plane with one last wave to Ontario.

The pair arrived at the airport facility separately, with Camilla arriving first and taking a walk around the tarmac and boarding the plane to warm up while she waited for Charles.

The royals spent some of their time in Ontario meeting business leaders and musicians, as well as touring Dundurn Castle in Hamilton, home to one of Camilla's ancestors.