The Ontario Geological Survey conducted sampling of ~400 peat profiles containing ~1600 individual peat samples, over 208,000 km2 of southeastern, northeastern, and northwestern Ontario, including bogs, fen and swamps. Sample analysis provided information on the distribution of several elements within and among sites and data are merged into depth and peatland type categories. Here, results are presented on the concentration of Al, As, Cu, Fe, Pb, Mn, Hg, S and Zn and an Enrichment Factor relative to Al to provide insights into the biogeochemical controls of these elements. ‘Stable’ Al shows little variation with depth or among peatland types and As and Cu show generally larger concentrations on swamps. Pb and Hg, as expected, exhibit larger concentrations close to the peat surface, linked to increases in atmospheric deposition. Fe concentration generally increases with depth with bogs < fen and swamp in the Enrichment Factor and S concentration follows the same pattern, particularly in swamps. The most interesting patterns are found in Mn and Zn, both of which show major increases in concentration in the top 50-75 cm. While Mn is subject to redox mobilization and precipitation, both Mn and Zn are required in many enzymes, and thus, like P, biological processes likely account for this surface accumulation and may accelerate the rate of litter and peat decomposition in fens and swamps over bogs, because of smaller surface Mn concentrations in bogs.