The
City of Mississauga is Canada's 6th largest city with a current population
of 624,000. Mississauga was formed in 1974 and is now home to a wealth
of world-wide cultural communities. The city has the wonderful distinction
of being recognized as Canada's safest city.
Home
to Lester B. Pearson International Airport, Mississauga is Canada's
Gateway. With the greatest concentration of highways in the country,
all of which position Mississauga to serve local, national and international
markets and travelers. The local public transit system is linked to
Toronto and other neighbouring cities, offering a comprehensive network
of bus, subway and commuter train routes.
Recognized
for being the safest city in Canada, Mississauga is a focal point
for commercial activity, rich in arts, cultural facilities, parks,
entertainment, night life and world class sport and recreational facilities
for all interests that attract residents and visitors alike.
Mississauga
is also home to more than 18,000 businesses and a major employment
centre within the GTA. Mississauga houses 50 of Canada's Fortune 500
offices providing residents an opportunity to work close to home.
Mississauga is Green with 481 parks and woodlands with serene and
tranquil settings. Or active recreational facilities, our lakefront
parks are a boater's haven.
Archeological
findings suggest that Natives have lived in this area for thousands
of years. When explorers arrived in Ontario in the 1600's they found
both Iroquoian and Algonquin speaking peoples lived in the Credit
River Valley area. The Mississaugas were one of the Native groups
found in this area. This Ojibway tribe came to Southern Ontario from
Lake Huron and together with the Iroquois, occupied the land between
Burlington Bay and the Etobicoke Creek. By the 1700's the Mississaugas
had driven away the Iroquois and the area was called the Mississauga
Tract.
In
1805, Government officials from York, as Toronto was then called,
purchased 33,995 hectares (84,000 acres) of the Mississauga Tract
for one thousand pound sterling. Often referred to as "The First
Purchase," this area was approximately the size of 31,275 soccer
fields. The Mississaugas however, did not sell all their land; they
kept approximately 1.6 kilometers (1 mile) on either side of the Credit
River.
The
land around this strip was called Toronto Township. In 1806, Samuel
Wilmot finished surveying the southern half of Toronto Township and
the area opened up for settlement. The new settlers called the land
the "Home District." The various communities in the Home
District included Dixie, Clarkson, Cooksville, Port Credit, Erindale,
Sheridan and Summerville.
On
February 28, 1829 the Mississauga sold the remaining land, except
for a small land reserve for their own village, along the Credit River
to the new government. This deal was called "The Second Purchase."
Between
1820 and 1826, the Mississaugas lived in various locations throughout
the region and in 1826; they lived in a village on the south bank
of the Credit River built for them by the British Government. In 1847
the Mississaugas relocated to a reserve in the Grand River Valley
near present day Hagersville. In 1896 the original Mississauga village
on the south bank of the Credit River became the home of the Mississauga
Golf Club. Today, the only visible reminder of the Mississauga Settlement
is a historic plaque outside the gates of the Mississauga Golf Club.
By
1829, Timothy Street had completed a new survey and the northern part
of Toronto Township was opened to immigrants. The settlements established
in the new survey included Barbertown, Britannia, Burnhamthorpe, Derry
West, Elmbank, Malton, Meadowvale Village, Mount Charles and Streetsville.
All
of these settlements, except for Port Credit and Streetsville, joined
together in 1968 to form the Town of Mississauga. And in 1974, the
Town of Mississauga together with Port Credit and Streetsville, incorporated
into the City of Mississauga.
Mississauga
is truly a celebration of the past, present and the future. While
it continues to celebrate the origins and rich history of each of
its original communities, Mississauga has evolved to become Canada's
sixth largest city. We invite you to visit this exciting city.
