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HISTORY

The Town of Mississauga was created in 1968, and the City of Mississauga was incorporated in 1974 through the amalgamation of the Town of Mississauga and the villages of Port Credit and Streetsville, and portions of the townships of Toronto Gore and Trafalgar. Mississauga has grown to be Canada’s sixth largest city.

Aviation

Over the years, Mississauga has been an epicentre for aviation. Read More…

Business

Trading, business and industry have thrived in historic Mississauga for hundreds of years. Read More…

Founding Villages

Queen Street, Streetsville, Looking South, C1900

Historic Mississauga was comprised of several historic founding villages, which grew independently. Read More…

Lost Villages

Cosgraves Brewery Carriage - Est At Pucky Huddle 1857

Today, little visible evidence remains that historic Mississauga was once made up of a series of smaller villages, hamlets and crossroads communities. Read More…

Mississauga Remembers

Conflict, albeit often far from home, has shaped many generations of people who have lived on this land. Read More…

The Darker Side

From Toronto Star, Oct 14, 1937

The Darker Side” series uncovers true tales of crime and punishment from historic Mississauga, circa 1820 to 1970. Read More…

Train Derailment

On the evening of November 10, 1979, citizens in the City of Mississauga were unaware that something catastrophic was about to occur. Read More…

Pride in Our Past

Mississauga can trace its roots back to before European settlement – over 200 years ago. In the early 1600s, French traders encountered Native peoples around the North Shore of Lake Huron called the Mississaugas. The Mississaugas are an Ojibwa band, and by the early 1700s had migrated south and settled in the area around the Etobicoke Creek, Credit River and Burlington Bay. “Mississauga” translates as meaning “River of the North of Many Mouths”.

Treaties & Purchases

On August 2nd, 1805, near the mouth of the Credit River, representatives for the British Crown and the Native Mississaugas signed a treaty – Treaty 13A – which saw the surrender of a vast tract of land to the British Crown. Referred to as the “Mississauga Purchase” or the “First Purchase”, the Crown acquired over 74,000 acres of land excluding a 1 mile strip on each side of the Credit River from the waterfront to the base line (modern Eglinton Avenue), and this became known as the Credit Indian Reserve. This tract of land was surveyed in 1806, named Toronto Township, and opened for settlement. On October 28th, 1818, Treaty 19 – known as the “Second Purchase” – was signed, which surrendered over 600,000 acres of land – which included most of today’s Region of Peel. This vast area was surveyed and opened for settlement in 1819. Two other treaties were also reached with the Mississaugas; on February 28th, 1820, treaties 22 and 23 were signed, which saw the surrender of much of the Credit Indian Reserve lands set aside in 1805. Collectively they are referred to as the “Credit Treaties”. The Mississaugas relocated out of this area in 1847 and settled on the New Credit Reserve near Brantford.

Settlement

Gradually settlers began to take up lots in throughout the old and new surveys, and over time small settlements became established. The settlements developed into the villages of Clarkson, Cooksville, Dixie, Erindale, Malton, Meadowvale Village, Port Credit and Streetsville. Over time, other communities blossomed, such as Lakeview and Lorne Park, while others disappeared entirely – the “lost villages”. These “lost” hamlets and villages include Barberton, Britannia, Burnhamthorpe, Derry West, Elmbank, Frogmore, Hanlan, Harris’ Corners, Hawkins’ Corners, Lisgar, McCurdy’s Corners, Mount Charles, Nunan’s Corners (Catholic Swamp), Palestine, Pucky’s Huddle, Richview, Sheridan, Snider’s Corners, Summerville and Whaley’s Corners.

Faith in Our Future

The Town of Mississauga was created in 1968, and the City of Mississauga was incorporated in 1974 through the amalgamation of the Town of Mississauga and the villages of Port Credit and Streetsville, and portions of the townships of Toronto Gore and Trafalgar.  Mississauga has grown to be Canada’s sixth largest city.