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Mississauga, Ontario
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Everything about Mississauga Ontario totally explained
Mississauga, incorporated in 1974, is a city with a population of 668,549 as of the 2006 census. Canada's sixth-most populous municipality, located in the Regional Municipality of Peel, Ontario, and part of the Greater Toronto Area. Mississauga has almost doubled in population in each of the last two decades. It had the largest population growth in Canada (89,500) between the census years of 1986-1991. Another 80,994 were added between 1991-1996; an increase of 17.5%. From the 1996-2001 censuses, Mississauga gained a further 68,543 residents; an increase of 12.6%. From 2001 to 2006 the population increased 9.1%.
Mississauga has been trying to create a distinctive image for itself over the past few years. An international architectural design competition was held in 2006 for a 50-story condominium tower that's intended to be a landmark for the city named Absolute World. The city is debt-free and hasn't borrowed money since 1978. With seven major highways passing through the city, Mississauga offers access to major destinations in Canada and the United States. In addition, most of Toronto Pearson International Airport, Canada's busiest, is located in the city. Residents of the city are called Mississaugans. Mississauga also boasts one of the largest corporate/financial districts in Canada with major international companies having their Canadian headquarters located in the region including Microsoft, Pepsico, General Electric, and Wal Mart, among other Fortune 500 companies.
History
At the time of the arrival of the Europeans in the 1600s, both Iroquoian and Algonquian speaking peoples already lived in the Credit River Valley area. One of the First Nations groups the traders found around the Credit River area was called the Mississaugas, a tribe originally from Lake Huron. By 1700 the Mississaugas had driven away the Iroquois.
Toronto Township was formed on August 2, 1805 when officials from York (what is now Toronto) purchased 84,000 acres (340 km²) of land from the Mississaugas for 1,000 pounds and in 1806 the area was opened for settlement. Toronto township isn't to be confused with the present-day City of Toronto, as no part of the former township boundaries overlap with the Toronto of today. The various communities settled include: Lakeview, Clarkson, Cooksville, Dixie, Erindale (called Springfield until 1890), Lorne Park, Port Credit, Sheridan, Streetsville, Meadowvale and Summerville. This region would become known as Toronto Township. Part of northeast Mississauga, including the Airport lands and Malton were part of Gore Township.
After the land was surveyed, much of it was given by the Crown in the form of land grants to United Empire Loyalists who emigrated from the thirteen colonies during and after the American Revolution, some first went to New Brunswick before arriving in Mississauga.
More than a dozen small communities grew in this area, most of which were located near natural resources, waterways for industry and fishing, and routes leading into York.
In 1820, a second purchase was made and additional settlements established including: Barbertown, Britannia, Burnhamthorpe, Derry West, Elmbank, Malton, Meadowvale Village, Mount Charles, and Streetsville. This led to the eventual displacement of the Mississaugas and, in 1847, they were relocated to a reserve in the Grand River Valley near present-day Hagersville. In 1873, in light of the continued growth seen in this area much as a result of the many railway lines passing through the township which spurred on industry, the Toronto Township Council was formed to oversee the affairs of the various villages that were unincorporated at that time. The Council's responsibilities included road maintenance, the establishment of a police force, and mail delivery service.
Except for small villages, some grist mills and brickworks served by rail lines, most of present-day Mississauga was agricultural land, including fruit growing orchards through much of the 19th and first half of the 20th century. Toronto residents would travel to the township to pick fruits and garden vegetables.
Cottages were constructed along Lake Ontario in the 1920s as weekend getaway houses for weary city dwellers.
Malton Airport opened in 1937, which would become Canada's busiest, Toronto Pearson International Airport.
The Queen Elizabeth Way highway, one of the first controlled access highways in the world opened to Hamilton and later Niagara in 1939. The first prototypical suburban developments occurred around the same time, in the area of the Dixie Road and the QEW. Development in general moved north and west from there over time and around established towns. Large scale developments such as in Meadowvale and Erin Mills sprung up in the 1960s and 70s.
With the exception of Port Credit and Streetsville, the township settlements of Lakeview, Cooksville, Lorne Park, Clarkson, Erindale, Sheridan, Dixie, Meadowvale Village, and Malton were amalgamated by a somewhat unpopular provincial decree in 1968 to form the Town of Mississauga. The town name was chosen by plebiscite over "Sheridan". Political will, as well as a belief that a larger city would be a hegemony in Peel County, kept Port Credit and Streetsville as independent island towns encircled by the Town of Mississauga. In 1974, both were annexed by Mississauga when it reincorporated as a city. That year, the sprawling Square One Shopping Centre opened, which has since expanded many times its original size.
On November 10, 1979, a 106-car freight train derailed while carrying explosive and poisonous chemicals just north of the intersection of Mavis Road and Dundas in Mississauga. The resulting fire was allowed to burn itself out, but a ruptured chlorine tank was the main cause for concern. With the possibility of a deadly cloud of chlorine gas spreading through suburban Mississauga, 218,000 people were evacuated. Within a few days Mississauga was practically a ghost town. Later when the mess had been cleared and the danger neutralized residents were allowed to return to their homes. At the time, it was the largest peacetime evacuation in North American history. Due to the speed and efficiency in which it was conducted, many cities later studied and modeled their own emergency plans after Mississauga's. For many years afterwards, the name "Mississauga" was to Canadians associated with a major rail disaster.
North American telephone customers placing calls to Mississauga (and other post 1970 Ontario cities) may not recognize the charge details on their billings, as Bell Canada continues to use the former community names, rather than "Mississauga", to identify exchanges in the city: Clarkson, Cooksville, Malton, Port Credit, Streetsville.
Mississauga has had only three mayors in its history. Dr. Martin Dobkin was the city's first mayor in 1974. He was then followed by Ron A. Searle. Searle was defeated by then-city councillor and former mayor of Streetsville, Hazel McCallion. McCallion is regarded as a force in provincial politics and often referred to as Hurricane Hazel, comparing her political force to the devastating 1954 storm that struck the Toronto area. McCallion has won or been acclaimed in every mayoral election since 1978, and in recent years hasn't even campaigned. She was recently re-elected for her eleventh term in November 2006 winning 91% of the votes. McCallion is the nation's longest serving mayor and was runner-up in World Mayor 2005.
In 2006, an international architectural design competition was held for a 50 storey condominium tower that's intended to be a landmark for the city.
The winning design, named Absolute World, by Chinese architect Yansong Ma of the MAD firm, is a bold, curvaceous tower that was dubbed the "Marilyn Monroe" for its supposed sexiness, and has received plaudits from urban architecture critics such as Christopher Hume of the Toronto Star. The building is currently scheduled to be finished by 2010.
Geography
Mississauga covers 288.42 square kilometres (111.4 sq mi) of land,
Attractions
In 2006, with the help of Project for Public Spaces, the city made a slogan "My Mississauga; Celebrate summer at city centre" for the summer festivities planned. Mississauga planned over 60 free events to bring more people to the city square. The square was transformed and now includes a movable stage, a snack bar, extra seating, and sports and gaming facilities (basketball nets, hockey arena, chess and checker boards) including a skate park. Some of the events included Senior's day on Tuesday, Family day on Wednesday, Vintage car Thursdays, with the main events being the Canada Day celebration, Rotary Ribfest, and Beachfest. Mississauga also boasts one of the largest shopping malls in Canada called Square One Shopping Centre, which is surrounded by many bars and restaurants, as well as City Hall and the Central Library.
Cultural attractions
Historical attractions
Adamson Estate
Benares Historic House
Bradley Museum
Cawthra Estate
Old Meadowvale Village
Sports and recreation
Mississauga's sports teams include:
Mississauga Ramblers of the Toronto and district cricket league
Mississauga Warriors of the Ontario Varsity Football League
Mississauga St. Michael's Majors of the Ontario Hockey League
Mississauga Titans of the Etobicoke District Cricket League
Mississauga Demons of the Ontario Australian Football League
Mississauga Rattlers of the Great Lakes Inline Junior "A" Roller Hockey League
Mississauga Chiefs of the CWHL
Mississauga Hockey League
Mississauga Girls Hockey League
The Mississauga Figure Skating Club
Mississauga Synchronized Swimming Association (External Link )
The North Mississauga Soccer Club NMSC
The Mississauga Canoe Club
Don Rowing Club
Mississauga Aquatic Club
Mississauga's rugby players are served by the Oakville Crusaders and Brampton Beavers.
Mississauga Tomahawks Jr. A Lacrosse Club of the Ontario Lacrosse Association
Sports venues:
The Hershey Centre, the city's major sporting centre, home of the Mississauga St. Michaels Majors (OHL)
Cawthra Arena, home to the Lorne Park Ojibwa (MHL)
Chic Murray Arena, home to the Applewood Coyotes (MHL)
Clarkson Arena, home the Clarkson Hurricanes (MHL)
Erin Mills Twin Rinks, home to the Erindale Spitfires (MHL)
Huron Park Arena, home to the Mississauga Hornets (GTHL)
The Iceland Arena, home to the Credit Valley Wolves (MHL)
Malton Arena, formally home to the Malton IceBears (MHL)
Meadowvale 4 Rinks, home to the Meadowvale Hawks (MHL)
Port Credit Arena, home to the Port Credit Storm (MHL)
Tomken Arena, home to the Mississauga North Stars (GTHL)
Valleys Arena, home to the Cooksville Phantoms (MHL)
There are over 481 parks and woodlands areas in Mississauga, including:
Applewood Trail
Burnhamthorpe Trail
Cooksville Creek Trail
Culham Trail
Erindale Park Credit River
Etobicoke Creek Trail
Indian Road Trail
Lake Wabukayne Trail
Levi Creek Trail
Lisgar Meadow Brook Trail
Malton Loop
Milgrove Trail
Mississauga Meadow Trail
Mississauga Valley Trail
Oakridge Trail
Rattray Marsh Conservation Area (Mississauga)
Sawmill Valley Trail
Sheridan Creek Trail
Waterfront Trail
Winston Churchill Trail
Media
Mississauga is primarily served by media based in Toronto with markets in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) that cover most of the news in the GTA. However, Mississauga also has The Mississauga News, a regional newspaper that's published three days a week in print, and daily online. The city also has two specialty radio stations: AM 1320 CJMR, a multilingual station, and FM 91.9 CFRE, the campus radio station of the University of Toronto at Mississauga.
The following national cable television stations also broadcast from Mississauga. For more area stations, visit Toronto television stations.
Rogers Television, community channel
The Shopping Channel, broadcasts nationally from Mississauga
The Weather Network, broadcast nationally from Mississauga 1988-2005
BITE TV, Canada's first interactive television station
EconomyGolden Horseshoe and Greater Toronto Area.
Mississauga has provided an ideal environment for small businesses. Many developers have built small multiple units which provide efficient and affordable accommodations for small companies. The economic stability of Mississauga is enhanced by thousands of small and medium-sized businesses. A large percentage of these employers have fewer than 50 employees.
An employment survey conducted in 1994 indicated that the greatest number of firms and of employees were active in the manufacturing/warehouse sectors followed by retail and wholesale sectors. There will be a shift in the employment base away from traditional manufacturing and towards: light assembly, warehouse distribution, and general services. The strong industries in Mississauga are: pharmaceuticals, electronics, computer, chemical and transportation parts and equipment industries. Heavy industry includes the Petro-Canada refinery and St. Lawrence Cement.
Mississauga demographics indicate that the labour market is experiencing some fairly dramatic changes. It is predicted that in the next ten years, 70% of the new Canadian work force will consist of women, racial minorities, and people with disabilities. It is also evident that the Mississauga labour force is aging as fewer young people are available to take entry level jobs and many present employees are struggling to adapt to the changing economic climate.
Primary employers
Demographics
Mississauga is a quickly growing and multicultural city. Statistics Canada estimates that Mississauga now has 704,000 people, an increase of 150,000 from the previous decade and the population has roughly doubled in past twenty years. The city has one of the largest cluster of ethnic groups in Ontario and Canada. According to the 2006 census, the racial makeup of the city is as follows:
| Group |
Population |
Percentage |
| White |
336,755 |
50.6 |
| South Asian |
134,750 |
20.2 |
| Chinese |
46,120 |
6.9 |
| Black |
41,365 |
6.2 |
| Filipino |
30,705 |
4.6 |
| Arab |
16,785 |
2.5 |
| Southeast Asian |
14,160 |
2.1 |
| Latin American |
12,410 |
1.9 |
| Multiple Visible Minority |
9,100 |
1.4 |
| Korean |
6,865 |
1.0 |
| West Asian |
6,015 |
0.9 |
| Other Visible Minority |
5,715 |
0.9 |
| Aboriginal |
2,475 |
0.4 |
| Japanese |
2,425 |
0.4 |
Slightly less than 45% of the population speaks a language other than English, reflecting a large immigrant population. 46.61% of the population wasn't born in Canada. 40.20% of the population are members of a visible minority (non-white). 21.29% of the population is under 14 years of age, compared to those of retirement age; 8.51%. The median (middle) age in Mississauga is 35.0.
Despite the plethora of cultures, Mississauga retains a Christian majority. The 2001 census indicates that 69.78% of the population adhere to Christianity, Catholics constituting 42.00%, while the remaining 27.78% adhere to various Protestant, and Orthodox Christian groups. The 2001 census indicates that there are Muslim: 6.83%, Hindu: 4.73%, Sikh: 3.82%, Buddhism, Judaism and others. Those non-professing a faith number 11.92%.
Languages
Mississauga is one of the most linguistically diverse cities in Canada. The 2006 census found that English was spoken as mother tongue by 49.3% of the population. The next most common languages were the Chinese languages (5.5%), Urdu (4.6%), Polish (4.4%), Punjabi (3.6%), Portuguese (2.8%), Tagalog (2.7%), Arabic (2.6%), Italian (2.5%) and Spanish (2.1%).
| Mother tongue |
Population |
Percentage |
| English |
328,295 |
49.32% |
| French |
7,835 |
1.18% |
| English and French |
1,020 |
0.15% |
| English and a non-official language |
15,210 |
2.28%% |
| French and a non-official language |
880 |
0.13% |
| English, French and a non-official language |
320 |
0.05% |
| Chinese languages |
36,445 |
5.48% |
| Urdu |
30,725 |
4.62% |
| Polish |
29,020 |
4.36% |
| Panjabi (Punjabi) |
24,145 |
3.63% |
| Portuguese |
18,745 |
2.82% |
| Tagalog |
17,890 |
2.69% |
| Arabic |
17,290 |
2.60% |
| Italian |
16,580 |
2.49% |
| Spanish |
14,145 |
2.12% |
| Vietnamese |
10,380 |
1.56% |
| Tamil |
10,025 |
1.51% |
| Hindi |
8,425 |
1.27% |
| Gujarati |
7,620 |
1.14% |
| Croatian |
6,310 |
0.95% |
| Mother tongue |
Population |
Percentage |
| Ukrainian |
5,785 |
0.87% |
| Korean |
5,775 |
0.87% |
| Farsi (Persian) |
4,640 |
0.70% |
| German |
4,485 |
0.67% |
| Russian |
3,540 |
0.53% |
| Serbian |
3,280 |
0.49% |
| Bengali |
3,150 |
0.47% |
| Greek |
2,815 |
0.42% |
| Romanian |
2,320 |
0.35% |
| Malayalam |
1,700 |
0.26% |
| Hungarian |
1,630 |
0.24% |
| Bosnian |
1,365 |
0.21% |
| Slovenian |
1,255 |
0.19% |
| Telugu |
1,160 |
0.17% |
| Macedonian |
1,145 |
0.17% |
| Japanese |
1,095 |
0.16% |
| Akan (Twi) |
1,085 |
0.16% |
| Malay |
1,075 |
0.16% |
| Maltese |
1,070 |
0.16% |
| Dutch |
1,060 |
0.16% |
Law and Government
Mississauga's City Council is comprised of the mayor and 11 city councillors, each representing one of the city's eleven wards.
Peel Regional Police
Ontario Provincial Police - Port Credit Detachment
Mississauga Fire and Emergency Services
Peel Regional Paramedic Services
The Mississauga Library System is a municipally owned network of 18 libraries
Mayors
| Martin L. Dobkin | 1974 - 1976 |
| | Ron A. Searle | 1976 - 1978 |
| | Hazel McCallion | 1978 - Present |
| |
Electoral districts
Bramalea-Gore-Malton
Mississauga—Erindale
Mississauga—Brampton South
Mississauga East—Cooksville
Mississauga South
Mississauga—Streetsville
Education
Mississauga is the home to the University of Toronto at Mississauga (UTM/Erindale College), one of three intercity campuses of the University of Toronto. UTM has an enrollment of approximately 10,000 students. It is growing rapidly, at a rate of about 1,000 students per year since 2002.
Mississauga is served by the Peel District School Board and the Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board. Together there are more than 150 schools in this city to fulfill the needs of its large youth population.
Mississauga also has many prominent programs which push students to show their full potential including:
French immersion schools in multiple locations across the city.
Extended French Program at Green Glade Senior Public School and Lorne Park Secondary School
Arts Education Program at Queen Elizabeth Senior Public School and Cawthra Park Secondary School
International Business and Technology Program at Allan A. Martin Senior Public School and Gordon Graydon Memorial Secondary School
International Baccalaureate Program at St. Francis Xavier Secondary School and Glenforest Secondary School
Sci Tech Program at Tomken Road Middle School and Port Credit Secondary School.
Health
Trillium Health Centre (formerly Mississauga Hospital)
Credit Valley Hospital
Transportation
Major highways
Highway 401 (the Macdonald-Cartier Freeway, connecting Windsor to Quebec),
Highway 403 (to Hamilton via the QEW in Oakville/Burlington),
Highway 407 (toll route across the north and west ends of the city),
Highway 409 (providing access directly into Pearson Airport terminals from Toronto),
Highway 410 (to Brampton),
Queen Elizabeth Way (to Niagara Falls and Buffalo), and
Highway 427, straddling the Toronto-Mississauga Boundary, with access into Toronto Pearson International Airport.
Rail
Mississauga is on three major railway lines (two owned by Canadian National Railway and one owned by Canadian Pacific Railway), which lead into and around Toronto. The GO Transit commuter rail service provides service into Toronto's Union Station along the Lakeshore West, Georgetown, and Milton lines. VIA Rail service in the Quebec City-Windsor Corridor is provided on both CN lines, although there are no stops in Mississauga.
Bus
The Greater Toronto Area's GO Transit service also provides an extensive intercity bus service, which connects Mississauga to downtown Toronto and neighbouring suburban hubs including academic institutions as McMaster University (in Hamilton), Sheridan College in Oakville, York University, Seneca College, Centennial College, University of Toronto at Scarborough all within Toronto, and Durham College and the University of Ontario Institute of Technology in Oshawa, Ontario.
The city's Mississauga Transit service provides relatively frequent bus service across the city, and connects to the Toronto Transit Commission's subway and GO Transit (a busway similar to Ottawa's transitway is being built). There are also connections to Oakville Transit, and Brampton Transit, with routes going beyond these borders. There are also plans for the construction of an LRT along Hurontario Street ("Highway 10," the city's main street), and possibly on some other main thoroughfares with heavy volume but no definite dates have been set.
Air
Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ) in northeastern Mississauga (Malton) is a hub for Air Canada and provides flights to regional, national, and international destinations.
Sister cities
Kariya, Aichi, Japan
Notable people
Kyle Schmid, actor Blood Ties
Natalie Appleton, musician, member of All Saints
Al Balding (1924–2006), Pro golfer
Billy Talent, rock band
Johnny Bower, former goalie for the Toronto Maple Leafs, Hockey Hall of Fame member
Brad Boyes, current NHL hockey player St. Louis Blues
Attila and Tamas Buday, Olympic Canoists
Puneet Mistry, physicists
Mike Bullard, comedian
Chris Campoli, NHL hockey Player New York Islanders
Deanna Casaluce, television actress
Don Cherry, former NHL coach, commentator on CBC's Hockey Night In Canada
Paul Coffey, former NHL hockey player
Anthony Cosmo, NLL and WLA lacrosse player
Rik Emmett, musician, founding member of Triumph
Ron Fellows, race car driver
J.D. Fortune, current lead singer of INXS
Rick Green, comedian and writer (The Red Green Show, History Bites)
Joel Gibb, singer-songwriter (The Hidden Cameras)
Paul Henderson, NHL hockey player and scorer of the series-winning goal in the 1972 Hockey Summit Series
Allison Higson, Olympic swimmer
Shawn Hill, MLB pitcher for the Washington Nationals
illScarlett, ska/punk band
Jane Kerr, Olympic swimmer
Silken Laumann, former rower of the 1992 and 1996 Olympic Games
Tuan Lam, professional poker player, finished 2nd at 2007 WSOP Main Event
Carrie Lightbound, Olympic Kayaker
Manny Malhotra, NHL hockey player
Grant Marshall, former NHL hockey player
Michael McCarry, former NHL hockey player
Blake McGrath, professional dancer
Suzie McNeil, contestant on
The Meligrove Band, rock band
Stefan Molyneux, anarcho-capitalist philosopher
Kevin Newman, anchor of Global National
Ryan O'Marra, world junior hockey player
Carolyn Parrish, former MP, Mississauga—Erindale
Oscar Peterson (1925–2007), jazz pianist and composer
Chris Potter, actor
Cheryl Pounder, Olympic hockey player
Tomasz Radzinski, professional soccer player and Canadian National Team member
John Roberts, CNN television journalist
Grand Duchess Olga Alexandrovna of Russia, the Last Grand Duchess of Imperial Russia lived in Cooksville in the 1950s.
Adamo Ruggiero, television actor
Robert J. Sawyer, science fiction writer
AJ the Wonderdog, radio personality
Jason Spezza, NHL hockey player Ottawa Senators
Matt Stajan, NHL hockey player Toronto Maple Leafs
Daria Werbowy, international supermodel
Danielle Wilson, Famous Marijuana Activist
Daniel Winnik, NHL hockey player Phoenix Coyotes
Ted Woloshyn, radio personality
Wojtek Wolski, NHL hockey player Colorado Avalanche
Sebastien Grainger, musician; formerly of Death From Above 1979
Sticky Fingaz, actor and rapper (of Onyx)
Anthony Carelli, as Santino Marella of World Wrestling Entertainment
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