Incorporated in 1974, Mississauga is a city located in the Regional Municipality of Peel, and in the western part of the Greater Toronto Area. With a population of just over 700,000, it is Canada's sixth-most populous municipality and has almost doubled in population in each of the last two decades. Mississauga's growth reached a peak between the census years of 1986-1991, with the largest population growth in Canada (89,500).

Sustained population growth has continued since, but at a somewhat slower pace. Mississauga is now the fourth most populous city on the Great Lakes, surpassing both cities of Milwaukee and Cleveland over the last decade. As a suburb, Mississauga's growth is attributed to its proximity to Toronto.

With five major freeways passing through the city, Mississauga offers quick access to major markets in Canada, in addition to large markets in the US. Pearson International Airport, Canada's busiest, is located in the city. Residents of the city are called Mississaugans. Mississauga has one of the largest corporate/financial districts in Canada with major international companies having their Canadian headquarters located in the region.


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 French traders found around the Credit River area were the Algonquian Mississaugas, a tribe originally from the Georgian Bay area. 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.

In January 2010, the Mississaugas and the federal government settled a land claim, in which the band received $145,000,000, as more just compensation for their land and lost income.. Toronto township is not 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, 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, the Crown gave much of it in the form of land grants to United Empire Loyalists who emigrated from the 13 colonies during and after the American Revolution, as well as loyalists from New Brunswick. The government wanted to compensate the Loyalists for property lost in the colonies and encourage development of what was considered frontier. More than a dozen small Anglo-European 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, the government purchased additional land from the Mississaugas. Additional settlements were established, including: Barbertown, Britannia, Burnhamthorpe, Derry West, Elmbank, Malton, Meadowvale Village, Mount Charles, and Streetsville. European-Canadian growth led to the eventual displacement of the Mississauga. In 1847, the government relocated them 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 grsitmills and brickworks served by railway lines, most of present-day Mississauga was agricultural land, including fruit 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.