Mississauga - Community Overview

The Mississauga First Nation originally inhabited the site of Mississauga. The name Mississauga is a First Nation word meaning “river in the north of many mouths”. In 1805, four chieftains met with Honourable William Claus, the deputy superintendent of First Nation Affairs, at Government House located at the mouth of the Credit River. They sold the southerly portion of their lands, 28667.5 hectares for £1000. The following year the new site was surveyed and settlers began moving in. Philip Cody, the first settler, opened an inn in Sydenham, later known as Fonthill and then Dixie.

Between 1826 and 1847 a band of the Mississauga First Nation, who had converted to Christianity, formed a settlement on the Credit River and with government assistance, built a sawmill, school, log houses and a chapel. By 1840 there were 50 houses and 202.5 hectares under cultivation. In 1968 the villages of the Toronto Township became the town of Mississauga. By 1974 the City of Mississauga had incorporated 17 communities.

Today, Mississauga is one of the fastest growing cities in Canada. This growth is due to the city’s abundance of residential and industrial land. The city is well served by support services and transportation routes.

The City of Mississauga is situated in the Regional Municipality of Peel, on Lake Ontario directly west of Toronto. Highways #10, #403 and the Macdonald-Cartier Freeway (#401) all access the city.

The population of Mississauga numbers approximately 828,854.

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