{{Canadian City|
Reference Name=City of {{PAGENAME}}|
Header Format=Custom Flag and Coat of Arms|
Flag Image=mississaugalogo.gif| Coat Image=mississaugacoa.gif|
Motto=Pride in our past, Faith in our future|
Latitude Longitude=|
CCMapSource=coor br|d1=43|m1=36|d2=79|m2=39|EP=(612,925)_scale:200000|
Location Image Type=Custom| Location Image=pelmis.PNG|
Elevation=173|
Time zone=EST|
Postal Code=L4T, L4V, L4W, L4X, L4Y, L4Z, L5|
Population description= - Total (2001 Census)
- Cdn. Mun. Rank:|
Population=612,925 (now 695,000)
Ranked 7th in 2001 (now ranked 6th)|
Population Density=2125.1|
Area=288.42|
City Mayor=
Hazel_McCallion|
Governing Body=
Mississauga_City_Council
MPs |
Navdeep_Singh_Bains, Albina_Guarnieri, Wajid_Khan, Carolyn_Parrish, Paul_Szabo |
MPPs |
Bob_Delaney, Vic_Dhillon, Peter_Fonseca, Tim_Peterson, Harinder_Takhar |
|
website=
City of Mississauga|
Census Year=2001|
Extra references=None|
}}
'''Mississauga''' (current population 695,000, with an estimated population of over 710,000 by
2010) is a
City located in the
Peel Regional Municipality, west of
Toronto,
Ontario,
Canada. A part of the
Greater_Toronto_Area, Mississauga is Canada's sixth largest city. It is also the largest suburban municipality in
North_America. It was settled in
1805 and incorporated as a city in
1974. Mississauga is a
Sister_city of
Kariya,
Japan.
With five major highways passing through the city, Mississauga offers fast and convenient access to major destinations in Canada and the
United_States. Mississauga has doubled in size in each of the last two decades. Mississauga 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% in the four year period.
Despite its size, Mississauga is a
Suburb of Toronto and the two cities' urban sprawls are indistinguishably linked. As Toronto has continued to grow economically, Mississauga has followed suit, building predominantly low-density tract housing and high rise
Condominiums to attract individuals tired of city life. At the same time, businesses saw the benefits of locating to Mississauga - low tax rates, proximity to a number of transportation routes (air, rail, road), proximity to Toronto, and an abundance of land (at least, at the time) - and it soon became desirable to locate there. The city is debt-free and has not borrowed money since 1978.
While being in the top ten Canadian cities by population, Mississauga is bereft of cultural institutions for a community its size due to the proximity to Toronto. It is the largest city in Canada by far with no daily newspaper, television stations, or commercial radio stations. A bedroom city to Toronto in the truest sense, Mississauga is virtually unknown outside of Ontario.
==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.
In
1805, government officials from ''York'', as Toronto was then called, bought 340 km² (84,000 acres) of the '''Mississauga Tract''' and in
1806 the area was opened for settlement. The various communities settled include: ''Clarkson, Cooksville, Dixie, Erindale (then Springdale),
Port Credit, Sheridan'', and ''Summerville''. This region would become known as the '''Toronto Township'''.
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. 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 US. 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
1873, in light of the continued growth seen in this area, 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.
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.
With the exception of
Port Credit and
Streetsville, the township settlements were amalgamated by a somewhat unpopular provincial decree in
1968 to form the '''Town of Mississauga'''. 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.
On
November_10,
1979, a 106 car freight train carrying explosive and poisonous chemicals was derailed at 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 possiblity 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.
==Law/Government==
Image:Mississauga.jpg
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 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 has not even campaigned. She was most recently re-elected in November
2003. McCallion is the nation's longest serving mayor.
In recent years McCallion has been receiving critcism for contributing to urban sprawl in the GTA and for missing several opportunities to exercise measured growth. She herself has acknowledged the criticism and is now participating in several regional committees to share her mayoral experiences.
Janice Baker is the current city manager. This position is second only in importance to the mayoralty, as the manager is responsible for tabling the city's budget. City taxes went up significantly in
2004, the largest rate increase ever in Mississauga under the tenure of the previous city manager David O'Brien, who held the position since 1995.
Mississauga's City Council is comprised of the mayor and nine city councillors, each representing one of the city's nine (soon to be eleven) wards.
==Geography==
Mississauga is bounded by
Oakville,_Ontario and
Milton,_Ontario to the west,
Brampton,_Ontario to the north, Toronto to the east, and
Lake_Ontario to the south.
Halton_Hills,_Ontario borders Mississauga's north-west corner. The city is located at {{coor dm|43|35|N|79|37|W|}}.
==Economy==
Mississauga is home to more than 18,000 companies ranging from corporate head offices and industrial branch operations to corner store retail businesses. The Mississauga business community is facing certain issues at this time. With international competition, political and economic changes and rapidly advancing technology, companies require more adaptable and more highly skilled workers. Employers recognize the need to retrain the existing labour force and incorporate those who would like to work but have been limited so far due to low skill levels and other barriers.
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.
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==
In 2002, Mississauga had a population of 624,000, up almost 100,000 from 1995. With just over 40% of the city's population having a language other than English as their mother tongue, the city is relatively diverse, which is, perhaps, owing to its proximity to
Toronto. More than 30% of Mississauga's population speaks more than one language.
Because the city is so close to Toronto, it contains many people of different cultures. Many of them live in the comfortable housing areas in the city outside the hustle and bustle of Toronto.
'''Racial make-up'''
*White: 59.3%
*South Asian: 14.9%
*Black: 6.2%
*Chinese: 5.9%
*Filipino: 4.0%
*Arab: 1.9%
*Southeast Asian: 1.6%
*Latin American: 1.5%
'''Religious make-up'''
*
Catholic: 42.1%
*
Protestant: 21.8%
*
Eastern_Orthodox: 3.1%
*Other Christian: 2.9%
*
Muslim: 6.9%
*
Hindu: 4.8%
*
Sikh: 3.8%
*
Buddhist: 1.9%
*No religion: 12.0%
===First Language===
From Statistics Canada 1996 Census Data:
* 59% English
* 4.4% Chinese
* 4.2% Polish
* 3.6% Italian
* 3.6% Punjabi
* 3.2% Portuguese
* 1.9% Tagalog (Filipino)
|
* 1.7% Spanish
* 1.4% Arabic
* 1.3% Croatian
* 1.3% French
* 1% Urdu
* 10.6% Other
* 36.9% Multiple language responses
|
==Sports and recreation==
*
Mississauga_IceDogs of the
Ontario_Hockey_League
*
Mississauga_Warriors of the
Ontario_Varsity_Football_League
*
Mississauga_Titans of the
Etobicoke_District_Cricket_League
*
Mississauga_Rattlers of the
Great_Lakes_Inline_Junior_"A"_Roller_Hockey_League
*
Mississauga_Hockey_League
*
Mississauga_Football_League
*
Mississauga_Girls_Hockey_League
==Media==
The_Mississauga_News is the city's primary English language newspaper.
The following television stations broadcast directly out of Mississauga. For more area stations, visit
Toronto television stations.
*
Rogers_Television,
Community_channel
*
The_Shopping_Channel, broadcasts nationally out of Mississauga
*
The_Weather_Network, Toronto and national broadcasts out of Mississauga
==Attractions==
===Cultural attractions===
*
Art_Gallery_of_Mississauga, a free gallery in the
Civic_Centre showcasing local art
*
Benares_Historic_House
*
Bradley_House_Museum
*
Living_Arts_Centre, a showcase for the arts
*
Opera_Mississauga
===Historical attractions===
*
Adamson_Estate
*
Benares_House
*
Bradley_Museum
*
Old_Meadowvale_Village
===Outdoor and recreational attractions===
* Applewood Trail
* Burnhamthorpe Trail
* Cooksville Creek Trail
* Culham Trail
* Erindale Park
Credit_River
*
Etobicoke_Creek Trail
* The
Hershey_Centre, the city's major sporting centre
* Indian Road Trail
* Lake Wabukayne Trail
* Malton Loop
* Mississauga Meadow Trail
* Mississauga Valley Trail
* Oakridge Trail
* Sheridan Creek Trail
*
Waterfront_Trail
* Ligar Meadow Brook Trail
* Milgrove Trail
* Winston Churchill Trail
* Levi Creek Trail
* Rattray Marsh Conservation Area (Mississauga)
Mississauga Cycling Trail Map
==Transportation==
===Major highways=== include;
*
Highway_401 (the
Macdonald-Cartier_Freeway, connecting
Windsor-
Detroit to
Quebec),
*
Highway_403 (to
Hamilton),
*
Highway_407 (toll route across the north end of the city),
*
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 (
Canadian_National_Railway and
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_(GO_Transit),
Georgetown_(GO_Transit), and
Milton_(GO_Transit) lines.
VIA_Rail service in the
Quebec_City-Windsor_Corridor is provided on the 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 insitutions 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 planned). There are also connections to
Oakville_Transit, and
Brampton_Transit, with routes going beyond these borders.
===Air===
Toronto_Pearson_International_Airport (YYZ) in northeastern Mississauga (
Malton) is a hub for
Air_Canada and provides flights to all regional, national, and international destinations.
==Public services==
===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 8,000 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.
===Fire===
*
Mississauga_Fire_and_Emergency_Services
===Hospitals===
*
Trillium_Health_Centre (formerly Mississauga Hospital)
*
Credit_Valley_Hospital
===Library===
*
Mississauga_Library_System
===Police===
*
Peel_Regional_Police
==Notable people from or residing in Mississauga==
* Natalie_Appleton, musician, member of All_Saints_(band)
* Brad_Boyes, NHL hockey player
* Mike_Bullard, comedian
* Ian_Campbell, builder, Square_One_Shopping_Centre
* Deanna_Casaluce, television actress (''Degrassi:_The_Next_Generation'')
* Don_Cherry, former NHL coach, Commentator on CBC's Hockey_Night_In_Canada
* Paul_Coffey, NHL hockey player
* Tie_Domi, NHL hockey player
* Rik_Emmett, musician, founding member of Triumph
* 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
* Silken_Laumann, former rower of the 1992 and 1996 Olympic_Games
* Manny_Malhotra, NHL hockey player
* Kevin Newman, anchor of ''Global_National''
* John Roberts, television journalist
* Adamo_Ruggiero, television actor (''Degrassi:_The_Next_Generation'')
* Emmanuel_Sandhu, figure skater
* Robert_J._Sawyer, science fiction writer
* Jason_Spezza, NHL hockey player
* Matt_Stajan, NHL hockey player
* Billy_Talent, Rock Band
* Wojtek_Wolski, OHL hokcey player
|
==See also==
*
The_Mississauga_Blob
*
Hazel_McCallion
==External links==
*
City of Mississauga Official Site
*
Mississauga community information and apartments for rent
*
Mississauga News
{{Communities of Mississauga}}
*
De:Mississauga
Fr:Mississauga
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