Mississauga, historically known as Toronto Township, is a city in the Canadian province of Ontario. Mississauga is the seventh most populous municipality in Canada, third-most in Ontario, and second most in the Greater Toronto Area after Toronto itself. Mississauga continues to grow due to its proximity to Toronto. During the latter half of the 20th century, the city attracted a diverse population and saw a lot of development. The city is home to Canada’s busiest airport and many multinational corporations that call Mississauga their home. In this way, Mississauga is not like traditional cities; instead, it comprises formerly rural villages and towns that have recently amalgamated into one large urban area.
Mississauga is a city in the province of Ontario. With 721,599 residents and bordering Toronto to the East, it is one of the most populated cities in Canada. Mississauga has historically developed due to its proximity to Toronto and population growth. The city attracts multicultural people and holds a central business district. Mississauga is not a traditional city but an amalgamation of villages and hamlets, which were significant population centers.
“Malton, in the northeastern corner of the city, is home to Toronto Pearson International Airport, Canada’s busiest airport and the headquarters of many Canadian and multinational companies.”
Mississauga’s growth was attributed to its proximity to Toronto. The latter half of the twentieth century witnessed the city attracting a multicultural population and developing into Canada’s most important business district. Though not as prosperous as its center, Malton comprises many areas that offer parking, accommodations, and entertainment – a neighborhood of no lesser importance to Mississauga than any other. Mississauga is made up of preexisting suburbs, towns, and rural hamlets. While they were essential to Mississauga before its incorporation in 1974, these communities are not prominent today. Mississauga is on the land of the Mississauga people, who have lived in this area for thousands of years.
Google maps Mississauga
Mississauga is an incorporated city with a population of 717,961 (2021 census), which includes the residents of the towns of Mississauga, Port Credit, and Streetsville. It is located west of Toronto and is part of Peel Regional Municipality. The area has been home to Indigenous groups like the Huron-Wendat, Haudenosaunee, and Anishinaabe, including the Mississauga native group. The land was ceded in treaties 14, 19, 22, and 23.
Geography
Mississauga has a surface area of 288 square kilometers with 13 miles of shoreline on Lake Ontario. Mississauga is bordered by neighborhoods such as Oakville and Milton to the southwest, Brampton to the north, and Toronto to the east. It shares a land border with each of these cities. The only exception is the southeast border with Toronto by Etobicoke Creek.
Two major river valleys feed into the lake. The Credit River is the longest with the heaviest flow and splits Western Mississauga from Central/Eastern Mississauga and enters the lake at Port Credit harbor. The valley was inhabited by Indigenous Peoples long before European exploration of the area.
Etobicoke Creek forms the border between Mississauga and Toronto. North of there, it runs through the western edge of Pearson Airport. There has been two plane crashes at this airport, in 1978 and 2005, when planes overshot their runway and went into Etobicoke Creek, although no one was injured in either of these incidents. The Toronto Region Conservation Authority has administered the creek since Hurricane Hazel devastated it in 1954.
Most Mississauga water drains to the Grand or Credit River, except for Mary Fix and Cooksville Creeks, which run through the center of Mississauga.
As the old shores of an ancient glacial lake, Dundas Street follows water that used to run. It’s most noticeable in places like the former brickyard (Shoreline Dr. near Mavis Rd.). You can see as far as downtown Toronto and Lake Ontario on clear days. The land varies from 214 m (699 ft) ASL in the western corner to 76 m (249 ft) above sea level at Lake Ontario.
In addition to the valley, the tributaries, and the Iroquois shoreline, Mississauga’s hills are a golf course on Terry Fox Way.
Climate
Mississauga’s climate is similar to that of Toronto and is considered moderate. Under the Köppen climate classification, Mississauga has a humid continental climate (Dfa/Dfb). Summers can bring periods of high temperatures accompanied by high humidity. While the average daily high temperature in July and August is 27°C (80.6°F), temperatures can rise above 32°C (89.6°F).
The average number of days each summer where temperatures exceed 30 degrees Celsius is 15.8, and winters can get below freezing. The average monthly temperature in January and February is -6 degrees Celsius, although it is common for temperatures to fall to -15 degrees Celsius.
Mississauga is a mild, snowless winter city. The city receives only 108.5 centimeters of snow and has 44.4 days with measurable snowfall yearly. In the winter, snow usually sticks to the ground in northern parts of Mississauga that are farther away from the warmer Ontario lake, such as around Derry Road. Strong winds from the south can bring more snowfall to areas more affected by lake-effect snow. There may be an odd case of snow in October or May, but it doesn’t usually stay on the ground.
Most storms are not severe, but storms can sometimes bring violent winds. The last known tornado that caused significant damage touched on July 7, 1985. The storm was rated F1 and struck the Meadowvale area (Argentia Road), affecting buildings and parked tractor-trailers. A tornado tore a path across Mississauga (then a part of Toronto township) on June 24, 1923, causing massive property damage when most of Mississauga was rural farmland dotted with fruit orchards.
Did you know?
Mississauga is Canada’s sixth-largest city and is located in Southern Ontario. It is around a 30-minute drive from Toronto, and it’s just 90 minutes away from the US border.
- Mississauga has beautiful views of Lake Ontario.
- The Lester B. Pearson International Airport (YYZ), operated by the Greater Toronto Area Airport Authority in the northeastern part of the city, is Canada’s largest and busiest airport.
- When Europeans arrived in the Mississauga area, they allied with the Huron-Wendat and fought against the Haudenosaunee. Diseases brought over by Europeans decimated the population of the Huron-Wendat, while conflict between the French traders and their allies drove them to extinction.
- The Mississauga, a group that the Anishinaabeg were part of, migrated to southwestern Ontario in the 1700s. They settled along the shores of Lake Ontario. Today, Indigenous peoples make up 0.6 percent of Mississauga’s population.
- The Mississauga gave up more land to the settlers after the land lures in treaties 22 and 23. They received £51 for each parcel of land. Treaty 22 also promised them 200 acres (out of 0.8 km2) on the bank of the Credit River grounds.
- The Toronto Township grew due to highways being built. In 1917, the Toronto-Hamilton Highway was constructed, now Lakeshore Road. Then in 1939, the Queen Elizabeth Way was finished, which is now a freeway that goes from Hamilton to Montreal.
- The city of Mississauga is the seventh-largest in Canada and the second-largest in the Greater Toronto Area. The city’s population is expected to reach 930,800 by 2051, when it is ethnically diverse.
Accommodation in Mississauga
There are a few different ways that you can go about booking accommodations in Mississauga. You can either book online through a variety of websites, or you can contact the accommodation directly to make a reservation. If you book online, you will usually find discounts and deals that you wouldn’t be able to get by booking through the accommodation itself. However, it is always worth checking with the accommodation first to see if they offer any promotions or discounts.
Further readings: Mississauga Wikipedia, driving directions Canada.