There are many different interpretations of how the word Mississauga came to exist with the most likely being that it is an Ojibwa word meaning “river of many mouths”. The City of Mississauga thanks and acknowledges the Anishinaabe peoples, who came to be known as the Mississaugas of the Credit, for allowing use of the name.
In 1965, the Township of Toronto applied to the Ontario Municipal Board to incorporate as a town and needed a new name. With the goal of uniting the villages and communities within its borders, the Township Council asked residents to send in suggestions for a new name.
As many as 889 different names were suggested, with ‘Mississauga’ being the most popular, probably due to the introduction of ‘The Mississauga News’, a local paper started by history buff, Kenneth Armstrong, that same year.
A sub-committee was established to narrow down the list and put two choices on the ballot for the 1967 election. Initially, the sub-committee were opposed to having ‘Mississauga’ on the ballot, wanting a name that looked to the future instead of the past, but had to give in due to overwhelming public support.
When the ballots were counted, ‘Mississauga’ was the overwhelming winner with 11,796 votes, Sheridan coming in second with 4,311 votes.
In 1967, residents of Toronto Township overwhelmingly voted in favour of re-naming their new town ‘Mississauga’.
In 1968 the Town of Mississauga was created. To celebrate and christen the new Town, the 1968 New Year’s Eve ceremony took place in Cooksville Square outside City Hall, with Chief George King of the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation in attendance.
In July 1968, Mayor Robert Speck visited the Mississaugas of the New Credit in Hagersville to present them with a grant to recognize the historical connection and friendly relations between the Mississaugas and the new town.
Later, in 2005, the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation, the City of Mississauga and Heritage Mississauga participated in a ceremony to mark 200 years of friendship.
In June 2021, to mark National Indigenous Peoples Day, stencils from the Moccasin Identifier Project were painted at Celebration Square.
The City of Mississauga is invested in building strong relationships with Indigenous communities that have treaties, land use areas or assertions within the boundaries of the City. We’re proud to collaborate on Indigenous policy matters, City programming and operations.
Visit the official websites of the Indigenous communities we work with:
The following Indigenous organizations are important partners for the City of Mississauga.
Learn more about how the City is working to advance reconciliation and meaningful relationships with Indigenous communities.
