The lands that make up present day Mississauga have roots that extend thousands of years before our 50th anniversary milestone in 2024.
Mississauga has been shaped by Indigenous, immigrant and present day communities who make it the diverse, thriving and successful city it is today. Explore 50 years of milestones time line, discover a deeper history in images, and read about the making of a city before incorporation.
Mississauga is located on the Treaty and Traditional territory of the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Haudenosaunee Confederacy and the Wendat and Wyandot Peoples.
This land was purchased from the Mississauga people by the British crown in 1806 by a legal agreement called Treaty 14 (or the Head of the Lake Purchase) for the equivalent of only ten shillings.
The land was settled after the signing of a series of Treaties (14, 19, 22 and 23) with the Mississaugas which allowed for the settlement of the area.
These treaties made way for non-Indigenous people to settle the area in the early 19th century and their increased presence made it impossible for the Mississaugas to hunt and harvest the land and water they were promised would be shared.
Gradually, settlers began to take up land and over time, formed small settlements that grew into communities and villages. Eventually, the Mississaugas of the Credit were forced from these lands and are now located outside Hagersville, Ontario, at their reserve.
Beginning in the late 1800s, Baltic, Croatian, Dutch, Greek, Irish, Italian, Polish, Portuguese and Ukrainian immigrants came here seeking new opportunities. In recent years, African, Asian, Caribbean, Middle Eastern and South American settlers have also made Mississauga their home.
The people who make this City vibrant and dynamic bring with them a mosaic of languages, music, cultures and food that make Mississauga a warm and welcoming home to all.
In 1974, the Towns of Streetsville, Port Credit and the Township of Mississauga amalgamated to form the City of Mississauga. Starting with a population of approximately 250,000 residents in 1974, today, Mississauga has grown to over 717,000 residents.
Mississauga reflects the culturally rich and diverse original people and settlers who have chosen this city as their home.
As Canada’s seventh largest city, Mississauga is a key economic centre, attracting international talent, global investment and an enabling environment for businesses to thrive. We are a young city that has rapidly grown into a major hub for innovation and economic development.
In 2024, we celebrated 50 years of being a city. The City hosted celebratory programs and events and we captured ideas of what to include in the time capsule to be opened in 2049 as part of our 75-year anniversary.
We acknowledge the lands which constitute the present-day City of Mississauga as being part of the Treaty and Traditional Territory of the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation, The Haudenosaunee Confederacy, and The Huron-Wendat and Wyandot Nations. We recognize these peoples and their ancestors as peoples who inhabited these lands since time immemorial. The City of Mississauga is home to many global Indigenous peoples.