Toronto Township, Ontario


Toronto Township is a former municipality now part of Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. It is directly west of but not part of the city of Toronto, and its land makes up the majority of present-day Mississauga.

History

Toronto Township was formed as part of York County, Upper Canada on when officials from York purchased 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 Loyalists. 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. The township became part of Peel County in 1851. 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.
Toronto Township was a municipality until 1967, when the town's citizens and politicians voted to change the town's name to Mississauga over Sheridan. Mississauga became a city seven years later in 1974.