How Mississauga Got its Name

Residents of the GTA are so used to the name ‘Mississauga’, we rarely give it a second glance. It’s part of our everyday vocabulary and we are accustomed to hearing it on the radio and seeing it in the papers. But not many people know the real meaning of the name, and how it came to be.

Mississauga is named after the indigenous peoples that inhabited the area hundreds of years ago. The Mississaugas are a ‘subtribe’ of the Anishinaabe-speaking First Nations people. The name comes from the Anishinaab word ‘Misi-zaagiing’, which means ‘[Those at the] Great River-mouth’. It is also similar to the Ojibwe word ‘Misswezahging’, which means ‘a river with many outlets’.

Before it was named Mississauga, it was initially known as Toronto Township. As the community grew and distinguished itself from Toronto, citizens and officials decided to rename the area. In 1965, the citizens voted between ‘Mississauga’, ‘Malton’, and ‘Sheridan’ – Mississauga, of course, won.

There were a number of interesting suggestions that were considered before it was narrowed down to these three names. Many of them were kept safe in historical archives at the Peel Art Gallery Museum and Archives. Here a few comical choices:

Banana Peel

Source: https://www.insauga.com/5-strange-names-once-proposed-for-mississauga

Police State Village

Source: https://www.insauga.com/5-strange-names-once-proposed-for-mississauga

Bramportville or Portbramville

Source: https://www.insauga.com/5-strange-names-once-proposed-for-mississauga

Angel Lake or Queen of Heaven

Source: https://www.insauga.com/5-strange-names-once-proposed-for-mississauga

Finally, the name ‘Mississauga’ was chosen, which pays suitable homage to the area’s original habitants. In January 2010, the First Nations Mississaugas and the federal government settled a land claim, in which the band of aboriginal people received $145,000,000 as just compensation for their land and lost income.

Sources:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mississaugas

https://www.insauga.com/5-strange-names-once-proposed-for-mississauga