Almost 208 years ago, and within site from the shoreline of historic Mississauga, a naval engagement took place on Lake Ontario which could have shaped the fortunes of the War of 1812 and the story of Canada. The engagement became known as the “Burlington Races”, and the name, sounding somewhat like a pleasurable yachting excursion,…
Continuing our theme on the era of the steamships, another well-known passenger steamer that brought summer visitors from Toronto to Port Credit, Lorne Park, Oakville, and all recreational and amusement points from Niagara and back was the Southern Belle. But like many, the Belle had begun life in another vocation and under another name. The…
John Street in Port Credit was laid out by surveyor Robert Lynn in 1835, and named for John Jones of the nearby Credit Mission Village. John, whose Indigenous name was Thayendanegea (or Tyantenagen), was the elder brother of Kahkewaquonaby (Reverend Peter Jones). Thayendanegea (1798-1847) and Kahkewaquonaby (1802-1856) were the sons of surveyor Augustus Jones and…
In 1845 Samuel Mills acquired 98 acres of land from Peter Buchanan in Lot 14, Concession 1, North of Dundas Street. In practical terms today, his property was located east of Camilla Road, which itself is just to the east of Hurontario Street. On March 25, 1846, Samuel sold the 98 acre property to John…
Welcome to our 47th installment of “Ask a Historian”. Join Historian Matthew Wilkinson for our next episode of “Ask A Historian” today at 5:00 p.m. on our YouTube channel. This week Matthew welcomes guest Richard Collins, Historian, Museum Interpreter, and Author, as they explore some of the historic figures behind street names in Mississauga and…
There is more than one Queen of Mississauga. I am talking about street names, of course. There is a Queen Street in Streetsville, and a Queen Street in Port Credit. There is also The Queensway, and the Queen Elizabeth Way (QEW), not to mention Queen Federica Drive, amongst others. We will explore some of these…
April 1st has become traditionally known as April Fools’ Day. However the origin of April Fools’ Day is a bit murky. There are some who suggest the origin of April Fools’ Day connects to an early Roman Festival known as Hilaria (Latin for “Joyful”, and yes, the root of the word “hilarious”). The festival involved…
Welcome to our 40th installment of “Ask a Historian”. Join Historian Matthew Wilkinson on our YouTube channel for our next episode of “Ask A Historian” on Thursday March 11, 2021 at 4:00 p.m. This week Matthew welcomes renowned architect Michael Spaziani, Principal at MSAi (Michael Spaziani Architect Inc.), as they explore the last 40 years…
Continuing our theme of late in looking at early industries brings us to Barbertown Road, south of Streetsville. Barbertown Road is an early mill-access route and Credit River crossing point. A trip down Barbertown Road today will bring you to the ADM Milling Company, formerly the Toronto Woollen Mills and operated by the Barber brothers…
Christmas – that magic blanket that wraps itself about us, that something so intangible that it is like a fragrance. It may weave a spell of nostalgia. Christmas may be a day of feasting, or of gathering, but always it will be a day of remembrance – a day in which we think of everything…