MISSISSAUGA (Ontario)

MULTICULTURAL MISSISSAUGA

Mississauga city is located in Southern Ontario and west of the city of Toronto at the north shoreline of the Lake Ontario. It is part of the Greater Toronto metropolitan area as part of the Peel Regional Municipality. Mississauga has an area of just over 288 square kilometers.

Most of Mississauga's growth is really due to its close distance to Toronto and its designation as one of the larger city's residential suburban communities. However, Mississauga is trying hard to go beyond this. Already, Mississauga has extensive employment opportunities in the industrial and corporate to make it more than just a location for suburban residences.

Mississauga had a multicultural population of 734,000 in 2011. This means that the city's population has grown to almost twice its original size in the past two decades, much higher than other places in Canada. The city has one of the biggest clusters of ethnic immigrants in Ontario, as well as in the whole country. In fact, Mississauga is considered one of Canada's most multilingual cities. Around 40 percent of the city's population is non-white and are part of what is considered visible minority. Less than half of the population, about 49 percent, has English as a mother tongue, according to the 2006 census. Other common languages used by the city's residents are Chinese dialects, Urdu, Polish, Punjabi, Portuguese, Tagalog, Arabic, Italian and Spanish.

Weather in Mississauga is similar to that of Toronto but fog usually forms along the Credit River Valley and the lake shore during autumn and spring. Snow falls from January to March when temperatures are near freezing, leaving the eight months more or less snow-free. Odd snow falls have been known to occur during April or November. The city's northern portion tends to have lower temperatures than the southern portion, which is near the warm temperatures of Lake Ontario. However, the southern portion is also more vulnerable to approaching storms that also tend to result in snow, so the whole city is not really exempt from cold temperatures. Thunderstorms with violent winds are common during summertime, but many of them are not intense.

Mississauga holds the country's busiest airport, the Toronto Pearson International Airport. The city is also one of Canada's premier corporate/financial districts with the Canadian headquarters of top international companies located in the city or in nearby areas. These include Hewlett-Packard, PepsiCo, Microsoft, General Electric, Fujitsu, Siemens, World Vision Canada, Intuit Canada and Walmart Canada.

HOW IT BEGAN

Mississauga was formed in 1805, but was known then as the Toronto Township. It covered 84,000 acres of land that was purchased by the British Crown from the Mississauga Native American tribe. After the survey of the land, parts of Mississauga were given as land grants to loyalists to the British Empire who fled the colonies because of the American Revolution. It was a sort of compensation for the properties they lost during their migration and as an incentive to develop the area.

The early decades of the 20th century saw the construction of vital roads connecting the city to other places in Canada as well as the United States. Large communities, like Erin Mills and Meadowvale, were established in the 1960s. In 1968, various settlements were merged to form the town known as Mississauga. The town became a city when it was reincorporated in 1974 with the annexation of the island towns of Streetsville and Port Credit.

YOU MIGHT WANT TO CHECK OUT...

╣"My Mississauga" festivities held during summer in the city's Celebration Square. There are more than 60 events for tourists and people from other cities in Canada to enjoy free-of-charge. There are events in the city to celebrate senior citizens, families, owning a vintage car, you name it. Of course, it also includes a celebration of Canada Day on July 1.

╣the city's annual Rotary Ribfest festival. It attracts the top rib roasters from all over the world. Also held during the “My Mississauga” celebrations, this three-day event is a must for travelers who want to treat their families or friends to good food in a festive atmosphere.

╣the city's Living Arts Center. It hosts various activities all year, not only entertainment and live performances from national and world-famous artists, but also art exhibitions and community-sponsored classes on the arts. Check out their events calendar at www.livingartscentre.ca.

╣Carrassauga, the city's annual cultural festival. It is a three-day event held in May. It features performances from different countries representing Mississauga's multicultural populace. You can also find classes on dance and other performance arts, as well as cooking, story-telling, film and theater. There are pavilions where visitors can get sample sights and tastes of various countries.

╣Square One Shopping Center shopping mall, one of the largest in Canada. It has over 350 shops that sell a wide variety of goods and services. From June to October, the mall also hosts an annual farmer's market during the weekends where consumers can transact for fresh vegetables directly with the farm producers.

╣Benares Historic House, a Georgian style house preserved by the Ontario Heritage Foundation. Every floor of the house contains family possessions steeped in tradition to showcase the elegant way of life in the early 20th century.

╣Bradley Museum, a large area made up of several 19th century houses, including the Bradley House, the Anchorage and the Log Cabin. The buildings were restored to show the life of early settlers in Mississauga and Southern Ontario.

TOURISTS SHOULD KNOW

MiWay (used to be Mississauga Transit) is the city's public transit service. MiWay also connects with the Toronto commuter rail transit, as well as GO Transit, Brampton Transit, and Oakville Transit. MiWay offers two services: MiLocal for local travel, and MiExpress for express travel, stopping only at the terminals and the major stops.

Shops in the Greater Toronto Area usually accept payment through credit cards or debits from cards or ATMs. Canadian stores usually accept credit cards like MasterCard, Visa, and American Express. You can be charged up to $2 per ATM transaction, but you should clarify with your home bank on other fees it may charge you.