Toronto

Lore & Background

Indigenous peoples have inhabited the Toronto area for more than 10,000 years. The Wendat, an Iroquoian speaking agricultural people, occupied and farmed the territory for centuries until the Haudenosaunee, another Iroquoian speaking agricultural people, invaded between 1648 and 1650. By the 1660s, the Haudenosaunee established two villages within what is today Toronto. By 1701, the Mississaugas, an Anishinaabe speaking hunter-gatherer people, displaced the Haudenosaunee. French traders founded Fort Rouillé in 1750 but abandoned it in 1759. After the broadly disputed Toronto Purchase, the British established the town of York in 1793. During the War of 1812, the town was the site of the Battle of York. York was renamed and incorporated in 1834 as the City of Toronto. It was designated as the capital of the province of Ontario in 1867 during Canadian Confederation.

In Their Own Story

Rain slicks King Street West, turning the cobblestones into a mirror for neon signs in a dozen languages. Above, a streetcar clatters along its tracks, its bell cutting through the low hum of a city that rarely sleeps. Beneath the looming shadow of the CN Tower, a barista presses a steaming cup into the hands of a graphic designer sprinting toward the subway mouth. The air hangs heavy with the scent of wet pavement and roasting beans drifting from a corner shop. In this fleeting moment, Toronto sheds its architectural skin to reveal itself as a living organism—breathing in the stories of millions who call it home, each carrying a fragment of their homeland into the beating heart of the Big Smoke.

Reader's Guide

The diverse population of Toronto reflects its current and historical role as an important destination for immigrants to Canada. About half of its residents were born outside of Canada and over 200 ethnic origins are represented. While the majority of Torontonians speak English as their primary language, over 160 languages are spoken in the city. The city is governed by Toronto City Council, a unicameral body composed of 25 councillors and the mayor. Toronto is Canada's largest financial centre, home to the Toronto Stock Exchange and the headquarters of many large corporations. Its economy is highly diversified with strengths in technology, design, financial services, life sciences, education, arts, fashion, aerospace, environmental innovation, food services, and tourism. Toronto is a prominent centre for music, theatre, motion picture production, television production, and digital media production. Its varied cultural institutions attract over 26 million visitors each year.

Did You Know?

• The name Toronto comes from a Mohawk word meaning 'where there are trees standing in the water', referring to a narrows where the Wendat planted tree saplings to corral fish.
• Toronto's city proper expanded past its original limits through both annexation and amalgamation to its current area in 1998.
• The Toronto Purchase was a disputed land agreement between the British Crown and the Mississaugas.
• The University of Toronto, then known as King's College, was established in 1827 as the first institution of higher education in Upper Canada.