Mississauga is often lost in the shadow of Toronto. So let’s talk about five things that you may not have known about Mississauga.
Mississauga is the seventh largest city in Canada with a population of over 721,000 people. It’s the third largest city in Ontario, and the second in the GTA next to only Toronto itself. First things first is that Mississauga is home to a diverse population.
Over half of the residents in the city were actually born outside of the Country. There are more than 160 different languages and dialects spoken here. The top five ethnic groups in Mississauga are South Asian, Chinese, Black, Filipino, and Arab. So, if you want to enjoy a variety of different cultures, foods, and activities, Mississauga has them all.
Next on our list is the city’s rich history. Mississauga was originally settled by the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation, who are still active in the community today. It later became a major hub for industry and agriculture in the 19th century with the creation of several villages, Clarkson being the first, followed by Cooksville, Dixie, Erindale, Lakeview, Lorne Park, and Port Credit. Today, you can still see remnants of this history at places like the Bradley Museum and the Benares House.
Another thing that you may not know about Mississauga is that it’s home to a large number of corporate headquarters and Fortune 500 companies. Companies such as Walmart Canada, Coca-Cola, Pepsi Co. General Mills, General Electric, Hewlett Packard, and plenty more, have all called Mississauga, their headquarters.
Also, there’s the fact that Mississauga is home to many beautiful parks and nature areas. The city is home to over 500 parks from small, quaint, intimate parks to large multipurpose green spaces.
These parks include the popular Lakefront Promenade Park, which offers amazing views of the lake, including a marina, cycling and running trails, beaches, and swimming.
Jack Darling Park is a super popular park all summer with family barbecues and get togethers or Erindale Park, which is Mississauga’s largest park. You can fish for salmon, hike, or toboggan in the winter.
Finally, what a lot of people, even those that live in Mississauga, don’t know about the City is that Mississauga is home to the largest airport in Canada, Toronto Pearson International Airport, or just known locally as Pearson or Toronto Airport. It’s actually located in Mississauga . This airport connects the city to destinations all over the world, and it’s a major economic driver for the region. There are many jobs out at Pearson, and it’s actually one of the largest employers in the city.
The airport is easily accessible from any of the surrounding cities, and a real benefit to have here in Mississauga. It makes travel very easy except for the obvious congestion around the airport and the wait times inside the airport.