| Streetsville | |
|---|---|
| — Unincorporated community — | |
| Streetsville is marked by street signs and banners along Queen Street. | |
| Nickname(s): The Village in the City | |
| Coordinates: | |
| Country | Canada |
| Province | Ontario |
| Regional municipality | Peel |
| City | Mississauga |
| Settled | 1819 |
| Population (2001) | |
| • Total | 55,600 |
| Time zone | Eastern (UTC-5) |
| Forward sortation area | L5M |
| Area code(s) | 905 and 289 |
| NTS Map | 030M12 |
| GNBC Code | FCTEI |
Streetsville (pop. 55,600)[1] is an established community located in the northwestern corner of the city of Mississauga, Ontario, Canada, on the Credit River. Although Streetsville occupies both the west and east banks of the river, the majority is located on the west bank of the river.
Although the former village is surrounded by modern suburban development, it seeks to keep a “small town” charm by retaining a variety of historical buildings and streetscapes. As part of this attempt to maintain a separate identity from the larger city, the names of several main Mississauga roads, as they pass through Streetsville, revert to what they were called when Streetsville was an independent village. These include Mississauga Road and Bristol Road, which revert to Queen Street and Main Street respectively. Other main thoroughfares that cross Streetsville include Creditview Road, Eglinton Avenue, and Britannia Road.
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The area surrounding the Credit River was populated by the Iroquois people up until the early 18th century, when it was taken by the Ojibwa. European settlers came to know them specifically as the Mississaugas, which eventually became the name of the area itself. By 1805, the Natives had either ceded or sold most of this land over to British governance.
The beginnings of Streetsville are interwoven with the history of its founder, Timothy Street. Street was born in 1778 in the American colonies to a British Loyalist family. At the age of 23, he moved with his family from New York to St. David’s, a settlement on the Niagara River in Upper Canada (now known as Ontario).
In 1818, the British made a second purchase of 648,000 acres (2,620 km2) of land from the indigenous Mississauga peoples. Before it could be opened for settlement, the land had to be surveyed, and as was usual for the time, surveyors would receive a grant of land from the parcel that they surveyed as compensation for their work. Timothy Street, along with Richard Bristol, a qualified surveyor, applied for a contract to survey parts of the newly available land. As they did their work, Street quickly began to appreciate the immense potential for settlement along the Credit River, and made plans to erect both a saw and grist mill once his work was finished.
In April 1819, the surveyed land was opened for settlement, and the first settler in the area, James Glendinning, settled on a parcel of land along Mullet Creek. Timothy Street did build his saw and grist mills, using stones from Glendinning's land.
A large quarry of red clay lay on the west side of the village, encouraging the use of brick for construction.
In 1821, Streetsville’s first general store, now known as Montreal House, was built, and still stands. Another landmark, Timothy Street’s house, was built in 1825 and is one of the oldest brick houses in Peel Region.
In 1855, William Graydon and Peter Douglass built a large brick building, and sold it in 1859 to Bennet Franklin, a partner in Barber Brothers Toronto Woollen Mills. It became known as Franklin House. In 1910, under new ownership, the name was changed to the Queen’s Hotel. Although it ceased to operate as a hotel when its public room was closed with the enforcement of the Canada Temperance Act, it continued to be used for commercial purposes. At present, it has been designated under the terms of the Ontario Heritage Act and protected by a heritage easement, and now houses a restaurant and a variety of small businesses and offices.
In 1858, Streetsville was incorporated as a village. Timothy Street's son, John, was the first reeve.
For the next century, Streetsville largely existed as a long narrow village with all of its shops, three churches, the cenotaph and the library located on Queen Street, which ran between the Credit River and the railway track.
In 1953, two of the first suburbs in Canada, Vista Heights and Riverview, were built to the southwest and northeast respectively. Vista Heights was notable because the town council of the time made the unprecedented decision to require the developer to build a K-6 (kindergarten to Grade 6) elementary school. These suburbs and Vista Heights Public School opened in 1955, presaging the future high growth of middle-class suburbs in the area.
In January 1962, Streetsville's population reached 5,000, and it was incorporated as a town as a result. The first Mayor was Frank Dowling.
In 1968, the creation of the Town of Mississauga amalgamated the villages and hamlets of Cooksville, Dixie, Erindale and Malton. Although Streetsville, Clarkson, Port Credit and Meadowvale were excluded from this amalgamation, it was evident that the high population growth in the area would result in further amalgamation.
In 1974 all of these communities were annexed when Mississauga became a city. Four years later, Hazel McCallion, who had been the last mayor of Streetsville (1970–1973), became the third mayor of Mississauga. As of August 2010, she still occupies that office, and still lives in Streetsville.
Streetsville is considered one of Mississauga's most affluent communities. The average household income is in excess of $114,000 and over 88 per cent of residents own their homes.[2]
Menu Foods, a cat and dog food manufacturer, is headquartered in Streetsville.[3]
Since 1973, in an effort to retain a separate identity from the larger city of Mississauga, Streetsville has held an annual Bread and Honey Festival, an acknowledgement of the town’s history and its involvement with milling. The Founding President in 1973 was Sam McCallion. The festival weekend at Streetsville Memorial Park is usually scheduled for the first weekend of June.
The annual Mississauga Santa Claus Parade now resides in Streetsville. The parade starts on Queen Street South at Britannia Road and travels south through the village to disperse at various locations after the Church Street junction.
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