Toronto
For more than 10,000 years before the first European ship appeared on Lake Ontario, Indigenous peoples walked the broad sloping plateau that would become Toronto. Archaeological sites confirm human occupation in this area dating back thousands of years. The Wendat people occupied the territory for centuries until Haudenosaunee forces invaded between 1648 and 1650. By the 1660s, two villages named Ganatsekwyagon and Teiaiagon stood on the banks of the Rouge River and Humber River respectively. In 1701, Mississaugas from Northern Ontario displaced the Haudenosaunee after the Beaver Wars ended. French traders established Fort Rouillé in 1750 at what is now the Exhibition grounds but abandoned it during the Seven Years War. The British defeated their French allies and took control of the land in 1763. During the American Revolutionary War, United Empire Loyalists fled southward to these British-controlled lands north of Lake Ontario. Lord Dorchester arranged the Toronto Purchase with the Mississaugas of the New Credit First Nation in 1787. This agreement secured over a quarter of a million acres of land for the British Crown.
Governor John Graves Simcoe established the town of York in 1793 on the purchased lands. He chose this location because it was less vulnerable to attack by the United States than Newark. The York garrison sat at the entrance of the natural harbour behind a long sand-bar peninsula. Settlement formed near the present-day intersection of Parliament Street and Front Street. In 1813, American forces captured and plundered the town during the Battle of York as part of the War of 1812. John Strachan negotiated the surrender while soldiers destroyed much of the garrison and set fire to parliament buildings. Five days later, British troops retaliated by burning Washington D.C. York became the City of Toronto on the 6th of March 1834 when Reformist politician William Lyon Mackenzie served as first mayor. Mackenzie led an unsuccessful rebellion against the British colonial government in 1837. Slavery ended in Upper Canada in 1834 allowing Black Loyalists and refugee slaves from America's South to gain freedom. By 1851, Irish-born residents made up the largest single ethnic group after fleeing the Great Irish Famine. Almost every mayor between 1850 and 1950 belonged to the Orange Order which gave significant influence over municipal politics. On the 1st of January 1998, six municipalities including East York, Etobicoke, North York, Scarborough, York, and the original city merged into one megacity. A referendum held in March 1997 showed more than three votes against amalgamation but provincial law allowed the Harris government to ignore results.
The city covers a maximum north-south distance with a long waterfront shoreline on Lake Ontario. The flat land is interrupted by numerous creeks and rivers forming the Toronto ravine system. Most notably the Humber River cuts through the west end while the Don River flows east of downtown. These two waterways flank and define the Toronto Harbour. Finch Avenue, Leslie Street, Lawrence Avenue, and St. Clair Avenue terminate on one side of a ravine before continuing on the other. Large bridges like the Prince Edward Viaduct span broad river valleys across the landscape. Elevation ranges from sea level at the shore to above near York University grounds. Midtown Toronto features sharply sloping hills visible as far north as Eglinton Avenue. During the last ice age, Glacial Lake Iroquois covered the lower part of the city. Escarpments mark the lake former boundary known as the Iroquois Shoreline. Victoria Park Avenue to Highland Creek forms the prominent Scarborough Bluffs. Winters are cold with frequent snowfall and temperatures usually below zero Celsius. Daytime summer temperatures often rise above 25 degrees Celsius with high humidity. The average yearly precipitation includes significant rainfall during thunderstorms in summer months.
The 2021 Census recorded a population of 2,794,356 people living within the city limits. Immigrants born outside Canada comprise 46.6 per cent of the total population. Over 200 ethnic origins appear among inhabitants representing global diversity. The top countries of origin include Philippines with 132,980 persons and China with 129,750 persons. India follows with 102,155 residents while Sri Lanka contributes 47,895 individuals. Visible minorities made up 51.5 per cent of residents in 2016 compared to 49.1 per cent in 2011. South Asian communities number 338,960 or 12.6 per cent of the population. East Asian groups including Chinese residents total 332,830 or 12.5 per cent. Black populations reach 239,850 making up 8.9 per cent of all residents. English remains predominant with approximately 95 per cent having proficiency though only 54.7 per cent report it as mother tongue. Municipal services respond in over 150 languages through emergency telephone systems. No single nationality dominates the immigrant population placing Toronto among the most diverse cities globally.
Toronto serves as Canada's largest financial centre hosting headquarters for five major banks on Bay Street. Royal Bank of Canada, Toronto-Dominion Bank, Scotiabank, Bank of Montreal, and Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce operate from this district. The Toronto Stock Exchange ranks as the world seventh-largest by market capitalization. All Big Five financial institutions maintain global corporate headquarters here alongside insurance giants. Bell Media, Rogers Communications, and Torstar anchor media production industries within the city. Magna International, Pizza Pizza, Mr. Sub, Celestica, Manulife, Sun Life Financial, Toyota Canada Inc., Hudson's Bay Company, Four Seasons Hotels, and Fairmont Hotels & Resorts establish operations in the Greater Toronto Area. Technology generates 52 billion dollars annually creating almost 30,000 jobs in 2017. This figure exceeds combined employment in San Francisco Bay area, Seattle, and Washington D.C. The region between Greater Toronto Area, Waterloo, and Hamilton forms a digital corridor similar to Silicon Valley. Unemployment stood at 6.7 per cent as of July 2016 while cost of living ranked second highest in Canada. Child poverty reached 28.6 per cent making it the highest among large Canadian cities.
Toronto functions as Canada largest media market with four conventional dailies and three free commuter papers serving six million inhabitants. The Toronto Star and Toronto Sun serve as prominent daily newspapers while national dailies include The Globe and Mail and National Post. Headquarters for CBC, CTV, Citytv, Global, TSN, and Sportsnet reside here alongside MuchMusic and MTV Canada. Film production thrives due to lower costs offering diverse settings mimicking American cities like Chicago or New York. Streets and landmarks appear in various films facilitated by the Film and Television Office. The Royal Ontario Museum houses world culture and natural history collections while the Art Gallery of Ontario displays extensive Canadian European African and contemporary artwork. Ripley's Aquarium of Canada attracts visitors alongside Casa Loma former estate of Sir Henry Pellatt. The Hockey Hall of Fame celebrates ice hockey history within downtown core. The Canadian National Exhibition holds annual attendance averaging 1.25 million people since becoming oldest fair globally. Kensington Market and St. Lawrence Market offer bustling commercial areas attracting tourists. The Eaton Centre receives over 47 million visitors annually generating significant economic activity. Twenty public hospitals including Hospital for Sick Children Mount Sinai Hospital and Toronto General Hospital provide specialized care. MaRS Discovery District serves as research park integrated into downtown core focusing on biomedicine innovation.
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Common questions
When did Indigenous peoples first occupy the land that became Toronto?
Indigenous peoples occupied the broad sloping plateau that would become Toronto for more than 10,000 years before European ships appeared on Lake Ontario. Archaeological sites confirm human occupation in this area dating back thousands of years.
Who established the town of York and when was it founded?
Governor John Graves Simcoe established the town of York in 1793 on lands purchased from the Mississaugas of the New Credit First Nation. He selected this location because it was less vulnerable to attack by the United States than Newark.
What date did York officially become the City of Toronto?
York became the City of Toronto on the 6th of March 1834 when Reformist politician William Lyon Mackenzie served as the first mayor. This transition occurred after American forces captured and plundered the town during the Battle of York in 1813.
Which municipalities merged to form the megacity of Toronto on January 1st 1998?
Six municipalities including East York, Etobicoke, North York, Scarborough, York, and the original city merged into one megacity on the 1st of January 1998. A referendum held in March 1997 showed more than three votes against amalgamation but provincial law allowed the Harris government to ignore results.
How many people lived within the city limits according to the 2021 Census?
The 2021 Census recorded a population of 2,794,356 people living within the city limits of Toronto. Immigrants born outside Canada comprise 46.6 per cent of the total population with over 200 ethnic origins represented among inhabitants.