Mississauga

Formed in 1974, Mississauga is now recognized as Canada's 6th largest and fastest growing major city with a population of over 700,000 residents representing cultures from around the world.

is a city in Southern Ontario located in the Regional Municipality of Peel, and in the western part of the Greater Toronto Area. With an estimated population of 734,000, it is Canada's sixth-most populous municipality, and has almost doubled in population in each of the last two decades. Mississauga's growth reached a peak between the census years of 1986-1991, with the largest population growth in Canada (89,500). Sustained population growth has continued since, but at a somewhat slower pace. Mississauga is now the third most populous city on the Great Lakes, surpassing the cities proper of Detroit, Milwaukee and Cleveland over the last two decades.

Developed as a suburb of Toronto, Mississauga's growth is attributed to its proximity to that city. However, Mississauga's extensive corporate and industrial employment opportunities differentiate it from suburban bedroom communities. The city has also been trying to create a distinctive image for itself over the past few years. It held an international architectural design competition in 2006 for a 56-storey condominium tower, to be called Absolute World, that is intended to be a landmark for the city. The city is debt-free and has not borrowed money since 1978. Mississauga has been the beneficiary of federal infrastructure funding but may have to borrow money to build new capital projects in 2012.

With five major freeways passing through the city, Mississauga offers quick access to major markets in Canada, in addition to large markets in the Northeastern and Midwestern United States. Toronto Pearson International Airport, Canada's busiest, is located in the city. Mississauga has one of the largest corporate/financial districts in Canada with major international companies having their Canadian headquarters located in the region including Hewlett-Packard, Microsoft, PepsiCo, General Electric, Siemens, Fujitsu, Wal-Mart Canada and Intuit Canada among many other Fortune 500 companies. Square One Shopping Centre, the second-largest shopping mall of Greater Toronto Area, is also situated in Mississauga. Residents of the city are called Mississaugans.

Geography:

Mississauga is bounded by Oakville and Milton to the west/southwest, Brampton to the north, Toronto to the east, and Lake Ontario to the south/south-east. Halton Hills borders Mississauga's north-west corner. With the exception of the southeast border with Toronto (Etobicoke Creek), Mississauga shares a land border with all previous mentioned municipalities.

Two major river valleys feed into the lake. The Credit River is by far the longest with the heaviest flow, it divides the western side of Mississauga from the central/eastern portions and enters the lake at the Port Credit harbour. The indented, mostly forested valley was inhabited by first nation peoples long before European exploration of the area. The valley is protected and maintained by the Credit Valley Conservation Authority (CVCA).

Etobicoke Creek forms part of the eastern border of Mississauga with the city of Toronto. North of there it passes through the western limits of Pearson Airport. There have been two aviation accidents, in 1978 and 2005 where aircraft overshot the runaway and slid into the Etobicoke creek banks. In 1954, heavy flooding resulted in some homes along the riverbank being swept into the lake after heavy rains from Hurricane Hazel. Since that storm, houses are no longer constructed along this floodplain. This creek and its tributaries are administered by the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA).

Most land in Mississauga drains to either of the two main river systems, with the exception of the smaller Mary Fix and Cooksville Creeks which run roughly through the center of Mississauga entering the lake near Port Credit. Some small streams and reservoirs are part of the Sixteen Mile Creek system in the far north-west corner of the city, but these drain toward the lake in neighbouring Milton and Oakville.

The shoreline of former Glacial Lake Iroquois roughly follows the Dundas Street alignment, although it is not noticeable in some places but is more prominent in others, such as the site of the former brickyard (Shoreline Dr. in Cooksville), the ancient shoreline drops below affording a clear view of downtown Toronto and Lake Ontario on clear days from the ridge. The land in Mississauga in general slopes gradually downward from almost 190 metres (623 ft) ASL in some northern spots to Lake Ontario(76 m/249 ft ASL), a 110 metre (361 ft) difference over an averaged 15 kilometres (9 mi) distance.

Apart from the Credit River valley and Iroquois shoreline, the only noticeable hills in Mississauga are actually part of the former Britannia Landfill near Streetsville and Centennial Park Ski Hill which is on the Toronto side of Etobicoke Creek.

Schools:

• AEC - Mississauga Campus
• Allan A. Martin Sr. Public School
• Applewood Heights Secondary School
• Applewood School
• Artesian Drive Public School
• Ashgrove Public School
• Barondale Public School
• Brandon Gate Public School
• Brian W. Fleming Public School
• Briarwood Public School
• Bristol Road Middle School
• Britannia Public School
• Brookmede Public School
• Burnhamthorpe Public School
• Camilla Road Sr. Public School
• Cashmere Avenue Public School
• Castlebridge Public School
• Cawthra Park Secondary School
• Champlain Trail Public School
• Churchill Meadows Public School
• Clarkson Public School
• Clarkson Secondary School
• Clifton Public School
• Cooksville Creek Public School
• Corliss Public School
• Corsair Public School
• Credit Valley Public School
• Darcel Avenue Sr. Public School
• David Leeder Middle School
• Derry West Village Public School
• Dixie Public School
• Dolphin Sr. Public School
• Dunrankin Dr. Public School
• Edenrose Public School
• Edenwood Middle School
• Ellengale Public School
• Elmcrest Public School
• Erin Centre Middle School
• Erin Mills Middle School
• Erindale Secondary School
• Fairview Public School
• Fairwind Sr. Public School
• Fallingbrook Middle School
• Floradale Public School
• Forest Avenue Public School
• Forest Glen Public School
• Garthwood Park Public School
• Glenforest Secondary School
• Glenhaven Sr. Public School
• Gordon Graydon Memorial Secondary School
• Green Glade Sr. Public School
• Hartsdale Avenue Public School
• Hawthorn Public School
• Hazel McCallion Senior Public School
• Hillcrest Middle School
• Hillside Sr. Public School
• Homelands Sr. Public School
• Huntington Ridge Public School
• John Fraser Secondary School
• Kenollie Public School
• Kindree Public School
• King's Masting Public School
• Lancaster Public School
• Levi Creek Public School
• Lincoln M. Alexander Secondary School
• Lisgar Middle School
• Lorne Park Public School
• Lorne Park Secondary School
• Maple Wood Public School
• Marvin Heights Public School
• McBride Public School
• McKinnon Public School
• Meadowvale Secondary School
• Meadowvale Village Public School
• Middlebury Public School
• Miller's Grove Public School
• Mineola Public School
• Mississauga Secondary School
• Morning Star Middle School
• Munden Park Public School
• Nahani Way Public School
• Oakridge Public School
• Oscar Peterson Public School
• Osprey Woods Public School
• Owenwood Public School
• Peel Alternative School South
• Peel Alternative School West
• Peel Alternative South ISR
• Peel Alternative West ISR
• Pheasant Run Public School
• Plowman's Park Public School
• Plum Tree Park Public School
• Port Credit Secondary School
• Queen Elizabeth Sr. Public School
• Queenston Drive Public School
• Ray Underhill Public School
• Rick Hansen Secondary School
• Ridgewood Public School
• Riverside Public School
• Ruth Thompson Middle School
• Sawmill Valley Public School
• Settler's Green Public School
• Shelter Bay Public School
• Sheridan Park Public School
• Sherwood Mills Public School
• Silver Creek Public School
• Silverthorn Public School
• Springfield Public School
• Stephen Lewis Secondary School
• Streetsville Secondary School
• Tecumseh Public School
• The Valleys Sr. Public School
• The Woodlands School
• The Woodlands School
• Thomas Street Middle School
• Thorn Lodge Public School
• Thornwood Public School
• TL Kennedy Secondary School
• Tomken Road Middle School
• Trelawny Public School
• Vista Heights Public School
• West Credit Secondary School
• Westacres Public School
• Whitehorn Public School
• Whiteoaks Public School
• Willow Glen Public School
• Willow Way Public SchoolAEC - Mississauga Campus
• Allan A. Martin Sr. Public School
• Applewood Heights Secondary School
• Applewood School
• Artesian Drive Public School
• Ashgrove Public School
• Barondale Public School
• Brandon Gate Public School
• Brian W. Fleming Public School
• Briarwood Public School
• Bristol Road Middle School
• Britannia Public School
• Brookmede Public School
• Burnhamthorpe Public School
• Camilla Road Sr. Public School
• Cashmere Avenue Public School
• Castlebridge Public School
• Cawthra Park Secondary School
• Champlain Trail Public School
• Churchill Meadows Public School
• Clarkson Public School
• Clarkson Secondary School
• Clifton Public School
• Cooksville Creek Public School
• Corliss Public School
• Corsair Public School
• Credit Valley Public School
• Darcel Avenue Sr. Public School
• David Leeder Middle School
• Derry West Village Public School
• Dixie Public School
• Dolphin Sr. Public School
• Dunrankin Dr. Public School
• Edenrose Public School
• Edenwood Middle School
• Ellengale Public School
• Elmcrest Public School
• Erin Centre Middle School
• Erin Mills Middle School
• Erindale Secondary School
• Fairview Public School
• Fairwind Sr. Public School
• Fallingbrook Middle School
• Floradale Public School
• Forest Avenue Public School
• Forest Glen Public School
• Garthwood Park Public School
• Glenforest Secondary School
• Glenhaven Sr. Public School
• Gordon Graydon Memorial Secondary School
• Green Glade Sr. Public School
• Hartsdale Avenue Public School
• Hawthorn Public School
• Hazel McCallion Senior Public School
• Hillcrest Middle School
• Hillside Sr. Public School
• Homelands Sr. Public School
• Huntington Ridge Public School
• John Fraser Secondary School
• Kenollie Public School
• Kindree Public School
• King's Masting Public School
• Lancaster Public School
• Levi Creek Public School
• Lincoln M. Alexander Secondary School
• Lisgar Middle School
• Lorne Park Public School
• Lorne Park Secondary School
• Maple Wood Public School
• Marvin Heights Public School
• McBride Public School
• McKinnon Public School
• Meadowvale Secondary School
• Meadowvale Village Public School
• Middlebury Public School
• Miller's Grove Public School
• Mineola Public School
• Mississauga Secondary School
• Morning Star Middle School
• Munden Park Public School
• Nahani Way Public School
• Oakridge Public School
• Oscar Peterson Public School
• Osprey Woods Public School
• Owenwood Public School
• Peel Alternative School South
• Peel Alternative School West
• Peel Alternative South ISR
• Peel Alternative West ISR
• Pheasant Run Public School
• Plowman's Park Public School
• Plum Tree Park Public School
• Port Credit Secondary School
• Queen Elizabeth Sr. Public School
• Queenston Drive Public School
• Ray Underhill Public School
• Rick Hansen Secondary School
• Ridgewood Public School
• Riverside Public School
• Ruth Thompson Middle School
• Sawmill Valley Public School
• Settler's Green Public School
• Shelter Bay Public School
• Sheridan Park Public School
• Sherwood Mills Public School
• Silver Creek Public School
• Silverthorn Public School
• Springfield Public School
• Stephen Lewis Secondary School
• Streetsville Secondary School
• Tecumseh Public School
• The Valleys Sr. Public School
• The Woodlands School
• The Woodlands School
• Thomas Street Middle School
• Thorn Lodge Public School
• Thornwood Public School
• TL Kennedy Secondary School
• Tomken Road Middle School
• Trelawny Public School
• Vista Heights Public School
• West Credit Secondary School
• Westacres Public School
• Whitehorn Public School
• Whiteoaks Public School
• Willow Glen Public School
• Willow Way Public School