History History

Coureur des bois, outlaw, freedom-loving adventurer, Étienne Brûlé is said to have been the first European to travel up to where the Toronto River, now the Humber River, flows into Lake Ontario. At the time, in 1615, the Hurons lived there. Sent by Champlain, Étienne Brûlé lived among them, learning their language, taking notes on their way of life, the topography and the riches of the place. However, it was not until more than a century later that the French established a fort there before being dislodged by the British shortly afterwards.

This century was the scene of incessant warfare between the various Amerindian tribes of southern Ontario, in which the French armies largely participated, allying themselves with one or another of the tribes according to their interests. The Iroquois dominated the Toronto area until the end of the 17th century, when Christian missionaries settled among the local population.
Beginning in the early 18th century, an Algonquin tribe, the Mississaugas, gained ascendancy over the Senecas, the last Iroquoian tribe to occupy the area.

This period was marked by regular wars between the French and the British for the domination of North America. During this period, Toronto remained a French possession.

The French settled permanently at the mouth of the Niagara River (in present-day New York State) at Fort Niagara. They decided to create an advanced base at the present location in Toronto, called Fort Rouillé, to facilitate the fur trade with the local tribes.

British troops win decisive battles and take control of the region. The Treaty of Paris of 1763, by which France gave way to Great Britain in the Great Lakes region, formalized this settlement.

Great Britain recognized the independence of the United States, its former American colonies. The Treaty of Paris of 1783 drew the southern border of Ontario, dividing the Great Lakes on either side.
The first American Loyalists, who remained loyal to the British Crown, arrived in Canada and took refuge in southern Ontario. They numbered between 6,000 and 10,000, followed by other Americans attracted by the low price of land.

Sir John Johnson and the Chiefs of the Mississaugas negotiate a treaty at the Bay of Quinte Portage leading to the British acquisition of the land where Toronto is located.

The Constitution Act establishing representative government divides the country into two provinces : English-speaking Upper Canada (Ontario) and French-speaking Lower Canada (Quebec).

John Graves Simcoe, Governor of the Province of Upper Canada, chose York (now Toronto) as the capital of Upper Canada and had Fort York built nearby.

The Anglo-American War breaks out. Fort York suffers two American invasions and York, three. The British will retaliate for these attacks, particularly the one in April 1813, by burning down public buildings in Washington D.C. in 1814.

The agglomeration of York becomes Toronto and is incorporated as a city. William Lyon Mackenzie was the first mayor of the city, which had a population of some 9,000, including many former African-American slaves who had fled the United States.

A journalist and politician, he was elected mayor of Toronto in 1834. Then, in 1837, he led the Upper Canada Rebellion against Sir Francis Bond Head and the Compact Family, which failed. In 1849, after spending years in American prisons for his involvement in the Caroline Affair, he was granted amnesty and was allowed to return to Canada. From 1851 to 1858, he was a member of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Canada. He died in his home in Toronto in 1861, which is now a museum that can be visited.

British Governor General Lord Durham proposes the union of Lower and Upper Canada, known as the Act of Union, creating United Canada.

Toronto is experiencing rapid growth due to the influx of migrants, particularly as a result of the Great Famine in Ireland. The Irish were the majority ethnic group in Toronto in 1851. During this period, Toronto was named capital of the Province of Canada in 1849-1852 and 1856-1858. Ottawa took over this title in 1858 before becoming the national capital in 1867 when Canadian Confederation was created.

The British North America Act creates Canadian Confederation and Toronto is given the role of capital of Ontario.

Toronto is developing its urban infrastructure, including a major waste treatment centre, gas street lighting, the creation of the first electricity company, the development of public transit and the construction of long-distance rail lines. The first Union Station was built in the downtown area and in 1856, the first train line between Toronto and Montreal was inaugurated. In 1893, Toronto also built its first subway line.

Immigration continues: Germans, French, Italians and Jews from Eastern Europe arrive in Toronto, followed by Chinese, Russians, Poles and immigrants from other Eastern European countries.

In April, a large part of the city centre was destroyed in the Great Toronto Fire. More than 100 buildings were destroyed and damage was estimated at more than $10 million. As a result, the city's fire services were strengthened.

Toronto ranks ^2nd in Canada in terms of economy and population, just behind Montreal.

Architectural boom during which the city's first skyscrapers rise, including the Royal York Hotel with its hundred meters high.

The Toronto Stock Exchange becomes the largest in the country.

The city's population exceeds one million, which led to the creation of Metropolitan Toronto two years later to bring together several surrounding municipalities.

Hurricane Hazel struck Toronto, killing 81 people and leaving nearly 2,000 families homeless. Damage will be estimated at more than $25 million.

Era of large real estate projects, modifying the urban landscape of the city centre and its suburbs.

Construction by the Canadian National Railway of the CN Tower, a communication and observation tower that is the emblem of the city. Until 2009, it was the tallest tower of its kind in the world.

Toronto becomes the most populous city and the main economic centre of the country.

Creation of the Greater Toronto Area, with the amalgamation of the inner suburbs.

Toronto is hosting the G20 Summit and the Muskoka region is hosting the G8.

The scandals involving Toronto Mayor Rob Ford have come one after another with no down time. Elected in 2010, he still hopes to win another term as mayor in the 2014 election, but dropped out of the race after being diagnosed with a cancerous tumour. He died of it on 22 March 2016.

Toronto hosts the Pan/Parapan American Games with a dozen venues spread throughout the greater metropolitan area.

The Ontario government and the City of Toronto have reached an agreement to begin construction of a new subway line in the city. The Ontario Line will connect Ontario Place to the Ontario Science Centre via the downtown core and is scheduled to open in 2030.

At the end of January, Ottawa, the Canadian capital, was besieged for nearly a month by the Freedom Convoy, a protest movement against health measures, including mandatory border vaccinations for truckers. The sieges spread to several provinces, and the movement was echoed almost everywhere in the country, and even internationally.