Toronto Purchase facts for kids

The Toronto Purchase was a big land deal. It was between the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation, who are Indigenous people, and the British government. This deal involved a large area where the city of Toronto is today.

An early agreement was made in 1787. People disagreed about this agreement for a long time. It was looked at again in 1805 to make things clearer. But the disagreement continued for over 200 years. Finally, in 2010, the Government of Canada and the Mississaugas reached a settlement for the land.

The 1787 Agreement

This map shows the Toronto Purchase area. Notice how the British surveyors used straight lines instead of natural features like rivers for boundaries.

After the Treaty of Paris (1783), which ended a war between Great Britain and its former colonies, the border of British North America was set. It ran through the middle of the Great Lakes. This made the land north of the border very important. It was needed for new settlers called Loyalists.

In 1781, the Mississaugas gave up land along the Niagara River. In 1783, they gave up land on the Bay of Quinte. This land was for the Mohawks, who had supported the British. About 10,000 Loyalists arrived between 1783 and 1785. They settled on land the British government knew belonged to Indigenous peoples.

Why the British Needed Land

In 1786, Lord Dorchester became the Governor-in-Chief. His job was to help the new Loyalists. He decided to create a new province called Upper Canada. He also needed to choose a capital city for this new area.

Dorchester first thought of Kingston. But he knew many Loyalists were in the Bay of Quinte and Niagara areas. So, he chose a spot north of the Bay of Toronto. This location was in the middle of the settlements. The British government at that time believed they had to buy land from Indigenous peoples. So, Dorchester arranged to buy land from the Mississaugas.

What Was Exchanged in 1787

The 1787 purchase happened on September 23, 1787. It took place at the "Carrying-Place" of Bay of Quinte. The British government and the Mississaugas of New Credit met to arrange the sale.

For the Toronto area, the Mississaugas gave up about 250,808 acres of land. This land is now most of Toronto and the Regional Municipality of York. It was bordered by Lake Ontario to the south. To the west, it was near Etobicoke Creek. To the east, it was near Ashbridge's Bay. To the north, it was near Bloomington Road.

In return, the Mississaugas received some money and other items. These included 2,000 gun flints, 24 brass kettles, 120 mirrors, 24 laced hats, a bale of flowered flannel, and 96 gallons of rum.

Different Understandings of the Deal

At the time, the Mississaugas believed the agreement was not a sale. They thought it was a rental of the land. They believed the British could use the land, and in return, the Mississaugas would receive gifts forever. They did not think they were giving up their rights to the land completely.

In 1788, a surveyor named Alexander Aitken was sent to map the Toronto site. The Mississaugas stopped him from surveying west of the Humber River. They said those lands had not been given up. Aitken was only allowed to survey after British officials talked with the Mississaugas. He surveyed west to Etobicoke Creek. But he only went a few miles north from the lake to avoid more problems.

The 1805 Revision

This image shows the signatures of the people who approved the Toronto Purchase in 1805.

A new version of the deal was made on August 1, 1805. This revision was called an Indenture. Both the 1787 Purchase and its 1805 Indenture are known as Crown Treaty No. 13.

For this revision, the Mississaugas of New Credit First Nation also claimed the Toronto Islands. These islands were not part of the original purchase. The first agreement only went to the Lake Ontario shoreline.

Areas Included in the Purchase

The land sold in the Toronto Purchase includes:

• the former City of Etobicoke
• the former City of North York
• the former City of Toronto (before it merged with other cities)
• the former City of York
• the former Borough of East York
• the City of Vaughan
• King Township
• the southwestern part of Markham
• the western part of Whitchurch

Who Signed the 1805 Agreement

The 1805 Purchase was signed by important people from both sides.

• Sir John Johnson
• William Claus (who worked for the British Indian Affairs department)

Witnesses for the British included:

• Captain JW Williams of the 49th Regiment
• Prideaux Selby of the Indian Department

An important fur trader, Jean-Bonaventure Rousseaux, also witnessed the agreement.

The First Nations Chiefs who confirmed the agreement with their totems were:

• Chehalk
• Queneperion
• Okemaperesse
• Wabensse
• Kenebonecence
• Osenego
• Acheton

The 2010 Settlement

In 1986, the Mississaugas started a land claims process. They wanted to fix the problems with the Toronto Purchase. They also had a claim for a smaller piece of land near Burlington Bay.

In 2010, the Government of Canada agreed to pay $145 million for the lands. This amount was based on the old value of the land, updated to today's money. The money was given to the band government. Each of the 1,700 Mississaugas living today received $20,000. The rest of the money was put into a trust fund for future generations.