History of Toronto - Pre-European Period

Pre-European Period

Toronto is located on the northern shore of Lake Ontario, and was originally a term of indeterminate geographical location, designating the approximate area of the future city of Toronto on maps dating to the late 17th and early 18th century. Eventually, the name was anchored to the mouth of the Humber River, the end of the Toronto Carrying-Place Trail portage route from Georgian Bay; this is where the city of Toronto is located today.

The source and meaning of the name remains a matter of debate. Most common definitions claim that the origin is the Seneca word Giyando, meaning "on the other side," which was the place where the Humber River narrows at the foot of the pass to the village of Taiaiagon. However, it is much more likely that the term is from the Mohawk word tkaronto meaning "where there are trees standing in the water," a reference to a specific location at the northern end of what is now Lake Simcoe, then known as "Lake Toronto". The portage route up the Humber River eventually leads past this well-known landmark. As the portage route grew in use, the name became more widely used and was eventually attached to a French trading fort just inland from Lake Ontario on the Humber.

Part of this confusion can be attributed to the succession of peoples who lived in the area during the 17th century and before: the Neutral, Seneca, Mohawk, Cayuga and Wendat nations. The Mississaugas arrived in the late 17th or early 18th century, driving out the occupying Iroquois and later lending their name to Toronto's modern-day western suburb. Until the beginning of British colonization, there was limited permanent occupation, though both native peoples and the French did attempted to settle, including the construction of the small fort 'Rouillé' near the mouth of the Humber, on the grounds of today's Exhibition Place.