The Crown granted them land to compensate for their losses in the Thirteen Colonies. The British defeated the French and their indigenous allies in the war, and the area became part of the British colony of Quebec in 1763.ĭuring the American Revolutionary War, an influx of British settlers came here as United Empire Loyalists fled for the British-controlled lands north of Lake Ontario. These routes together were known as the Toronto Passage.įrench traders founded Fort Rouillé in 1750 (the current Exhibition grounds were later developed here), but abandoned it in 1759 during the Seven Years' War. In the 17th century, the area was a crucial link for travel, with the Humber and Rouge rivers providing a shortcut to the upper Great Lakes. Its economy is highly diversified with strengths in technology, design, financial services, life sciences, education, arts, fashion, aerospace, environmental innovation, food services, and tourism. The city is home to the Toronto Stock Exchange, the headquarters of Canada's five largest banks, and the headquarters of many large Canadian and multinational corporations. Toronto is known for its many skyscrapers and high-rise buildings, in particular the tallest free-standing structure in the Western Hemisphere, the CN Tower. Its varied cultural institutions, which include numerous museums and galleries, festivals and public events, entertainment districts, national historic sites, and sports activities, attract over 43 million tourists each year. Toronto is a prominent centre for music, theatre, motion picture production, and television production, and is home to the headquarters of Canada's major national broadcast networks and media outlets. The Toronto City Council is a unicameral legislative body, comprising 25 councillors since the 2018 municipal election, representing geographical wards throughout the city. The mayor of Toronto is elected by direct popular vote to serve as the chief executive of the city. While the majority of Torontonians speak English as their primary language, over 160 languages are spoken in the city. More than 50 percent of residents belong to a visible minority population group, and over 200 distinct ethnic origins are represented among its inhabitants. The diverse population of Toronto reflects its current and historical role as an important destination for immigrants to Canada. The city proper has since expanded past its original limits through both annexation and amalgamation to its current area of 630.2 km 2 (243.3 sq mi). It was designated as the capital of the province of Ontario in 1867 during Canadian Confederation. York was renamed and incorporated in 1834 as the city of Toronto. During the War of 1812, the town was the site of the Battle of York and suffered heavy damage by American troops. After the broadly disputed Toronto Purchase, when the Mississauga surrendered the area to the British Crown, the British established the town of York in 1793 and later designated it as the capital of Upper Canada. Indigenous peoples have travelled through and inhabited the Toronto area, located on a broad sloping plateau interspersed with rivers, deep ravines, and urban forest, for more than 10,000 years. Toronto is an international centre of business, finance, arts, and culture, and is recognized as one of the most multicultural and cosmopolitan cities in the world. The city is the anchor of the Golden Horseshoe, an urban agglomeration of 9,245,438 people (as of 2016) surrounding the western end of Lake Ontario, while the Greater Toronto Area proper had a 2016 population of 6,417,516. With a recorded population of 2,731,571 in 2016, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. Toronto ( / t ə ˈ r ɒ n t oʊ/ ( listen), locally / ˈ t r ɒ n oʊ, - n ə/) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. Toronto Pearson International Airport, Billy Bishop Toronto City AirportĢA, 27, 400, 401, 404, 409, 427, Black Creek Drive, Allen Road, Don Valley Parkway, Gardiner Expressway, Queen Elizabeth Wayīlack Creek, Burke Brook, Don River, Etobicoke Creek, German Mills Creek, Humber River, Keating Channel, Mimico Creek, Rouge River, Taylor-Massey Creek