While many cities in Canada can boast roots that go right back into the 18th and even 17th centuries, not many can point to physical evidence of their long lives that still remain. Most of the towns and cities in Canada that have been long established are located in Ontario and Quebec, and for the most part they are today major cities (one thinks of Toronto, Montreal, and Quebec City, for example). While these cities still retain many of their old town characteristics, much of the physical building that occurred in their infancy has been replace by more modern structure. While French Canada has managed to retain many of its old buildings, even in major cities, the same is not true for Ontario. Ontario’s growth rate, in particular during the last century, has meant that the old has been replace by the new in many areas. One exception is the village of Meadowvale, a town that has its roots in the early 19th century. Today, the village is a part of the city of Mississauga (yet another thriving Ontario metropolis) and is located next to some of the richest business districts in the country. Yet Meadowvale Village has retained many of its historical features, including many of its original homes. Let’s take a look at some Meadowvale history. Immigrants of Irish stock, who arrived in Canada after leaving the state of New York, settled the village itself in the 1820s. Because of its proximity to the Credit River, the village naturally lent itself to the milling industry, which quickly became the main economical driver in the town. In fact, Meadowvale continued to mill peacefully until the middle of the 20th century, when the transportation boom caught up to it and highways began to be constructed all around. The village was locate close to Highway 401, and therefore in 1968 Meadowvale itself was incorporated into the new city of Mississauga. A mere 12 years later, in 1980, Ontario government and municipal officials began to listen to the petitions of Meadowvale residents to protect their heritage home from developers. In fact, Meadowvale was unique; almost all of the homes standing in the village had been built in the mid 1800s, and many of them were still standing. Because of this claim to fame, Meadowvale Village was officially recognizes as Ontario’s first Heritage Conservation District. The buildings in the Village are protected from development and the region itself is recognized as a unique preservation of important parts of Canada’s past.
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