The Native Indians gave Toronto its original name, “Toronto,” because they used the bay’s shelter for harbouring. The bay was later used by French fur traders, who constructed Fort Rouillé there in 1749. However, there wasn’t much population until 1793, when Governor Simcoe decided to make the location the capital of Upper Canada. In honour of the Duke of York’s achievements in the conflict with France, he gave it the name “York.”

Based on the Town of York, which was the original name of Toronto. Some call Toronto “Little York” since it’s the largest city in Canada and shares many characteristics with the bustling metropolis of New York City. as in, the “Little” brother of New York.

Why is Toronto called Little York? Toronto’s History

It’s crucial to first understand a little bit about Toronto’s past. For almost 12,000 years, Indigenous People—ancestors of the Huron-Wendat—lived on the region that is now Toronto. After Toronto was turned over to the British in 1793, the Town of York was established. In the eighteenth century, Toronto was a major commercial post. In order to set itself apart from New York City and other parts of the province that were also referred to as “York,” the Town of York changed its name to Toronto following the War of 1812.

The word floated throughout the region between Lake Simcoe and Lake Huron, misinterpreted and confounded by numerous old-world explorers. It was labelled as a canoe route on the Humber River and Lake Simcoe itself on a number of early maps.
While Toronto has continued to travel, the York name endures in East York, North York, York Region, and the numerous other York-related streets and communities in the GTA.

The name Toronto comes from that little body of water in Orillia; it is the name of cities in the United States, Australia, and the United Kingdom.

Earlier Times of Settlement in “Muddy York”

The Huron-Wendat and Petun First Nations, the Seneca, and, most recently, the Mississaugas of the Credit River have been farming, hunting, and residing in what is now Toronto for the past fifteen millennia. The French didn’t build the first trading post along the Toronto Passage until 1720 in an attempt to stop English rivals transporting furs across Lake Ontario to New York State. Built in 1751 on the current grounds of the Canadian National Exhibition (CNE), Fort Rouillé succeeded the trade post. French rule in North America was essentially ended with the signing of the Treaty of Paris in 1763, following the fall of Québec, and the city’s French heritage was all but forgotten.

So Why is Toronto called Little York?

A rose by any other name would obviously smell just as lovely, but we are  not sure how certain we can be that Toronto’s uprising against Yorkishness was insignificant. In recent time, Toronto has risen to the top of the Dominion and has no competition left. Its hegemony over Canadian media and culture, as well as its hold on the highest echelons of commerce and banking, have only gotten stronger.

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