Toronto, second in importance among the cities of Canada. As Montreal is the metropolis of the east and of so much of the west as its great railway facilities enable it to control for business purposes, so Toronto aims to be the metropolis of the west, including the newly-opened regions of the North-west.
The name is derived from the Huron word signifying 'place of meeting.' In 1749 the French established a chain of posts or forts through all the west and down the Mississippi Valley, and two forts, one at Kingston, Fort Frontenac, and one at Toronto, called Fort Rouillé. In 1756 this fort, on the west side of the present city, was destroyed to prevent its falling into the hands of the English. In 1793 Governor Simcoe finding Niagara or Newark too close to the
American side—indeed, right under the guns of an American fort—for the seat of government, crossed Lake Ontario and established his headquarters in a tent on a site to the east of the present city. In this tent he passed a whole winter before a government house could be erected for his use. In 1812 Toronto, called York by Governor Simcoe, was captured and burned and looted twice in the same year by the American army and navy. In 1834 it was incorporated as a city with its present name Toronto. In 1837 it was the scene of a brief and ineffectual rebellion under Lyon Mackenzie (q.v.). Since that time its history has been purely civic, without other interest than that attaching to prosperous growth. The growth of population has been rapid. In 1793, when Governor Simcoe landed, there were only two Indian families. In 1834 the population was less than 10,000. In 1861 it had increased to 44,821, in 1871 to 56,092, and in 1881 to 86,415. In 1891, including some annexed suburbs, it amounted to 181,220.
The city is the capital of the province, and all the departments of the provincial government are centred in Toronto. The lieutenant-governor resides there, and the official residence is a handsome building. The local legislature meets annually in the building prepared for the earlier legislature of a united Canada (before 1840). The Dominion government has also great establishments in Toronto in the custom-house, post-office, internal revenue offices, and a meteorological observatory. The law-courts are centred in Osgoode Hall, a very stately and roomy building.
The principal ecclesiastical buildings are the cathedral of St James (Anglican), the Metropolitan Methodist Church, and St Michael's Cathedral (Catholic). In educational institutions Toronto is very rich. The university of Toronto, which was burned to the ground in 1890, was a very imposing structure, and, restored on the old plan, is well worthy of its noble site and splendid grounds. The professorial staff numbers about 21, and the number of students in attendance averages 400. There are also Trinity College (Anglican), Wycliff College (Protestant), Knox College (Presbyterian), Macmaster Hall (Baptist), St Michael's College (Catholic), besides the Normal School, Collegiate Institute, endless public schools and separate (Catholic) schools and convents; and there are schools of pharmacy, dentistry, and veterinary science. Toronto has a Public Library (1884) which now contains about 40,000 volumes; the University Library, destroyed in the fire of 1890, but gradually gathering up again; the Law Library (20,000 volumes); the library of the Canadian Institute; and the Legislature Library, which has about 30,000 volumes. Each of the colleges has a select library for its own purposes.
The commerce of Toronto has grown with the growth of the city. Between 1870 and 1890 the imports increased from little over 7,000,000 to over 20,000,000 per annum, and the development has gone on since; the exports grew from 1,000,000 or so to over 3,000,000. The lake commerce in lumber, fruit, grain, coal, and cattle is large. The shipping on the lakes is laid up in winter. The manufactories comprise iron-foundries, engine-shops, railway works, rolling-mills, breweries and a distillery, cabinet works and carriage factories, tanneries, soap-works, bootmaking establishments, sash and door factories, and pork-packing houses. Banking is largely represented in the city; and there are numerous newspapers and periodicals published here.
Toronto became the adopted home of Sir Daniel Wilson and of Professor Goldwin Smith, and was for a time the residence of Mrs Jameson the art critic.
See the article ONTARIO; also CANADA and works there cited.