Toronto Islands
The Mississaugas' traditional lands are located in southern Ontario. They spent their summers on these lands near the mouths of rivers and streams and on these Toronto Islands.
The Toronto Islands were originally a long peninsula named 'Menecing', which translates "On the Island".
The peninsula was a series of connected sand spits that held spiritual significance for the Mississaugas. The long beach was considered a place of healing and the Mississaugas brought their sick here to recuperate. Early references speak to the healthy atmosphere and the "peculiarly clear and fine" air of the peninsula. In addition to its restorative power, the peninsula was used for numerous ceremonial purposes including childbirth and burials.
In the 1850s, a series of storms disconnected the body of the peninsula from the mainland and led to the creation of the Toronto Islands as they exist today.
Plaque via Alan L. Brown's site Toronto Plaques. Full page here.