Islington Village        from Robert Given    

The Islington Village was originally called Mimico.
The name change occurred following a meeting
on October 14, 1858, of the
Etobicoke Agricultural Society.
The meeting was held in Thomas Smith’s Inn,
on the south side of Dundas,
west of the Mimico Creek.

In 1855, service began on the
Hamilton and Toronto Railway
across southern Etobicoke.
A “Mimico station was located at Royal York Road.
Two years later a “Mimico” Post Office
opened near the lake.

It was, therefore, decided to choose a new name
for the community on Dundas near Mimico Creek,
to avoid confusion.  Names were suggested,
but there was no agreement. 
Finally the innkeepers wife,
Elizabeth Wilson Smith, was called in to the meeting.
She was baking bread and said she had no suggestions.
The chairman asked her where she was born
and she replied
“at Islington, near London, England”.

Islington received its own post office on June 16, 1860,
when Edward Musson’s son Thomas
was appointed Postmaster.
 He opened the office in the rear of his home
on the north side of Dundas, west of Mimico Creek.
The Credit Valley Railway, which became
the CPR to Detroit, was not opened through
Islington until September 19, 1897.

Dundas was one of the first roads
to be built in the province.
Lieutenant-Governor John Graves Simcoe
had the Queen’s Rangers open the road
from the Town of York westward to
the head of Lake Ontario

The Village of Islington Exhibit Opened
Thursday June 12th., 2003
and became part of
The Villages of Etobicoke series.

The Village of Islington Exhibit
is located in
the Community Room
at
Montgomery’s Inn
4709 Dundas Street West
(at Islington Avenue)
Etobicoke, Ontario

416-394-8113

Come one come all!

It is time for all of us
to explore the history
of the Village of Islington.

Come and see
the Village of Islington Exhibit
at
Montgomery’s Inn.
or
Take a walking tour
of the Village of Islington yourself.

Still there on Dundas Street, west
of Burnhamthorpe Road is
the Islington Burying Ground
click on the Cemetery button to the left
for more information
on the Burying Ground.

After your walking tour,
you are invited back to the Inn
for a viewing
of the Village of Islington Exhibit.