The Mississaugas of New Credit are the aboriginal landowners of Toronto who were forced out of the Toronto region after 1805 and sent to live at the Credit River (in today's City of Mississauga) until they were forced out of that area as well.

With no place left to go, as all of their other lands in southern Ontario had been taken over by the government, they were invited by Chief Joseph Brant to go to live on part of the lands given by government to the United Empire Loyalist Five Nations League (now the Six Nations Confederacy).

These lands along the Grand River were originally Mississauga lands for which they have not been paid, and in 1923 when the New Credit Mississaugas received some government money under the Williams Treaty, they bought two blocks of the Grand River tract from the Six Nations - in effect buying back from the Six Nations their own land for which the government has still not paid them. The two blocks where they live today are called the New Credit Reserve located near Hagerville, ON.
Cottage Sketch
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A Community History Project site
Tollkeeper's Cottage Mementos

Tickets: $15 per lecture or $50 for the series of four. They can be purchased Saturdays at the museum (10 am - 5 pm), from a CHP member or by calling 416-515-7546 or just pick them up at the lecture (if room available). Tickets are limited to a maximum of 30 people per lecture.

Where: The Tollkeeper's Cottage, NW corner of Bathurst and Davenport.

When: Starting promptly at 7 pm.

There will be a break part way through the evening for tea or coffee. After each lecture, the lecturer will accept questions from the audience.

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Events - 2010
The Tollkeeper's Cottage is a museum, owned by the Community History Project and operated by its trained volunteers. Admission is by a contribution of $2 or more per person towards operating costs. Around the cottage are heritage plantings which have been extended into the park itself.

Additional Events and details are provided here and on the bulletin board at the Cottage as soon as they become available.

January

 
Jan 17 - Sun.
How the Girls went out to play
Fashion History Productions - organized by Sarah Walker and Diane Reid. "How the Girls went out to play" covers the years from 1852 to 1950. It is happening at Parkwoods, in Oshawa from 2pm to 4pm

Jan 23 - Sat.

1500 year old way to spin yarn - except for the CD!Knitting Workshop - 11 am in the Cottage. Learn how to knit (and a "modern day" way of making your own knitting needles and a 1500 year old way of spinning yarn) from knitters such as Marilyn Spearin or Catherine Watts ( Tollkeeper's docents, in period costumes)! For adults and children over 10. $5 supplies materials for making knitting needles, wool.
For knitters who are past the complete and utter beginner stage, who have a project they could use a bit of help on, are welcome to bring it in. Marilyn, who says she has lots of experience in making, and correcting, knitting mistakes, can advise on adjusting your project if it seems to be coming unstitched or missknit.


February
Spring
Lecture
Series.


This Spring series of 4 lectures provides insight into the lives and history of Toronto's aboriginal landowners and their predecessors. It will be held in The Tollkeeper's Cottage, continuing in the Fall with another series of four lectures on subjects relating to the study area.

Mouse over here for ticket and venue information, and here for background re the Mississaugas of the New Credit.

Feb.3 - Wed.
Spring Lecture Series
Who Are The Real Indians in Canada by former New Credit Chief Carolyn King

Feb. 10 Wed.Spring Lecture Series The History of the New Credit Mississaugas from 1650 by New Credit Land Claims Expert and Historian Margaret Sault

Feb. 15 - Mon.
Spring Lecture Series
Heritage Day at the Cottage. Open Noon to 5pm. Traditional items are available such as door 'snakes' or postcards with antique septa toned picture of the cottage..

Feb. 17 - Wed.
Spring Lecture Series
New Credit History Through Poetry by New Credit Councillor and Poet Stacey LaForme

Feb. 24 - Wed.
Spring Lecture Series
Understanding the Facts of Oral History in Defining Anishnawbe Culture: presented by New Credit Elder and Storyteller Gary Sault


March
Mar. 17 - Wed St. Patrick's Day - 2 pmto 5 pm: a special exhibit at the Cottage on Toronto's Irish and celebration of the Cottage's Irish tollkeepers. $5 includes tea, authentic Irish sodabread and marmalade, as well as a tour of the cottage!

Mar 20 Sat Closed for March break
Mar 24 Wed Life and Learning in the Early City - talk by Spadina Rd. Library Branch Head Mariella Bertelli at the Cottage at 7pm. Admission is free.


April

Apr 10- Sat.

Shakemaking: all day today. Call the office to sign up to make shakes. We need them to complete shakemakingrestoration work on the Cottage's exterior porch roof. We are able to sell a few complete shakes that will be mounted intact on the porch roof for $20 each to persons wishing to memorialize someone by buying a shake and writing that person's name on the back. The rest of the needed shakes must be shaved, then have sections cut off to fit the three planes of the roof. When this is finished, we will still have some shakes left for sale. When you come to work, you may wish to bring a watch to see how long it takes you to make one shake--after you have learned how.


A Birdhouse Workshop! Elementary school children (ages about 3 to 10), are invited to construct their own Securing the roof of the Birdhousebirdhouse. All materials are provided including wood from the restoration of the Tollkeeper's Cottage. Learn how to attract birds to their new home. Be prepared for Spring! We are running short of the clapboard left over from the restoration, but we still have a few kits..

At the Tollkeeper's Cottage. Workshop will be held in either a morning (10am) or afternoon (2:pm) session. Fee: $12. PLEASE BRING A HAMMER! Call 416-515-7546 to register and leave your child's name and your telephone number on the tape if we are not there..



Apr. 17 - Sat.
Sweet Heritage- Maple- 10 am to 5 pm at the Cottage. See the museum's maple-related artifacts, purchase some fresh syrup or maple sugar to take home ($9 small bottle, $31 quart), or a plate of 3 small pancakes with maple syrup to eat right away ($1.50), coffee $1, or historic recipes using maple syrup ($.50) and learn about the incredible tree that is Canada's national symbol (as well as being a significant indigenous food source). A Food focus day. (mouseover for more information)


Apr. 24 - Sat.
Cleanup of the Cottage grounds and The Tollkeeper's Park - 10 am until finish. All Tollkeeper's volunteers and neighbourhood users of the park are cordially invited to join us. Come on out and do what you can for as long as you can to help clean up the Tollkeeper's Cottage and the Park, including pruning, weeding and just plain old clean-up! Bring gloves, rakes, shovels, saws, clippers - whatever you can!


May

5 May - Wed
CHP President Jane Beecroft will give a talk on "A New Look at Toronto's Railroad history at 2pm in the Spadina Road Library.


15 May - Sat.
Giant Book Sale at the Cottage - all day. This sale will offer all of the remaining supply of donated books. Books will be brought from our office for the occasion, or donated by members. Come and clean us out of books.

Mon. May 24 Victoria Day. Open 3 to 5pm. We have scheduled a Victorian tea to accompany the showing of a new exhibit on the tollkeepers' Queen. We'll celebrate the Tollkeeper's Queen with a new display and the Victorian tea at the cottage. The Queen lasted longer than the tolling system in Canada. (her span 1837 to 1901 vs ours of 1835 to 1895) Come and celebrate one of the most important influences on Canada's development from colony to nation.
 

May 29 - Sat
May 30 - Sun.

Doors Open at The Cottage -10 am- 5 pm both days. Free tours of the Cottage and grounds will be given. Limerick contest on a subject to be announced.. There will be a first, second and third prizewinner each day (for $15, $10 and $5 prizes) and the winning entries will be published on this website. Learn about writers who lived near the tollhouse between 1835 and 1895 from our specially prepared brochure for the occasion. Information on becoming a docent will also be available. Limerick winners from this year and last year are posted HERE. (click to go to doors open web site)
 

June


June 8 - Tues.landclaim

Land Claim: On Tuesday June 8, the Mississaugas of the New Credit First Nation will meet with Toronto City Council regarding the end of the Toronto Purchase Land Claim. This ends a wait of 223 years for settlement of this Land Claim, for a 14 by 28 mile tract of land upon which Toronto and much of the GTA sits. This is to date the largest land claim settlement in Canadian history. The public may attend this (and any other) council meeting, with this particular item coming up later in the morning of June 8. Bring your camera for this historic meeting!


June 21 - Mon.National Aboriginal Day

The Solstice. National Aboriginal Day. The cottage will be open from 2 to 4pm, to offer the public an opportunity to see something of the history of Toronto's landowners, the Mississaugas of the New Credit First Nation, with a display about the native inhabitants of pre-Contact Ontario, and a map of the present Reserves in Ontario, and about our own Mississaugas who used to live all around the Cottage's location.


July
July 1- Thurs Is our Anniversary Day. The cottage will have been open officially for two years.


August
August 2
Mon
SIMCOE DAY 2 pm to 5 pm Visit us to learn about Ontario's Lieutenant-Governors starting with John Graves Simcoe
 
Aug. 21-22
Sat. - Sun.
Spring Lecture Series
Mississauga Pow Wow. Visit the Pow-Wow of the Mississaugas of the New Credit on their Reserve near Hagersville - our aboriginal landowners: Drummming, dancing, arts & crafts, exhibits, learning circles. All day, Saturday & Sunday. The cottage will be closed 21 Aug.
 
Aug. 28
Sat.
Spring Lecture Series
We will have a special showing of videos of the tree planting done at the New Credit Reserve, and the Council to Council meeting of the New Credit elders and Toronto City Council, held earlier at Toronto City Hall.
 

September
Fall
Lecture
Series.


This Fall series of 4 lectures , provides insight into the lives and history of Toronto's early residents. It will be held in The Tollkeeper's Cottage,

Special Pricing of $7 for each lecture or $25 for whole series. 7:00pm at the Cottage.. ,.

Sept 8 - Wed.
Spring Lecture Series
. Jacques and Hay, 19th Century Toronto Furniture - Makers with examples from her own collection, : by Norie Jacobs
Sept 15 - Wed.
Fall Lecture Series
Eating on the Move: From First Nations to Newcomers by Author and expert Dr. Dorothy Duncan


Sept 22- Wed.
Fall Lecture Series

Cemeteries: Overlooked Heritage Assets: revelations on benefits by expert Marjorie Stuart,

Sept 29 - Wed.
Spring Lecture Series
A New Look and New Insights on the Shoreline and Island: presented by lawyer and author Jane Fairburn

October
Oct 30 Sat
Annual Apples and Pumpkins Event, 10am - 5pm. Sale of heritage apples, pumpkins for pies and jack o' lanterns, cook books, heritage recipes for apples and pumpkins, and lots of home baking! At the tollkeeper's cottage from 10am - 5pm. These are Food Focus days.

Where's The Tollkeeper's Cottage?
The Tollkeeper's Cottage