Malton, Ontario
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Malton is one of the neighbourhoods within the city of Mississauga, Ontario, Canada, located to the northwest of Toronto. The neighbourhood has a population of approximately 36,400 as of 2002. Roughly speaking, Malton is bounded by Highway 427 and Finch Avenue to the east, the Brampton city border to the north, and Airport Road to the west, and the CN line to the south. The oldest portion of Malton (the former Police Village of Malton) is located on the northwestern corner of Airport and Derry Roads.
Malton first came to prominence during World War II as the site of airfields, where pilots were not only trained, but also where countless aircraft were built. While the Malton of today bears little resemblance to the Malton of the 1940s, homage to this heritage is paid in a few rather innocuous ways. There are streets to the north of the village with names referencing the war, including Victory, McNaughton (Andrew McNaughton, commander of the Canadian armed forces in the U.K.), Churchill and Lancaster (named for the famed aircraft of the Second World War).
The predominantly British town saw an influx of Italians and Polish following the war, and its proximity to Toronto Pearson International Airport (which was formerly known as Malton Airport) made it a magnet for immigrants in the 70s, 80s and 90s, as well as today. Incorporated as part of the City of Mississauga, it is now a working-class neighbourhood comprised predominantly of Sikhs from the Indian province of Punjab.
In addition to the airport, Malton has great importance as a transportation link between Toronto and its suburbs to the west, particularly Brampton and the other parts of Mississauga. Among other things, the tiny neighbourhood borders the airport, Brampton, Vaughan and Etobicoke. As such, it is very strategically placed and important to the flow of people and goods throughout the Greater Toronto Area.