Mimico, Ontario
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Mimico, Ontario is a neighbourhood in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
The name Mimico means "Place of the Wild Pigeons" with respect to the Passenger Pigeon.
It is bounded by the Gardiner Expressway to the north, Dwight Avenue on the west, the Humber River to the east and Lake Ontario to the south. It is described as a blend of upper-middle and working class buildings.
The community near where Dundas Street crossed Mimico Creek was originally known as Mimico. But in 1858 a Mimico post office was opened in the community near the mouth of Mimico Creek, on Lake Ontario, which had been known as Mimico by the Lake. At that time the community formerly known as Mimico adopted the name Islington.
The community of Mimico was approximately 10 kilometers from the center of Toronto, so when Toronto was much smaller, it was on Toronto's outskirts.
Mimico, and the other Lakeshore communities west of the Humber River were linked by an independent streetcar line. This line was to link up with a line extending from Hamilton. But the eastern end was never completed past Port Credit. This line merged with the TTC in the 1930s.
In 1953 Mimico became one of 13 cities and towns in a federated political entity known as Metropolitan Toronto. In 1967, the Village of Mimico was merged with several other lakeshore communities, and the Township of Etobicoke, to form the Borough of Etobicoke, later the City of Etobicoke. The City of Etobicoke was merged in 1998 with the five other municipalities in the regional government to form the new "City of Toronto".
Prominent natives of Mimico include Sir Ernest MacMillan, David Ernest Hornell (recipient of the Victoria Cross) and Timothy Maler. Hockey player Brendan Shanahan is a Mimico native, and played hockey and lacrosse at a young age in Mimico Arena, a local arena and staple of the area.