Early History 1500-1800

The land now known as Pickering has long been taken care of and sustained by several distinct First Nations. The primary First Nations that historically occupied this area include the Huron-Wendat, the Anishinaabe, and the Haudenosaunee. The Wendat (Huron-Wendat) inhabited the St. Lawrence Valley and estuary and land to the Great Lakes region from the mid-1500s. During the fur trade, the Wendat were allies of the French and enemies of the Haudenosaunee. Following a series of armed conflicts, the Wendat were dispersed around 1650 by the Haudenosaunee. The Haudenosaunee occupation in the area began around 1665 with the establishment of several Haudenosaunee villages along the north shore of Lake Ontario. At this time, the Seneca Village of Ganatsekwyagon was established at the edge of the Rouge River. It was an active village, located centrally along useful transportation routes and used primarily for fur trading with the French.

It was around this time in 1669 when French Jesuit Missionary, François de Salignac de la Mothe-Fénelon, noted reaching what he called the village of “Gandatsetiagon” at the mouth of the Rouge River. Gradually, other missionaries and surveyors were sent to this area by the French and then later, the English. Tensions between Haudenosaunee groups and the French led to several conflicts over the course of the 1600s. Whether the French destroyed Ganatsekwyagon and other villages on the North Shore of Lake Ontario during conflicts in 1687, or the villages were abandoned when the Seneca moved south is not known. By 1687 the Haudenosaunee were restricted to the south of Lake Ontario and Ganatsekwyagon was abandoned.

At the time of the arrival of Europeans in this area, the Anishinaabe – specifically the Mississauga – inhabited the north shore of Lake Ontario. The Mississaugas of Scugog Island First Nation moved into southern Ontario from their former homeland north of Lake Huron around the year 1700. From time immemorial, Mississauga people secured all their needs from the surrounding environment; hunting and fishing and harvesting plant materials for food and medicines. For nearly 100 years, the Mississauga people thrived in this land until the en masse arrival of the Europeans.

In 1763, the British defeated the French in Seven Years War and the area was transferred from French to British control. This begins the arrival of British colonial settlers, who began to migrate into the area from eastern parts of Canada, as well as Loyalists who sought refuge in the area after the American Revolution. In 1791, Augustus Jones undertook a survey of the area for the Government of Upper Canada. During this, he notes the name of several areas, including Duffin’s Creek, and establishing the baseline and some of the concession Roads. At this time, the area is called the Pickering Home District and it is transferred to the newly created province of Upper Canada.