Modern Mississauga presents Way Back Wednesdays - “New” Port Credit

Modern Mississauga and Heritage Mississauga have come together to present an ongoing series called “Way Back Wednesdays."
We’ll share information about the history of Mississauga here and answer your questions.
Today’s topic is the history of “New” Port Credit.

The “Plan of the Extension of the Town Plot of Port Credit” was dated June 10, 1846. This survey plan included streets named Brook Street (now Stavebank Road), Helen Street (now Helene Street) and Ann Street.

The individuals primarily involved with this survey were George Boulton (1797-1869), the financier, and surveyor John Stoughton Dennis (1820-1885). Both were prominent individuals from affluent Toronto families, and both are documented in the Dictionary of Canadian Biography Online. Dennis oversaw the actual survey work, while Boulton most likely financed and outfitted the project.

It appears that these north-south roads were named after prominent women in their lives. Boulton married twice: Elizabeth (died 1839) and Ann (also spelt Anna and Anne, whom he married in 1842).

Helen as a name source is a bit more difficult to determine, but one possible connection is found on a correspondence between Dennis and the Law Society of Upper Canada: Dennis was sponsored at Victoria College in Coburg by a Lady Helen Wallace of Kingston. At this time it is not known who “Lady Helen” was.

If you’ve got a question about the history of our city, we want to hear from you.
Please send your questions to info@modernmississauga.com with “Way Back Wednesday” in the subject line.