Iroquois settlement of the north shore of Lake Ontario

[1] The northern shores of Lake Ontario were first settled as early as eleven thousand years ago.

While humans have lived along the northern shores of Lake Ontario for a long time, they have not been continuously settled.

A number of theories try to explain why the Iroquois began settling the northern shores of Lake Ontario.

By establishing settlements on the northern shores of Lake Ontario the Iroquois were able to re-establish control on the flow of furs from the north and west towards Albany and Montreal.

The most comprehensive archaeological evidence gathered to date is from Bead Hill, which is believed to be the site of Ganatsekwyagon along the Rouge River.

They are located at strategic points controlling access to Lake Ontario and near seasonally abundant fish and games.

There are number of incidents that record instances of maiming and death at Ganneious, Teiaiagon, and Ganatsekwyagon due to drinking.

François-Saturnin Lascaris d'Urfé visited a number of the towns on the North shore of Lake Ontario.

French explorers Jean Peré and Adrien Jolliet also passed through the village of Ganatsekwyagon in 1669 on their way to Lake Superior.

[9] Relations between the Iroquois du Nord and the French were tense due to the intermediate conflicts known as the Beaver Wars.

Most evidence indicates that Ganatsekwyagon was the more important settlement on the north shore due to its strategic position on the Rouge River arm of the Toronto Carrying-Place Trail.

In the Great Peace of Montreal, signed in 1701, the Iroquois Confederacy agreed to remain on the south shore of Lake Ontario.

It is assumed that, since both villages were no longer secure, they were abandoned some weeks earlier and the inhabitants fled to the south shore of Lake Ontario.