Name of Toronto
John Graves Simcoe identified the area as a strategic location to base a new capital for Upper Canada, believing Newark to be susceptible to American invasion. A garrison was established at Garrison Creek, on the western entrance to the docks of Toronto Harbour, in 1793; this later became Fort York. The settlement it defended was renamed York on August 26, 1793, as Simcoe favoured English names over those of First Nations languages, in honour of Prince Frederick, Duke of York. Residents petitioned to change the name back to Toronto, and in 1834 the city was incorporated with its original name. The name York lived on through the name of York County (which was later split into Metropolitan Toronto and York Region), and continues to live on through the names of several districts within the city, including Yorkville, East York, and North York, the latter two suburbs that were formally amalgamated into the "megacity" of Toronto on January 1, 1998.
York East (provincial electoral district)
York East was a provincial electoral district in Ontario, Canada. It was formed in 1867, the same year as the beginning of the country and it elected members up until 1999 when it was dissolved. Initially it covered a large swath of territory stretching from Lake Ontario north to Richmond Hill. It was formed based on the eastern part of the county of York. Over time as the population increased, the territory was reduced. By the late 1950s it represented only a portion of the borough of East York, a small municipality on the edge of Toronto. In 1999 it was abolished and its remaining territory was distributed between Beaches—East York and Don Valley West ridings.