In 2001, Mayor McCallion was inducted into the Mississauga Sports Hall of Fame and presented with a special Award of Excellence in celebration of the Mississauga Board of Trade's 25th Anniversary. In January 2003, Mayor McCallion received the Canadian Family Values Award from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  In September 2003, Mayor McCallion received one of the top leadership awards from the International Economic Development Council (IEDC) for her leadership and dedication to addressing economic development issues in Mississauga.  In 2004, Mayor McCallion became a finalist for the title World Mayor 2004, joining some 50 mayors from Africa, the Americas, Asia and Europe.  The competition intends to raise the profile of mayors worldwide, as well as honour those who have served their communities well and who have contributed to the well-being of cities, nationally and internationally.

In 2005, Mayor McCallion was invested as Dame in the Sovereign Order of Saint John of Jerusalem, Knights of Malta, the Hereditary Order.  In May, she was honoured with an award from the Province of Ontario in recognition of her more than 30 years of service as a municipal elected official.

The Mayor’s accolades continued in 2005, as Mayor McCallion was appointed Member of the Order of Canada and received her Insignia of Member of the Order of Canada at a ceremony held at Rideau Hall on November 18, 2005.  Then on December 5, 2005 it was announced that Mayor McCallion was the runner up to Mayor Dora Bakoyannis of Athens, Greece for World Mayor 2005.

In early 2006, Mayor McCallion was recognized as the CNW Communicator of the Year by the Toronto Chapter of the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC).  Mayor McCallion has also been recognized by Reader’s Digest as the Best City Mayor in their June 2006 issue featuring “Canada’s 30 Best”.  In September, Mayor McCallion was named a Professional Land Economist by the Association of Ontario Land Economists.  Mayor McCallion was also honoured by the Yee Hong Community Wellness Foundation with their 2006 Golden Achievement Award.  2006 wrapped up in award winning style, as the City of Mississauga and the Healthy City Stewardship Centre were awarded the 2006 World Leadership Award for the Stewardship Centre Initiative and the Healthy Mississauga 2010 Plan.