Mississauga – standing out from the crowd

Mississauga has always been a city of noteworthy accomplishments, from its inception as a city in 1974 combining the former townships of Lakeview, Cooksville, Lorne Park, Clarkson, Erindale, Sheridan, Dixie, Meadowvale Village, Malton, Port Credit and Streetsville; to being home to Canada's longest-serving mayor, Hazel McCallion, from 1978 to 2014.You might expect such a track record of ambition from one of the most populous – and fastest-growing – municipalities in Canada.Covering a huge swath of land – 288 square kms, 13 km of which front Lake Ontario – Mississauga comprises many distinct neighbourhoods and communities. The former town of Port Credit, for example, once a sleepy little industrial locale, home to the iconic – and smelly – St. Lawrence Starch Co. plant from 1890 to 1990, today is a much sought-after residential area, thanks to its prized waterfront location.

Local histories

Many of these areas host annual festivals that pay respect to local histories. Streetsville, for example, holds its annual Bread and Honey Festival, paying homage to the area's roots as a mill town. And Port Credit's Mississauga Waterfront Festival and the Southside Shuffle blues and jazz festival display everything that the community has to offer.With McCallion running the show over 12 consecutive terms, until she stepped aside and Bonnie Crombie won the election in 2014, Mississauga was known as a city of growth. McCallion consistently boasted she oversaw among the lowest taxes in Canada and made it easy for companies to do business there. Today, the area is home to more than 60 Fortune 500 companies, including Laura Secord Chocolates, Honeywell Aerospace, Walmart Canada and Kellogg's Canada.Getting around Mississauga is, well, you are travelling over a vast area, and traffic these days… But Hwys. 401, 403, 410 and the QEW all run for stretches through the city, and there's no shortage of GO Transit and Mississauga MiWay Transit options.

Waterfront recreation

For sports and recreation, again Mississauga is blessed with numerous recreational winter and summer sports leagues with decades of local history. Using the Streetsville example again, the Vic Johnston Community Centre dates back to 1961, and sits adjacent to Memorial Park and the Credit River.And, following the Credit River down to Port Credit, Memorial Arena is another beautiful old barn, sitting adjacent to Memorial Park and facing Lake Ontario. The park itself serves as host location for some of the area's largest festivals.Then there's the Paramount Fine Foods Centre (formerly Hershey Centre), where the Ontario Hockey League's Mississauga Steelheads play, and which also is home to a number of community rinks.

Location, location, location

More than 288 square kms, 13 kms fronting Lake Ontario; bounded by Oakville, Milton, Brampton, Toronto and Lake Ontario

Key landmarks

• Living Arts Centre
• Mississauga Celebration Square
• Paramount Fine Foods Centre
• Sheridan College Business School
• Square One Shopping Centre
• University of Toronto Mississauga

Select housing developments

20/Twenty Towns by Consulate Development GroupAmber at Pinnacle Uptown & Perla Towers at Pinnacle Uptown by Pinnacle InternationalBrightwater by DiamondCorp.Brightwater by DreamBrightwater by Fram+SlokkerBrightwater by Kilmer GroupCanopy Towers by Liberty Development Corp.Condominiums at Square One District by The Daniels CorporationExchange District by Camrost FelcorpLakeview Village by Lakeview Community PartnersOro at Edge Towers by Solmar Development Corp.Tanu Condos by Edenshaw DevelopmentsWestport Condos By Edenshaw Developments

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