BY RON BARLAY
For most of us, designing a home is a matter of selecting features from a menu. There are a few individuals who have the money, time and desire to design their home from the ground up.
The City of Mississauga, just west of Metropolitan Toronto, remains as one of the most desirable places to live in Southern Ontario.
Since the amalgamation of the townships of Streetsville, Port Credit and Mississauga in 1974, Mississauga has expanded to become Canada’s sixth-largest and fastest growing city with a population in excess of 766,000.
This phenomenal growth can be attributed in large part to the desirable location in which the city is situated, a location which is within easy commuting distance to Metro Toronto, as well as being close to Pearson International Airport, four major highways and the U.S. border. For business and residents alike, this proximity proves to be a major drawing card.
Residents of the city also benefit from a strong and growing industrial and commercial base and have access to a wide range of services and amenities such as cultural, recreational, entertainment and shopping opportunities. For nature lovers, Mississauga boasts an abundance of parks, bike paths and other outdoor areas.
Mississauga has become a self-sufficient community with diverse neighbourhoods, a vibrant economy and no shortage of amenities and services. Some of the features that are attracting people to Mississauga and keeping them here, include: more than 522 parks, including 225 kilometres of trails and woodlands, a waterfront trail, boating on Lake Ontario and natural areas like the Rattray Marsh and the Credit River Valley. Shopping opportunities ranging from the big malls like Square One, Erin Mills Town Centre, and Meadowvale Town Centre, to many large depot stores at Heartland, as well as smaller plazas and traditional shopping districts of Clarkson, Streetsville and Port Credit. There are numerous new restaurants, cinemas, dinner theatres, museums and libraries. More than 86,000 businesses, including corporate head offices and numerous business parks providing job opportunities for residents.
The city’s population is expected to reach 878,000, sometime around 2041. The city consists of a number of communities – Lakeview, Clarkson, Erin Mills, Meadowvale, Port Credit, Cooksville, Malton, Lorne Park and Streetsville, which covers an area of 288 square kilometres.
The average family income is $98,552. In 2015, the average home sold for more than $1,000,000. As well, there is a wide range of housing styles and prices, including a steady supply of new homes being built, in Mississauga
The $65 million Living Arts Centre, in the city centre next to Square One, opened in 1997 and covers everything from Broadway-style shows to community theatre and visual arts and educational programs. Adjacent to the Living Arts Centre is Mississauga’s Celebration Square. This is the premier location for free outdoor events, connecting residents and community groups through arts, culture and heritage. Located in the heart of downtown Mississauga, across from Square One Shopping Mall, Celebration Square boasts a main stage with a state-of-the-art sound and lighting system, two digital program screens, a lawn, an interactive water feature which converts into an ice rink during the winter months, an amphitheatre, as well as a cafe.
