New Mississauga waterfront will be 'much better' than Toronto's, says finance minister

Construction is kicking off in Mississauga to transform the city's waterfront into a 300-acre development and "green oasis" that will be in sharp contrast to Toronto's.

"We are intending to do something much better than Toronto," said Finance Minister Charles Sousa, who's also the local MPP.

"We want the people of Ontario, the people of Mississauga, the people of Toronto to come to south Mississauga and enjoy the waterfront."

While Toronto has several buildings and roads blocking the waterfront, Sousa said that won't be the case in Mississauga.

Height restrictions will mean no high rise condos blocking views of the lake, and there won't be any roads cutting off access to the water.

'A complete community'

Mayor Bonnie Crombie said they are developing a "complete community" on the waterfront, with boardwalks, homes, businesses, and cultural and educational spaces

The 250-acre development is being built on the site of the former Lakeview Generating Station, which blocked citizens off from the water.

Crombie said it's ironic that in an area called Lakeview, people haven't had a view of the lake. This development will change that.

"We're going to put the lake view back in Lakeview," she said.

Building conservation land

On Saturday, Mississauga celebrated beginning construction on a major green space project on the waterfront.

Using landfill from other construction projects, the city is building 64 acres of new conservation land, including three offshore islands.

The area will be a hub for wildlife and recreation with a 1.5-kilometre beach, forests, meadows, wetland, and trails.

Construction is expected to take seven to 10 years, and the Region of Peel will cover the $60 million cost.

The waterfront development is all part of a project called Inspiration Lakeview.

Crombie said that when it comes to building a community, this is a "globally unprecedented" opportunity to "do it right."