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-acredevelopment 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 blockingthe 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 saidthey are developing a"complete community" on the waterfront,with boardwalks, homes, businesses, andcultural and educational spaces

The 250-acre development is being built onthesite of the formerLakeviewGenerating Station,which blockedcitizens off from the water.

Crombiesaid it's ironic that in an area calledLakeview, people haven't had a view of the lake. This development will change that.

"We're going to put the lake view back inLakeview," 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 building64 acres of new conservation land, including three offshore islands.

Theareawill be a hub for wildlife and recreationwith a 1.5-kilometre beach, forests, meadows, wetland, and trails.

Construction isexpected 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."