Once the site of the Lakeview Generating Station, a coal-burning station known for its “Four Sisters” smokestacks, Lakeview Village in Mississauga is on its way to becoming a vibrant, mixed-use community. Since July 2018, the partnership at the helm of the evolving development has been actively pursuing green technologies while engaging in the revitalization of the area’s natural environment.
Future plans for the site include a range of housing options, spaces for education and offices, an innovation district, multicultural recreational programming, direct access to local transit, and an extensive parks system with access to the neighbouring 64-acre Jim Tovey Conservation Area.
“In 2018, we purchased the brownfield site and began working with passionate locals on a shared vision for what this incredible transformation could bring to Mississauga’s waterfront,” explained Brian Sutherland, Vice-President of Development, Argo Development Corp and development lead for Lakeview Village. “Today we are building a vibrant and sustainable mixed-use community with solutions to address climate change, energy resiliency, waste management and mobility challenges.”
Lakeview Community Partners Limited (LCPL) is comprised of several leading community builders, including TACC Construction, Greenpark Group, CCI Development Group, Branthaven Homes, and Argo Development Corporation. Supporting LCPL is a team of experts in architecture, planning, urban design, placemaking, and transportation engineering—all galvanized by the same goal of seeking out viable, sustainable, low carbon green technology and solutions.
According to Sutherland, district energy is among the technologies currently under review. In late-November, LCPL announced it had partnered with Enwave to evaluate the environmental benefits and technical and financial feasibility of a district energy system based on the thermal energy produced at the nearby G.E. Booth Wastewater Treatment Plant.
“If implemented, the effluent heat recovery system would be the first application of its kind and scale in North America,” said Sutherland. “The system at Lakeview Village would have the ability to provide for over 6,000 tonnes of carbon savings annually with the elimination of traditional (gas powered) heating and cooling systems in buildings.”
Additionally, LCPL has been working with Envac, the City of Mississauga, and the Region of Peel to explore the technical and financial feasibility of incorporating a vacuum waste system at the new community. If adopted, the system would replace traditional curbside waste, recycling and organics pick-up, subsequently improving waste diversion rates and diminishing truck traffic in the community. Other critical benefits would include the elimination of overflowing garbage receptacles in parks and the reduction of plastics in the great lakes.
Finding green inspiration in Sweden
In 2019, key members of the LCPL team, along with Mississauga Mayor Bonnie Crombie and other city and regional staff, travelled to Sweden on a fact-finding mission to observe green technologies in practice and to meet with industry-leading developers.
“In Gothenburg, we visited an Innovation District and saw first-hand how the deployment of data-rich living labs will guide and inform our future development practices, as well as how Lakeview Village can provide statistically relevant data to address civic challenges,” said Sutherland. “In Stockholm, we experienced district energy and vacuum waste systems in practice. In Malmö, we explored how to implement world-class sustainable practices right on the waterfront. Our goal was to gather this knowledge and bring that level of world-class technology and leading-edge community planning to Canada.”
Restoring the natural habitat
Meanwhile at home, LCPL has undertaken several key initiatives to restore the natural habitat that pre-dated the coal-burning days of the late 1950s, when the Lakeview Generating Station was constructed. LCPL’s efforts to undo decades of damage include a multi-year coastal habitat project which aims to create a green oasis for local wildlife, flora and fauna.
To date, LCPL has excavated and donated over 250,000 tonnes of concrete to help construct the foundation and breakwater for the Jim Tovey Lakeview Conservation Area. Additionally, Serson Creek—a degraded piped water course that runs under the G.E. Booth Wastewater Treatment Plant—is being restored with a new low-flow channel to divert flows out from underneath the treatment plant. The corridor, which leads out to Lake Ontario, was designed to create a fish and wildlife habitat and promote ecological connectivity.
“This restoration approach is anticipated to create a source of native biodiversity that, over time, will spread into other adjacent areas and benefit many species of native fish and wildlife,” Sutherland said.
Field of a million sunflowers
In 2019, LCPL planted a field of one million sunflowers to help remediate the site’s soil and reduce the concentration of contaminants in the surrounding environment. Aside from its obvious beauty, local residents are now enjoying the return of native butterflies and bees—pollinators that play a critical role in every aspect of the ecosystem, supporting the growth of vegetation and providing food and shelter for local wildlife.
“Very soon, Lakeview Village will be a place where we can welcome local residents and people from around the world to show them our amazing accomplishments in responsible, environmentally conscious development,” said Sutherland. “We are in an incredibly unique position to take the site of a former coal refinery and turn it into a future ready, sustainable community, right on the shores of Lake Ontario, while propelling Canada’s leadership position on climate and sustainability on the international stage.”
Housing plans for Lakeview Village
In terms of what can be expected on the residential front, current plans include a mix of housing options creating more than 8,050 much-needed units. “We’ve entered into a commitment with the City of Mississauga to make five percent of the housing (over 400 units) affordable,” said Sutherland. “This commitment will be delivered in a variety of different forms throughout the development and will be accomplished through various phases of construction.”
Key structures within the Lakeview Village development are already underway, including the Discovery Centre, a multi-storey event and learning space. When complete, the 20+ acre Lakeview Village Innovation District will be a centre for employment and cross-sector business innovation in the GTA. LCPL is anticipating the creation of 9,000 long-term jobs in partnership with the City of Mississauga’s Economic Development Office.
To learn more about Lakeview Village and how it is bringing a sustainable 15-minute community to Canada, visit: www.mylakeviewvillage.com
