Hume: Seniors' condo shows maturing of Mississauga
June 24, 2010
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Christopher Hume
STAR COLUMNIST
Not a city in the historical sense, Mississauga might best the understood as a series of communities connected by roads. Some of those communities have been around for awhile; others are brand new. Some are highrise; others are only two or three storeys tall. Though they all form part of Canada’s sixth-largest city, many have little in common beyond that fact. And given the mechanics of the post-war development industry, aided and abetted by the Ontario Municipal Board, the building of Mississauga was generally an ad hoc affair. Planning had little to do with it.
As Mississauga’s long-serving mayor, Hazel McCallion has pointed out on many occasions, running a municipality in Ontario is a deeply frustrating and thankless task. In this province, all roads lead to Queen’s Park, which has a history of self-service that has left Ontario’s towns and cities in the lurch.
And so Mississauga has become what it is without the benefit of some large overarching plan, what we like to call, a vision. But in the years and decades ahead, as the reality of climate change and diminishing energy supplies hits home, places such as this will become testing grounds for technologies and techniques of which residents are now barely aware. There will be tensions along the way; density, which lies at the heart of sustainable communities, remains a dirty word in the suburbs. Indeed, many residents moved there precisely to get away from what they perceive to be the evils of density.
For all its appeal, the suburban dream turned out to be short-lived. Mississauga, with its ever-taller towers and transit plans, may turn out to be a city after all.
Condo Critic
Palisades on the Glen, 1665 The Collegeway: Built of glass and stone, this condo tower rises out of wooded area, just beside the Glenerin Inn, which it is intended to match. Designed for seniors, it has the feel as well as the look of a country club.
Laid out as a slab building, it feels big and bulky, but in this context that hardly matters. It helps that the structure meets the ground nicely and is well integrated into its setting. The stone is meant to tie it into the handsome 1920s former residence next door.
The extensive use of glass adds a modern touch. The problem is the lack of architectural finesse, especially evident in the facades above grade. There’s not much imagination here, and the building has that instantly familiar look one has grown to expect in Mississauga. Nevertheless, compared to, say, the condo complex across the road, it represents a major step forward.
GRADE: B
WHAT DO YOU THINK: Email us at condos@thestar.ca
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