1 million sunflowers will bloom a little later this year on waterfront in Mississauga

What fast became a mid-summer flowering tradition in Mississauga will take place later in the season this year when some one million sunflowers bloom on the east end of the city’s waterfront around Labour Day.

The brilliant yellow flowers will, as usual, be found on the site of a huge new community starting to take shape in that part of the city.

Lakeview Village, a 177-acre live/work development that’s expected to dramatically transform the city’s waterfront when completed some years down the road, is hosting its sixth annual sunflower bloom event.

“Our one million sunflowers will be in bloom in early September,” officials with Lakeview Community Partners Limited, developer of the site, said in a news release this week. In previous years, the sunflowers have been in bloom on the site in July and August.

“Come by to see the stunning field of phytoremediators (sunflowers) while taking in the views of the lake from the Lakeview Village Art Trail.”

The sunflowers will be located along the art trail and near the recreation field, Lakeview Village officials said, adding the colourful display is free for anyone to visit and enjoy.

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(Photos: Lakeview Community Partners Limited)

The sunflowers will be in bloom for a few weeks in September at the site (985 Hydro Rd.).

“Beginning in 2019, we’ve planted one million sunflowers near our award-winning Discovery Centre. What started as an opportunity to connect people from across Mississauga and the GTA with butterflies and bees through a highly immersive and natural experience has expanded to include recreational opportunities that showcase the beauty of life by the lake,” officials said, adding they’ve also created a recreation field that’s open for community use such as pickup soccer games and picnics.

Lakeview officials noted the blooming sunflowers “cast the waterfront area in a golden hue.”

“In addition to their visual appeal, the field of sunflowers serve another crucial purpose: to encourage the restoration of the site’s native habitat and nature conservancy,” they added.

Come mid-to-late September, the sunflowers will be out of season.

“Our sunflowers bloom once a year. Once the sunflowers are in full bloom, they are available to enjoy for two to three weeks,” officials said. “Sunflowers have a finite bloom cycle, and naturally wilt at the end of this period. They will be re-planted and grow again next year.”

When completed, the Lakeview Village community will feature transit-connected housing, office space, retail, restaurants, trails, parks, greenspace and cultural and recreational amenities.

The community will also be connected to the nearby 64-acre Jim Tovey Lakeview Conservation Area, named for the late city councillor who worked to bring the project to fruition.

The conservation area is on track to open to the public in July 2025.