Mississauga hosts two huge block parties to celebrate people-friendly neighbourhoods

Mississauga residents of all ages are invited to send summer off with a bang at two huge open-street block parties to take place this Saturday (Sept. 10) and Sept. 24 in the heart of the city.

Both parties will take place on Jaguar Valley Dr., near Hurontario St. and Dundas St. E., in the Cooksville area of Mississauga. A large section of the street will be closed off for people to enjoy the festivities.

The parties run from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on both Saturdays and are being hosted by the City of Mississauga as part of its Sharing Lanes initiative, launched this past summer and concluding mid-September.

Sharing Lanes, City officials say, “temporarily transformed parts of the city’s downtown and Cooksville neighbourhoods into people-friendly gathering places this summer.”

“The main goal of Sharing Lanes is to put people first by making our streets inviting and accessible for all,” Mississauga officials said, adding family-friendly street programming will take over Jaguar Valley Dr. on both Saturdays. “Get ready for local restaurants and food trucks serving up tasty treats, outdoor games and an opportunity to connect with friends and neighbors.”

Additionally the City’s Summer Concert Series is being extended to bring some of Mississauga’s best musical artists to the block party stage.

On Saturdays of the street parties, Jaguar Valley Dr. will be closed to traffic at Dundas St. E., extending north, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Local access to driveways will be permitted from the north, at Kirwin Ave.

Here’s the musical/entertainment lineup for this Saturday (Sept. 10):

• 11:30 a.m. – Bollywood Dance Class, led by Sanya Sachdeva, presented by Heart Comonos
• 1:45 p.m. – Five and Tens presented as part of the Summer Concert Series
• 3 p.m. – The InfraRed Band presented as part of the Summer Concert Series

Here’s the lineup for Sept. 24:

• 11:30 a.m. – Salsa Dance Lesson, led by Sofia Aguilar, presented by Heart Comonos
• 1:45 p.m. – Cmagic5 presented as part of the Summer Concert Series
• 3 p.m. – Strange Brew presented as part of the Summer Concert Series

The new initiative launched this past summer also gave cyclists in Mississauga a somewhat different experience while getting around some areas of the city.

A bicycle repair station, phone charging stop and a host of other bike-friendly projects were rolled out on select streets in Mississauga’s downtown core and in the Cooksville area as part of Sharing Lanes.

Essentially, the City used a “pop-up approach” to transform a number of streets and sidewalks in those areas into “open and active spaces” for members of the community to enjoy in summer.

In the downtown core, Princess Royal Dr. and the Living Arts Centre Dr. area were transformed under the project. In Cooksville, the area around Jaguar Valley Dr., north of Dundas St., was used as a temporary test site.

Among the changes, residents have seen:

• sidewalks with whimsical new seating, painted games along the boulevard and additional planters and greenery
• transformed streets where one lane is replaced with safe community space including lounging spaces, library programming, music-based play equipment, chalkboards and natural game boards
• vibrant public art including ground murals and bike lane artwork
• bicycle repair station and solar phone charging station

“During the pandemic, access to outdoor public space was more important than ever for the heath and well-being of Mississauga residents,” City officials said earlier. “The Sharing Lanes project is building on that experience by rethinking what public space is, how it can be used and the value it holds for everyone.”

The City adds that such tactical urbanism initiatives are used in cities around the world to study new ways in which to enliven public spaces.

Staff will evaluate the project to determine its future value and feedback will be sought from the community.