That December when Beatle John Lennon went snowmobiling in Mississauga

It was a particularly snowy winter in 1969 when the most famous rockstar in the world decided that Mississauga would be the place to hang out.

Technically, it wasn’t the City of Mississauga quite yet — that wouldn’t happen until 1974 — but where the Town of Mississauga met with the Village of Streetsville on Mississauga Rd. just north of Burnhamthorpe Rd., John Lennon and his wife Yoko Ono settled 53 years ago this month.

Staying at the then farmhouse of fellow rocker Ronnie Hawkins, Lennon was looking for a place to hideout from the media and crowds of Toronto while he visited Canada to promote world peace while trying to avoid talk of the Beatles breaking up.

Although Lennon and Hawkins had never met, the Beatle was familiar with Rompin’ Ronnie’s long list of rockabilly hits, so when it was suggested that the secluded Mississauga farmhouse would be the place to stay, he told his handlers to make it happen.

For Hawkins, who died this year at age 87, how could he refuse?

“It was John Lennon, the most famous musician in the world, who wouldn’t want him as a houseguest?” Hawkins suggested years later.

https://youtu.be/2foLIIeYQtQ

Despite reports that the Lennons racked up large long-distance calling fees, flooded a bathroom, and would sneak off in the night to eat all the meat in the fridge while claiming they were vegetarians, Hawkins said it was John’s fascination with the snow that kept him busy.

Hawkins said that Lennon constantly wanted to ride the snowmobile along the open fields and anywhere else he could turn it loose.

The reports were backed up by Streetsville residents who reported watching Lennon speed up Mississauga Rd. several times with Yoko as a passenger hanging on.

While the stay was relatively short, Lennon did accomplish much during his stay in Canada.

His main mission was to meet with Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau to spread his message of peace which he did accomplish. As well, the Lennons managed to find a pilot to write “Happy Xmas, John & Yoko” in the skies above Toronto. The CBC also conducted a lengthy interview with the couple at the Mississauga farmhouse. Further, Lennon recorded a short message promoting Hawkins’ latest record. As well, some reports say he started working on the song Imagine during his Mississauga stay, though there are several different versions of the origin of the song and how it came to be.

https://youtu.be/b57gwmTU0Ho

In the end, while some have suggested the Lennons were not the most gracious host guests, Hawkins himself acknowledged that it was “a wild time” and that he was proud the visit has become part of rock and roll history.