VIDEO: What Hurontario Street looked like in 1989 in Mississauga

Ever wonder what it was like cruising down Hurontario Street in Mississauga 35 years ago?

A video posted on YouTube by user Andrew Luimes, “Driving down Hurontario in Mississauga in 1989,” offers a nostalgic glimpse into the past and shows how the area has evolved over the decades.

In 1989, Hurontario Street was a somewhat quieter, but still busy road. Though it featured fewer buildings, it was still built up, especially in the City Centre area by Square One Shopping Centre.

Key landmarks such as Square One, among other spots, were less developed and surrounded by expansive parking lots and a bit more greenery than there is today.

Today, Hurontario Street has become an even more bustling urban corridor, reflecting Mississauga’s growth into a major city, the seventh largest in Canada.

The City Centre area is surrounded by highrise condominiums, office buildings and significantly more traffic.

Key developments include:

Square One Shopping Centre — Now one of the largest shopping centres in Canada, it has expanded significantly with numerous high-end stores, dining options and entertainment facilities

Hurontario light-rail transit project — Known as the Hazel McCallion Line, this 18-kilometre LRT line is set to open in 2025. It will include 19 stops and connect to major transit systems such as GO Transit, MiWay and Brampton Transit. This project aims to provide efficient public transit along the Hurontario corridor, further urbanizing the area and improving connectivity for residents and businesses

Highrise developments — Numerous residential and commercial highrise buildings now line Hurontario Street, transforming the skyline and increasing population density

Mississauga City Centre — The development around Square One has created a vibrant city centre with Celebration Square, civic buildings and a range of cultural and recreational facilities

A second part of the video features clips of roads along Highways 10 and 5, as well as Hurontario and Dundas streets.

Many viewers on YouTube commented that the video brought back fond memories from their childhood.

“Yeah! The old-school Ontario traffic lights (olive green, rather than the standard yellow today) are neat to see. Also that Cooksville is just as congested today, even with the six lanes,” one person wrote.

Another viewer recalled how some roadways hadn’t changed and was particularly struck by the types of cars people drove at the time, commenting, “It seems like most people drove domestic cars back then, and 70% of the cars were Chrysler K-Cars!”

Many users reminisced about a McDonald’s near the 7-minute mark of the video, which is no longer there. One user exclaimed, “I remember walking under the QEW to go to McDees.”

Another user shared, “I used to go there for breakfast after hockey games! Thanks for posting this!”