MISSISSAUGA --HURONTARIO/DUNDAS VIRTUAL DESIGN CHALLENGE

[The Mississauga Muse]

Greetings from MississaugaCentreoftheUniverse!

I wasn't quite sure where to post this message but finally decided on CITY PHOTOS. After all, Mississauga is a City and these are Photos.

This "pan" is a merge of five separate photos.

First some background.

During an exciting (really) All-Candiates Debate in Ward 7 on Wednesday, November 1st, TOForum's own FutureMayor served up a question (OK, expressed concerns) about the corner of Hurontario and Dundas to the candidates.

Discussion about "The Corner" continued on TOForum in POLITICS where FutureMayor wrote:

As for the debate for City Councillor in Ward 7, which were an embrassing group. I posed a question about the state of Hurontario and Dundas, calling it embrassing for being the World's Largest Ashtray, which got huge appaluse from the audiance. Again no real solutions came about, even after I said just plant some bloody flowers, DO SOMETHING!

What FutureMayor didn't reveal was that his "World's Biggest Ashtray DO SOMETHING!" noises got the biggest applause of the evening.

Another Mississaugan, spmarshall wrote:

As for the problem with "the world's biggest ashtray" I suggest checking out the corner of Keele and Wilson and see what can be done with a semi-suburban, transitional area like Cooksville. The city put in what looks like an attractive parkette - with vines, a garden, seats (with chess tables) incorporated into a memorial to local war dead.

sp continued:

I think something like that could be good for Hurontario and Dundas.

Then it was Observer Walt's turn:

sp: You are absolutely right about Dundas and Hurontario. A few years ago when a "park" was created there, I had some hopes. They certainly haven't been realized. The corner is a disgrace and speaks poorly for the City.

In a different message, Observer Walt continued:

I admit that the present open space is better than the slummy structure that was there before. Having said that, you would think that the City could do something better with a public property at this high-profile main intersection, even if it is only temporary.

Well. To satisfy a curiosity (was it really that bad?) , I tippy-toed over there yesterday and took photos.

So. A Challenge for TOForumers.

Help the City of Mississauga (who ironically only recently won a prestigious award for PLACEMAKING) do some (dare I say it?) PLACEMAKING!

You have a virtual $10,000 to spend. You are allowed purchasing at Thrift Shops. You must ensure your design can be dismantled quickly.

Batteries not included each item sold separately Mississauga is Canada's sixth largest city with a population of more than 700,000. With well-established infrastructure and state-of-the-art facilities, ya da ya da ya da

Pic of "specifics" to follow.

Signed,
The (*sigh* Now where did I put my paper mache?) Mississauga Muse

 

[The Mississauga Muse]

Virtual tour of the park at the corner ("The Corner") of Hurontario and Dundas, Mississauga (Nov 6, 2006)

Bus arriving at "The Corner"

When I crossed over to "The Corner" another bus arrived -this one aiming north. Buses were happening all over the place!

I was delighted to see that there was even a bit of democracy in evidence on a utility pole!

I then checked out the Hurontario/Dundas (City of Mississauga) Dundas-side bus shelter. (Errummm....Bits of democracy in evidence can sometimes be a double-edged sword...)

Evidence of democracy was happening at the other Hurontario-side bus shelter too.

Close investigation of citizen democratic activity revealed no evidence of the F-word. Caveat, I'm unilingual so...

My source of greatest fascination was (as Future Mayor correctly pointed out) the cigarette butts that were littered throughout the "park" but showing the greatest contemptuous concentration right by the City's "DON'T BE A LITTERBUG $305 LITTERING FINE ENFORCED" sign!

I LOVE IRONY!

Don't get me wrong. Cigarette butts weren't the only evidence of humanity. Wrappers of all makes (and ethnic varieties) punctuated the park and even clung to the perimeter fencing (see photo in original post).

Pop cans, plastic bottles too. However, "in the interest of fairness" I'm happy to report that --after close investigation--no beer or other alcohol artifacts were in evidence. And not a single condom!

A couple of gulls soared above the park hoping for a charitable human to share a Tastie --or a careless soul to lose one.

What else?... or yeah.

Always important to end on a Bright Note.

I watched a parent unwrap a gum wrapper for his child. Fascinated as I am with human behaviour, I was interested to see whether he'd set a good example and put the tiny piece of foil in the waste container or add to existing litter.

Happy to report that he did indeed set a good example for his kiddie shown here.

Signed,
The Mississauga Muse

 

[spmarshall]

The last pic is also ironic - one of many MT buses in a full wrap for an auto dealership.

$10,000 is awfully low. If I had $50,000, I'd do something interesting. Maybe buy this from Cermak Plaza and install it, given Mississauga's love of the automobile (even displayed as wrapped buses!).

 

[Observer Walt]

"MT buses in a wrap for an auto dealer" :lol

I've thought about that irony, when I see one of those buses. I wonder if it has dawned on anyone at MT head office?