Why the Hate for Mississauga?

[hbl33]

As I see it, a truly urban-cosmopolitan judgment wouldn't even bother with these kinds of Toronto vs Mississauga arguments, especially if they're so excessively defined by saccharine, insipid "this is where I live, this is home" parameters.

I guess this is the first comment I agree with you so far. Because of rapid developments that Sauga has experienced in such short 10 years, it seemed that it would be compare an underdog to already venerable urban champion in Canada. And I felt that I was proud of being here.

Yes even though I praise my city, there is so much bittersweet feel already between me and the city. Thanks to my exposure in Toronto, I feel slowly that there is an suburban abyss in Mississauga. At times when looking back into Sauga, T.O. seems to be blessed with cultural richness, while Sauga there seems to be a void of antiquity. It feels like clothes put on a mannequin. I must say, living in megaburb is really a mixed blessing. One is a new start in the new city; the other is lost in the wild.

I guess this is true: age is beauty.

 

[adma]

I guess this is true: age is beauty.

Not necessarily--especially in an age where there's a valid argument for modern/contemporary heritage, including that of postwar "suburbanism" (thus my earlier Leona Drive Project reference). Like, it isn't just about the "century homes"; anything from the early Shipp neighbourhoods to the earliest sectors of Erin Mills is worthy of being comprehended "historically". Which helps make Mississauga richer...

 

[TOareaFan]

One interesting observation re UT: lots of born'n'bred Mississaugans sticking up for their turf, yet who's doing likewise for Brampton, Vaughan, Markham, etc? After all, there must be people growing up in *those* realms who might morph UTward.

maybe people are reluctant to share their thoughts about their home town because they fear that there is some, smarter, all-knowing "senior UT member" waiting in the wings just ready to mock them

 

[kEiThZ]

That is surely one of the most bizarre statements ever on UT....

Why is it bizarre? Outside of internet forums, I'd argue that the defensive nature of Torontonians with respect to Mississauga's rise, comes exactly from the criticisms that Mississaugans and their city leadership have made of the Toronto model. They are no different than 'the city above Toronto' in this respect. The suburbs boasted about low business taxes and attracted residents by bragging about low home prices, all built on a giant pyramid scheme of developer's fees. I would suggest that the average Torontonians most certainly did feel that the the Toronto model was under attack. Especially during the 90s when the suburbs elected Mike Harris twice to put the 416 in the hurt locker.

Since then, of course, things have evolved. Mississauga's no longer the booming suburban frontier town. It's now becoming a mature city in its own right with many of the same issues that Toronto has. And that's what I meant by Torontonians recently enjoying a bit of Schadenfreude, as they hear Mississaugans complain about infrastructure, transit and social services costs. That's not to say, we don't wish the 905ers well.

 

[syn]

Coming tax hikes, and the impact of gas prices on your auto-centric lifestyle will cure you of your enthusiasm.
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That said I don't think it's a 'hate' for Mississauga in so far as it is a reaction for all their talk over the years. We keep hearing about how they are the fiscally 'responsible' city (where a good chunk of residents work in the 416 and they have a steady stream of developers cash). We keep hearing about how the lifestyle was better because housing was cheaper and you had nice wide roads. Now all that is coming to an end and Torontonians are probably engaging in a bit of Schadenfreude. We Torontonians, need our model validated and we felt a little insecure all those years and Mississauga revelled in the limelight.

I'd generally agree with this statement. Growing up, I didn't find there was any sort of strong feelings towards Mississauga either way. However, I do recall that any time we'd visit family or friends in the city we'd constantly hear how great it was, that it was debt free, better than Toronto, etc. That attitude continued in University when I went to UTM and would hear the usual remarks about how mean people in the city were, etc. It was a bit of culture shock.

To be honest, I don't think there are many people that hate Mississauga. I certainly don't. There are a few places there I would consider living.

This, however, is an urban issues board, so it's definitely going to get some criticism, especially now as it starts to face the problems that face larger cities. This is even more true given the years of gloating you'd hear from Mississauga citizens and their government. Generally speaking, I think most people look at Mississauga as a large suburb of Toronto with a good, long serving mayor. People still don't seem to have have terribly strong feelings towards it, good or bad, from what I've observed.

 

[kEiThZ]

Let's see what happens when Hazell isn't around.

 

[doady]

I'd generally agree with this statement. Growing up, I didn't find there was any sort of strong feelings towards Mississauga either way. However, I do recall that any time we'd visit family or friends in the city we'd constantly hear how great it was, that it was debt free, better than Toronto, etc. That attitude continued in University when I went to UTM and would hear the usual remarks about how mean people in the city were, etc. It was a bit of culture shock.

So first people it is claimed that Mississauga is highly connected to Toronto, but now it is claimed that people in Mississauga don't even know that Toronto is really like? I think there is a contradiction here.

I don't think the most people in Mississauga consider Torontonians to be mean. I have never anyone here say "Torontonians are mean" or anything to that effect. It seems weird to me...

 

[GenerationW]

Let's see what happens when Hazell isn't around.

Health permitting, she could go on as mayor for another 10 years.

 

[hbl33]

I wonder how much Parrish would undo Hazel's work after she leaves the office. Perhaps same business as usual? Or utterly dystopic phenomena?

 

[adma]

maybe people are reluctant to share their thoughts about their home town because they fear that there is some, smarter, all-knowing "senior UT member" waiting in the wings just ready to mock them

Doesn't stop Mississaugans

And heck, you might as well say the same about a certain class of Torontonian, i.e. the teardown/McMansion class...

 

[khris]

One interesting observation re UT: lots of born'n'bred Mississaugans sticking up for their turf, yet who's doing likewise for Brampton, Vaughan, Markham, etc? After all, there must be people growing up in *those* realms who might morph UTward.

I'm not sure if you're including me as one of those born'n'bred Mississaugans, but I would just like to say I was not born or bred there.

 

[isaidso]

Why the hate for Mississauga? This site is called 'Urban Toronto'. Doesn't that answer your question? Mississauga represents so much of what urbanites try to escape from.

 

[scarberiankhatru]

As for why various people vilify and praise Mississauga and not Brampton or Markham, perhaps it boils down to the sheer lack of Future Mayorian optimism and boosterism for other suburbs (and the silly attacks that invariably follow said optimism and boosterism). Even Vaughan is doing some things right...if a few posters were to laud, say, improvements in Thornhill, others would just bring up Wood-a-bridge culture with pictures of McMansions - which people already do, but they'd do it more often and be meaner about it and do so in threads, like this one, intended to approach typical suburb-bashing in a new way.

Mississauga represents so much of what urbanites try to escape from.

But only dolts see it this way. The more enlightened set recognizes the glimmers of urbanity that do exist in Mississauga - which can be hard to take photos of if you're only looking at a highway ramp - and/or wishes that what's considered urban in form *and* function will continue to expand outward from the upside-down "T" in the old city of Toronto...perhaps even to the point that those who have fled the suburbs in horror can one day return with pride. The forum would become incestuous very quickly if all it did was celebrate areas that are already urban and not areas that are urbanizing.

 

[doady]

Why the hate for Mississauga? This site is called 'Urban Toronto'. Doesn't that answer your question? Mississauga represents so much of what urbanites try to escape from.

And yet there there are so many people from Mississauga on this site... if Mississauga was truly so anti-urban and anti-Toronto I doubt any people from Mississauga would be here...

 

[Anth]

Well said, scarberian and doady.

As adma alluded to earlier, Toronto vs Mississauga is a misguided battle in the first place. I'm not sure which is more embarrassing: self-proclaimed urbanites turning their noses up at everything outside some arbitrary area code or dyed-in-the-wool Mississaugans who wishfully speak of Toronto as if it were some far-off land.

Mississauga *is* Toronto; a fact that won't be widely recognized on either side for a long while yet apparently.