Preserving Mississauga's Heritage

Isn't it true that sometimes we see a building so often in our everyday lives that we don't even notice it anymore? That's certainly the case for me when I'm out and about with my dogs or in the car in the Lisgar area of Mississauga. It wasn't until I received a notice from the city a couple of years ago advising that development of the Ninth Line corridor would soon be taking place, that I began to wonder what might happen to the few buildings along that mostly green space. 

One of the buildings I wondered about was St. Peter's Catholic Church at Britannia and Ninth Line. This little church has stood there since 1823. The first church was a log structure which enlarged and sheathed in brick in 1882 and moved back 50 feet from Ninth Line in 1982 which is where it stands today.

This area of Mississauga (which was originally part of Milton until Missisauga bought it), was originally called the Catholic Swamp. This was because the area was low-lying and because Sixteen Mile Creek ran through it, much of the land was often flooded - it wasn't ideal farmland. Nevertheless, a hardy group of Irish settlers were given the land and they turned it into a closeknit, productive community, complete with St. Peter's Church. 

The church, designated a heritage site, will remain in place, along with the cemetery, while development occurs around it. As much as I may not see it when I drive by, I know that I'd miss it if it weren't there. I love how the city is embracing the new while honouring the old.