Welcome to “We Built This City,” a new column told through the lens of Lisa Hrabluk, dedicated to celebrating the incredible individuals and groups who have shaped Mississauga into the vibrant city it is today. Through captivating stories and personal memories, we will explore the lives and achievements of the people who have left an indelible mark on our community. From renowned figures like Mazo de la Roche and Oscar Peterson to the unsung heroes of local industries and wartime efforts, each installment will delve into the rich tapestry of Mississauga’s history. Join us as we uncover the past and look forward to the future, sharing and celebrating the remarkable legacy of our city. Be sure to share your own stories with us, as they are an essential part of this ongoing narrative.
Lisa Hrabluk is an award-winning journalist and writer. She got her start as a student journalist at The Mississauga News and with Heritage Mississauga, where she wrote walking tours for Clarkson, Cooksville and Erindale. She has written for Time, The Globe and Mail, CanWest News Service, Canadian Press, and the New Brunswick Telegraph-Journal, and appeared on CBC Radio and TV. Lisa is currently a culture commentator for CBC Radio in Saint John, New Brunswick. Follow Lisa on Instagram @lisahrabluk.
We Built This City is a collection of incredible stories from Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. Join us as we uncover the past and look forward to the future, sharing the remarkable tales of the renowned figures, individuals, and groups who have shaped Mississauga into the vibrant cultural canvas it is today.
Available now wherever you get your podcasts!
It’s my turn to be your guide into the back rooms, shop floors, executive suites and spotlit stages to meet some of the incredible, infamous and interesting people who have helped shape Mississauga.
At the corner of Dundas Street and Mavis Road modern Canada took shape, brick by brick.
Next time you bite into your favourite sandwich or savour your favourite baked good, look down because the ground you’re walking on has been continuously feeding Canadians for over 200 years.
The Tommy Hunter Show gave country music a national profile in Canada. The show was so popular it was also broadcast in the U.S. on The Nashville Network, which raised Tommy’s profile and also shone a bigger spotlight on Canadian talent.
Mississauga’s major roadways tend to run as straight as rulers, except for one: Mississauga Road.
The next time you’re taking off from Pearson International Airport look down at the small houses that hug the northern boundary because this is where one of Canada’s biggest national projects began.
Today Paramount Fine Foods operates restaurants across Canada and the United States, with locations in England and Pakistan.
The home and Mississauga museum on Clarkson Road North was the inspiration for the quietly imaginative Mazo de la Roche, who spun a tale of love, betrayal and money across 16 books that turned her into one of Canada’s first and most-successful international literary stars.
Kate Aitken rise as one of Canada’s first international influencers was smooth as butter. Butter tarts to be precise.
To trace the origins of the word ‘Mississauga’ we need to travel to the shores of a great lake.
But it’s not Lake Ontario where we need to go, it’s 600 kilometres north from Port Credit to the north shore of Lake Huron.
The suits were bespoke and the coleslaw was free for the Kentucky Colonel living west of Dixie.
For Torontonians looking to escape the heat and soot of Industrial-era Toronto there was no better place than Lorne Park.
