New $75-million Mississauga marina promises to be a boon for the city

Mississauga officials who want to build a new, full-service and modern Port Credit marina they say will bring huge economic benefits to the city have reached an important part in the planning process.

In the midst of completing a provincially-mandated environmental assessment (EA), the City of Mississauga wants help from the public in charting the final course for the $75-million project.

Once the EA is completed, the new marina will be one step closer to becoming a reality.

For now, City officials are urging people to take part in a virtual Public Information Centre (PIC) through which residents, businesses and others can provide input until March 17.

Those interested in providing feedback can complete an online survey.

After a year-long wait, Mississauga officials got word last September that Ontario’s Ministry of the Environment had approved terms of reference for the required environmental assessment of the massive undertaking.  

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The waterfront overhaul seeks to maximize the location’s advantage as Lake Ontario’s deepest natural harbour in making a new-look Port Credit Harbour a destination place, City officials say.

They hope a new marina would attract boaters from all over who’d, ideally, spend the day in Port Credit shopping and dining.  

As it moves forward with the EA, which when completed must be approved by the Ontario government, Mississauga is looking to provincial and federal governments for money to complete the redevelopment plan, termed by City staff the 1 Port Street East Proposed Marina Project.  

Mayor Bonnie Crombie has identified the Port Credit marina undertaking as one of Mississauga’s top two infrastructure priorities, the other being the re-instatement of a downtown loop as part of the Hurontario light rapid transit project.  

She added last fall that the surrounding community is “incredibly supportive” of the plan, and that beyond the marina, the City is looking to create new land for parks and access to the waterfront. 

“Our goal is to create a new destination for recreation, tourism and economic development,” Crombie said last September. 

Ward 1 Councillor Stephen Dasko earlier described the waterfront as the “jewel in the crown of Mississauga” and said Port Credit, most notably with its deep harbour, is the perfect spot for a new, modern marina. 

He added funding is needed quickly, though. 

“It’s imperative to keep a marina in Port Credit…it’s a positive in terms of business, as a tourist mecca. It checks all the boxes.” 

Last fall, Dasko formed an advocacy group comprised of local merchants, residents and others to keep the project on people’s minds and push senior levels of government for cash. 

City staff say the natural advantages of a deep harbour cannot be overstated. Port Credit is one of the few Lake Ontario deep-water harbours capable of accommodating big boats, they say.  

“That’s a unique advantage of this site as the harbour does not require regular dredging,” staff said last year. “There is a trend towards bigger boats and this site can accommodate and capitalize on that trend because of the deep waters.” 

Staff add that transient boaters coming to the marina could spend the day in Port Credit eating, shopping and spending money. 

“Potential economic benefits are significant,” they said. 

The EA will study proposed expanded land base for additional waterfront parkland and examine marina alternatives for the site, City staff say. 

The existing marina will see its lease expire in 2023. It will not remain as it’s coming to the end of its life cycle, and does not provide public access, City staff say. In its place, a mixed-use neighbourhood is proposed on the wharf. 

The new marina will be built on the eastern portion of the site, between Elizabeth and Helene streets.  

The 1 Port Street East project is a key element of the City’s much broader Inspiration Port Credit Charting the Future Course Master Plan. It’s intended to help fulfill the Master Plan vision “to ensure that an iconic and vibrant mixed-use waterfront neighbourhood and destination with a full-service marina is developed at the 1 Port St. E. site.”  

City officials say the project provides an opportunity to: 

• enable the continuation of the site’s historic marina function, which is key to the cultural identity of the Port Credit community
• support marina and other business activity, for the benefit of Mississauga and residents
• create new waterfront parkland with safe public access
• allow for improved aquatic and terrestrial habitat

Mississauga operates two other marinas in the city—Lakefront Promenade and Credit Village marinas.