On October 21, the City of Mississauga, Lakeview Community Partners Limited, Enwave Lakeview Corporation and the Region of Peel have broken ground on construction of a new district energy system at Lakeview Village.

Once fully operational, the Lakeview Village district energy system will be the first of its kind in Ontario and the largest in Canada.

Unlike traditional heating and cooling systems, which are large contributors to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, district energy systems use a network of pipes to heat and cool an entire community from a centralized location. These systems allow for a combination of generation assets that work seamlessly together to improve efficiency, consume less energy, and reduce GHG emissions. They are also more reliable and resilient than traditional systems.

To enable the construction of this facility, the City of Mississauga and Enwave have signed agreements allowing Enwave to build the necessary pipes and infrastructure on city land and construct a new building to operate the system. These agreements mark a major milestone in the Lakeview Village project and follow several years of collaboration.

“This announcement highlights our dedication to building mixed-use communities that are sustainable, and include a variety of housing options, jobs, parks and community spaces,” said Mississauga Mayor Carolyn Parrish. “Lakeview Village’s focus on innovative, low carbon solutions make it more than just a development project – it sets a new standard for sustainability.”

The Region of Peel and Enwave are working to further decrease GHG emissions from the district energy system through a proposed plan to leverage treated wastewater, or effluent, from the nearby G.E. Booth Water Resource Recovery Facility as the main source of low carbon energy for the system.

Once this transition happens, Lakeview Village’s residential units, offices and commercial spaces are expected to emit significantly fewer GHGs.

The City of Mississauga and Lakeview Community Partners are also moving forward on the site development plan and building permit applications to construct a new building that will house the district energy operations centre that will be operated by Enwave, and a sewage pumping station that will be operated by the Region of Peel

“This groundbreaking marks an exciting chapter in the evolution of Lakeview Village,” said Brian Sutherland, president of Lakeview Community Partners Limited. “Our vision has always been to make this community the most sustainable, innovative new development in the country, and this is a major step.”

Work is already underway, with the first crane installed onsite to support servicing and construction works for the new centre.

Lakeview Village is a 177-acre site on Mississauga’s waterfront that was formerly the Lakeview Power Generating Station. Designed to be a mixed-use community, this sustainable and interconnected neighbourhood will feature 16,000 new homes, parks, trails, transit, recreational opportunities, event spaces, and commercial areas for work and shopping.

Earlier this month, construction kicked off on the community’s first residential building with occupancy expected in early 2029.