Lakeview Generating Station

The former Lakeview Generating Station stood in the Lakeview neighborhood of Mississauga, Ontario, right on the waterfront road along Lake Ontario. Built between 1958 and 1962, it was one of the largest coal-fired power plants in Canada and served for years as a striking landmark of the region. Four tall smokestacks, known as the "Four Sisters," were visible from much of the surrounding area, including Burlington and downtown Toronto, and also served as reference points for ships and aircraft. The plant officially went into operation in 1962 and reached full capacity in the late 1960s. During this period, it supplied a significant share of Ontario's electricity needs and operated as a baseload plant, reliably providing power around the clock.

With the expansion of nuclear power in the 1980s, the plant's role changed. Because coal was more expensive to operate, Lakeview was converted into a peaking plant that was activated only during periods of high electricity demand or grid shortages. In the 1990s, the plant underwent extensive modernization to reduce sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide emissions and improve efficiency. Despite these environmental improvements and the introduction of new filtration technologies, the provincial government's political decision to phase out coal-fired power plants led to the station being shut down on April 30, 2005, after 43 years of operation.

The four iconic smokestacks were demolished in a controlled implosion on June 12, 2006, an event watched by thousands of spectators in a nearby park. The rest of the building complex followed on June 28, 2007. Today the site is cleared and is slated to be turned into a residential development in the future. New parks have been created in the surrounding area, such as Ogden Park and the Jim Tovey Lakeview Conservation Area, which provide additional green space. The former Lakeview Park, which served as a sports field, was also redesigned, and the Mississauga Majors baseball club moved its home field.