Olympic Torch Relay Port Credit Mississauga Ontario

 The Olympic Torch Relay came to Mississauga today, and after ceremonies at City Centre, including runs by Mayor Hazel McCallion and olympian Kurt Browning, the torch relay headed south on Hurontario (Highway 10) to Lakeshore Road in Port Credit.

Here are a few pictures of the torch relay, and a short video to give some idea of the happy crowds that lined the relay route. Click on an image to enlarge, then click the Back button to return to this page.

Santa at the Lighthouse Port Credit ON

Santa handed out Canada flags and good cheer at the Lighthouse 'home' of the Port Credit BIA. The BIA handed out pizza, sandwiches, hot coffee and hot chocolate. The cup of hot coffee was a perfect antidote for my frozen fingers. Thanks, Ellen!

Olympic Torch Relay Bus Mississauga

The torch bearers did a good job keeping on schedule! Their ETA in Port Credit was 1:50 p.m., and they were punctual! All told, the torch relay will cover 45,000 kilometers or 28,000 miles.

Crowds Cheering Torch Bearers

Though crowds were sparse when I arrived around 1 p.m., within a half hour, the sidewalks were filling fast all along Lakeshore Road, and the Starbucks west of the Lighthouse had lines out the door!

Olympic Torch Relay Handover on Lakeshore Rd. Bridge

As flashing lights atop police cars heralded the approaching torch, crowds spilled from the sidewalks on either side of the Lakeshore Road bridge and filled the traffic lanes. Oddly enough, for as regimented and rule-ridden as Canadians usually are, the police did not block traffic lanes, other than at intersections.

I half - expected some excited, distracted relay watcher to come a cropper, but drivers slowed down and gave the right of way to jaywalkers.

Taking up the torch, Holding it high!

Now, as luck would have it, I lost my lovely vantage point from the terrace at the Lighthouse when an eastbound cube van got stuck in the relay crowd and blocked the view.

A fast run around the lighthouse, down the stairs and around the base brought me out onto Lakeshore Road in time to take a few fast pictures before the police cleared the roadway.

Torch Relay Port Credit

In the video below, you can hear what I heard as this torch bearer's name: I heard 'Laura', and checking online, the only Laura mentioned as torch bearer in Mississauga is 'Greer'. If I have incorrectly identified her, please correct me.

 

 Torch Heads West Through Port Credit

Here's a shot of the joyful- looking torch bearer jogging along Lakeshore Road West towards Clarke Hall.

Approaching Mississauga Road

Laura kept up a lively pace, and quite a few in the crowd tried to keep up with her as the relay neared the intersection at Mississauga Road.

Olympic Torch Shawnmarr and Lakeshore

And though I gave it my best, I couldn't catch up, let alone overtake the relay contingent. My plan was to take a picture as the torch passed the Brueckner Rhododendron Gardens near my house.

Here's a short video of the torch relay sights and sounds in Port Credit.

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Fall Colours Mississauga - Port Credit, PetroCanada lot, BRG Rhododendron Gardens, Mallards

Such a sunny Sunday in Mississauga! Maybe the last chance to take in the Fall colours this year. I took my camera with me when I walked up to the grocery store near the Imperial Oil lands  on Lakeshore Road West in Port Credit. But first, I took a quick walk through Brueckner Rhododendron Gardens and happened upon a mallard couple in Tecumseh Creek.

Maple Trees on Maple Street at Lakeshore Road West

Walking on the north side of Lakeshore Road, I could see south down Maple Street. Good name - the maple trees were absolutely stunning!

Fall Colours PetroCanada Lakeshore

The land at the Imperial Oil Lands still contaminated, I understand, though the site has been mothballed for many years.  [Update 2016: Lands tested and up is for sale. See City Mississsauga.]

What to do with such a pretty location, bounded by Mississauga Road, Pine Street, Lakeshore Road West and Lake Ontario (Waterfront Trail)? Has to be non-residential, concrete slab construction. See googlemap.

Maple Tree PetroCan Port Credit

Closer look at one of the stunning trees in its fall colours. We are lucky to be in Mississauga - don't have far to go to see these gorgeous colours!

Close Up Golden Foliage Lakeshore Road West

A closer look at the foliage: Colours show up best on sunny days, though this wonderful yellow-orange brightens even a cloudy day.

Brueckner Rhododendron Gardens

I walked through the gardens (BRG) to see if the wind and rain storm on Friday had caused any damage. A few branches were down, and some of the leaves, but the colours are just starting to get pretty in Port Credit.

BRG Fall Colours 

And one more picture of a picture-perfect scene. Sorry, can't resist! Now on to the mallards!

Mallards Tecumseh Creek BRG

I was crosssing the middle bridge at the BRG when I happened to see this mallard couple floating between creek and reflection. I'd already put my camera away, but I couldn't resist this pretty shot.

Close Up Mallard - Tecumseh Creek Port Credit

I zoomed in a bit closer, and IMHO, the mallards hardly look real, they are so still, the creek barely ripples, and the foliage is reflected in the water, like a tabletop.

As long as the weather stays nice and sunny, the foliage will keep changing down here in Port Credit. This has been one of the best falls for great colours. The past two or three years, storms kept skies dark and gloomy, and high winds knocked the leaves off the trees before they could change. This year, everyone is getting a chance to walk through the parks. And even if you don't, you can see wonderful fall foliage colours on a walk to the grocery store.

More Fall Colors at 16 MIle Creek Oakville, and at Bradley Museum, Mississauga
More Mallards at Mallards, condo views

For Brueckner Rhodo Gardens, see BRG Blog.

Streetsville Fall Colours Mississauga Road

Port Credit Storm Damage - Wild Winds, Heavy Rains, Trees Down

An early morning thunderstorm in Port Credit with wild winds and heavy rains brought down at least one large tree and large branches from many others in the Brueckner Rhododendron Gardens and the complex of condo townhouses at Shawnmarr and Lakeshore Roads.

With winds gusting to 80 kph / 50 mph (est.) this morning, I'm surprised there wasn't more damage. Here are some pictures taken following the storm that show some of the damage.

Shawnmarr Road at Lakeshore - Branch Blocks Sidewalk

Looking west on Lakeshore at Shawnmarr, you can see the large branch blocking the sidewalk near the Mississauga Transit bus stop. (The white flecks seen on the grass are beautiful blossoms from another large tree on the townhouse grounds: I need the name of this tree - the blossoms are orchid-like and wonderfully scented.)

Large Branch BRG Path

I crossed Lakeshore Road, and on the south side of the new lily garden at BRG, several large branches partly block the path. An earlier storm in April, took down a large willow tree on the east side of the gardens.

Tree Down by Gardens Office

High winds took down this large tree located between the Waterfront Trail and the BRG parking lot off Lakeshore. This tree had appeared healthy, but a closer look at the inside of the trunk shows how rotted it actually was. As it fell, it appears to have missed doing collateral damage to the red bud trees and a perennial garden.

Fallen Tree at BRG

This is the same tree as in the above picture, showing its canopy lying just short of the perennial bed. Paths throughout the area are strewn with smaller branches and twigs; walking is fine, but wheels will have a tricky time dodging the debris.

Tree Branch on South Bridge BRG / Waterfront Trail

The south bridge on the Waterfront Trail now has a large branch at one end; it's not blocking the trail, but was too heavy for me to shift without help.

Creek Mouth Forges New Outlet into Lake Ontario

This is the creek that acts as a storm drain as it flows alongside the Waterfront Trail and empties into Lake Ontario. The beach here is composed mainly of rocks of varying sizes. The heavy rains this morning must have swollen this creek to a truly impressive size, as the force of the current washed out the beach rocks as it made a new path to the lake.

The storm passed, the humidity is dropping and the clean up begins!

MORE PHOTOS See latest post here

Snow Melting Machines - Taking Care of Business at Parking Lot Mississauga Library Port Credit Ontario

Update December 31, 2009 - see photo bottom of page!
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Walking into Port Credit village in Mississauga (Ontario, Canada), it was hard to miss the large snow and ice mountain outside the library. Even harder to miss were the noisy, large, yellow snow melting machine and the front end loader that was busy feeding it large bites of snow and ice.

Snow Melting Machine and Truck

This photo shows the view from beside Hook's restaurant on Lakeshore Road, on the east side of the Credit River and Port Credit lighthouse.

Closer View : Snow Melting Machine Port Credit ON

The snow and ice are fed into the top of the unit, then melted, and the water runs down the sewer.

Close Up View - Snow Melter Machine

Making a mini lake in Mississauga: According to the company's web site (link at bottom for info), melting snow is more cost efficient than hauling it to a central dumping site, then waiting for Spring!.

Outside Mississauga Library at Port Credit

This photo shows the view from the library drive, looking roughly north from Lakeshore Road. A few years ago, I'd watched a smaller truck snow melter unit on a Toronto street. These more mobile machines drive slowly along the curb, the front of the unit sucking up snow banks, melting snow, then spitting out hot water.

Snow and Ice Pile beside library - Mississauga Canada

This is a picture of snow that's as far from a Winter Wonderland as possible! This dirty, gritty, frozen solid snow mountain looked set to stay. I took the photos above at around 2 p.m.

Night time snow Melter - Men Working, Still!

The snow melter and loader were still clearing snow and ice that night at 8 p.m. Though a little hard to see in this photo, the pile of snow has been reduced by roughly a third, maybe more. Just after I took the picture, the truck shifted the melter to the area that had now been cleared of ice. I have to wonder how late they kept working!

New Year's Eve Day - Still Working in Port Credit

I went into Port Credit at noon today, and the snow melter is still working! About 48 hours from when I first saw it. The snow and ice pile is nearly gone. The temp was about minus 10C (14 F) with gusty winds. The cold snap had more firmly frozen the snow mountain, and the loader was breaking chunks up with the shovel bucket. I took a short video of the snow melter in operation.

See my video of this machine in operation at YouTube
For information on how these types of ice and snow melters work, see this site.
For pictures of pretty snow, see this post from last January.
For more winter in Canada pictures and tips, see snow in Canada page.

What a difference a year makes!!

Lakeshore Road at Port Credit Library

 This picture, above, shows the same location December 31, 2009 at 2 p.m. Instead of a huge mountain of snow being melted, the parking lot is actually being used for parking. A light rain was falling, temp was about 4C (39 F). My kind of winter but I do sympathize with the snow removal contractors who are temporarily out of work.