MoveIn Status
Praying for a team.

Firsthand
A resident of 1470 Bloor Street said that most of the people here are immigrants. Many are from Asia and some from the Carribbean. He went on to explain how he really likes this neighbourhood − the landlords are renovating his whole building and even fixing up his kitchen for him. He also noted that his building was the only one (in the patch) with security cameras, and mentioned how the police come around one of the other apartments in the patch pretty often.

A recent study by the University of Toronto Mississauga (UTM) characterized this east Mississauga community as one that attracts a large number of immigrants. The study, which conducted focus groups with immigrants in the Bloor-Dixie area, found that many of the immigrants they interviewed couldn’t find a doctor. Those that were able to find one cited language barriers as major roadblocks to acquiring proper care (in many cases, they fear taking public transit due to language issues as well). One man was quoted in the report as saying “There are not enough doctors. There is only one across the road [at the Dixie-Bloor Medical Centre] and if you are not satisfied with his services, then, as a senior, to find another one is impossible to begin with, and one that you do find is quite a distance away.” When you combine these factors with the consideration that many female immigrants refuse to accept treatment from male doctors for religious or cultural reasons, the situation is all the more bleak for these recently arrived Canadians.¹

A Neighbourhood Centre for the area was founded in 1988. Supported by multiple levels of government, including federal, its mission is to “foster an atmosphere which will encourage our community as a whole to participate in and develop a positive, healthy and caring neighbourhood.” The programs it offers are free and are generally tailored to the needs of the community both through direct feedback and through public involvement in the board meetings.²

The Landscape
This patch consists of a single block on the northeast corner of Bloor and Dixie Road. Four low-rise apartment buildings near the sidewalk, bordered by green space, surrounding a maze of parking lots between them. On one building, a massive sign near the roof advertises in large capital letters “NOW RENTING”, accompanied by a phone number. A sign on the front lawn of another low-rise advises passers-by of an upcoming open house. An old couch lies partially torn up near a dumpster in one of the parking lots. Two massive upscale condominium high-rises loom in the southwest, across Dixie Road, seemingly oblivious to the state of things less than a kilometre away.

Across Bloor Street to the north is High Point Mall, home to an office of the Ministry of Transportation, a Chinese supermarket, an Internet cafe, a dollar store, a pharmacy, and all other sorts of normal small-mall fare. It’s also home to the small medical centre briefly mentioned earlier. Additionally, there are four parks within walking distance, including the sizeable Burnhamdale Park which features tennis courts. There are also three elementary schools nearby − two public and one Catholic.

The People
In the larger community of which this patch is a part:³

• The population in 2006 numbered 3,598
• The population density is 6,946 people per square kilometre compared with Toronto’s 867 people/km² average
• 56% of those older than 15 are legally married
• Apartment buildings comprise 45% of the total dwellings
• Nearly 96% of the buildings in the area were built prior to 1986 − there is very little development in this area, and the buildings are aging
• The mother tongues of 71% of the population are something other than English or French and 50% of the population speak neither official language at home, indicating a large immigrant population
• Fully 69% of the population is identified as immigrant and 37% of those have arrived since 2001, many of whom are not yet Canadian citizens
• About 60% of the population consists of visible minorities − over half are South Asian and other major groups include Filipino and Chinese

The History
The Dixie-Bloor patch is a part of the community of Dixie, located in southeastern Mississauga. Dixie was a community unto itself prior to the creation of Mississauga in 1974 and is named after one of its early philanthropists, Dr. Beaumont Dixie. Beaumont donated money to the Union Chapel − a church that served the community’s Protestant settlers. The chapel can still be found standing in its original location on the northeast corner of Dundas Street and Cawthra Road.⁴

In recent years, as Mississauga has become a flourishing location for business, industry, and development, Dixie has become a focal point for immigration. Consequently, it seems that low-cost housing options and accessible health care have become scarce in the area. An article in The Mississauga News claimed that the city’s social housing units were filled to capacity with most applicants waiting upwards of 21 years on the waiting list. The article goes on to state that “As a high growth area . . . the situation will only worsen. Approximately 34,000 new Canadians settle here each year.”⁵

A 2008 YouTube video shows someone confronting the Mississauga council concerning this “affordable housing crisis” and requesting that a large lakefront area being considered for a waterfront plan be used in part for social housing. The reply from the acting mayor is “we will be definitely looking at that” but she refuses to upgrade that statement further at the municipal council level.⁶

The Challenge
This patch is a collection of low-rises in the shadow of high-rise luxury. Will you bring the riches of knowing Christ to the residents of Dixie-Bloor? Would you be willing to move in?

Sources
¹www.mississauga.com
²www.dixiebloor.ca
³All statistics in the section taken from Census tract profile for 0525.01 (CT), Toronto (CMA) and Ontario
⁴www.etobicokehomes4sale.com
⁵www.mississauga.com
⁶www.youtube.com