Gateway, Mississauga Neighbourhood Guide: A Charming Commercial Centre

Tucked away on the west side of the Toronto Pearson International Airport you will find a humble community of commercial buildings with many stores and restaurants. This is the Gateway community, a portal between the cities of Mississauga and Toronto. Gateway is notable for its proximity to many major highways, but it’s also packed with interesting restaurants and specialty stores. Some of the cuisines you can find here include Portuguese, Indian, and Middle Eastern. A few specialty stores sell comic books, skateboard products, and hardware for DIY enthusiasts. There are also a few detached homes in this neighbourhood if you’re in the housing market.

The land within Mississauga was purchased by the British government from a group of Indigenous people called the Mississauga in 1805. Some of the first villages in this area were Clarkson, Cooksville, Erindale, Lorne Park, and Port Credit. Originally these villages were part of the Toronto Township. Some of the first settlers in this area were Loyalists who emigrated to Canada after the American War of Independence. While many settlers built mills to process grist, wool, and timber, much of the land in present-day Mississauga was used for agricultural purposes. Over the 20th century, Toronto’s growing population led to increased residential development in Mississauga and, in 1974, it was incorporated as a city.

This is a commercial area mainly of roadways and business-oriented buildings. There are several major roadways intersecting the centre of this neighbourhood such as Highways 403, 401, and 410. The area is bordered to the south by Eglinton Avenue East and Highway 407 to the north. While many of the buildings here serve industrial purposes, there are a few recreational complexes and customer-service hubs. The eastern border of the neighbourhood is marked by Etobicoke Creek. On the other side of the creek is Toronto Pearson International Airport.

This community is a short drive away from Mississauga’s downtown area so its residents get to enjoy all of the city’s festivals and events. One of these recurring events is Carassauga, Mississauga’s Festival of Cultures. This 35-year-old, three-day event celebrates all ethnocultural groups through entertainment, cuisine, and activities. The festival aims to represent 23 countries with classes for cooking, concerts, vendors, and group activities. Another interesting event is the Mississauga Dragon Boat Festival. This nearly 20-year-old fete encourages people of all boating experience levels to engage in Dragon Boat racing.

There are plenty of places to shop in Gateway if you know where to look. One supermarket in this area is C&D Variety, which is next door to a wholesale grocery called Vadiya Foods Inc. If neither of these places suits your fancy, you can head north to Coconut Grove Foods. Some of the other stores in Gateway include Hoverboard Factory, an electronics store, and Zuck Sports Inc, a bicycle shop. There is also Dixie Square, a small mall. Here you can find Majestix Flight, a skateboard shop, and a comic book store called Gotham Central Comics. These shops are next to Kangen Fish Aquatics and Pets, a pet store.

Many of Gateway’s restaurants are around the intersection of Dixie Road and Eglinton Avenue East. One of these venues is Nando’s PERi-PERi, a chicken restaurant serving Afro-Portuguese food with spicy chili sauce. Nando’s is next to Quesada Burritos & Tacos, where you can pick up all of your Mexican favourites. Across the street from here you will find Samaka Mediterranean Seafood, a Middle Eastern eatery with fish, prawn, and squid dishes on the menu. Not far from here is Kerala Curry House. This venue specializes in South Indian dishes with sides of flatbread and rice.

The nearest park to Gateway is Wood Creek on the southeast end of town. This wooded area runs parallel to Etobicoke Creek, lending itself to scenic walks, runs, or strolls with your pet. The trails in Wood Creek extend for kilometres beside open fields and golf courses. If you follow the trail long enough, you will arrive at Centennial Park. This is a large park with many sports amenities including three baseball diamonds, a running track, and several cricket nets. There are also a few picnic areas at Centennial Park, as well as a body of water called Pac Man Pond. This pond undoubtedly got its name due to its resemblance to the well-known video-game character.

Some of Centennial Park’s other amenities include a disc golf course, a BMX centre, and a golf centre. This golf centre has a 27-hole course, a driving range, a mini-golf course, and a clubhouse. There are also instructors available for group and private lessons. Outside of Centennial Park, Gateway has a recreation centre called Kings Courts Sismet. This is a basketball facility with multiple courts available for public booking. Another similar venue in this area is Z5 Courts, where you can rent a court for basketball or volleyball. There is a Cineplex Cinemas in this community where you can catch the newest flick out of Hollywood.

The trip from Gateway to downtown Toronto starts by driving north on Dixie Road before merging onto Highway 401. After around 10 minutes you will merge onto Highway 427 heading south. In another 10 minutes, you will take the Gardiner Expressway. This will lead you to downtown Toronto when you exit on one of the northbound streets such as York or Yonge Streets, depending on your final destination. This trip will take you under 40 minutes. The trip by public transit starts with a bus ride from Eglinton and Dixie heading to Kipling Station. From here you can ride the Bloor-Danforth subway east into downtown Toronto. This will take you just over an hour.

Most people leaving Toronto on a flight from Pearson International Airport fail to notice the commercial buildings beneath their plane as they head westward. Unbeknownst to them, they are flying over the community of Gateway. This area is a great spot for finding your new favourite restaurant or picking up an obscure piece of hardware you can’t find anywhere else in the city. The roadways surrounding this community make it great for commuting, and it’s also a short drive away from downtown Mississauga. There are many recreational facilities in Gateway, and it’s next to Wood Creek, which has scenic trails and connects to Centennial Park.