A new heating and cooling system for a large waterfront community in Mississauga is being touted by city officials as “the first of its kind in Ontario and the largest in Canada.”

The district energy system, which generates hot and cold water at a central facility and distributes it through a network of pipes to individual buildings, will serve the 177-acre mixed-use Lakeview Village development as it unfolds over the next decade. This approach eliminates the need for separate boilers and chillers in each building.

Located in the southeast corner of the city, the new community replaces the former Lakeview Generating Station, which once featured four stacks. Construction began earlier this month, and the development will ultimately include approximately 16,000 homes alongside various businesses, with the first residential units expected to be ready by 2029.

City officials and project partners gathered at the Lakeview Village site for a groundbreaking ceremony, announcing that “shovels are in the ground” for a sustainable district energy system transforming the site of a former coal power station into a green community.

Once fully operational, the Lakeview Village district energy system is set to be a pioneering model for Ontario and the largest in Canada. Officials emphasized that this system is significantly more efficient than traditional heating and cooling methods, which contribute substantially to greenhouse gas emissions. “District energy systems utilize a network of pipes to heat and cool an entire community from a centralized source,” the city explained. “This setup allows for a combination of generation assets that work seamlessly together to enhance efficiency, lower energy consumption, and reduce emissions, making them more reliable and resilient than conventional systems.”

A $1.4 billion agreement established three years ago between the Canadian government and Toronto-based Enwave Energy Corporation, a leader in sustainable energy, paved the way for the inclusion of district energy in the Lakeview Village project. The city has partnered with Lakeview Community Partners Limited, the developers of the new community, Enwave Lakeview Corporation, and the Region of Peel for this initiative.

Agreements have been made to enable Enwave to build the necessary infrastructure on city land and construct a new facility to manage the system.

Mayor Carolyn Parrish described the project as “transformative” and emphasized its role in shaping Mississauga’s future. She highlighted the city’s commitment to creating mixed-use, sustainable communities that offer diverse housing options, job opportunities, parks, and communal spaces. “Lakeview Village’s focus on innovative, low-carbon solutions makes it more than just a development project; it sets a new standard for sustainability.”

The city and developer are also advancing plans for a new building on the site that will house the district energy operations center (managed by Enwave), a sewage pumping station (operated by the Region of Peel), and an educational space for learning opportunities for residents, visitors, and the business community.