Mississauga Celebration Square is the closest thing this city has to a town commons. Roughly 750,000 people a year pass through it for festivals, concerts, movie nights, Canada Day and New Year's Eve fireworks, and big-screen viewing of major sports events. Keeping it in good shape is not a luxury. But the way its next renovation is taking shape deserves a closer look.
When plans were first described last summer, the work was modest: new artificial turf and bigger, sharper video screens, with the lawn closed for four to six weeks in early 2026. This week, the city confirmed that the project has grown into a much larger renewal. The list now includes the turf, the screens, replacement of concrete expansion joints, and waterproofing and drainage work on the water feature. The city says no construction will happen this year and the square will stay open in 2026. Design will run through 2026 and into 2027, with construction phased from late 2027 through 2028.
The sensible part
There is a good case for much of this. The square was rebuilt and opened in 2011 and is approaching its 15th year. Equipment wears out. Bundling the repairs into one coordinated project, rather than closing the square several times for separate jobs, should mean less disruption for the groups that book it and the residents who use it. Keeping the square open in 2026, a summer when soccer fans are expected to gather there for World Cup matches, is also the right call.
The part that needs scrutiny
Alongside the necessary repairs, the city says it is considering new features: projection mapping on the city hall facade and solar panels. Neither is unreasonable on its face. Solar panels could cut energy costs over time, and a light show on the civic centre could draw crowds. But these are choices, not repairs, and they have been folded into a project whose cost the city says it does not yet know.
That matters because money is tight. At the Jan. 20 budget committee meeting, staff fielded questions about the impact of a two per cent reduction to the levy that funds capital infrastructure and debt repayment, along with funding for road rehabilitation, noise walls and sports courts. Money spent on a light show for the civic centre facade competes, one way or another, with those basic needs.
What the city should do
Council should ask staff to report the renewal in two clear parts: the work required to keep the square safe and functional, and the optional additions, each with its own cost estimate and, for the solar panels, a payback period. Residents should get a chance to weigh in before the design is locked in.
The project is in its early design stages, which makes this the cheapest moment to set the ground rules. Celebration Square belongs to everyone in Mississauga. Taxpayers should see the bill, item by item, before the wish list grows any longer.
