The Birthplace of Karla Homolka: Port Credit, Ontario

[Doady]

All photos taken on March 13, 2023.

Kind of a sequel to an older thread, Streetsville - Winter 2010, where I tried to photograph outside the main retail strip in snowy conditions. I remember those photos got a hostile reception on the UrbanToronto forum, but the reaction here was warmer and in recent years I started to embrace the idea of taking purposely bad photos, so I thought it would make sense to give Port Credit the same treatment.

Port Credit like Streetsville is a former town that was incorporated into Mississauga in 1974. Port Credit is the closest thing to a downtown in Mississauga, having not only a large historic retail strip like Streetville, but also a plethora of 60s and 70s apartment buildings like Cooksville, so this thread can also be considered a continuation of The North American Moscow from 2019.

I think this is the first time I have done a Port Credit thread, and I plan to do some photos of the main retail strip along Lakeshore and other parts of the corridor in Mississauga and Etobicoke in the spring and summer. I will probably do Etobicoke first before the 501 Queen streetcar gets shut down at the end of April, so stay tuned for those.

In and out of Helene



Grind it up at the dumping ground (Behind Ann)



Seeing red



Dropping her off



Under the cover



Driving off and turning towards Ann



Dog must remain on leash at all times / Clean up after your dog



Falling backwards



ATM here



Onto Helene



Looking past Daisy, walking beside Helene



No Frills, no more, no bus



Still no bus



It's Our Little Secret



Ground units



Into her apartment



Elizabeth / High



Just one storey



Towering above Elizabeth



Just the three of them



Turning onto Elizabeth



Prepared to be chopped up



Stopping at Helene



No turning back



Where Queen becomes Elizabeth



Just dump it here

[xzmattzx]

Interesting

There's definitely enough of the ugly slab apartment highrises there.

Old snow always makes things uglier, too. The only way to make old snow on a snowy day look worse is to have old snow on a cold, rainy day.

[Doady]

Yeah, my camera is built for it, but I will never go walking leisurely around and about in the rain, and rain at freezing temperatures is the worst. My camera was literally covered by a cm of snow by the end, and I was already not in a good mood because the bus was so crowded as usual. A lady there saw me and joked about it being the perfect conditions for photography, but what she said was true because otherwise I would just stayed home. Snow falling at dusk, the ground covered with snow, 0 degrees, not too windy, this was what I was waiting for all winter, but instead it only happened after the start of spring.

[202_Cyclist]

It looks like the Van Dorn or South Arlington of Toronto.

[Murphy de la Sucre]

Very Soviet Union, the vibes

[Nite]

I feel this thread does Port Credit a disservice by not showing the downtown area and commercial strip that it's known for and paints it as non-descript part of the GTA.
For those that are interested here is the commercial strip.

https://www.google.com/maps/@43.5523...7i16384!8i8192

Also Square One is Mississauga largest and truest downtown by a mile, it's where city hall is, most government buildings, most commercial buildings, largest shopping area, the central transit hub, highest residential densities and population and most new constructions, etc.,

Streetsville and Port Credit are nice and urban and when Mississusga was created, and only had 200,000, They might have laid claim to being the true downtown, but not now of the Mississauga of nearly a 1 million people which is obviously centred on Square One, where most civic activities happen and where you will see the largest number events, workers and residences

[Doady]

I already explained that I will photograph the main commercial strip in the spring and summer. One thread for side streets and one for the main streets, just like I did for Streetsville and Cooksville, and I even provided links to those other threads for comparison. I figured this "non-descript part of the GTA" would be interesting to those outside of the GTA, so you're the one who is doing the disservice with your attempt to direct everyone's attention away from my post and my photos.

Maybe there are people who can spend entire day to do a complete and comprehensive tour of all of Port Credit during a snowstorm, but I can't. I took all of these photos in the span of 58 minutes, from 6:21pm to 7:19pm EDT, before I had to hurry to the bus station because I was already late for dinner and the Raptors game (I am no longer allowed to drive a car because of health). If anyone wants to spend hours or days to see a city or neighbourhood in its entirely, they can just use Street View, and I am sure they already knew that without your reminder.

I think as a photographer I have covered this city as comprehensively as anyone else can of any city, with at least 20 different threads so far. I have also done 5 different threads of Sarnia of all places.

As for the Square One area being more of a downtown than Port Credit and Streetsville, I'll let other people be the judge when I go back to Port Credit in the summer. I've been impressed by the recent developments around Square One so I was planning to do two or three threads there this spring and summer as well. I already have done a thread for Square One itself years ago and it's probably still here somewhere.

[geomorph]

I can't quite see what It's Our Little Secret does but it looks shady.

[Doady]

It is hard to read the handwriting even at full size but it says something like "consignment boutique"? And there is a picture of a black cocktail dress with a red ribbon and long black gloves and hand purse. A coat hanger is holding the dress up, but the left glove is somehow holding the purse up above the waistline. It's like a machine or a ghost or something.

[hkskyline]

Originally Posted by Doady

I already explained that I will photograph the main commercial strip in the spring and summer. One thread for side streets and one for the main streets, just like I did for Streetsville and Cooksville, and I even provided links to those other threads for comparison. I figured this "non-descript part of the GTA" would be interesting to those outside of the GTA, so you're the one who is doing the disservice with your attempt to direct everyone's attention away from my post and my photos.

Maybe there are people who can spend entire day to do a complete and comprehensive tour of all of Port Credit during a snowstorm, but I can't. I took all of these photos in the span of 58 minutes, from 6:21pm to 7:19pm EDT, before I had to hurry to the bus station because I was already late for dinner and the Raptors game (I am no longer allowed to drive a car because of health). If anyone wants to spend hours or days to see a city or neighbourhood in its entirely, they can just use Street View, and I am sure they already knew that without your reminder.

I think as a photographer I have covered this city as comprehensively as anyone else can of any city, with at least 20 different threads so far. I have also done 5 different threads of Sarnia of all places.

As for the Square One area being more of a downtown than Port Credit and Streetsville, I'll let other people be the judge when I go back to Port Credit in the summer. I've been impressed by the recent developments around Square One so I was planning to do two or three threads there this spring and summer as well. I already have done a thread for Square One itself years ago and it's probably still here somewhere.

The Square One area has a skyline now and is almost as nice as North York Centre. They just need to fill in some of those parking lots for parks and a real public space instead, and maybe put up a few food trucks during the summer and a skating rink otherwise.

[Architype]

Interesting to see a place I've never been to, but have been very close to, while driving nearby. It captures an Ontario winter in all it's snowiness. It also reminds me of a city which would remind me in some way of Halifax, if there was such a city.

[jdcamb]

My Cousins lived on 38th st. I am not sure what the area was called. Loblaws is still there. Virtually nothing else is. I remember fishing in Etobicoke Creek with my Grandpa. He lived on 7th st. Worked at Bell.

[the pope]

I always have time for Port Credit

[edale]

Wow, what an interesting built environment. I totally would have guessed these photos were from Poland or Russia had they not been labeled. The Toronto area has a very unique look to it. Certainly this area would not be confused with anywhere in the US. Thanks for sharing the photos- much appreciated!

[Nite]

Nevermind

[destroycreate]

Originally Posted by edale

Wow, what an interesting built environment. I totally would have guessed these photos were from Poland or Russia had they not been labeled. The Toronto area has a very unique look to it. Certainly this area would not be confused with anywhere in the US. Thanks for sharing the photos- much appreciated!

Exactly what I was thinking. If only middle class Americans could be cool with living in buildings like this.