As one of the fastest growing cities in the country, Mississauga has quickly become a haven for its range of culture and cuisine. Like Toronto, Mississauga has become a place of neighbourhoods, with pockets of demographics scattered throughout the city.
In partnership with Visit Mississauga, I want to explore the idea of neighbourhoods and the cultural fabric of key corners in this fast growing city. The premise is simple, what if we zoom into one street, one building, and highlight the various layers of culture within that complex.
In this episode, we talk about one of my favourite places to visit in Mississauga during the weekends. The Mississauga Flea Market
Flea Markets are disappearing.
I remember, in the 90s, these gathering places for people and culture were sprinkled across the GTA. It was a ritual during the weekends for many, families would gather under one roof for almost all of their household needs; clothing, houseware, handmade crafts, electronics, and of course food. ,It was also a gathering place, families and friends meeting each other in a safe and inviting space, a place where you can practice and flex your haggling muscle.
Growing up in Scarborough, there was a flea market across the street from where we lived. Not a single weekend passed without some form of meetup with friends. It was a 5 minute walk. That flea market closed several years ago, but the building still stands, a derelict memory of the past, deteriorating slowly, weeds everywhere. A wave of memories flood my consciousness every time I drive by to visit my parents.
What’s so special about flea markets?
I think they perfectly encapsulate the culture of a city. Think of them as intensely rich counterparts to strip malls and plazas. Literally hundreds of businesses crammed under one roof, a large expansive space where the noise alone gives you a sense of time and place. We use the word mosaic often to describe the tapestry of the GTA, the flea market is a bright beacon of that tapestry.
They’re also incubators for newcomers, entrepreneurs that don’t have the capital to open a brick and mortar, a booth in a flea market is a starting point, and a direct way to connect to the community. I’ve met a number of vendors that started their journey with a small stall in the a flea market, and moved on and built their own place. This is especially true when it comes to food.
But with gentrification they’ve slowly started to disappear. Flea markets across the GTA are being replaced by corporate buildings and condominium complexes. We are in a constant state of change and unfortunately third spaces like flea markets are affected by a growing city.
Thankfully, I still have the Mississauga Flea Market, arguably one of the best flea markets in the GTA in my humble opinion.
Why?
In this second episode, I dive into what makes the flea market so special, focusing on some of the vendors and touring you through the rich, incredibly diverse food court. We’re just scratching the surface here, there are hundreds of businesses in this one building, so I recommend you reserve some time when you visit.
The food court is tucked away at the back of the flea market in the corner. Before you get to it, grab a cup of freshly pressed sugar cane juice and stroll through the various aisles.
You’ll walk through a rich tapestry of vendors from all over the world selling a variety of goods — dinnerware and ornaments from Turkey, rugs from all corners of the Middle East, various houseware items from South East Asia. As I describe in the video, there’s an entire section dedicated to electronics, I’ve had a watch or two repaired here over the years. If that smartphone is giving you some trouble, I’d show it to someone here before giving up. There’s a section for imported textiles, an aisle of towering rugs from Iran, Turkey, Dubai.
Then there’s the food court, where you will find 15 (sadly Simz is no longer there) that present a wonderful snapshot of Mississauga’s culinary prowess. Even though it’s scratching the surface in regards to how diverse the city actually is, you can still find cuisine from so many corners of the globe from Sri Lanka to Jamaica to Turkey).
It’s surprising to me that there are many regulars that don’t know this food court exists, I spoke to a few while we were filming this video. Maybe because its tucked in the corner in the back.
Again, this food court is an incubator for newcomer entrepreneurs, talented hands and minds that want to get their food concepts off the ground but need capital and a following. Many of these vendors don’t use social media, heck you can’t even find them on google maps.
These vendors rely on hungry regulars that visit every weekend to have a plate of jerk chicken with oxtail gravy, or to grab a bag of samosas, or that quick carnitas taco. Nearly every vendor here has a day job during the week; some are delivery drivers, some work in warehouses, some are social workers, some work as line cooks at other restaurants.
If you’re vegetarian or vegan, don’t worry, nearly every vendor is able to accommodate you, you’ll meet some incredibly friendly faces.
Here are a few examples of what you can expect;
Doubles and Rori Shop - Run by a Bangladeshi lady for the last 17 years, you’ll find some incredible Trini-style doubles here.
La Patrona - A regional Mexican stall that specializes in street food. Think al pastor tacos, stuffed quesadillas.
Ariana Afghan Foods - This is a new discovery for me, try the Afghan-style roast chicken. It is incredible, along with lightly perfumed and spiced rice.
Mama Malaysia Kitchen - One of the few Malaysian restaurants in the city happens to be in a flea market. The peanut-rich satay chicken is wonderful here, as is the beautifully reduced rendang curry.
Hey Bro - Another new vendor at the fFlea Market. This is a twist on Indian-style curries with some Sri Lankan accents. I recommend the green been curry and the Kothu roti.
Kechua - You could say Kechua is the baby at the food court. This is the one of the newest booths, offering regional Peruvian street food. I had a fantastic Papa a la Huancaina plate here.
Jerk Chicken - Erroll runs one of the oldest booths here, offering up some of the best jerk chicken. Don’t walk away without asking Erroll to smother your plate of chicken with his oxtail gravy, a generational family receipe.
On the way out and into the bust parking lot, you’ll pass by a tent where a vendor is slinging grilled corn, doused with pepper on request. I recommend you save some room for it, or just go back next weekend.
The Flea Market only runs during the weekends, My advice - go early, go hungry, and leave as late as you can.
I hope you enjoyed this video, there’s more to come. The goal is to expand this series, as we take a look at important landmarks in all corners of Mississauga.
A very big thank you to Visit Mississauga for giving us autonomy and allowing us to produce a series that we are proud of.
Next Time You’re here was filmed by the brilliant Curry Leamen