The Canadian Peregrine Foundation

Mississauga Central

The New Tenants of the Mississauga Executive Centre

by Danielle Scanlon
(2002)

Over the last several years we have had numerous sightings of two Peregrine falcons - one male and one female, around the four towers of the Mississauga Executive Centre (MEC). They have been curious, but have never nested.

The Mississauga Executive Centre (owned by Clarica Life Insurance Company and Canadian Partners Fund Inc. and managed by Oxford Properties Group Inc.) is located at Hurontario and Robert Speck Parkway in Mississauga. The property management staff has nicknamed the two falcons Andrew (after our VP) and Hazel (after our Mayor). However, we are not even sure they are the same two birds that have been visiting for the past several years.

When I had my first glimpse at the falcons flying around our towers I wondered why they were here. This is a concrete jungle filled with hundreds of cars in the exterior parking lots. However these commercial towers are split by the Cooksville Creek. I now understand that we have an attractive food supply at the creek and perfect perching locations on the ledges of the four towers.

Whenever one of our staff sights a Peregrine falcon they call me right away. I go running like a scared mother just to try to get a close up glimpse. A couple of months ago one falcon was perched on a tree not even three feet away from our window. This is the closest I have ever been to an adult male. He sat there for around 5 minutes just staring at me (or so I thought). He then opened his wings and flew at the window. I ended up wearing my coffee. I guess he thought he was looking at another male in the glass windows. Hopefully this means he is getting protective of this territory. I ran outside to see if he was hurt, but he was nowhere to be found.

I kept thinking of ways we could help Andrew and Hazel nest at one of our buildings. During a visit by the Canadian Peregrine Foundation at our 2001 Tenant Appreciation BBQ, I decided to try my best to help save this endangered species. Mark Nash of the Canadian Peregrine Foundation suggested a nesting box. I raised the money for the box and the date was set for installation on January 3, 2002.

When I first saw the nesting box on the back of Mark’s truck, I almost fainted. It was huge! I didn’t know how this would fit on the ledge of 1 Robert Speck Parkway. A special thank you goes out to Jeff Stewart of Tractel and Ken Ball of Oxford. Jeff assisted Mark with bringing the box and pea gravel to the roof ledge via the window cleaning swing stage. This was no easy feat. Ken Ball, a Maintenance Mechanic at MEC helped move the swing stage around on the roof. For more details of the nesting box and pictures of the event, please visit www.peregrine-foundation.ca/mississauga/mifoto.html.

So now that the nesting box is on the southeast ledge of the building, I keep looking at it, hoping to see Andrew and Hazel. On Thursday January 17^th I got lucky. They were flying around between the four buildings and then one of them landed right next to the box. The falcon did not go in, but they know it is there. I watched them for 10 minutes, completely forgetting that I was in a meeting. They are definitely interested in our property. Hopefully the nesting box will entice them to stay.

Update: On February 26^th I saw a falcon sitting in the box!! Hurry up spring!!

Danielle Scanlon
Assistant Property Manager
Mississauga Executive Centre
905-281-7203

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