( OHIO • TUESDAY. DECEMBER 12. 1995 sister: BLADE PHOTO BY QREQ HORVATH ga, Ont. BY DAVID JACOBS some better-known municipali­ Mississauga is Canada's ninth- BLADE STAFF WRITER ties." largest city, Mrs. McCallion said. A sister city relationship with Its population is projected to grow Mississauga, which hopes to Mississauga, a city of 560,000 justt o 800,000 by 2031, which could surpass Toronto as Ontario's mosoutsidt e Toronto, would be Toledo'smak e it Ontario's largest city. populous city within 35 years, fifth. "Anyone who refers to Missis­ wants to hitch its rising star to Existing relationships are in sauga as a bedroom community [of Toledo. place between Toledo and Toledo,Toronto ] obviouslv doesn't know Hazel McCallion, mayor of Mis­ Spain; Qinhuangdao, China; the facts," Mrs. McCallion told the sissauga, Ont., said yesterday thaSzegedt , Hungary, and PoznanRotar, y Club crowd of 300 in the she wishes to sign an agreemenPolandt . Zenobia Shrine. that would lead to a sister city Mississauga's only sister rela­ Mississauga's mayor since 1978, relationship with Toledo. tionship was established in 1981sh e believes in }ow taxesj private "I think we have a lot in com­ with Kariya, Japan. sector involvement in government, and a "pay-as-you-go" system. Mississauga Mayor Hazel mon," said Mrs. McCallion, who Mrs. McCallion's visit to Toledo McCallion said Toledo and her capped a two-day visit to Toledo bywa s the result of Mayor That means the city does notcit y have much in common. meeting with Mayor Carty Finkbeiner's three-day trade visit borrow money to pay for construc­ Finkbeiner and speaking to thet o Canada in late September Thetio n projects. Tax abatements tosocia l conscience, looking for a lot Rotary Club of Toledo. two met in Mississauga city hall to lure businesses to the communityo f reform in government," she The initial ties would be eco­ discuss a sister-city relationship. are forbidden. said. "It's hard to figure out what nomic, but could branch out into Mayor Finkbeiner considers "Politicians, for many years, party I belong to." other areas such as culture andMississaug a to be a potent eco­thought money grew on trees," Mayor Finkbeiner expressed his education, Mrs. McCallion said. nomic partner. Mrs. McCallion said. "We haven't found a tree in Ontario, yet, with excitement over Mrs. McCallion's She has not set a timetable to Only 21 years old, the city is Toledo visit. begin formal discussions. home to Toronto's international money in it." "Toledo is working hard to es­ airport. Mississauga has five major Mrs. McCallion, 74, amused the "I don't think there is a more tablish a new image and identity," highways, is debt free, has $400Rotar y Club with her humor and dynamic, business-oriented leader she said. "That is what we had tomillio n in cash reserves, and hasener©' . in the United States of America go through and are doing. We, like not raised taxes in five years or "I am basically conservative running a city, than there is in this Toledo, have to compete againstborrowe d money in 17 years. with a liberal point, of view, a great lady running her city," he said. .