Applewood's Vietnamese Boat People Monument
It is quite rare to see a Vietnamese monument here in the Greater Toronto Area. As a second generation Vietnamese immigrant born in Canada, I appreciate how the Vietnamese community here in Mississauga came together to fund this statue. This monument was recently completed on November 2019, being located in one of the most heavily Vietnamese populated areas in Mississauga as well as being attached to the Burnhamthorpe Library. Right next to this monument is the Burnhamthorpe Pioneer Cemetery which poetically shows how even the differences culturally and generationally, all immigrants are willing to endure hardships on a large spectrum for a better tomorrow.
Applewood, located in the city of Mississauga is a suburban district "neighbourhood" consisting a group of smaller neighbourhoods, many bearing its name. The area was originally settled in the 1800s having notable villages such as Dixie and Burnhamthorpe. Named after the abundant amount of apple trees in the area, many of the original pioneering families that settled in the area became owners of apple orchards. Eventually with the orchards declining economically, the area became stagnated being mostly rural until suburban development rapidly began during the 1950s economic boom post-World War 2.
The Burnhamthorpe Library was opened in the year of 1976 and is one of Mississauga’s oldest and largest libraries. It was originally designed by renowned architect, Raymond Moriyama, and renovated in 2011. The library offers an accessible and comfortable space for all visitors, including a fireplace lounge area, and has a wide variety of materials that can be borrowed by city residents. Built on the original grounds of the Burnhamthorpe Pioneer Cemetery, many of the original buried were transported to another nearby cemetery. Located in the neighbourhood of Applewood Hills, it was named as Burnhamthorpe Library instead of "Applewood Hills Library" due to its proximity to Burnhamthrope Road East and the bordering Burnhamthorpe neighbourhood. This library offers many forms of transportation infrastructure such as the Dixie Trail and bus stops.
Please check the library opening and closing hours if you want to visit after finding the cache.
The nearby Dixie Trail that goes past the Burnhamthorpe Library is a less popular 4.8km long paved path trail. This multi-use point-to-point trail runs along Dixie Road offering people an easy paved path to reach their desired destination on either direction plays a vital connection role in between the larger trails such as the Applewood Trail and Queensway Trail. This trail allows for the use of bicycles on and off roads, through natural and urban settings. This great network of trails was developed through the city master plan as well as through the support of the Mississauga cycling committee. This trail system connects interesting areas of the community, the library, and the road system all are combined to present a great urban trail experience.
Please note that many attaching trails closes daily at 11pm and it is highly recommended to come here during daylight hours.
You will need to traverse through the library grounds to locate this cache. Sit down and enjoy learning about the history the monument showcases after successfully finding the cache. Feel free to check out the attaching Burnhamthorpe Library which is open to the public with washroom access.
Please note that this monument is open 24/7 but the neighbouring library has its own schedule.
Please check their opening and closing hours if washroom access is an important factor during your visit.
This is a micro sized cache containing a logbook. It is recommended to have a tweezer with you since it can be hard to get the logbook out. Feel free to notify me if the cache seems to be tampered with or missing, I will replace it as soon as possible.
Please make sure the cache is snug and tucked in place when you place it back in its original spot.
Please do not take or destroy the cache :)
Feel free to help out by voluntarily cleaning up any unwanted trash and debris that you might come across :)
Be sure to come by and visit Applewood's Vietnamese Boat People Monument, get out there to find it, good luck and happy caching!
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A SPECIAL SHOUT-OUT TO julianworm FOR BEING THE FIRST TO FIND :O