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 Dave Cook
Dave and his wife Sophia live in the Applewood Acres community in south-east Mississauga He has lived in Mississauga since the mid 1940's.
Dave's father, Norman, was born in Dixie, now part of Mississauga. Established in 1805 following the signing of the Mississauga agreement at Government House at the mouth of the Credit River, Dixie was one of the earliest Ontario villages. In this agreement, the Native Indians sold the lands between Etobicoke Creek and Burlington to the British Government. The first settler of what is now Mississauga, Thomas Ingersoll, was the Inn Keeper of Government House, located at the mouth of the Credit River, now in the heart of Port Credit. Father of Laura Secord, Thomas later moved to what is now Ingersoll, Ontario.
In 1864, Dixie, originally known as Fountain Hill and also Sydenham, was renamed to honour a horse-and-buggy doctor, Dr. Beaumont Dixie, who had established a residence in the area in 1854.
Dave's father grew up in Dixie but, as a young man, ventured out into the world seeking his fame and fortune. First, he purchased property in the Malton farming community on the 6th Line. Norman Cook was about to embark upon a new and exciting venture. He had an idea that raising chickens on a mass production basis would become a major industry in the same way as farmers were specializing in cattle farms and sheep farms. However, the Canadian Government's expansion plans for the small Malton airport established nearby by the City of Toronto as a bad-weather alternative to the Toronto Island Airport, changed the area beyond anyone's imagination. The Government expropriation of 5,000 ha. (2,000 acres) resulted in Norman and his family relocating in Dixie and, thus, going back to his roots. Norman purchased a home in the newly built Applewood Acres community.
As a teenager, Dave regularly attended the Stock Car races held at the Exhibition grounds in Toronto. His interest in the sport blossomed and became a major part of his adult life. He joined the Oakville Trafalgar Light Car Club and later the Credit Valley Car Club. He invested a small amount of money in a new venture being formed in 1959 by three major Canadian racing clubs. He was on the ground floor of what became one the the world's major auto racing facilities, Mosport Park.
Dave organized Mosport's first automobile racing event on June 3, 1961. He then became part of the track's play-by-play commentary teams on the public address system. This led to his career in radio broadcasting. He was hired first by CHIC Radio in Brampton and later he worked at CHIN Radio in Toronto. He was employed as an on-air news announcer at first, then later moved into program production. He left radio in 1974 to work for The Mississauga News and later, its sister publication, The Etobicoke Gazette.
In 1979, Dave decided to run for elected office. In 1980 he was elected Councillor, City of Mississauga and Regional Municipality of Peel and served three terms before retiring in 1988. Dave and his wife Sophia both remain active in the community. Dave twice served as president of the Applewood Acres Homeowner's Association.
Dave's long-time interest in history led to his writing Apple Blossoms and Satellite Dishes, the history of the Applewood Acres community. This book is now out of print. The Applewood book was followed by the fascinating story of the first hockey arena built west of Toronto. From Frozen Ponds to Beehive Glory, the story of Dixie Arena Gardens, was released in 2006. Dave then decided to create a series of historical volumes containing a variety of stories of historical interest. His first, published in 2008, was Fading History Vol. 1 and his second, published in 2010, was Fading History Vol. 2.
Dave decided to return to municipal politics because he was concerned that there was a change needed at the most senior levels. In 2010, he registered his candidacy for Mayor of Mississauga. Dave finished a respectable second in an election that will certainly one day be the focus of a mention in a historical flashback. Dave not only writes history, but has been a part of it as well.
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