Oshawa

Oshawa has become a thriving city quite unique from the huge metropolis of Toronto and just 50 kilometres to the east. Interestingly enough Oshawa's beginnings go back to the 1700s when it was a simple fur trading post, and in recent decades big business - this time General Motors?has played a major role in the growth and development of this city. GM has its Canadian Headquarters and Regional Engineering Centre in Oshawa. More than one million automobiles are manufactured here each year, earning it respect the world over for its production quality. While Oshawa is a manufacturing mecca, it's more than simply that. It is an ideal family community, set upon the beautiful shores of Lake Ontario surrounding a lushly wooded countryside. But Oshawa is much more urban than suburban. It has the largest population in the Regional Municipality of Durham and is well-flanked with all the stores, restaurants, and conveniences that go along with big-city living. At its core, beats the heart of small-town Ontario, a friendly, safe, and caring community that prides itself on its hundreds of parks, recreational, and sporting facilities and its emphasis on culture.

A variety of organizations such as the Oshawa Folk Arts Council and The Oshawa and District Historical Society promote the arts, culture, and local heritage. Unusual in a city of 150,000, Oshawa boasts numerous museums and galleries including the Robert McLaughlin Art Gallery, Parkwood Estate, Oshawa Aeronautical and Industrial Museum, Canada Automative Museum and Autofest, Oshawa Community Museum, Robert Stuart Museum, and Camp X. In the summer, the city sponsors a Downtown Festival of Murals and Art in the Park as well as the annual Oshawa Jazz and Blues Festival which attracts thousands of visitors to Oshawa. Ethnic clubs operating within the city provide an annual event called Fiesta Week every June. As well, Oshawa has many fine theatre groups, a symphony orchestra, and a philharmonic choir.

More than 1,200 acres of parkland surround Oshawa and that doesn't include the many arenas, recreation complexes, athletic fields, beaches, jogging trails, walking paths, and swimming pools that make it Durham Region's family playground. The Oshawa Trails and the nine-kilometre Waterfront Trail along Lake Ontario provide year-round activities. Five conservation areas are ideal for picnicking and nature programs. The Oshawa Valley Botanical Garden is the place to see the largest collection of peonies in North America. Recently, Oshawa has begun renovations to existing sports and recreation facilities and is constructing new state-of-the-art complexes to meet the needs of its growing population.

About Oshawa

Population 150,000

Age Settled in 1750, village by 1859, town status in 1879, incorporated as a city in 1924

Location 50 kilometres east of Toronto, along Hwy. 401 on the north shore of Lake Ontario

Highways 401, proposed 407 ETR link

Airport Oshawa Municipal Airport and Pearson International Airport in Toronto

Public Transit Oshawa Transit Commission, GO Transit

Education The Durham District School Board operates 31 elementary and 7 secondary schools; The Durham Catholic District School Board operates 14 elementary and 2 secondary schools; Post Secondary schools include The University of Ontario Institute of Technology and Durham College with easy access to academic institutions in Toronto.

Emergency Services Full municipal fire protection, four fire stations, 911 area coverage served by Durham Regional Police and Ontario Provincial Police

Tourist/Cultural and Recreation Facilities Full range of municipal recreation programs and sports fields including, Civic Auditorium Complex comprising 3,416-seat arena, 200-seat banquet room, 2,000-seat outdoor stadium with 400-metre track, and three auxiliary fields; five arenas; nine athletic fields; 77 baseball/softball diamonds; eight bocce courts; 19 community centres; three football fields; six ice rinks; three libraries; three museums; 103 playgrounds; 39 soccer pitches; three indoor/ three outdoor pools; 25 tennis courts; one outdoor track; Central Lake Ontario Conservation Authority; Purple Woods and Oshawa Valley Lands; Cedar Valley and Harmony Valley