Oshawa (2006 population 141,590, CMA, 330,594)[2] is a city in Ontario, Canada, on the Lake Ontario shoreline, approximately 60 kilometres east of downtown Toronto. It is commonly viewed as the eastern anchor of both the Greater Toronto Area and the Golden Horseshoe. It is not, however, part of the Toronto CMA but has its own metropolitan area, the fourteenth largest in Canada. It is the largest community in the Regional Municipality of Durham. The name Oshawa originates from the Ojibwa term aazhaway, meaning "the carring place" or just "(a)cross".[3][4]
The automobile industry, specifically the Canadian division of General Motors Corporation, known as General Motors Canada, has always been at the forefront of Oshawa's economy. Founded in 1876 as the McLaughlin Carriage Company, General Motors of Canada'sheadquarters and major assembly plants are located in the city. The lavish home of the carriage company's founder, Parkwood Estate, is a national historic site, and a backdrop favoured by Toronto film crews.
The city is also home to Windfields Farm, a thoroughbred horse breeding operation and birthplace of Canada's most famous racehorse, Northern Dancer.
Once very much a distinct community - physically, economically, and culturally - Oshawa has been increasingly subsumed into the Greater Toronto Area.
A Brief History Of The City of Oshawa
In the early 18th century Indians of the Mississauga Tribe began trading furs with the French and later the English. At the spot where the Oshawa Harbour is now located, they loaded their furs into canoes and paddled along the shore of Lake Ontario to the trading post at the mouth of the Credit River. This fur trade became so important that the French established a trading post near the mouth of the Oshawa Creek around the year 1750. Thus began the economic history of exporting products from the region now known as the City of Oshawa.
In the late 1790's, Roger Conant, based out of the Village of Oshawa, pursued the fur trade and later the packing business, shipping salmon to the United States. The success of this business contributed toward paving the way for the coming from the United States of other United Empire Loyalists who made their contribution to the beginning of this pioneer community. Among those who came in this initial wave were two skilled mechanics named Beagle and Conklin who became the area's first manufacturers. They made spinning wheels and hand looms, plus other equipment for house and farm.
As immigration to the area continued to build, local mills which had taken advantage of the abundant water power were frequented by farmers from the surrounding countryside. Thus, the need for other services arose. Hotels and inns were erected. Soon other services were added, including stores, churches, a tannery, an additional grist mill, a woolen mill, two distilleries and an ashery. In 1840, the first pier and breakwater at what is now Oshawa Harbour was constructed by the Sydenham Harbour Company.
In 1842, the inhabitants of the area applied to the Government for the establishment of a post office in the settlement. The application was granted but a name had to be chosen for the post office. After several meetings, the consensus was that the name Sydenham, by which the wharf was known, would be acceptable. Two visiting Indians were asked for their opinion of this name. They suggested the Indian name "Oshawa", the literal translation of which is "that point at the crossing of the stream where the canoe was exchanged for the trail". This suggestion was immediately accepted. In 1850, Oshawa was incorporated as a village with a population of approximately 2,000. In January of 1879, Oshawa's status was changed from a village to a town; at this time, Oshawa's population was 3,992.
By 1853, the Port of Oshawa was established as a clearing and warehousing port by an Order-in-Council. Oshawa's industry continued to grow especially with the coming of the Grand Trunk Railway from Toronto to Montreal. In 1858, Joseph Hall purchased the Oshawa Manufacturing Company and developed it into the largest producer of agricultural implements in Canada. Another exporting industry to commence operations during this period was the Cedar Dale Works which manufactured scythes, hoes and axes.
In 1871, the Town of Oshawa granted a bonus to the Ontario Malleable Iron Company to locate in Oshawa in order to obtain a source of malleable iron for local industries. This proved to be a vital factor in Oshawa's growth as an industrial centre.
In 1876, Robert McLaughlin, who had already established a carriage works business, relocated to Oshawa, drawn by its flourishing rail and harbour facilities. With the help of a $50,000 interest-free loan from the Town of Oshawa, the McLaughlin Carriage Company quickly developed into the largest carriage works in the British Empire.
With the automobile fast gaining popularity, the McLaughlins decided to enter the business by contracting with the Buick Motor Car Company of Michigan for use of the Buick engine in the McLaughlin car. Automobile production began in 1907 when 198 McLaughlin automobiles were built.
In 1915, the McLaughlins acquired the rights to build Chevrolets and the Chevrolet Motor Car Company of Canada was formed. This resulted in the sale of the carriage business. Three years later, the McLaughlin Motor Car Company and Chevrolet Motor Car Company of Canada were merged to create General Motors of Canada, Limited, a wholly-owned unit of the General Motors Corporation, with Robert Samuel McLaughlin as President.
Another noteworthy event in the growth of Oshawa's industry was the establishment of the Pedlar Metal Roofing Company in 1861. In 1911, the Company reorganized into a joint stock company under the name of the Pedlar People Limited. Ten years later, the plant had grown to be the largest of its kind in the British Empire.
By 1911, the number of people employed by industrial establishments in Oshawa had risen to 3,220. This number was stimulated by the First World War, reaching a peak in 1929. Although the Great Depression had a disastrous effect, by 1932 recovery started in Oshawa. During this industrial transition, Oshawa's population expanded at a slow but steady rate.
During the period 1900 to 1924, the Town was expanding in other areas as well as industrial. In 1904, the construction of a public water supply system began. The first sewermains were constructed in 1905; the purchase of a site for the public library occurred in 1906; in 1910, construction of the Oshawa General Hospital began; the first streets were paved the next year; and, by 1920, two large parks (Alexandra and Lakeview) had been created.
Late in 1922, the Town of Oshawa annexed a portion of the Township of East Whitby, and on March 8, 1924, with a population of 16,659, Oshawa was elevated to City status. The annexation of another 10,415 acres of East Whitby Township in 1951 caused Oshawa's population to jump by over 8,000 persons.
Between 1933 and 1939, employment continued its recovery from the Depression. The Second World War led to a tremendous industrial boom. This prosperity has fluctuated moderately, but lasted through to the late 1970's when a downward trend in the Canadian economy caused a decline in the buoyancy of Oshawa's industrial and exporting base.
In 1960, administration of the Oshawa Harbour by the Federal Government was transferred to a local governing body, the Oshawa Harbour Commission. Realizing the Harbour's vital link to export markets, the Commission implemented extensive modernization and improvements to the harbour and its facilities within three years. The harbour was used mainly for lake shipping, but the volume of traffic increased steadily.
Following the opening of the St. Lawrence Seaway it became evident that Oshawa Harbour's depth was inadequate for 'seaway' vessels. In 1967, dredging rectified this problem. Since then, a wide variety of commodities such as salt, steel products, fertilizer and sugar are exported from the Oshawa Harbour.
Today, with a population of some 146,000, the City of Oshawa is ideally situated at the eastern end of what has become known as the Greater Toronto Area, Canada's "Engine of Growth". The City is serviced by the main lines of the Canadian Pacific and Canadian National Railways. Oshawa has excellent harbour facilities (still slated for further expansion) and the Oshawa Municipal Airport provides convenient access to North America for businesses and commuters. Due largely to the General Motors operations, Oshawa ranks high in Canada as a customs port-of-entry. Under the careful guidance of recent City Councils, Oshawa is realizing the rebirth of its downtown core at the original site of Skae's Corners and has developed into a modern city with a balance of residential, commercial, industrial, social and recreational facilities.
Economy
Oshawa is headquarters to General Motors Canada, which has large-scale manufacturing and administrative operations in the city and employs many thousands both directly and indirectly. Since Windsor, Ontario houses Chrysler Canada headquarters, the two cities have something of a friendly rivalry for the title of "Automotive Capital of Canada".
The revenue collection divisions of the Ontario Ministry of Finance occupy one of the few major office buildings in the city's downtown, which continues to struggle despite business improvement efforts. The city's southern neighbourhoods tend to be considerably less affluent than its northern sections, which are rapidly expanding as Toronto commuters move in. The southern half of the city consists of industrial zones and compact housing designed for mid-20th century industrial workers, while the northern half has a suburban feel more typical of later decades.
The fifth-generation Chevrolet Camaro is a product of GM's Oshawa Car Assembly
High wages paid to unionized GM employees have meant that these workers could enjoy a relatively high standard of living, although such jobs are much scarcer today than they once were. During its post-World War II heyday, General Motors offered some of the best manufacturing jobs available in Canada and attracted thousands of workers from economically depressed areas of the country, particularly the Maritimes, Newfoundland, rural Quebec and northern Ontario. The city was also a magnet for European immigrants in the skilled trades, and boasts substantial Polish, Ukrainian, Hungarian, Croatian, German and Russian ethnic communities.
Although the workforce at General Motors of Canada has shrunk in recent years (with more reductions through attrition planned), the company continues to make significant technology and capital investments at its sites in Oshawa. While the company's once essential role in the local economy has diminished, it remains the largest local employer. Many of its operations have been spun off to contractors. In most cases, new owners at the spun-off facilities are not bound by the collective bargaining agreements of the Canadian Auto Workers, and wages at such operations tend to be much lower than at General Motors itself.
Oshawa has become one of the fastest growing cities in Canada, although statements to this effect are often in reference to the Census Metropolitan Area, which includes neighbouring Whitby and Clarington. Many commuters have been enticed to Oshawa by comparatively low housing prices and the regular rail service into downtown Toronto provided by GO Transit and VIA Rail. The growth of subdivisions to house Toronto commuters will likely accelerate if the long-planned Highway 407 extension is built across the city's northern tier in the next decade. The trend suggests major social changes for Oshawa, which has long had a vigorous labour union presence and largely blue collar identity. Rising property values and the emergence of land speculation associated with suburban growth have created new dynamics for the local economy. While unchecked growth was largely accepted (even embraced) in the 1980s and 1990s, concern over urban sprawl has emerged.
In late 2004, the Greater Toronto Airports Authority announced a plan under which the Oshawa Airport would be closed and its traffic diverted to a major new Toronto reliever airport to be constructed in Pickering. The Oshawa airport handles occasional traffic related to General Motors (emergency spare parts and executives); GM has indicated that a move of its air traffic to Pickering would not affect its operations. The airport also handles significant general aviation, two flight training facilities, and numerous other aviation and non-aviation related companies, all of which would need to be diverted or relocated. The city has considered ambitious proposals to repurpose the airport lands, but as of January 2006, significant upgrade work is being performed on the main terminal building by the city itself, signalling that the city has no immediate plans to close the busy facility, understanding its importance to the community and local economy. Additional aviation related construction is also taking place on the airport lands.
Local government
Oshawa's city government consists of a mayor and ten councillors. Each of the city's seven wards is represented by a Regional & City councillor, who also represent Oshawa at Durham Region council. The three remaining councillors sit on city council only, each councillor serving two wards. Ward 7, the northernmost ward, has only its Regional & City councillor. The current mayor is John Gray.
In May 2007, Council voted to revert to a general vote system in which council members are elected at large. The at-large system, which the City used prior to 1985, will take effect after the 2010 civic election. Council's vote was based on the results of a non-binding referendum held as part of the 2006 election; 64 per cent voted in favour of a general vote for regional councillors and 61 per cent said yes to a general vote for city councillors. Ward system supporters maintain that the referendum question was poorly-worded and that insufficient information was provided. [5]
Education
Public education in Oshawa is provided via the Durham District School Board. As of late 2006, there were 32 elementary schools and six secondary schools. The Durham Catholic District School Board, which has its headquarters in Oshawa, oversees public Catholic education in Durham Region. There are 14 Catholic elementary schools and two secondary schools. The Conseil scolaire de district du Centre-Sud-Ouest operates one French Public elementary school, while the Conseil scolaire de district catholique Centre-Sud runs one publicly-funded French-language Catholic elementary school. Private schools include Durham Elementary School, Immanuel Christian School, Kingsway College and College Park Elementary School. The Durham Catholic District School Board decided to shut down several Catholic Elementary Schools in Oshawa in June 2008, due to shifting enrollment.[citation needed]
The main campus of Durham College is also located in the city. The university and college share a campus and some facilities, but the two institutions are independent. Given the city's industrial heritage, the university's courses emphasize technology, manufacturing and engineering themes. It is the only university in Canada to offer degree programs in Automotive Engineering and Nuclear Engineering. Trent University also offers a full-time program at the campus.
Oshawa is home to the University of Ontario Institute of Technology, opened in 2003. In 2007, a student housing controversy culminated in a bylaw restraining the areas in which students may live. A bylaw highly scrutinized by Barbara Hall the chief of the Ontario Human Rights Commission.
Health care
Oshawa's hospital is the Oshawa site of Lakeridge Health Oshawa, formerly the Oshawa General Hospital. This 437-bed facility is the major regional hospital for the area and also houses the R.S. McLaughlin Durham Regional Cancer Centre, a new expansion opened in early 2007.
Sports
Hockey
General Motors Centre
Oshawa is home to the Oshawa Generals of the Ontario Hockey League, the top level for players aged 15-20. Famous alumni of this team include Bobby Orr, Alex Delvecchio, Wayne Cashman, Tony Tanti, Dave Andreychuk, and Eric Lindros. The team moved from the Oshawa Civic Auditorium into the new General Motors Centre in November 2006.
The Oshawa Generals have the dubious distinction of having their home arena destroyed by fire not once, but twice in the franchise history. In June 1928 the Bradley Arena was destroyed by fire. Then 25 years later, the Hambly Arena was also destroyed by fire.
Baseball
Oshawa is also home to the Oshawa Dodgers of the Intercounty Baseball League (IBL), an amateur baseball league in Canada. Their home park, Kinsmen Stadium is located just to the north of the former site of the Hambly Arena.
Lacrosse
Oshawa was for many years one of the main centres for the sport of lacrosse and home of the Oshawa Green Gaels, one of the most storied teams in the sport. A player of note in the 1920s was Nels Stewart, who became a Hall of Famer in the National Hockey League. During the 1980s, when lacrosse seemed on the edge of oblivion in Canada, (the Green Gaels themselves having folded in the early part of the decade), lacrosse continued to be played in the neighbouring towns of Whitby and Brooklin, and many of the players were from Oshawa. With the rise of the National Lacrosse League the sport's survival seems assured and again, many players and others involved in the professional league are from the Oshawa area. Former Oshawa Green Gaels captain and Oshawa native, Derek Keenan, is the current general manager of the Portland Lumberjax.
Rugby
Oshawa has been the home of Oshawa Vikings Rugby Football Club since 1959. Founded by Kris Krause, who migrated to Toronto from England in 1951, was employed by General Motors since 1956. Notable players from the club since its inception include Dave Thompson (Ontario Rugby Hall of Fame) and Dean Van Camp (Rugby Canada Men XV squad). The clubhouse (Thompson Rugby Park) is located in the Oshawa Hamlet of Raglan.
Transportation
Oshawa bus terminal
As noted above, GO Transit,l> trains connect the city with downtown Toronto. The Oshawa Station also serves VIA Rail in the Quebec City-Windsor Corridor, as well as GO Buses, and Durham Region Transit. DRT is a regional transit system, started on January 1, 2006, that replaced Oshawa Transit, and has roots in a street railway in the town dating from 1895.
Intercity buses include Greyhound (limited service between Toronto, Port Hope, Cobourg and Belleville, as well as to Peterborough and Ottawa, and Can-Ar coaches daily to/from Lindsay and Toronto, along with GO use the downtown Oshawa Bus Terminal at Bond and Centre Streets (Greyhound will also drop off passengers at the Oshawa GO Station upon request).
Rail freight is carried on both the Canadian National and Canadian Pacific Railways which traverse the city. Other than Highway 2 (Ontario), which reverted to local jurisdiction (King Street and Bond Street) in 1998, the city had no provincially maintained highways until the original section of Highway 401 opened in 1947 (as Highway 2A). The highway originally terminated at Ritson Road, and was extended east through the remainder of the city to Newcastle in 1952. Oshawa was the only city that Highway 401 was built directly through, rather than bypassing. This resulted in the demolition of several streets and hundreds of homes in the 1930s and 1940s.
The Port of Oshawa is a major stop for the auto industry, and at present there is still a small airport (see above).
Communities of Oshawa
• Downtown Oshawa
• Grandview Heights
• Kedron,l>
• Kingsway Village
• Lake Vista
• North Oshawa
• Thornton Woods
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