Oshawa
Oshawa | |
|---|---|
From top, left to right: Downtown Oshawa, Oshawa City Hall, GO Transit platform, Lakeridge Health, GM Canada Headquarters, Parkwood Estate and Durham College | |
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Flag Coat of arms Logo | |
| Nicknames: | |
Oshawa Oshawa | |
| Coordinates: 43°54′02″N 78°51′26″W / 43.90056°N 78.85722°W | |
| Country | Canada |
| Province | Ontario |
| Region | Durham Region |
| Incorporated | Village: 1850
Town: 1879 City: March 8, 1924 |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Dan Carter |
| • Governing Body | Oshawa City Council |
| • MPs | Rhonda Kirkland Jamil Jivani |
| • MPPs | Jennifer French Todd McCarthy |
| Area | |
| • Land | 145.72 km2 (56.26 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 106 m (348 ft) |
| Population (2021) | |
• City (lower-tier) | 175,383 |
| • Density | 1,203.6/km2 (3,117/sq mi) |
| • Metro | 415,311 |
| Gross Metropolitan Product | |
| • Oshawa CMA | CA$13.8 billion (2020) |
| Time zone | UTC−05:00 (EST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−04:00 (EDT) |
| Forward Sortation Area | |
| Area codes | 905, 289, 365, and 742 |
| Website | www |
Oshawa is a city in Ontario, Canada, on the Lake Ontario shoreline. It lies in Southern Ontario, approximately 60 kilometres (37 mi) east of downtown Toronto. It is commonly viewed as the eastern anchor of the Greater Toronto Area and of the Golden Horseshoe. It is the largest municipality in the Regional Municipality of Durham. The name Oshawa originates from the Ojibwa term aazhawe, meaning "the crossing place" or just "a cross".
Founded in 1876 as the McLaughlin Carriage Company by Robert McLaughlin, and then McLaughlin Motors Ltd by his son, Sam, General Motors of Canada's headquarters are located in the city. The automotive industry was the inspiration for Oshawa's previous mottos: "The City that Motovates Canada", and "The City in Motion". The lavish home of the automotive company's founder, Parkwood Estate, is a National Historic Site of Canada is located in the city.
Once recognized as the sole "Automotive Capital of Canada", Oshawa is now considered to be an education and health sciences hub, although General Motors still plays a significant role in the city's economy. After having been closed for about two years, the Oshawa car assembly plant reopened in 2021, when the first Canadian-made Chevy Silverado was completed. GM invested C$1.3 billion into plant retooling. Prior to reopening, GM said that the site would continue to be used for autonomous vehicle testing and production of vehicle stampings and other sub-assemblies.
Post-secondary institutions and a satellite family medicine program in Oshawa include Durham College, Trent University Durham, Ontario Tech University, and Queen's University Lakeridge Health MD Family Medicine Program. Key labour force sectors include healthcare, retail trade, and educational services. In 2016, Oshawa was the sixth best place in Canada to find full-time employment based on data from StatsCan.
Downtown Oshawa is identified as an Urban Growth Centre in the Government of Ontario's Places to Grow initiative. More than 5,000 people work and more than 2,400 university students study in the downtown core. The downtown is a prominent centre for entertainment and sporting events (Regent Theatre and Tribute Communities Centre), food (50+ restaurants and cafes) and culture (The Robert McLaughlin Gallery and Canadian Automotive Museum). Oshawa is home to a Regional Innovation Centre and offers start-up facilities for entrepreneurs and small businesses. Co-working offices are also located in the downtown.