Oshawa, Ontario, Canada
Oshawa is a city located in the Durham Region of Southern Ontario, Canada. It lies on the shores of Lake Ontario and is approximately 60 kilometers east of downtown Toronto. Oshawa is commonly called “The Automotive Capital of Canada” due to its large concentration of automotive plants and manufacturing facilities. It was once the largest manufacturer of automobiles in Canada and is still home to the General Motors Oshawa Assembly Plant, which manufactures the Chevrolet Impala, among other vehicles. The city has a population of approximately 140,000 people and is growing rapidly. It is a diverse community with a strong sense of history and culture. There are many things to see and do in Oshawa, making it a great place to live, work, and play.
History
In the late 18th century, a resident, Roger Conant, began an export business exporting salmon to the United States. His success prompted more settlers to enter the area. Many of the initial immigrants were United Empire Loyalists who had fled to Canada to live under British rule. Irish and French Canadian immigration increased later on, as did industrialization. Like the Cornish immigrants who fled there during the 19th century, the region around Oshawa and the rest of Ontario County were also a major area where many Cornish individuals settled. The community’s first members were attracted by the area’s rich soil and mild climate. The Simcoe Tract was subdivided into several sections in 1799 when it became part of Durham County. In 1807, John Graves Simcoe commissioned six land surveys to be made throughout what would become Peel Region – four in York Region and two in Durham Region. These surveys were completed between 1817 and 1820, with the Simcoe Tract opening up to settlement by European Americans in numerous townships by early 1820. In 1824, Joseph Ridout purchased land on the north shore of Lake Ontario and built a sawmill near the mouth of the Rouge River.
Rail service had been provided in 1890 by the Oshawa Railway; this was originally set up as a streetcar line, but c. 1910, a second “freight line” was built slightly to the east of Simcoe Street. This electric line provided streetcar and freight service-connected central Oshawa with the Grand Trunk (now Canadian National) Railway, the Canadian Northern (which ran through the very north of Oshawa), and the Canadian Pacific built-in 1912–13. The Grand Trunk operation acquired the Oshawa Railway around 1910, and streetcar service was replaced by buses in 1940. After GM moved its main plants to south Oshawa in 1951, freight traffic fell, and most of the tracks were removed in 1963, although a line to the older remaining “north” plant via Ritson Road remained until 2000.
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Top places to visit in Oshawa City in Canada
The Robert McLaughlin Gallery
The Robert McLaughlin Gallery is a public art gallery in Oshawa, Ontario, Canada. It is the largest public art gallery in the Regional Municipality of Durham, of which Oshawa is a part. The gallery houses a significant collection of Canadian contemporary and modern artwork. Housed in a building designed by noted Canadian architect Arthur Erickson, the collection focuses on works by Painters Eleven. They were founded in the Oshawa studio of Painters Eleven member Alexandra Luke.
Canadian Automotive Museum
The Canadian Automotive Museum is an automobile museum located in Oshawa, Ontario, Canada. The museum features many Canadian-made cars from the automobile industry, specifically the Canadian division of General Motors, known as General Motors Canada, which has always been at the forefront of Oshawa’s economy.
Parkwood Estate
The Parkwood Estate, located in Oshawa, Ontario, was the residence of Samuel McLaughlin and was home to the McLaughlin family from 1917 until 1972. The residence was designed by Darling and Pearson, a noted Toronto architectural firm, with construction starting in 1916. In 1989, Parkwood was officially designated a National Historic Site, and tours are now given year-round.
The Oshawa Valley Botanical Gardens
The Oshawa Valley Botanical Gardens is a public garden located in Oshawa, Ontario, Canada. The gardens feature over 200 species of trees and shrubs and a variety of flowers and other plants. The gardens are open to the public year-round.
Oshawa is a city in Ontario, Canada, with a rich history and many interesting attractions. The city is home to the Canadian Automotive Museum, the Robert McLaughlin Gallery, and Parkwood Estate. The Oshawa Valley Botanical Gardens are also worth a visit.
