Message from His Worship Mayor Dan Carter to Business Community Stakeholders, July 2022

As we enter the summer months in the great city of Oshawa, we’re seeing many residents and visitors exploring our community. Whether you’re seeking new parks, splash pads, cycling paths, walking trails, events or patios to spend time with friends and family, you will find many ways to enjoy the outdoors in our community. 

I would like to make the business community aware of great initiatives recently approved by Council and provide an update on events that have recently occurred. I believe these new programs and enhancements will have a positive and sustainable impact on our city.

Plan20Thirty Action Plan for Downtown Oshawa 

Oshawa City Council has approved Plan20Thirty, a new downtown revitalization action plan. Plan20Thirty builds upon Oshawa’s previous downtown plan, Plan 20Twenty, and its successes to date, while addressing new challenges and opportunities. Plan20Thirty’s vision statement is: a lively and modern urban centre where all thrive. 

Plan 20Thirty introduces new actions to meet the needs of an evolving and changing downtown and maintains the same overarching goals to improve and promote Downtown Oshawa as a unique destination for working, living, attending post-secondary school, shopping, dining and enjoying entertainment.

In total, 60 action items were identified across seven core pillars:

• Business Growth, Expansion & Retention
• Residential Growth
• The Physical Environment
• Social Experience
• Communications
• Modernization & Innovation
• Customer Service & Red Tape Reduction

We’re looking forward to advancing these action items over the coming years to continue to build an exceptional and unique downtown experience.

New Downtown Visual Brand Identity – DTO

To better communicate the qualities that attract residents, businesses, students and visitors to our urban core, the City of Oshawa has developed a new visual brand identity for Downtown Oshawa: DTO.

DTO represents the strength of the people who have built and continue to evolve Oshawa’s downtown core. The DTO shapes, inspired by the area's bold and iconic architecture, provide a flexible and adaptable canvas to showcase the creativity, innovation and humanity of our downtown. The brand emphasizes photography of the people of downtown Oshawa – entrepreneurs, business leaders, residents, students, artists, and community-builders. 

The brand is the product of a rigorous discovery phase and was developed with input from the voices and perspectives of those within and around downtown Oshawa. Like Downtown Oshawa, this brand is alive – always evolving and growing. We’re excited to share this brand with you; keep your eyes peeled in the coming months.

Convocation Ceremonies

This past month, the City shared in convocation celebrations with graduates from Durham College, Ontario Tech University and Trent University Durham GTA. To help mark the occasion and celebrate the academic achievements of the classes of 2020, 2021 and 2022, unique additions were made to Oshawa’s downtown, including:

• selfie stations;
• window signage and stickers;
• convocation ambassadors who assisted with wayfinding and contributed to the celebratory experience;
• an email detailing City businesses and amenities for graduates and guests sent directly to all graduating students; and,
• collaborative web and social media content shared across the post-secondary networks.

 We are incredibly grateful for the support we received in bringing recognition to our local graduates and look forward to enhancing those efforts next year.

 Downtown Sidewalk Snow Clearing Program 

After a two-year pilot project, City Council has made the Downtown Sidewalk Snow Clearing Program permanent. The program was reviewed and supported by the Oshawa Accessibility Advisory Committee and adds over 12 kilometres of downtown sidewalk snow clearing to the City’s existing operations. The program benefits property owners and businesses in the downtown and enhances visitor experience and walkability.

As we continue to make progress on our engagement efforts, we encourage you to reach out to us, whether that be through social media, contacting the Economic Development team at [email protected] or 905-436-5617 or reaching me at 905-436-3311 or [email protected]. We want to hear from you, understand how we can continue to support your recovery and further advocate for your business.

Yours truly,

Dan Carter

Mayor