Oshawa properties receive Ontario Heritage Act designation
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Oshawa City Council recently recognized three properties in Oshawa as being of cultural heritage value or interest under the Ontario Heritage Act:
- Union Cemetery (760 King St. W.)
- The Robert McLaughlin Gallery (72 Queen St.)
- Memorial Park (110 Simcoe St. S.)
Union Cemetery
Established in 1837, when a church and burying ground were created on what is now the southwest corner of the cemetery, Union Cemetery is the resting place of some of Oshawa’s earliest pioneer families. In 1875, the name was updated to Oshawa Union, as it served both Oshawa and Whitby residents. Oshawa Union Cemetery is now 32 acres and has over 25,000 burial locations, making it the largest cemetery in Oshawa. Greeted by wrought iron gates, the park-like setting has pathways leading to monuments and grave markers with various materials, design motifs and surviving inscriptions surrounded by metal fencing and mature trees.
Robert McLaughlin Gallery
The Robert McLaughlin Gallery was established in 1967 to provide a permanent home for the arts in Oshawa. The gallery was initially built in 1969, designed by an architect named Hugh Allward of Allward and Gouinlock. It was a modernist structure made of stone, providing 6,000 square feet of exhibition space, offices and vault storage. In 1987, the gallery underwent a $5.4 million expansion, making it the largest gallery in Durham Region. The design was done by architect Arthur Erickson, who utilized the existing structure and incorporated the original stone façade into the dramatic lobby with concrete columns and semi-circular windows. The lobby is filled with natural light, thanks to the glass barrel-vaulted skylights and soaring 35-foot ceilings.
Memorial Park
Memorial Park is a large green space in Oshawa's downtown core that serves several social, spiritual, environmental and recreational needs. In addition to the green space, Memorial Park contains several commemorative features, such as the full-size murals commemorating Oshawa’s Ontario Regiment, the McLaughlin Bandshell donated by
Oshawa philanthropist and industrialist Colonel R.S. McLaughlin and the War Memorial/Cenotaph, topped with a bronze statue, embedded stones of various colours and significant fragments from all over the world, and bronze tablets inscribed with names of fallen soldiers. Additionally, the location was once owned by Pedlar People Limited, a manufacturing company which played an important role in Oshawa’s industrial history.
Celebrating Oshawa’s Heritage
Heritage designation is a process established in the Ontario Heritage Act to recognize and protect properties of cultural heritage value or interest. Heritage Oshawa, a City Advisory Committee, advises and assists Council on matters relating to the preservation and promotion of cultural heritage. Currently, 41 properties in Oshawa are designated under the Ontario Heritage Act. In addition, over 600 properties are identified on Heritage Oshawa's Inventory as having potential cultural heritage value. Learn more on the Heritage Properties webpage.
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Quotes:
"By designating these properties under the Ontario Heritage Act, City Council shows its dedication to supporting and recognizing Oshawa’s rich heritage.,” said Mayor Dan Carter. “These newest designations further honour and expand our City’s heritage and culture.”
“If these historical spaces could talk, they would tell an amazing tale of community, transformation and growth that continues to be enjoyed by the community today. They are deserving additions to Oshawa’s extensive Ontario Heritage Act designations,” said Rick Kerr, Ward 4 Regional and City Councillor.
“It’s very fitting to see these civic treasures given formal heritage designation, and hopefully this measure will further energize the conversation around other historic assets in the community,” said Derek Giberson, Ward 4 City Councillor.
“This heritage designation celebrates these significant sites of cultural and development history of our City, I encourage all community members to learn more about our heritage,” said Jim Lee, Heritage Oshawa Council Representative.
"Heritage Oshawa is very pleased to be part of Ontario Heritage Designations as they acknowledge the rich history and heritage of our city and are always worthy of celebration. Oshawa City Council has given the Robert McLaughlin Gallery an Ontario Heritage Designation, and we thank the Robert McLaughlin Gallery Board,” said Diane Stephen, Chair, Heritage Oshawa
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