About The Harbour
Location
The Oshawa Harbour Area is strategically located on the Oshawa waterfront. Along the lakeshore the harbour is bordered by Lakeview Park to the west (a significant recreational area), and the Second Marsh to the east (a Provincially significant wetland).
History
The Harbour Area has a long history and connection to the City, dating back to the time when some of the City’s first settlers made their homes and the French established a trading post on the Gifford Hill (located on the east side of the Harbour near the Second Marsh). The harbour was first established in 1840 and the Oshawa Harbour Commission Act was enacted in 1960. In December 1966, the City of Oshawa transferred ownership of approximately 61 acres of land in the Harbour Area to the Federal Government (to be managed by the Oshawa Harbour Commission), until such time as the lands or any part thereof cease to be used for harbour purposes. These lands are often referred to as “caveated lands”.
Community Strategic Plan
In 2005, the residents of Oshawa identified “Realizing the Waterfront’s Potential” as a key objective in the City’s Community Strategic Plan. Most of Oshawa’s waterfront is being properly taken care of. The City has a successful record of planning and implementing improvements on the properties it owns and stewards along the waterfront, including the Second Marsh, Pumphouse Marsh, Lakeview Park, Jubilee Pavilion, and Lakefront Park West. However, the Harbour Area is considered by many to be underutilized and in need of investment in order to address environmental contamination as well as provide improved infrastructure in the area such as re-opening the now closed Oshawa marina.
Planning
The City has carried out planning for the Harbour Area over many years, including the Oshawa Harbour Study: Area No. 1 Component of the Southeast Oshawa Planning Study in 1991 and the Oshawa Harbour Urban Design Study in 1995. In addition, the City has made a number of requests to the Federal government, dating back to 1998, regarding the clean-up and return of the “caveated lands”, as well as the desire to discuss alternative governance and management models for the port operations.
In late 2006, the City initiated a waterfront visioning and master plan exercise intended to provide an up-to-date comprehensive vision and master plan for the Oshawa harbour and waterfront. As a result of concerns voiced by many that the planning exercise was premature until issues of governance and ownership of harbour lands were addressed, the visioning exercise was put on hold.
Governance
The issue of governance most recently came to a head when the Oshawa Harbour Commission and CN Rail applied to the Canadian Transportation Agency to construct a rail spur line into the harbour area on vacant “caveated land” which the City originally asked to be returned in 1998. The City was opposed to the application, and over the course of 7 days collected over 770 letters of opposition from residents and various stakeholders. Unfortunately, the Canadian Transportation Agency approved the application, however, the City may continue with legal proceedings to have the lands returned.
In September 2007, David Crombie was appointed by the federal government to prepare a report on the future of Oshawa’s harbour. Mr. Crombie submitted his report to the federal government in February 2008. After repeated requests from the City to the federal government inquiring about the status of the report, including the Mayor filing a Freedom of Information request as a way to obtain the document, the Crombie Report was released on September 2, 2008. Key recommendations Crombie made to the federal government are:
- Develop a mixed use environment (e.g. industrial, residential, retail and recreation)
- Transfer port and surrounding lands to Oshawa
- Fund and participate in environmental cleanup
- Establish an independent board that is accountable to the City to oversee port operations
- Fast track the cleanup of the marina and participate in funding a new marina/public boat launch
- Use the west wharf (adjacent to Simcoe Street and Lakeview Park) for natural and cultural programming (e.g. waterfront trail, heritage recognition)
- Preserve the Gifford Farm Lands as a valuable separation between the Port and Second Marsh when considering future development of lands
- Protect the Second Marsh from proposed developments and consider it an integral part of the City’s revitalized waterfront
- Resolving the two development proposals (a rail spur line and an ethanol plant) should be the priorities of the new independent board and City
Vision
The City’s vision is of a balanced harbour that generally involves community uses on the west wharf area, a marina and related uses on the north shore, residential uses in the northwest portion of the harbour, and an industrial area/modern working port on the east wharf and adjacent area.
The Harbour should be the “Urban Centrepiece” for the Oshawa Waterfront, and should be based on the principles of:
- balanced land uses
- sustainable development
- connections to the community
- community health and well-being
- distinctive design and use
The City has requested that the Federal government return the caveated lands and transfer the Crown and Oshawa Harbour Commission lands to the City.
Once the harbour lands have been returned, including Caveated, Crown and Oshawa Harbour Commission lands, the City can complete its Vision and Masterplan process with your input.
