Site Selection Assistance
Oshawa offers the right people, the right connections and the right opportunities for your business.
Located in the Greater Toronto Area, Oshawa is one of Canada's fastest growing regions, and has access to a vast and highly skilled work force enhanced by our leading-edge educational institutions. Oshawa is a dynamic city with a rich blend of global companies complemented by new innovative entrepreneurs. Industrial lease rates deliver exceptional value, making Oshawa one of the most cost effective cities in the Greater Toronto Area. Excellent future development opportunities are supported by infrastructure and local incentives. Oshawa does not have City Development Charges on industrial developments and downtown developments.
City of Oshawa's site selection service includes:
- A one-on-one consultation to learn about your needs
- Information about the community and relevant properties
- An inventory of vacant land for opportunities
- Arranging site visits
- Providing custom research
- Introductions to local businesses
- Introductions to business support organizations
- Information about relevant government programs to help you grow your business
For site selection assistance, please contact Economic Development Services.
Quick Facts
- Located along the north shore of Lake Ontario, the City of Oshawa is the largest urban municipality in Durham Region and is the eastern gateway to the Greater Toronto Area (G.T.A.).
- Oshawa's population currently is 172,000 and is forecasted to increase to 200,000 by 2031.
- Oshawa companies draw from 1.2 million workers within a 45 minute commute.
- Companies in Oshawa have quick and convenient access to Canada's largest consumer market of more than 5 million people and are located within a day's drive of more than 120 million Canadian and American consumers.
- Oshawa achieved nearly $500 million in development activity in 2020.
Access to Markets
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Oshawa companies are well-positioned for inbound and outbound global shipping needs as it offers:
Commuting into Oshawa is very convenient with the following shared transportation options:
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Oshawa is ideally situated on Highway 401, only 60km from Downtown Toronto, with easy connections to multiple USA border crossings into New York, Michigan and Minnesota, Oshawa offers superior access to the USA. Distance to Major Centres
Distance to Major Borders
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Major Economic Sectors
Oshawa’s Sector Strategy was developed to reflect the city’s evolving economic landscape and to set directions for economic development initiatives. Throughout a number of community and business consultations, the study revealed four key sectors in Oshawa that are positioned with high potential for growth.
| Advanced Manufacturing |
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Advanced manufacturing has ushered in new methods of production of goods and services using computer-controlled and micro-electronics-based equipment, including CAD design, robots and automated storage systems. Increased innovation and technological adoption now involves new manufacturing processes that encompass innovative technologies such as 3D printing, machine learning and cybersecurity. Assets
Key Companies
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| Health and Biosciences |
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Oshawa is home to a new and emerging health cluster. The city is a centre of excellence in healthcare and a regional hub for education, training and clinical research activity. The health and biosciences sector encompasses a variety of businesses including medical research, the development of pharmaceuticals, digital health, precision medicine, development and manufacturing of medical health devices with technological elements such as artificial intelligence, and the healthcare system itself. The health and biosciences industry generates significant economic growth annually, representing 11% of Canada’s annual G.D.P. and accounting for over 11,000 jobs in Oshawa. Queen’s Family Medicine Program Assets
Key Companies
With a single payer healthcare system in Ontario, Oshawa offers significant cost savings to your business. |
| Multimodal Transportations and Logistics |
| Oshawa is one of few cities that can boast an airport, rail lines, a regional deep-sea port and major
highways, all within close proximity. Companies appreciate that the deep-sea port’s loading dock is Assets
Key Companies
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| Information Technology |
| Information Technology includes goods and services that process, transmit or receive information. These are
technologies related to software, hardware, computer services, telecommunications, and microelectronics. I.T. is prevalent in e-commerce, e-learning, e-health, wireless multimedia and digital entertainment, in addition to emerging technologies such artificial intelligence. Global Cyberlympics Assets
Key Companies
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Major Employers
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Post-Secondary Institutions
Oshawa is home to three leading post-secondary institutions with nearly 25,000 students.
| Ontario Tech University |
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Ontario Tech's innovative and unique undergraduate and graduate programs are designed to meet your interests and career aspirations, along with the market-driven requirements of employers. When you graduate, you will have the critical thinking, innovative research and technological skills demanded by the world's leading employers. Professors and students undertake research in a wide range of areas that include automotive design and engineering, business and information technology, computational science, alternative and sustainable energy, nuclear engineering, law enforcement, manufacturing, community/public health, to name just a few. Ontario Tech's unique and technology-rich teaching and learning environment challenges students to push the boundaries of innovation and discovery and prepares graduates to excel in the global, knowledge-driven economy of the 21st century. At Ontario Tech, the possibilities are endless. |
| Durham College |
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Durham College is the premier post-secondary destination for students who succeed in a dynamic and supportive learning environment. Our graduates develop the professional and personal skills required to realize meaningful careers and make a difference in the world. Durham College is Ontario’s fastest growing college, while Durham Region is amongst the fastest growing communities in Canada. Durham College has introduced dozens of new programs and an applied research enterprise over the past few years, all designed to respond to Durham Region’s evolution from primarily an automotive manufacturing economy, to one that is now genuinely broad-based. Durham College students, faculty and staff contribute knowledge and expertise in all the communities in which they live and work, both locally and globally, while Durham Region is all the richer socially and economically for the contributions of more than 31,000 alumni. |
| Trent University Durham |
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At Trent University Durham Greater Toronto Area, your education unfolds on a personal scale. One of the best student-to-faculty ratios of any university in Ontario combines with the extraordinary commitment of our professors to teaching undergrad students to set Trent University Durham apart. Learn from expert faculty using the latest in theory and practice in unique programs such as Logistics & Supply Chain Management, Communications, Child & Youth Studies, Journalism & Creative Writing and Policing & Community Well-Being. Benefit from a vast array of joint majors and innovative approaches to renowned programs such as Business Administration, Law, Psychology, Social Work, English, Sociology and Philosophy. If you value a close-knit, scholarly community in a diverse, urban environment, Trent Durham is the vibrant university campus community you have been looking for. Spark your intellectual development with engaging instructors in small classes, and kick off your career with abundant hands-on career experience and opportunities to get involved. |
Recruitment
Locally, resources are available to assist companies with accessing skilled professionals across a variety of industry specialities. From facilitating links to specialized post-secondary programming to candidate pre-screening, job fairs and training cost incentives – organizations in Oshawa and Durham Region are available to help streamline connections to the right talent.
| Talent Recruitment Service Providers |