Operating a Business Downtown

Some businesses require a licence or permit from the City of Oshawa, Region of Durham, or even provincial or federal requirements in order to operate. Before you open your business downtown, please consult the City's Business Licences and Permits page or contact Oshawa Economic Development so that we can assist you through the licensing and permitting process. BizPaL is also available as an online source of information on required permits and licences to start or grow your business.

The boundaries are based on the Downtown Oshawa Urban Growth Centre identified in the Provincial Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe. The area is comprised of a mix of uses and is intended to contain a concentration of retail, office, service, residential, cultural, institutional and transportation uses. All areas within the red outline below are considered Downtown Oshawa businesses. Looking to confirm if your business is located within the Downtown Oshawa boundary? Connect with Oshawa Economic Development via business@oshawa.ca.  

View the accessible Downtown Oshawa map

The City of Oshawa has implemented a program to assist downtown businesses with daily cleanup of their street facing entrances. While other priorities or weather may occasionally impact the service level of the program, the goals are as follows:

• Clean-up will consist of staff going on properties to remove any debris left behind by undesired behaviours observed in the downtown area. This will include the front of properties and some alleyways. Work will be performed manually and/or using motorized equipment.
• Cleanups will occur seven days a week in the early mornings with shifts starting as early as 6 a.m.
• Any circumstances or areas that present a safety issue to staff will be avoided and staff will return at a future time.
• Program will run until winter control operations require staff to redirect their resources elsewhere.

In order to participate in this program, we ask that the business owner, or representative thereof, read and sign the Downtown Cleanup Program Agreement and return it to Service Oshawa.

•  Downtown cleanup program agreement

View a map of locations of Oshawa Power's electric vehicle charging infrastructure in Downtown Oshawa and throughout the City of Oshawa.

Downtown Oshawa is thriving with a vibrant mix of business, culture and education. The City of Oshawa works to ensure there are ample short term and long term parking spaces available for shoppers, visitors, students and those working downtown. 

Please visit our Downtown Parking page for further information, such as short term parking rates, monthly permit parking options, and a map of on-street spaces, parking lots and garages.

The City supports the growth, development and beautification of Downtown Oshawa and offers a number of financial incentive programs to support private investment and development:

• The City's portion of Development charges have been eliminated for Downtown Oshawa development projects.
• The Urban Growth Centre Community Improvement Plan assists property owners with building façade and accessibility improvements, building and fire code upgrades, converting non-residential units to residential units and supports the creation of high-value jobs and economic development. There are currently five grant programs available within the Urban Growth Centre Community Improvement Plan:
  • Conversion to Residential Grant
  • Economic Stimulus Grant
  • Facade and Accessibility Improvement Grant
  • Increased Assessment Grant
  • Upgrade to Building and Fire Codes Grant
• Through the 2024 Mayor's Budget, a one-time fund of $100,000 has been established to support the business community in addressing the remediation of graffiti and vandalism acts to properties - the Graffiti and Vandalism Remediation fund. This grant provides businesses with funds for eligible commercial or industrial property graffiti and vandalism repairs, or to implement eligible preventative measures. 
• Oshawa Economic Development has partnered with Fundica to provide businesses with an easy way to find government funding in Canada. Through its proprietary search tool and intelligent filtering, Fundica helps entrepreneurs and businesses find grants, tax credits and incentives, loans, loan guarantees, equity and accelerators. Access the Business Funding and Support Finder to discover a growing list of resources aimed to address your business needs.

Sandwich Board signs represent an important and affordable tool for business owners to advertise their businesses in the downtown, particularly during the summer season.

Following a three-year Pilot Project, sandwich board signs have been added to Sign By-law 72-96, allowing business owners within the Urban Growth Centre to obtain a Temporary Sign Permit for the ability to place sandwich board signs on private properties and within the public boulevard, including the sidewalk. Please visit our Sign Permits page to learn more or connect with Building Services.

The City of Oshawa uses a snow clearing priority system to efficiently plow and salt roads. During winter storms, crews work around the clock to complete clearing within 24 hours of snowfall. City-maintained sidewalks are cleared no later than midnight the first day following the end of a storm.

Please visit our Snow Clearing page for information, such as Snow Clearing Activity Reports that track progress for City roads, sidewalks, and the snow clearing assistance program.

Note: The Region of Durham maintains all regional roads within Oshawa. The Region's snow clearing activities are not included in the report. 

Outdoor cafes and patios add vibrancy and life to Downtown Oshawa's sidewalks. The Temporary Sidewalk Patio Program offers the opportunity to bring your business into the public realm, and waives all licensing and parking lost-revenue fees for the first three years of patio operation.

First impressions and curb appeal mean a lot to community members, business owners, visitors/tourists and potential customers. A clean downtown leads to a vibrant, safe space and helps to foster civic pride leading to business, tourism and residential growth.

Keeping our downtown clean is a shared responsibility. We ask that all property owners, businesses and community members of the downtown, work together for a clean and litter-free downtown. Please visit our Downtown Waste Collection page for more information about City services throughout the downtown and waste collection requirements.