Projects

Dr. Tyler Frederick, Associate Professor in Ontario Tech University’s Faculty of Social Science and Humanities, has continued applying his community development expertise in his research on community-building and identity in downtown Oshawa.

The project reviewed eight popular community-building frameworks, and included 17 interviews with community leaders, an analysis of the Downtown Oshawa Facebook page, 136 word-on-the-street interviews, and the engagement of fourth-year Criminology students through a TeachingCity collaborative course at Ontario Tech. The project involved an amazing team of students, including Carolina Gutierrez Cadavid and Maria Cashore, Criminology and Social Justice PhD students at Ontario Tech, who served as student leads. Fourth-year Criminology undergraduate students Adam Milne, Alwin Mathai, Callum Kettles and Colin Jones also participated.

The project insights led to the creation of the Neighbourhood Identity approach: an integrative community-building model specifically tailored to Oshawa. This framework defines Neighbourhood Identity as a shared or collective connection to a neighbourhood, which is affected by four interrelated drivers of connection: identification, affinity, participation and care. From this perspective, the project recommends several strategies to help build a stronger neighbourhood identity with a particular focus on enhancing the visibility of existing communities and groups downtown, creating links between groups and communities, encouraging community storytelling, and investing in welcoming public spaces.  

Working with TeachingCity has been fantastic. The TeachingCity collaboration has helped us connect directly with City of Oshawa staff and downtown leaders who have been able to provide valuable insight and assistance. The project is also a valuable learning opportunity for the student leads, and they are gaining valuable experience in conducting collaborative, community-based research. I am very excited about the next phases of the project and I know the information we gather will have a valuable impact. – Dr. Tyler Frederick

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In celebration of the City of Oshawa’s centennial year, students from Ontario Tech University’s Special Topics in Liberal Studies: Reading Oshawa at 100 course spent the spring of 2024 working alongside the City’s Culture Services team to explore untold stories linked to Oshawa’s history. While the centennial marks a notable milestone in Oshawa’s civic identity, it also presents an opportunity to reflect on the politics of commemoration and the history of Canadian nation-building. Students were asked to critically analyze and write about what acts of commemoration have meant for nation-building groups and actors, and whose stories and voices have been adapted, ignored, and even erased in service to a singular narrative of civic progress through industrialization. 

In groups, students researched diverse topics and delved into historical perspectives that were less mainstream. The challenge question asked, ‘Whose stories about Oshawa are left out, who gets to tell their stories about Oshawa, and what motivates our impulse to commemorate Oshawa’s civic history?’

Storytelling included the following headlines:

• From Destructive to Salvative - Robson Tannery 
• History and Hidden Stories of the Oshawa Lakefront 
• More than Motors: Uncovering Oshawa's Indigenous History
• The Genosha Hotel – Using Hidden Answers to Uncover Today’s Secrets

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Facility Management Services has been collaborating with Yetunde Ayoade, a student from DC’s Environmental Technology Program, to support the development of a Corporate Green Building Standard. 

In phase one, which took place in 2025’s winter semester, Yetunde investigated the components of relevant standards/codes, to compare commonly implemented green building strategies. Community and Corporate Green Building Standards of other Canadian municipalities were included in the review. The review prioritized strategies related to building energy performance within the various standards, while taking note of related objectives that interact with the built environment. Interacting objectives include light pollution reduction, watershed management, building resilience, bird-friendly design and other environmentally significant standards. 

Phase two proposes the creation of a Green Building Standards (GBS) Decision Guide, which quantifies the impact of common green building practices on various environmental targets. These include carbon reductions, lighting quality, air quality, energy use, renewable energy and water conservation. This phase would collaborate with students skilled in energy modelling, to demonstrate the impact that the suggested green building specifications have on the building’s performance. By isolating the impact of each of these measures on an archetypal new building (for new construction standards), or an existing City facility (for retrofit/renovation standards), prioritization of the most impactful green standards for carbon reductions will be reviewed. 

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Rishi Sathiyakanthan, a Criminology and Justice student from Ontario Tech University’s Faculty of Social Science and Humanities, collaborated with the City’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Advisor to develop Community Profiles, which provide brief snapshots of the city’s population and neighbourhoods. These profiles help identify community needs, highlight systemic barriers, and support data-informed decision-making to ensure programs and services are equitable and inclusive. The profiles will be made available to City staff across departments to provide research-based insights that inform planning, service delivery, and community engagement efforts.

To learn more about Rishi and his experience at the City of Oshawa, check out this graduation spotlight, From campus to community: Oshawa students driving change.

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Throughout the winter semester, Social Science and Humanities students enrolled in the Issues in Diversity course at Ontario Tech University partnered with the City of Oshawa to develop action plans focused on advancing equity and belonging. The plans focused on areas across City departments: everything from human resources and recreation to events and communications. Students applied community-based and innovative lenses to explore how municipal services can better reflect the lived experiences of Oshawa’s diverse communities. The insights and ideas generated through this collaboration will support action items in the City’s new Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Strategy.

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The City’s Recreation Services Department provides more than 250 programs for preschool, children, youth and adults across various facilities in Oshawa. As program offerings continue to expand alongside our growing city, it is important to develop consistent program planning throughout the year and across spaces.

As part of their practicum, Anna Massa, a Psychology student from Faculty of Social Science and Humanities at Ontario Tech University, spent the Fall semester developing recreational program plans for the City’s Recreation Services Branch. This project helps ensure consistent programming across various facilities, instructors and sessions. The collaboration provided innovative perspectives while streamlining and standardizing program delivery across community centres in Oshawa.

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John Smith, a student graduate from Trent University Durham GTA’s Department of Child and Youth Studies and Psychology, has developed and piloted a Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) Club for Autistic Youth and has expanded the program over two years at the Oshawa Civic Recreation Complex and Northview Recreation Centre. This unique programming provides Neurodiverse Youth with an opportunity to collaborate with their peers, socialize, and ’slay dragons’ to achieve collective goals. Opportunities such as these foster meaningful friendships for Neurodiverse Youth in the Oshawa community.

This collaboration between Trent Durham and the City’s Inclusion Services team within Recreation Services has been very successful. The program has attracted youth from across Durham Region, leading to Trent Durham seeking further funding to support ongoing development and expansion.

Neurodivergent himself, John developed the program to fill a gap in the community and provide a basis for his thesis research to explore a neurodiversity affirming approach and research the experiences and impact of youth in the program. Interviews were conducted with the participants and their guardians to determine impact.

Three key themes derived from the research included:

1. Social Connectedness and Belonging (Group Cohesiveness, Social Connection and Friendship);
2. Unique Personal Experiences (Autonomy, Personal Goals and Growth, Creativity, Self and Character) and;
3. Empowerment & Enjoyment (Welcoming Environment, Rules Facilitate Choice and Enjoyment).

The program provides an environment to build meaningful social relationships, is a neurodiversity affirming approach that provides a more organic opportunity for social engagement, and places an emphasis on the Autistic Youth having a voice and a sense of ownership.

Parent Perspectives:

"He's experienced so much bullying and rejection from his peers that he really started to self-isolate, get depressed and resist initiating conversations with peers - it's been like this for years now. Seeing him interacting is big. Seeing him excited to interact and play? Its monumental."

"Thank you for pushing to extend your program and for advocating for a safe and inclusive environment where neurodiverse kids can learn, grow and create friendships. Your program allowed my daughter, who suffers from social anxiety, to participate in a program that she's long had an interest in but was too nervous to try in larger older groups. The small-group setting was perfect and we loved that you catered to those that were absolute beginners as well as those who had some experience. The welcoming, inclusive and patient environment you created helped my daughter to feel comfortable. She thoroughly enjoyed the group and we've seen a huge growth in her confidence since joining."

Youth Perspectives:

"It helps provide an environment where I can socialize with like-minded individuals and be social in a more comfortable setting. This program is fun and helps give me a sense of community as well as multiple opportunities to allow me to connect with others and form friendships. We have lots of laughs, and we even share a bit of our lives with each other every now and then which allows us to connect and deepen our friendships with others." - Participant

"It's definitely like something to look forward to in my week, and like because always at the end I always feel like it was like a good night." - Pat

"Just like everyone like deserves equal love and respect. It [the program] makes sure everyone's equal and respected like, no one really cares and no one judges anyone" - Leslie

Congratulations to John for winning both the Audience Choice Award, and the Social JUST-ice prize at Trent University’s 10th Annual 3-Minute Paper Competition. John’s talk highlighted the importance and benefits of Oshawa’s D&D Club. John was also invited to present to Oshawa City Council about the D&D Club and its important impact in our community on May 28, 2024.

To explore the Oshawa D&D Club, please visit their club website where you can explore their characters and campaigns.

To learn more about John and his experience at the City of Oshawa, check out this graduation spotlight, From campus to community: Oshawa students driving change.

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Students from the Child & Youth program at Trent University Durham GTA have been working with the City’s DEI Officer, Recreation Services staff and the City’s Community, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee to research barriers to youth participation in Recreation Services. Students then developed an implementable survey tool, focus group guide and study plan to be used to engage with youth and receive their feedback on the above topic. The aim of the research is to learn from Oshawa’s youth themselves; a co-learning effort to better understand their perceptions both from users and non-users of recreational facilities near them.

Research topics explored potential barriers included: safety, social support, diversity of activities, awareness of activities, transportation, financial resources, location/proximity to centres, and natural environment factors. Students noted the importance of advocating and recognizing the use of a DEI lens; they focused on exploring marginalized and newcomer youth barriers in a local context as a focus of the study. Extra care was taken to properly engage with these groups to ensure representation was reflective of the changing demographic.

This project will continue past the course as a team of students will take on the task of implementation with the public. However, what is important to remember is that there may not be any barriers, in which data will still be generated that contains the opinions and experiences of the youth of Oshawa.

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Students from the Doing Criminology course Ontario Tech University’s Faculty of Social Science and Humanities worked with City staff to research concepts and strategies that could be used to enhance community identity at the downtown campus. In addition, they explored opportunities to enhance connections between the campus community and the broader downtown Oshawa neighbourhood.

In groups, students were provided with guiding concepts in which they were responsible for learning to help guide their research, data gathering and recommendations. These included:

• Collective efficacy
• Fear of crime
• Campus identity / campus pride
• Neighborhood stigma
• Placemaking
• Social capital
• Belonging, storytelling, and narrative
• Use of space

Students presented a summary and infographic of their findings to City staff, the Student Union Representative and the Faculty Practicum Coordinator.

As part of the community engagement phase of this course, a team of students was selected to support their professor and project lead, Dr. Tyler Frederick from the Community-Based Exploration of Community Building and Identity in Downtown Oshawa project, to conduct ‘word on the street’ interviews in the downtown area. This gave students experience undertaking first-hand, community-based and driven social research.

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Carolina Gutierrez Cadavid a Criminology and Social Justice PhD student at Ontario Tech, has engaged with priority youth to conduct a study at South Oshawa Community Centre (SOCC). The study explored the social experiences of priority youth, their sense of community, and the role community centres play in providing positive neighbourhood spaces. Carolina has been running youth programming in coordination with SOCC Recreation Services staff to establish trust and rapport. The participation rate was quite significant, as Carolina was able to facilitate interviews with 65 youth participants.

Moving into analyzing and synthesizing findings, Carolina is currently working on her final dissertation report. The City looks forward to the insights of her study, as she has become an integral part of the SOCC Youth Room and has established impactful relationships of trust with centre participants.

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The City of Oshawa is a member of the Partners for Climate Protection Program, managed by the Federation of Canadian Municipalities. The Partners for Climate Protection Program is a national network of over 400 municipalities with the shared goal of taking action against climate change and reducing local greenhouse gas emissions. Members of the Partners for Climate Protection Program commit to developing corporate (City operations) and community (City-wide) action plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

In 2020, the City of Oshawa endorsed the Community Greenhouse Gas Reduction Plan as a guideline to reduce City-wide energy costs, energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. As part of the Plan, staff report to City Council every five years, beginning in 2025, by way of an Information Report. The purpose of the report is to show the City’s progression towards the greenhouse gas-reduction targets and key metrics summarized in Appendix B of the Plan.

The City’s Planning Services Branch is currently collaborating with Ontario Tech University’s Dr. Dan Hoornweg, Richard Marceau Chair and Associate Professor, Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science, as well as Ontario Tech Energy Engineering student Adam Ristau, and community expert David Wotten, to complete work in support of the 2025 update to the City’s Community Greenhouse Gas Reduction Plan. This includes preparing a community greenhouse gas inventory report based on 2020 to 2024 data and a summary report of the key metrics identified in the plan. The team will also prepare a summary report of new technologies and developments, and any other opportunities related to greenhouse gas emissions reductions in the City.

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This multi-year groundbreaking project, led by Dr. Michael Williams-Bell at Durham College, introduces an innovative mixed reality training simulation to revolutionize firefighter training. Using immersive technology and wearable devices, this system recreates lifelike, uncontrolled environments (e.g. building collapses) to enhance skills, resiliency, and stress management. Supported by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council’s College and Community Social Innovation Fund and Mitacs grants, this partnership with Oshawa Fire Services through TeachingCity Oshawa aims to save lives, reduce injuries, and optimize performance.

This project was a unique interdisciplinary effort of skills- and knowledge-sharing at its best with researchers from Durham College’s Social Impact and Experiential Learning Hubs, the Faculties of Health Sciences, and Media, Art and Design, collaborating with Oshawa Fire Services. The simulation was developed in Durham College’s Mixed Reality Capture Studio and tested by Oshawa Fire in Ontario Tech University’s ACE facility. Oshawa Fire Services is now currently implementing this new training technology at its stations to complement existing training.

To see the technology in action and to learn more about the project, check out this Research Documentary:

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Facility Management Services (FMS) spent the summer working with a student from Durham College’s Environmental Technology Program to support the City’s Net Zero Emissions Retrofit Program. FMS is responsible for managing capital projects related to existing and new City-owned facilities and parks. Within this department, the Corporate Energy Management team leads the City’s energy monitoring, reporting, reduction strategies, and implementation of capital energy projects, while also seeking grant and incentive opportunities. The Net Zero Emissions Retrofit Program is part of the City’s broader initiative to reduce carbon emissions from corporate facility operations and align with both federal and regional climate targets.

The student was actively involved in several tasks that directly supported the progress of the Net Zero Emission Retrofit Strategy. One of their primary responsibilities was to assist with coordination of feasibility assessments for fuel-switching retrofits, aimed at identifying high-priority facilities for decarbonization upgrades. These assessments form the foundation for establishing a capital project-delivery path and initiating design work for targeted net-zero interventions.

Other contributions made by the student include: preparing feasibility summaries for internal use, clearly outlining findings and potential next steps, assisting with the organization and tracking of documentation related to multiple ongoing feasibility studies across the City’s facility portfolio, aiding in the automation and streamlining of energy data collection to enhance the City’s ability to monitor progress and report on emission reductions effectively, as well as helping to coordinate and track compliance with the FCM Community Building Retrofit Grant, which supports the City’s Net Zero Emissions Retrofit Feasibility Studies.

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Over the winter semester, Durham College’s Architectural Technology students, with support from City of Oshawa’s Planning Services branch, were challenged to reimagine several vacant properties across Oshawa as vibrant residential, commercial, and mixed-use developments as part of as part of Ali Taleb’s Site Planning and Analysis course.

In groups, students completed due diligence and cost analysis, considered market demand for different types of development, reviewed policy and regulations that apply to their specific site, and then created development proposals. Topics discussed with Planning Services included affordable and student housing, sustainability, pedestrian experience, active and public transportation, and the long-term vision for Oshawa. At the end of the semester, students hosted an open house at City Hall to present their work to Planning Services staff for feedback.

Site planning is a critical step in land development in Ontario, involving the detailed design of a property’s features such as building placement, driveway access, parking, landscaping, and servicing, while ensuring compliance with municipal regulations. Through site plan control, municipalities review these plans before construction to ensure new developments are functional, safe, and integrate well with their surroundings. The Site Planning and Analysis course gave students the opportunity to step into the role of urban developers and learn how to analyze the many factors that impact how land is planned, used, and designed, and to bring their ideas to life through a 2D site plan, 3D models, digital renderings, and other creative visual tools. This practical experience provided valuable insight into the real-world challenges and considerations that shape successful land development projects in Ontario.

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Fine Art students from Durham College’s Community Collaborations course were offered the opportunity to develop artwork that will be temporarily displayed in multiple City recreation facilities. The theme chosen this year was inspired by The Oshawa Strategic Plan and is centred on sustainability and the environment. This project aligns with the City's Public Art Master Plan, which aims to create vibrant public spaces and meaningful connections within the community.

Students went through an application process to submit their work. Their applications were reviewed by a selection committee comprised of City staff and members of the Public Art Task Force.

In September 2024, the Friends of Second Marsh gave students a tour of Second Marsh and the McLaughlin Bay Wildlife Reserve. Inspiration for students’ artworks came from the lake, the trail and the flora and fauna they came across. Artwork by nine students will be exhibited beginning in the fall of 2025 to celebrate Culture Days.

Durham College Fine Art students have previously contributed to temporary public art displays throughout the city, including the mural at Civic Square, the windows of the Arts Resource Centre and Alexandra Park.

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The Corporate Communications team spent winter 2025 working alongside Communications students from Ontario Tech University’s Faculty of Social Science and Humanities to explore communication concepts surrounding the conflicts and issues that arise when trying to communicate in public online spaces. Students were asked to research how various levels of government are represented across social media and online communication channels to gauge the dominant narrative.

The students were then challenged to create dynamic digital content that would connect with audiences across various online spaces, while balancing out the narrative and providing the public with information through different mediums using storytelling techniques.

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A multi-disciplinary team of Media, Art and Design students from Durham College spent the winter semester expanding on past wayfinding projects with a focus on Ed Broadbent Waterfront Park. Wayfinding will be a key feature at this expansive park, helping passive users learn about its amenities, with educational components that provide visitors with information on the park’s purpose and highlight its dedicated placemaking.

The wayfinding app will include:

• General park information;
• Interesting facts about the building and ecology of the park;
• The significant impact of Ed Broadbent as a public figure in Oshawa;
• The significance of the Human Rights Garden;
• The significance of the Orange Garden;
• Information about the Stage and Amphitheatre.

A 360-degree perspective experience will be integrated into the app to showcase use of space and place. The app also incorporates an auditory tour guide for accessibility and provides direct links to City information, including Events in the Park and Facility Bookings.

In summer of 2025, Charlize San Gabriel, graduate of Durham College’s Media, Art and Design Program and team lead for the project, was hired to finalize and test the wayfinding experience for expected public launch in late fall.

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In 2024, the Oshawa Senior Community Centres 55+ (OSCC55+) proudly hosted 43 students from Durham College and Trent University enrolled in a diverse range of programs, including Recreation & Leisure, Therapeutic Recreation, Social Service Worker, Personal Support Worker, and Registered Nursing.

Most student placements occurred within the Adult Day Programs, which support older adults with complex care needs, including dementia, stroke recovery, frailty, and other health-related challenges. Each placement is designed to align with the individual goals and learning objectives of the student. At OSCC55+, it is important to tailor each experience to suit the student’s academic requirements and personal interests.

A key focus of all student placements is the social aspect—interacting with clients who present a range of cognitive abilities and responsive behaviours. In addition, students gain hands-on experience in areas such as recreation program planning, assistance with Activities of Daily Living (ADLs), group facilitation, and health education. Beyond direct care, students are also exposed to essential administrative tasks, including client intakes, goal-setting, budgeting, and data collection. Staff work closely with each student to ensure meaningful learning and mentorship opportunities occur daily.

In addition to meeting course requirements, OSCC55+ offers unique training opportunities that enhance the student’s experience. Every student placed in our Adult Day Program receives training in Responsive Behaviours in Dementia Care and Elder Abuse Awareness. These sessions provide critical insight into working with vulnerable older adults, and equip students with knowledge and skills they will carry into their future careers.

Our clients recognize and appreciate the presence and contributions of students. As one client, MaryAnn, shared: “Students are great to have because they are young and sometimes teach us new ways of doing things.” Another client, Margaret, added, “I like having them here because you can tell they are learning, and that’s important.”

Through this dynamic partnership between students, staff, and clients, OSCC55+ continues to support the next generation of care providers while enriching the lives of the seniors we serve.

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