Downtown Oshawa Murals

Commissioned in 1995. The mural was created by father and son team Dan and Peter Sawatzky. This mural depicts Oshawa's Four Corners on Kingston Rd. (now King St. and Simcoe St) as it would have appeared in 1935. It exhibits the manually operated traffic sign, used and operated by Officer Ed Stauffer as he directed traffic during busy times. Down in the heart of Oshawa on the main street were train tracks for the Oshawa Carriage Works, which remained until 1962.

Commissioned in 1995. The mural was created by Gus Froese. Full Steam Ahead is a collage celebrating the history of Oshawa and the Oshawa Carriage Works. Located at the back of the mural is Parkwood Estate and how it stands today. Also painted in the mural is one of Oshawa Carriage works cars, a 1924 McLaughlin Buick. On the extreme right is an original depiction of the Queen's Hotel. Established in 1874 it boasted state of the art technology with en-suite bathrooms, running water, and electricity. Painted in the centre is the Oshawa Carriage Works with their employees out front. Back behind the Oshawa Carriage Works is Oshawa's Newspaper at the time. "The Oshawa Daily Reformer" later to become the "Oshawa Times". On the far left of the mural is a depiction of the Oshawa Harbour and Barnhart's Pavilion, the local dance hall, where people went to socialize and dance.

Commissioned in 1996. The mural was created by Robin Burgesse. This mural portrays Oshawa's development with the slogan "Building on a Strong Foundation". Listed at the top are early companies from Oshawa's past. The panels below depict scenes from three influential companies - Warren Mills, Williams Piano Factory, and the McLaughlin Carriage Company. Many local faces are also featured.

Commissioned in 1996. The mural was created by John Hood. The first panel illustrates members of the McLaughlin Family, founders of the McLaughlin Carriage Company and McLaughlin Motor Car Company, the forerunner of General Motors of Canada. The second panel shows GM's car symbols: Buick, Saturn, Pontiac, Oldsmobile, Chevrolet, GMC, and Cadillac. The diversity of the work force is illustrated on the third panel through the use of gender, race and age. Through the instillation of technology, car designs change as shown on the fourth panel. The Crash Test Dummies found at the GM South Plant are painted on to the fifth panel. The loon found on the sixth panel is seen at either the GM Canada Headquarters, at the McLaughlin Bay, or the Second Marsh project. The inspiration for the next portion of the mural came from an actual letter and enclosed photograph. It shows three generations: a grandmother, a mother, and a granddaughter, standing proudly in front of their new "Sunfires." They wrote GM expressing how pleased they were with their new cars. In the final panel painted are two examples of the cars produced in Oshawa: the Buick Century and the GMC Pick-up.

Commissioned in 1996. The mural was created by David Yeatman. Windfields Farm was the home of champion racehorse Northern Dancer. Both the 1964 Kentucky Derby and Queen's Plate winner, Northern Dancer is pictured after his historic Kentucky Derby win with jockey Bill Hartack and EP Taylor, owner of Windfields Farm. Windfields Farm became one of the most renowned thoroughbred stables in North America.

Commissioned in 1996. The mural was created by John Hood. This mural commemorates the 130 year history of Oshawa's own Ontario Regiment and its involvement in the nation's conflicts and UN peacekeeping missions. All of the medals depicted at the bottom of the mural are accurate representations of Canadian Military decorations.

Commissioned in 1996. The mural was created by Rudolf Stussi. The evolution of Oshawa's automobile industry is depicted in this mural. In 1899, the McLaughlin Carriage Factory was destroyed by fire, but was rebuilt within a year. The McLaughlin Motor Car Company, founded in 1907, began producing automobiles and, in 1918, became General Motors of Canada. The mural illustrates the role of General Motors during the Second World War in the manufacture of combat vehicles. The far right of the mural depicts the later technological advancements in automobile production.

Commissioned in 1997. The mural was created by Brian Romagnoli. This mural depicts Borsberry Music Hall, a 700 seat theatre that was located on the north side of King St., just east of Simcoe St., in the early 20th century. It played host to a number of dramatic and musical productions. The inside of the Borsberry Music Hall is portrayed as a montage on the mural. Pictured outside the Music Hall is a McLaughlin Buick from 1924. The artist decided to give the mural a little life and incorporated the doorway to the apartments into the mural painting it blue and yellow.

Commissioned in 1997. The mural was created by Tony Johnson. The Lake Ontario Waterfront is pictured in this mural. It was a favourite gathering place for the Oshawa middle class. Streetcars running north and south along Simcoe St. were a popular means of getting to the waterfront. Barnhart's Pavilion (pictured in the background) was famous throughout Oshawa and beyond for its Friday night dances. Also pictured is "The Ocean Wave", a merry-go-round and prominent fixture at the lake.

Commissioned in 1997. The mural was created by Robin Burgesse. The Victorian Order of Nurses Mural depicts the 100-year history of the VON. It was commissioned by the VON Durham branch. The VON was founded by Lady Isabel Aberdeen, the wife of the Governor General, on the request of the National Council of Women as Canada's "memorial" for Queen Victoria's 1897 Diamond Jubilee.

Commissioned in 1997. The mural was created by Paul Ygartua. The Oshawa Generals Major Junior Hockey franchise was established for the 1937-38 season and immediately became a hockey powerhouse by winning seven consecutive Ontario championships through to 1944. The team has won five additional Ontario titles since then and has been the Memorial Cup champion four times, in 1939, 1940, 1944, and 1990. Featured are well-known Oshawa Generals stars of the past, including Billy Taylor, Bobby Orr, Terry O'Reilly and Eric Lindros.

Commissioned in 1998. The mural was created by JR Hunter, Matt Whelan, Melissa Verge, and Nicol Janecko who were local students of O'Neill Collegiate and Vocational Institute and Monsignor Paul Dwyer Catholic High School. This mural depicts the first stage coach line that operated on Kingston Rd. (Highway 2) between Fort Frontenac (Kingston) and Fork York (Toronto), 1817 to 1855. The last stop before Fort York was at Oshawa House on the northeast corner of King and Centre St.

Commissioned in 1999. The mural was created by JR Hunter, Matt Whelan, Erin Hackney, Ian Mitchell and Mile Wystoski, students from students of O'Neill Collegiate and Vocational Institute and Monsignor Paul Dwyer. This mural depicts life at the four corners, 1840 to 1850. Skae's Corners became the Village of Oshawa in 1842. The first post office in Oshawa was located in the General Store owned by Skae and McDonald (the checkerboard building in the mural). The mural image looks outward from the porch at Munroe's Tavern where, in 1850, the Village of Oshawa Council held its first meeting. The other two buildings depicted are JD Hoitt's Carriage Shop and JB Warren's General Store.

Commissioned in 2000. The mural was created by Tony Johnson. Incorporated as a City in 1924, Oshawa celebrated its 75th anniversary in 1999. This mural is a collage of important people and places in Oshawa's history including: Donald Jackson, world famous figure skater; Lloyd Chadburn, a hero of the Second World War; Honourable Colonel Michael Starr, former Oshawa Mayor and Federal Labour minister; Robert Attersley, former Oshawa Generals hockey player; and Colonel R. S. and George McLaughlin, co-founders of General Motors of Canada, who, along with their wives, Adelaide and Annie, were patrons of Camp Samac, Memorial Park, Girl Guides, Boy Scouts, and the Canadian Automotive Museum.

Commissioned in 2001. The mural was created by Tony Johnson. On December 6, 1941, Camp X - Special Training School 103 officially opened on the shores of Lake Ontario. Under the auspices of British Prime Minister Winston Churchill's Special Operations Executive and his Canadian Chief of Security, Sir William Stephenson, five hundred secret agent graduates were schooled in a gruelling ten to twelve week curriculum that included hand-to-hand combat, interrogation techniques, psychological warfare, explosives training, as well as espionage, sabotage, and survival skills behind enemy lines. Hydra, the immensely powerful short wave radio installation at Camp X, had William "Bill" Hardcastle, among its key operators. Ian Fleming, author and creator of "James Bond", was also trained here.