Oshawa

Best known as the Canadian headquarters of General Motors, Oshawa has a reputation of being a blue-collar working class community with lots to offer in the way of parks, beautiful historic homes and mansions, an abundance of cultural opportunities, a vibrant downtown, and, best of all, affordable housing prices.

Oshawa (population 146,000) is located 50 kilometres east of Toronto on the shore of Lake Ontario. While General Motors continues to be the city's main employer, Oshawa now enjoys a diversified economic base that is enhanced by its proximity to Toronto and the rest of the GTA.

Thanks to an aggressive downtown renewal plan, Oshawa's downtown is a vibrant pedestrian-friendly place to shop and visit. One of the best features of downtown Oshawa is the Farmer's Market, which runs every Saturday from May to October. The market area features a red-roofed entrance and benches, with stalls offering fresh produce, baked goods, crafts and antiques. Other downtown happenings include the Motor City Car Club's annual Autofest, featuring vintage automobiles from all over the province, and attracting 1,000s of visitors.

To the south is Oshawa's waterfront, which includes a nine-kilometre portion of the Waterfront Trail and the scenic Lakeview Park, which is adjacent to the Oshawa Harbour and Marina, where fishermen enjoy the annual salmon fishing competition. Lakeview Park is also home to the Oshawa Community Museum, a collection of three restored nineteenth-century homes.

Many of Oshawa's most celebrated attractions were established by the McLaughlin family, including the Robert McLaughlin Gallery, which is home to over 3,500 works. Natural attractions include Second Marsh, the largest remaining coastal wetland in the GTA at 123 hectares, Pumphouse Marsh and McLaughlin Bay Wildlife Reserve. Horse lovers can head north to E. P. Taylor's famous 1,500-acre Windfields Farm, which has bred more thoroughbred stakes winners than any other in the world.

For new residents, especially young families, the wide range of new homes available and the prices are a definite attraction. On average, the price of a house in Oshawa is 40 per cent less than a comparable house in Toronto. And, commuting is easy via GO Transit or Highways 401 and 407.

A family-oriented community, Oshawa's new home market features plenty of large single-family homes and townhomes, built in friendly new communities. Around the city core you'll find well-established neighbourhoods that have been maintained with pride

888 & 900 Glen Street