-THE FUTURE OF THE OSHAWA MARINA- A LOOK AT OSHAWA’S PORT LANDS

-THE FUTURE OF THE OSHAWA MARINA- A LOOK AT OSHAWA’S PORT LANDS By Dean Hickey The Oshawa marina was deemed too expensive to operate and officially closed more than 20 years ago after having been offered to the City for the staggering sum of one dollar. Today the once-busy location is a sorry reminder of neglect, political infighting, and federal governments that long ago turned off the funding tap for recreation along the shores of Lake Ontario. As Mother Nature slowly seals the fate of the 240 berth marina with sand and silt from the Oshawa Creek, one man has come forward with a plan to reap the benefits of sport fishing and tourism that used to enjoy local access to Lake Ontario. Oshawa resident Doug Sanders, who has been a member of City and Regional council, submitted a request to work with city hall at finding ways to establish what he sees as a much needed boat launch, possibly at the west end of Lakeview Park. He reminded councillors of efforts made some years ago to acquire proposals that would see a new marina operator, suggesting that “Many residents must now go into neighbouring municipalities to store their boats, watch boats, or go fishing.” Sanders recognizes the likely push-back from a Port Authority that sees the harbour as a place for shipping vessels only, and suggests a move to the western half of Lakeview Park may be the best option, beginning with a boat launch and moving towards an operating marina. All of which would be far removed from the industrial use that now dominates the East Harbour lands. “I spoke with the mayor about it, and we agreed it costs nothing to put out a request for proposals” he said. Former Oshawa mayor John Gray, now a city councillor for Ward 5 which includes the waterfront, also sees room for a boat launch but questions the viability of restoring the existing marina. “The new Port Authority is definitely a pleasure to work with and they’re good operators of the harbour, however the costs to restore the old marina are likely insurmountable.” He agrees the most practical location for any future boat launch is still within the harbour, however the conflict between pleasure craft and container ships using what will soon be an expanded port is a matter for concern. “The process of establishing agreements with the Port Authority and navigating through environmental laws would be a challenge, although the need does exist for boaters to enjoy local access.” Others that I reached out to were less than sanguine as to the potential for a future marina anywhere along Oshawa’s waterfront, with one Regional councillor suggesting the number of users would be much less than anticipated, telling me the costs of boating have only skyrocketed in recent years. Concerns were also raised as to the existing parkland and trails that would be disturbed by any alterations at the west end of Lakeview Park. Overall, it’s not difficult to see the improvements that have already been made since the days when Oshawa’s share of the waterfront was minimal. Today, all of the parks, natural areas, and recreational lands between Darlington Park to the east, and the border with Whitby to the west, are owned by the City. However, none of this has come without a price, including the $4 million invested into the new Ed Broadbent Park, which covers over decades-old industrial contamination. In late 2022, the City and the Port Authority agreed on a land exchange as part of a $30 million expansion plan at the harbour. Physical enhancements are now visible to anyone travelling along Simcoe Street, and to users of the trail system that links Lakeview Park to the Second Marsh. Meanwhile, Doug Sanders stands in readiness for council to take him up on his challenge at finding a way forward to ultimately establish a boat launch. I reminded him that it was 1984 when city hall first looked at building just such an access point, and ever since then, progress has been anything but smooth sailing. For what seems like decades, ongoing disputes between city hall and the federally-run Harbour Commission kept a boat launch out of the harbour. The process will be no less daunting now. There is no doubt angling and boating add a great deal to Ontario’s economy, and Sa

nders says Oshawa will miss out if it doesn’t somehow establish a proper facility. Time will tell. A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE OSHAWA HARBOUR & WATERFRONT 1992…The federal government gave full control of the Second Marsh to the City as volunteers busied themselves trying to rehabilitate the property. The 214 acre marsh, nestled between Oshawa harbour and the GM headquarters property is the largest remaining Lake Ontario wetland in the Toronto area. 1994… This was a busy year for politicians and others trying to bring forward competing visions for the future of Oshawa’s waterfront. Councillor Brian Nicholson featured prominently in newspaper reports at the time, suggesting the Harbour Commission (established in 1960) was attempting to lure cement companies to the port in an effort to scuttle the City’s vision of a “clean and green waterfront”. He and his colleague Nester Pidwerbecki would put forward a motion at council, requesting that the federal government transfer all harbour lands to the City. It was a battle that would continue for years to come. 2012… Jim Flaherty, Minister of Finance, and Oshawa MP Dr. Colin Carrie, announced the creation of a Canada Port Authority (CPA) to operate the Port of Oshawa. 2019… The Oshawa Port Authority became amalgamated with Hamilton, and is known today as the Hamilton-Oshawa Port Authority. Tonnages reached a high of 672,000 metric tons in 2020.