A Candid Conversation

A Candid Conversation By Theresa Grant Real Estate Columnist I was having lunch with a friend of mine the other day and the conversation turned to downtown Oshawa. She works downtown and has for many years. Over the years she has seen many changes take place, quite literally right outside of her office window. As the time passed, we chatted about how downtown used to be a vibrant hub of activity with something for everyone. We reminisced about certain stores that we remembered. There were specialty stores and so many sole proprietor shops. The mom-and-pop stores of the 60’s, 70’s, and 80’s. We agreed, we miss them. At some point the happy reminiscing turned to the stark reality that our downtown is today. Along with it, the inevitable question of what to do about it. Our Council is clearly ensconced in the response of “It’s not our responsibility”, and happy to coast with that as though that gives them a pass on the whole situation. They are quite happy to blame the situation and the lack of action on The Region, The Province, and the Feds. Anyone actually, as long as they can deflect from themselves. I have read many letters over the years addressed to Council pleading with them to think differently and to enact certain measures that are well within their purview and still they do not act. While I do agree that there is a vast amount of misunderstanding within the general public as to what our Council can and cannot do, what they have the legal authority over, I do know that they have the ability to implement and enact certain measures that simply choose to ignore, often saying that they don’t have jurisdiction. I know from my networks here in Oshawa that people are not just tired of the situation downtown, they are fed up with the Council that does nothing to improve it but would rather hide behind their old worn-out excuses. It does not surprise me that we are just now starting to hear from certain Councilors that have been silent over the last 3 years. We have an election in October of next year, so they must feel like they need to be seen and heard all of a sudden. I saw the most ridiculous story on CP24 a while back, May, I believe of Dan Carter telling a reporter that one of his staffers approached him earlier that week and said something like “Mr. Mayor, I was walking up Simcoe St. this morning and there were people openly smoking crack right there on the sidewalk, it was shocking”. Really? in May of 2025 you are shocked to hear that this is happening? Where have you been for the last several years? What a load of bologna! I’m sure we will all start to see and hear more of that same sentiment as we head toward the Municipal election of 2026. Which, by the way is exactly where you need to make your disappointment with this Council known, if in fact you want change.