Community Profile

2015

WelcomeMessage from Mayor HenryWelcome to Oshawa, a dynamic city in one of the fastest growing regions in Canada. Oshawa offers the best of both worlds – the amenities and opportunities of a thriving urban centre coupled with the lifestyle of a connected community featuring vibrant culture, integrated transportation and affordable living.

With a population of 160,000 people, Oshawa is the largest city in Durham Region and is the eastern gateway to the Greater

Toronto Area – the largest metropolitan area in Canada. In Oshawa, you will find a rich blend of global companies complemented with innovative start-up entrepreneurs and long standing family owned businesses.

The Oshawa Community Profile highlights the achievements, opportunities and business case for investing in this amazing city. Companies that are located in Oshawa enjoy access to skilled workforce and talent, connected infrastructure, state-of-the-art research facilities and competitive business environment.

As a lifelong resident and business owner, I am proud of Oshawa. I invite you to visit us and learn how you can become part of the Oshawa success story.

Mayor John Henry

Table of ContentsLocation (Map & Distance to Markets) 2

Oshawa Advantage 3

Demographics 4

Labour Force & Talent 5

Development 6

Utilities 7

Business & the Creative Economy 8

Downtown 10

Taxes & Incentives 12

Education & Innovation 14

Housing 16

Lifestyle 17

Oshawa’s Key Economic SectorsEconomic Development Strategy & Key Sectors 19

Advanced Manufacturing 20

Energy 21

Health Technology 22

Logistics 23

Information Technologies 24

Talent Thriving business relies on skilled talent and Oshawa’s talent measures up. Oshawa welcomed thousands of bright minded full-time students in 2014, studying at three top ranking institutions: Durham College, Trent University Durham and the University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT). Relevant education for today’s industries coupled with renowned research facilities show why our graduates are sought after by top companies.

Access Oshawa businesses enjoy access to a connected and integrated transportation system offering all modes of transportation. Oshawa’s roads, rail, seaway, air and commuter services ensure passengers and freight have convenient access to North American and global markets.

Value Oshawa companies enjoy the benefits associated with doing business in Ontario, Canada. According to KPMG 2014 Competitive Alternatives, Canada has the lowest total tax costs, including the most generous R&D

tax treatment and the second lowest business costs among the G7 countries. Canada has been long recognized for its stable and sound banking system. Locally, Oshawa offers development incentives, affordable real estate and business-friendly services.

Overall Business Costs Index (U.S.=100) Location Costs index

Ontario 90.2

United Kingdom 93.5

France 93.5

Japan 94.7

Italy 95.3

Germany 97.7United States 100.0

Source: KPMG, Competitive Alternatives, 2014.

oshawa.ca/business 3

Oshawa AdvantageBusinesses that are located here experience the Oshawa advantage of Talent, Access and Value.

Commuter Rail & Transit systems(VIA Rail, GO Transit, Durham Regional Transit)

International Airports within 60 minutes drive

Frieght Rail Lines (CN and CP)

Executive Airport

Deep Water PortMajor Highways (Highway 401 – with Highway 407 to be completed December 2015)

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1

1

23

2

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LocationLocated on the north shore of Lake Ontario, Oshawa is Durham Region’s hub for business, transportation, education and entertainment and the gateway to both the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) and eastern Ontario markets.

Distance to Markets and BordersDowntown Toronto, ON

60 km / 37 mi

Toronto Pearson International Airport70 km / 43 mi

Queenston, ON / Lewiston, NY (border)184 km / 114 mi

Fort Erie, ON / Buffalo, NY (border)218 km / 136 mi

Windsor, ON / Detroit, MI (border)424 km / 263 mi

Montreal, QC485 km / 301 mi

New York City, NY804 km / 500 mi

Chicago, IL865 km / 537 mi

Oshawa’s Climate Ranks in the Top 10 for:• Warmest Climate• Lowest Amount of Snow• Longest Frost-Free Season

(amongst largest Canadian Metropolitan Areas)

Source: Environment Canada 1981–2010

New York City

Boston

Québec

MontrealOttawa

RochesterBuffalo

Toronto

Hamilton

LondonDetroit

Sudbury

Cleveland

PittsburghIndianapolis

Cincinnati

Philadelphia

Baltimore

Washington D.C.

OshawaOshawa

10% population growth rate projected by 2025

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Labour Force & TalentLocated within the academic powerhouse of Ontario, Oshawa is home to three post-secondary institutions: Durham College, Trent University Durham and the University of Ontario Institute of Technology. Oshawa is also a Community Teaching Site for Queen’s University School of Medicine at Lakeridge Health Oshawa.

2nd largest proportion of College Graduates in Canada (Statistics Canada NHS 2011)

86% of Oshawa’s total population aged 25-64 has a certificate, diploma or degree (Manifold Data Mining 2015)

94.8% of UOIT’s graduates are employed in their field of study within two years of graduating (University of Ontario

Institute of Technology)

92.2% employer satisfaction rating for Durham College graduates (Durham College)

Labour ForceOshawa Labour Force 85,204 (Manifold Data Mining)

Durham Region Labour Force 378,566 (Region of Durham, Economic Development)

Toronto CMA Labour Force 3,357,470 (Invest Toronto)

Ontario Labour Force 7,487,200 (StatsCan 2014/Invest Toronto)

Top Three Major Fields of Study • Architecture, Engineering and Related

Technologies (24%)• Business Management and Public Administration (22%)• Health and Related Fields (16%)

Oshawa EconomyConference Board of Canada’s July 2015 report states Oshawa’s economy will expand by 2.6 percent in 2015 thanks to robust construction and services activity. The report projects approximately 15,000 new jobs in Oshawa by 2019.

Talent Recruitment Resources are available to assist companies with accessing skilled professionals – from candidate pre-screening, job fairs, links to specialized training and training cost incentives.

Durham Innovation and Technology Portal

Valuable online tool promotes Durham Region’s Digital Technology Sector to international investors. Ditp.ca

 

DemographicsAs the most populated city in Durham Region and one of the fastest

growing areas of the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), Oshawa has experienced significant growth year after year and is predicted to reach a population of

more than 176,000 by 2025. Oshawa’s population is diversifying, welcoming international businesses, newcomers and many foreign students each year.

Oshawa’s percentage of residents aged 20–39 and 50–59 exceed the provincial average for these cohorts demonstrating that Oshawa has a youthful labour force and is a

destination to work and raise a family.

Oshawa’s population has a higher proportion than the Province of Ontario in age cohorts which represent the Millenials, Generation X, and Boomers.

City of Oshawa Population2015 (total estimated population) 160,0512020 (projected) 168,1342025 (projected) 176,103

Region of Durham Population2015 (total estimated population) 664,7102020 (projected) 718,1532025 (projected) 774,959

0–9

10–19

20–29

30–39

40–49

50–59

60–69

70+

Total: 160,053

17,206

Number

2015

Po

pul

atio

n

17,816

21,234

19,944

21,126

25,865

Millennials

Generation X

Boomers

18,687

18,175

Age Groups

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Natural Gas Enbridge Gas, Oshawa’s provider of natural gas, offers a number of incentives that assists companies with improving

energy efficiency. enbridgegas.com

Telecommunications Oshawa is well-serviced with numerous telecom providers. The city is also connected with dark fibre optic infrastructure supporting the future needs of residents and businesses.

Water and Sanitary Services In Oshawa, water and

sanitary services are provided by the Regional Municipality of Durham durham.ca/works

Electric Power Electric Power is distributed by Oshawa Power and Utilities Corporation (OPUC), which offers a number of energy saving

programs for residents and businesses. The OPUC has a reliable network with an average

uptime of 99.9%, and is continuously modernizing the grid to meet the growing energy needs of the next generation customer. opuc.on.ca

UtilitiesOshawa is well connected and offers reliable utility services at competitive rates.

Downtown Smart Grid investment energy project OPUC is automating the entire downtown underground network to identify equipment failures before they occur so that preventative action can be taken to avoid a power disruption. In addition, should a failure occur, the system will begin to self-heal and restore power immediately to maximize performance to

the downtown core business customers.

DevelopmentOshawa continues to set annual records with well-balanced growth

and development. For the first time in its history, Oshawa surpassed the half a billion dollar mark in construction value in 2014. The first half

of 2015 continued to break records, with over $300,000,000 in construction value. Looking forward, Oshawa is on track to surpass 2014’s record.

Major Projects• Highway 407 extension

(expected completion: Dec. 2015)

• Triad Metals (industrial warehousing)

• Stoeger Canada (Canadian office, warehousing and testing facility)

• Downtown Hotel and Convention Centre (expected completion: late 2015)

• Kedron Part II Plan (1152 acres of land to accommodate 22,000 people)

• CN Rail Spur connection to the Port of Oshawa (completed Q2 2015)

Record BreakingThe City of Oshawa issued more than $506 million in building permits in 2014, more than $60 million over the record set in 2007.

The City of Oshawa has implemented a development charge exemption for industrial development

Industrial LandOshawa has a healthy supply of vacant industrial land totaling 1,017.96 acres, 21% of which is fully serviced, pre-zoned and ready for development.

Source: 2014 Oshawa Industrial Land Inventory Monitoring Report and Commercial Land Development Opportunities

Industrial Lease Rates (net average asking)• Oshawa (East GTA) $4.16/SF• Mississauga (West GTA) $5.84/SF• Markham (North GTA) $5.36/SF

Source: CBRE Q1 2015

Office Rents (average gross rents – all classes)• Oshawa $20.50/SF• Mississauga $28.75/SF• Markham $27.50/SF

Source: Royal LePage Frank Real Estate, June 2015

Opportunity and innovation are attracting new business to our city. Historically known for its automotive manufacturing excellence,

today’s Oshawa is much more diverse. According to the Conference Board of Canada “healthy manufacturing, construction, and wholesale

and retail trade will lead to 2.6 per cent GDP growth in Oshawa in 2015.“ Source: Conference Board of Canada Metropolitan Outlook 2, Winter 2015

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Entrepreneurship and Innovative PartnershipsSmall businesses are significant drivers of the local economy and there are a variety of support services available to help entrepreneurs and small business bring their ideas to life. In addition to the services offered by Oshawa’s Economic Development Team, organizations including the Business Advisory Centre Durham (BACD) and Spark Centre (one of 17 Regional Innovation Centres in Ontario) are available to assist in areas of mentoring, training, connections and access to funding.oshawa.ca/business, bacd.ca, sparkcentre.org.

Entrepreneurs can grow their business at CORE21 a creative co-working space that is home to Spark Centre’s support services to the start up technology sector. core21.ca

Spark Centre in partnership with the City of Oshawa also offers incubation space in The Loft through their Thrive Accelerator program — a space dedicated to grow new technology based entrepreneurs.

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MAJOR EmployersPrivate SectorAuto Warehousing Company (Automotive)Cleeve Technology (HQ) (Defense/Aerospace)EHC Global (HQ) (R&D, Advanced Manufacturing)Fresh Del Monte ( Food Processing)General Motors of Canada (CDN HQ) (Automotive, R&D, Advanced Manufacturing)Mackie (Logistics)Minacs (IT, BPO)NuFlow Technology (CDN HQ) (Advanced Manufacturing)Oshawa Clinic (Healthcare)Pival (Logistics)

Public SectorCanada Revenue AgencyChildren’s Aid ServicesDurham CollegeDurham District School BoardDurham Region Provincial CourthouseLakeridge Health OshawaMinistry of FinanceOntario Power GenerationRegion of Durham University of Ontario Institute of Technology

Business & the Creative Economy

Business ResourcesPartnerships with various government agencies ensure that companies in Oshawa have access to a selection of programs and incentives. Available resources include:

• Greater Oshawa Chamber of Commerce – the voice of business in Oshawa, the Chamber offers workshops, networking opportunities and membership benefits. oshawachamber.com

• Interactive Manufacturing Innovation Networks (iMiN) – a regional online platform for industry professionals to share ideas, bid on proposals and find local opportunities. iminonline.ca

• The Durham Region Economic Development Partnership (DEDP) – Economic Developers across Durham work collaboratively to foster new investment and growth. investdurham.ca

Fostering Entrepreneurial InnovationFastStart is a student incubator extra-curricular program designed to increase entrepreneurship skills to help students create business plans that take their products and services to market. This program is delivered by UOIT, Durham College, Trent University and Spark Centre.

Start Up City ranked 4th in major Canadian cities for entrepreneurial policy (CFIB)

Advanced Manufacturing

Health Technology

Energy

Information Technologies

Logistics

Key Sectors

Reverb, Noel Harding, Steel and lights, 2015. Purchased with the financial support of the RMG Acquisition Fund and the Canada Council for the Arts Acquisition Assistance Program.

Public Art Public art is important to the downtown community – proven by the installation of three large pieces over the last few years. Douglas Coupland, Clement Meadmore and the most recent – Noel Harding’s Reverb are gorgeous additions to the downtown streetscape.

Development Business continues to invest in the downtown. Municipal incentives for downtown such as loans, grants, tax rebates and City development charge exemptions have helped to promote growth and attract new business such as:

• La Quinta Hotel 59 room boutique hotel in Downtown Oshawa.• Holiday Inn Express and Conference Centre 120 room hotel is under construction with an estimated completion

date of November 2015.• The 100 Bond development has broken ground for the construction of 239 residential units with retail at grade.

Statistics• Over 5,500 people work in

Downtown Oshawa including municipal government, regional courthouse, three provincial agencies and two federal agencies.

• 2,500 UOIT students take full time classes in downtown Oshawa.

• Pedestrian traffic grew in 2014. The lunch crowd grew by 16%, while the morning rush grew by 6%.

• Downtown’s main intersection at King and Simcoe registered approximately 2,100 pedestrians during the daily lunch rush hour.

• Employment in downtown is anchored by government services, health care, education and culinary industries.

Plan 20Twenty is the guiding strategy to continue the revitalization of Downtown Oshawa. The strategy focuses on 6 key areas: Residential Development, Business Development, Social Experience, Improving the Visual Streetscape, Physical Environment and Communications. The plan was developed in consultation with the downtown stakeholders who are actively engaged in implementing the strategy.

Social Experience More people than ever visit downtown to enjoy sporting events, concerts and cultural activities. New events have been added to the downtown core and include – Culture Squared, Multi-cultural Fiesta Week, inclusive LBGTQ activities, First Nations celebrations, Craft Beer Festival and of course the General Motors Centre has been busier than ever – Ranked Number #1 venue for its size category and home to our Memorial Cup Champions the Oshawa Generals Hockey Club and two Toronto 2015 Pan Am Games events. Whether you prefer large concerts, symphony orchestras or local bands, Oshawa has a myriad of options and growing music scene.

Culinary Trends Downtown is the place to be to experience delicious culinary foods from around the world with over 60+ restaurants.

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Downtown Oshawa has been identified as an Urban Growth Centre in the Province of Ontario’s Places to Grow initiative. This means that Oshawa is poised for future growth – while keeping a focus on affordability.

DowntownDowntown Oshawa is the entertainment and education district of the

Region. It is a vibrant place to work, learn, enjoy art and music, watch sports, meet for drinks and enjoy great food.

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The City of Oshawa’s portion of Development Charges has been

eliminated for Industrial and Downtown development projects.

IncentivesA number of incentives are available to support private investment and development in key areas from the municipal, provincial and federal levels.

• Brownfield Community Improvement Plan: offers property tax cancellation and a redevelopment grant.

• Central Business District Community Improvement Plan: assists property owners with building façade and accessibility improvements, building code upgrades or assistance with building permit fees for key redevelopment projects.

• Simcoe Street South Community Improvement Plan: assists property owners with building façade improvements.

• University and College Area Community Improvement Plan: designed for the redevelopment of higher density residential properties in the university and college area. This incentive is a grant instrument that reduces the portion of city taxes attributable to the increased assessment over a 10 year period.

• Property Tax Cancellation: a component of a select number of Community Incentive Programs offered by the City.

Federal and Provincial government incentives are available in the following categories:

• Commercialization• Community Development• Digital Media• Energy• Export• Financing• Human Resources and Training• Infrastructure• Research and Development• Venture Capital

Collaboration with various agencies and post- secondary institutions can realize further incentives for many research and development projects.

Harmonized Sales Tax (HST)HST provides tax credits for sales tax paid on many inputs and capital investments. Ontario’s HST rate is 13%.

Land Transfer TaxOntario has a land transfer tax of between 0.5% and 2% depending on the cost and use of the property.

Property Tax The City of Oshawa collects property taxes on behalf of the City, the Region of Durham and the Provincial Education Tax.

Tax Rates (2015)

Property Class Tax Rates

Commercial 3.133%

Industrial 4.643%

Office 3.133%

Residential 1.572%

Multi-Residential 2.766%

Taxes & IncentivesBusinesses that locate in Oshawa enjoy the benefits and advantages associated with doing business in Ontario, Canada. Canada remains the most tax competitive country in the world for business according to KPMG 2014 Competitive Analysis. Ontario’s combined general federal-provincial Corporate Income Tax (CIT) rate is lower than the average G20 countries and lower than the average federal-state CIT rate in the United States.

Combined Provincial and Federal Corporate Taxes January 1, 2015General/Manufacturing and Processing/Investment (General Corporation) 25.0%

General; Active Business Income (General Corporation) 26.5%

Small Business Income up to $425,000 (Canadian Controlled) 15.5%

Small Business Income Between $425,000 and $500,000 (Canadian Controlled) 15.5%

General; Active Business Income (Canadian Controlled) 2.7%

Source: Manifold Data Mining 2015

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Students seeking a truly personalized and flexible learning experience can complete full- and part-time studies in Business Administration, Social Work, Anthropology, English Literature, History, Psychology, Sociology, Media Studies, and Communications & Critical Thinking, as well as in a fast-growing roster of certificate programs such as the Human Resources Management Postgraduate Certificate. Students at Trent University Durham enthusiastically speak of the unparalleled sense of community on campus and the opportunity to be involved in a vibrant and dynamic student experience. trentu.ca/durham

University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT)Business leaders and investors need sophisticated expertise, a knowledgeable labour force and accessible research facilities to build their organizations. At its modern campus in Oshawa, UOIT partners with hundreds of businesses and community organizations to deliver a mix of theoretical and hands-on learning to its 10,000 students. The university offers more than 70 career-focused and market-oriented graduate and undergraduate programs that foster advanced manufacturing, sustainable energy research and the development of smart communities. UOIT prides itself on promoting an entrepreneurial mindset,

instilling characteristics like risk taking, problem solving and learning by doing. Through its more than 70 specialized research laboratories and facilities, including the state-of-the-art ACE climatic wind tunnel and the Clean Energy Research Laboratory, UOIT aims to push the boundaries of learning through imaginative uses of technology. uoit.ca

LHEARNThe LHEARN Centre (Lakeridge Health Education and Research Network) welcomes more than 1,600 students across a broad range of health disciplines and has partnered with more than 80 post-secondary institutions including Queen’s University, University of Toronto, UOIT and Durham College. The LHEARN Centre is unique for a community hospital in Canada, blending education directly into the delivery of health care. The LHEARN Centre has an auditorium with HD videoconferencing through the Ontario Telemedicine Network, health sciences library and state-of-the-art simulation labs

equipped with simulators that create realistic medical scenarios with a system that records

and plays back simulations to improve learning outcomes. The LHEARN Centre

plays a pivotal role in training the next generation of physicians and health care providers.

Durham CollegeSince opening its doors in

1967, Durham College (DC) has been providing high-quality,

post-secondary education and producing outstanding graduates, while

contributing an economic impact of more than $800 million to Durham Region.

Home to more than 30,000 students, 1,600 full and part-time staff, and more than 70,000 alumni, DC has campuses in Oshawa and Whitby and a Pickering Learning Site, offering more than 140 market-driven programs taught by industry experts.

Customized corporate training solutions are available through Corporate Training Services, a division of DC that delivers innovative, responsive and flexible third-party training solutions.

Named as one of Canada’s top 25 research colleges, DC also focuses on applied research through its Office of Research Services, Innovation and Entrepreneurship (ORSIE), working with small- and- medium- sized businesses to help them innovate, commercialize and develop their ideas. durhamcollege.ca

Trent University DurhamRanked as the top university in Ontario in the undergraduate category by Maclean’s, Trent University is consistently recognized for leadership in teaching, research and student satisfaction.

Building on a tradition of academic excellence spanning over four decades in the east GTA, Trent University Durham offers a dynamic and rigorous educational experience rooted in the social sciences and humanities.

Education & Innovation

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Parks & Recreation First-class facilities include public and private golf courses, indoor and outdoor swimming pools, ice rinks, ball diamonds, stadiums, beachfront park space, trails, community centres and libraries. The Civic Recreation Complex is the City’s premier sporting destination and features five outdoor fields (two with artificial turf), a FIFA sized indoor Fieldhouse, indoor and outdoor tracks, swimming pool, fitness centre and indoor courts for tennis, badminton and squash. In addition to acres of pristine parkland, the community also features an extensive paved trail system of nearly 27 km (16 miles).

Health Care Oshawa is supported by a variety of medical clinics, urgent care clinics and community-based home health care, in addition to an acute care hospital, a regional cancer centre and a specialized surgical centre.

Lakeridge Health Oshawa provides primary, secondary and tertiary healthcare. lakeridgehealth.on.ca

Taunton Surgical Centre specializes in general, plastic and orthopedic surgeries. oshawaclinic.com

LifestyleQuality of life means different things to different people. Access to vibrant arts and culture with live theatre, symphonies and museums is desirable to some, while others may wish to take in a concert or sporting event. Others seek a cozy spot to listen to live bands, and for others it is access to the outdoors through golf, hiking, or biking. Whatever your lifestyle – Oshawa provides a safe, inclusive and accessible community.

Grandview Children’s Centre the only outpatient rehabilitation facility in Durham Region for children with special needs. grandviewcc.ca

Culture Counts Oshawa is a vibrant city with exciting festivals, engaging heritage sites, dynamic programs and creative cultural workers. The City has an active Arts, Culture and Heritage Plan aimed to strengthen the work of cultural organizations, while connecting the arts, cultural and business communities together.

Oshawa is home to Treetop Eco Adventure Park – a thrilling zip line and outdoor adventure park with five zip lines, aerial obstacle course, and archery games all with breathtaking views of the Oak Ridges Moraine.

Quick Fact

HousingOffering some of the most affordable housing in the Greater Toronto

Area (GTA), options include urban condos, traditional family dwellings, skillfully planned subdivisions and townhomes, not to mention many

options for retirement and student living.

Out of 2,845 building permits issued in 2014 in Durham Region, the largest proportion were

issued in Oshawa with 813 units. Source: 2014 Annual Building Permit Activity Review,

Durham Region

Oshawa continues to maintain a solid supply of lots currently developed and in the development approval process, equivalent to a +/– 5 year supply. Source: City of Oshawa Development Activity: Review of 2014 and Outlook for 2015

Tenure Split of Existing Housing Stock70% Owned and 30% Rented

Source: Manifold Data Mining 2015

City of Oshawa Housing Unit Distribution by Type

■ Single Detached 34,252 ■ Semi-Detached 5,370 ■ Townhouse 5,454 ■ Apartment 16,621

Total Units 61,697

Source: City of Oshawa Housing Monitoring Report 2014

55.6%

8.7%

8.8%

26.9%Oshawa is a real estate hotspot with the lowest median detached house sale price for cities in the GTA.Source: Toronto Real Estate Board Market Watch, May 2015

Real Estate Hotspot

Private apartment vacancy rates fell from 2.0% in 2013 to 1.8% in 2014. Source: CMHC Rental Market Report, Greater Toronto Area, Fall 2014

oshawa.ca/business 19

Oshawa’s Sector Analysis and Cluster Development Strategy was developed to reflect the city’s evolving economic landscape and to set a new direction for economic development initiatives. Throughout a number of community and business consultations, the study revealed five key sectors in Oshawa that are positioned with high potential for growth.

• Advanced Manufacturing• Energy Generation• Health and Biosciences• Information Technologies• Multimodal Transportation and Logistics

Labour Force Per Sector (Durham Region)

NAICS Codes

Place of Residence

Place of Work

Advanced Manufacturing 31–33 27,390 19,930

Transportation/Logistics 48–49 10,825 5,980

IT 51 9,340 3,740

Sustainable Energy 2211 7,340 9,520

2212 545 55

Health Technologies 62 30,400 22,340

3391 235 170

Source: National Household Survey, 2011.

For Site SelectorsOshawa’s Economic Development Services offers ED Tools, a comprehensive database providing the latest demographics, labour market information, utility and tax rates, lists of top employers, research centres and more. The database enables users to select information/statistics needed and can generate customized PDF reports. An inventory of available properties in Oshawa is also available. Oshawa also offers BizPaL, an online tool to streamline your business permit and licensing experience. oshawa.ca/business oshawa.ca/siteselection

Economic Development Strategy & Key Sectors

Oshawa has been rated as the number one Canadian city in the Top 10 Small American Cities of the Future as ranked by fDi Intelligence, a division of the Financial Times (UK). Oshawa placed fifth in the category when compared with Canadian and U.S. small cities.

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HighlightsOshawa’s location within Durham Region (Ontario’s Energy Capital) coupled with the local presence of innovative companies and relevant post-secondary programs have established Energy Technology as a prominent economic sector for Oshawa.

UOIT’s Energy Systems and Nuclear Science Research Centre is a 9,290-square-metre facility that houses the university’s unique-in-Canada education programs and research in geothermal, hydraulic, hydrogen, natural gas, nuclear, solar and wind energy technologies. 

Assets• Clean Energy Research Laboratory (CERL)• Energy Systems and Nuclear Science Research Centre (ERC)• Nuclear Simulation Lab• OPUC – Solar Energy Management System (SEMS Project) – new technology pilot funded

by NEDO of Japan• Energy Systems Engineering Technology Program

Key Companies• En-Pro International• EV Fern• GDS Technologies• Ontario Power Generation• Oshawa PUC Networks

Sector ProfileEnergy

Oshawa’s Energy Labour Force: 4,000+Source: 2011 National Housing Survey as provided by the Durham Workforce Authority

Labour Stat

HighlightsOshawa is a leader in advanced manufacturing with local post-secondary institutions acting as an anchor to support a diverse base of technology driven companies. Oshawa companies are globally competitive and sustainable with innovative products across a wide spectrum of industries. Best recognized for automotive excellence, Oshawa companies also include food processors, aerospace and defense industries, robotics, and large metal fabricators.

Assets• ACE at UOIT (one of the world’s most sophisticated climatic wind tunnels that can test product

life cycling and performance under the most intense and extreme weather conditions)• Durham College School of Skilled Trades, Apprenticeship and Renewable Technology• General Motors Canadian Engineering Centre• Integrated Manufacturing Centre at Durham College• OPG Engineering Building at UOIT

Key Companies• BRIC Engineering • EHC Global• Cimetrix • Fresh Del Monte Produce• Cleeve Technology • General Motors of Canada

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Oshawa’s Advanced Manufacturing Labour Force: 8,400+Source: 2011 National Housing Survey as provided by the Durham Workforce Authority

Labour Stat

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HighlightsOshawa offers all modes of transportation to move people and products locally, regionally and around the globe and is emerging as an integrated regional logistics and distribution hub for the GTA and eastern Ontario markets.

Assets• Air: The Oshawa Executive Airport is an executive-level airport that can accommodate a range

of aircraft – from small recreational planes and 20-passenger business jets to 70-passenger turbo prop commuters. Corporate travel and just-in-time freight services are expedited with the presence of Canada Customs and fixed-based aviation services (FBO). Toronto Pearson International Airport – Canada’s largest airport is located only 70 km/43 mi from Oshawa.

• Rail: CN Rail & CP Rail• Roads: Highway 401 & Highway 407 (under construction)• Seaway: Port of Oshawa accommodates any size or type of vessel that transits the

St. Lawrence Seaway System. Port of Oshawa is fully intermodal with CN rail spur.

Key Companies• Canada Cartage• Enterprise Airlines• Mackie Transportation• Oshawa Stevedoring• Pival

Sector ProfileLogistics

Oshawa’s Logistics Labour Force: 4,000+Source: 2011 National Housing Survey as provided by the Durham Workforce Authority

Labour Stat

HighlightsOshawa is a growing and innovative health technology cluster built on the strengths of Lakeridge Health and its emerging research capacity. Oshawa’s top health care professionals and educators undertake cutting edge research, manufacture innovative products, provide public service in state-of-the-art facilities and prepare the next generation of family physicians and health care providers.

Oshawa is Durham Region’s hub for health technologies production, post-secondary education and primary, secondary and tertiary medical services.

Assets• Grandview Children’s Centre• 10 Family Medical Clinics• Lakeridge Health• Lakeridge Health Education and Research Network (LHEARN)

Key Companies• MARS Bio-Med• Orthodent• Paradigm Clinical Trials• Praxair• Prosthetic Technologies

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Oshawa’s Health Technology Labour Force: 9,600+Source: 2011 National Housing Survey as provided by the Durham Workforce Authority

Labour Stat

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Sect

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chno

logi

es Highlights Information Technology (IT) is the enabler that facilitates growth across all other business sectors. With strong post-secondary institutional programming and research in IT security, adaptive technology and big data, IT enabled companies and entrepreneurs are well supported in Oshawa.

Spark Commercialization and Innovation Centre is one of 17 Regional Innovation Centres in Ontario that are available to assist innovative technology businesses to start-up, scale and grow. Spark Centre uses competitions, training, mentoring and connections to help technology based business reach their full potential.

In 2015, Spark Centre in partnership with the City of Oshawa announced the grand opening of The Loft – a new 90 seat start-up incubation space in Downtown.

Assets• Gaming and Virtual Reality Laboratory • Marketing Laboratory• Hacker Research Laboratory • Networking Laboratory• Health Informatics Laboratory • OPUC Dark Fibre Optics Communication Network

Key Companies• Conpute • IFTech• Minacs• Mojility• Resource Software

International (RSI)

Oshawa’s Information Technologies Labour Force: 1,900+Source: 2011 National Housing Survey as provided by the Durham Workforce Authority

Labour Stat

Awards & AccoladesOshawa is an award-winning community

• Record-setting Growth  |  Over half a billion dollars in construction value – the highest year on record!

• Real Estate Hot Spot  |  Oshawa ranks Top 10 for real estate value in Canada (MoneySense Magazine) and also recognized by Canada Real Estate Magazine as a real estate hot spot in Canada.

• City of the Future  |  Oshawa ranked as top Canadian city in the Top 10 Small American Cities of the Future as ranked by fDi Intelligence, a division of the Financial Times (UK). Oshawa placed fifth in the category when compared with Canadian and U.S. small cities.

• Top Economic Developer  |  Oshawa economic developer recognized as one of North America’s Top 50 (Consultant Connect)

• Community of Choice  |  Top 10 community for net intra-Canada migration (Statistics Canada)

• Best Place to be a Woman in Canada  |  Oshawa ranked 10th best city in Canada (Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives)

• Start-up City  |  Ranked 4th in major Canadian cities for entrepreneurial policy (Canadian Federation of Independent Business); CORE21 co-working office received award (Economic Developers Council of Ontario)

• Foodie Hotspot  |  Publication award for Downtown Foodies Guide (Economic Developers Council of Ontario)

• Award-winning events  |  Peony Festival and Fiesta Week named Top 100  Festivals and Events in Ontario

• Beautiful City  |  Winner of the Ontario Parks Association Municipal Garden Competition in the Floral Art and Xeroscape categories

• General Motors Centre  |  Major Venue of the Year (Canadian Music Week) and ranked #1 (Venues Today Magazine) for its size category

• 2015 MasterCard Memorial Cup Champions Oshawa Generals Jr. A Hockey Team

Oshawa’s Economic Development Servicesbusiness@oshawa.ca

www.oshawa.ca/business 1-800-667-4292

905-436-5617

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If this information is required in an accessible format, please contact Service Oshawa.

Telephone: 905-436-3311

Email: service@oshawa.ca