Oshawa harbour
What? A pretty Oshawa waterfront area! Are you kidding me? Can I really hope for it?
Imagine taking a stroll along the waterfront and enjoying the view of all the gorgeous boats sitting in the marina. A lovely little cafe or pub with a welcoming patio for a refreshing beverage. Somewhere quaint to enjoy the fantastic view of the blue water. Now imagine all this happening in Oshawa. Yes, you read correctly, Oshawa! This really is a great city with plenty to offer and it’s about time we spent a little money on the waterfront to bring it back to its former glory.
The federal funding announcement stated a commitment of $19.4 million for environmental clean up, east wharf port consolidation and landscape buffers. Will we get a pretty lake front and more jobs? How will this affect the tax base in Oshawa (hopefully it’ll all be good!)?
So how did this all come about? Go to the Oshawa Habour site for an overview of the recent information meeting to read more of the details I summarize here. Briefly, in 1966 Oshawa gave the land away. Then in 2006 there was a proposal to put a rail spur on part of the land so Oshawa sued to get the land back. Fight, lawsuit, money (yes, your tax dollars) and …. nothing! So in 2009 the Crown tried to negotiate a settlement. Negotiations ensued and in May, 2010 an agreement was reached. Oshawa gets some (not all) land back and a pile of cash as mentioned above. The city does have to spend about $1 million for parkland, but has that money in a reserve fund already, so hopefully we are good to go.
Is the deal perfect? No. But perfection is in the eye of the beholder and there are always two sides to every arguement. We all need a little give and take to reach an agreement (not unlike most real estate deals – but that’s another blog!). So let’s take what we got and run with it! Hopefully you and I will be discussing your new home purchase over a beverage while sitting outside on the deck, overlooking great boats and clear blue water!