Oshawa, Ontario, Canada

General Motors Canada, Oshawa
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:GM_Canada_Oshawa_-_Flickr_-_Stradablog.jpg
Author: Tino Rossini


Oshawa is a city on the shore of Lake Ontario, in Ontario, Canada. It is 60 km to the east of downtown Toronto. Oshawa covers 145.65 sq km (56.24 sq mi) and has a population of 152,000 people (2012 estimate). It is regarded as the Automotive Capital of Canada.

The history of Oshawa can be traced back to the 18th century, when it was a trading hub for fur traders. The local trappers of the Mississauga tribe would bring the fur to the French traders here. The American Revolutionary War brought an influx of Loyalists, who left the United States to live under British rule. They were joined later on by the Irish and French Canadians.

Oshawa grew out of a crossroad between an old native trail, called Nonquon Road, with Kingston Road, the main road from Toronto. This took place from 1822, and eventually a town with various amenities was established. When applying for a post office, fur trader Moody Farewell asked the natives for a name. Their choice was Oshawa, meaning "where we must leave our canoes".

Appropriately, by "leaving the canoes" behind, Oshawa developed as the center for Canada's car industry. This began in 1907, when the McLaughlin Motor Car Company began to manufacture the Buick cars here, under the McLaughlin name. After acquiring the Chevrolet brand, the McLaughlin company merged with the Chevrolet Canada to create General Motors of Canada. Today Oshawa remains the headquarters of General Motors Canada.

Visiting Oshawa

Take Highway 401 heading east out of Toronto to reach Oshawa.

Places of Interest in Oshawa

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