OSHAWA ROSEMARY - BLOG

OSHAWA ROSEMARY

New Covid Assessment Centre coming to Downtown Oshawa

9/17/2020

The Oshawa Clinic will soon be opening a Covid Assessment Centre in the ground floor, south end unit at the City's Mary Street parking garage facility, which has pedestrian access from both Mary St. and King S.

You must use the Lakeridge Health online Covid Assessment tool which is on the Lakeridge Health website to attend the Mary St. Covid Assessment Centre or any of the other Assessment Centres (Note there are also Two (2) new assessment centres now open:
one in Clarington, 2440 Durham Regional Highway 2, Bowmanville and
one in North Durham, 19 Jeffery Street, Prince Albert.

Here's the link to the Lakeridge website for the form to book your appointment
www.lakeridgehealth.on.ca/en/patientsandvisitors/novel-coronavirus-2019-ncov.asp#AssessmentCentres

Oshawa Downtown Turning a Corner!

9/15/2020

The S/E corner of Simcoe & Athol, downtown Oshawa (the former Post Office) recently SOLD to a residential developer and the transaction should be closing in December 2020.

Policing in Oshawa Spread among 4 of the Region's 5 Divisions

9/14/2020

Why does Oshawa seem to be the only one of Durham Region's 8 municipalities with its policing spread among 4 of the Region's 5 Divisions?

Although Durham police do reciprocal service and “proximity dispatch,” which allows officers to respond to priority calls and cross boundaries to make sure whichever officer is closest gets the call to help....BUT concerning NON-PRIORITY calls, at times there seem to be areas of Oshawa where attention is like a bit of a post-script.

Now is the time, when a DRPS boundary realignment is being discussed, to advocate for a more comprehensive and consistent focus when it comes to DRPS policing for the City of Oshawa.

A Retirement, a Merger and Oshawa Business Expansion

9/12/2020

A fantastic good news story of an Oshawa business moving forward with strong steps to grow even during COVID-19.

Saturday, Sept 12, 2021 - a combined Retirement Party for Joe of Joe's Heating retiring after 47 years of business
service in Oshawa & a delightful BUSINESS MERGER ribbon cutting ceremony to celebrate the merger of his business with a leading Oshawa HVAC company TRANQUILITY HOME COMFORT.

Outside their business premises at 1472 Thornton Rd. N. Unit 28 (just north of Taunton Rd.) Tranquility Home Comfort /Joe's Heating owner Peter and his wife Kathy host a celebratory event with Joe and the expanded business team, along with clients, friends and City officials.

City of Oshawa Policing Divided Between 4 of Durham Region's 5 Police Divisions & Oshawa Ward 1 Spread Between 3 Police Divisions

9/11/2020

An encouraging face-to-face meeting with Durham Regional Police Services (DRPS) East Division Inspector and Staff Sergeant this week. Hats off to both for being most obliging and informative.

A must add: after participating in so many city 'virtual' meetings these past months, it was great to feel the energy in the room and share smiles with new acquaintances. Oh yes we were social distanced in the large meeting room at the East Division headquarters on Hwy 2 and Maple Grove. Five of us were in attendance, including both a City of Oshawa Traffic Engineering Technologist and an Oshawa Ward 1 resident who is a member of the DRPS community advisory committee.

This meeting came about when I called to complain about:

1) Oshawa residents' frustration getting through on the main DRPS non-emergency switchboard number, especially in the evening. Imo it seems the DRPS call intake/dispatch system for non-emergency calls needs some STREAMLINING;

2) problems related to the fact that community policing for the City of OSHAWA IS DIVIDED AMONG 4 OF THE 5 DURHAM POLICE DIVISIONS, and the clear inefficiencies and lack of focus related to Oshawa Ward I in particular being divided among 3 Divisions;

3) the serious number of speeding and vehicle excessive noise concerns in Oshawa's Ward 1.

The Staff Sergeant invited me to come in for a discussion with the East Division Inspector and I am appreciative.

Good news: DRPS is discussing a realignment of the 5 Divisions boundaries. Imo it cannot happen fast enough and the change should be along municipal boundaries and at the very least along Ward boundaries.

DRPS boundaries were last changed in 2015 when the East Division 47,000 sq. ft. headquarters was being built.
Of the Region's eight municipalities, it seems Oshawa is the only municipality that is divided among FOUR of the FIVE DRPS Divisions. I am trying to put together a map for a visual of this.

Even though the main switchboard number (905 579-1520) for all non-emergency calls is accessible 24/7, the intake-dispatch process is problematic especially outside daytime hours. There is no assurance if you are transferred to Central West, North or East Divisions anyone will answer after 5 p.m. Sometimes the phone line just rings with no opportunity to leave a message. And there is no email, it seems because of the liability if someone were to leave an emergency message instead of calling 911,

During our meeting it was confirmed that north east Oshawa, which is WARD 1, is where the most traffic "HOT SPOTS" are in DPRS East Division.

Other Good News: the DRPS East Division Traffic Safety Coordinator position, which has been vacant since March, has just been filled with the Constable assigned starting September 21st.

Sept. special meetings incl City Parking Study; Fire Master Plan; Airport Business Plan

9/10/2020

Two Consultants will be presenting two important studies at two Special meetings in the next two weeks-

on Tuesday Sept 22 at 9:00 a.m. the IBI Group will be presenting the long-awaited results of Phase 1 of the Oshawa PARKING STUDY (I can't help but say it will be most unfortunate and I will be complaining if a link to the material is not provided soon considering the number of detailed reports and meetings scheduled before that date and the fact is, this special meeting was added to the calendar a week ago);

on Wednesday Sept 23rd Dillon Consulting will provide an overview to Council of the draft new Oshawa FIRE MASTER PLAN. http://app.oshawa.ca/agendas/city_council/2020/09-23/REPORT_DraftFMPandCRA.pdf

These are in addition to lots of other important virtual meetings this month. Note that interspersed among the regular and special committee and council meetings are the five Ward Town Hall meetings scheduled
Sept 15th (W2); Sept 17th (W5); Sept 22nd (W1); Sept 24th (W3); and Sept 29th (W4)
to engage the public on the 2021 BUDGET
and the Sept 29th and Oct 1st AIRPORT Workshops for the 2020-2024 AIRPORT BUSINESS PLAN.

The Agendas for this Monday's Corporate Services morning meeting ; Development Services afternoon meeting and Public Planning evening meeting are all now posted on the City's meeting calendar.

The week after next starting Monday Sept 21st are the Community Services and the Finance Committee meetings and as mentioned above, the two special meetings on Tues. the 22nd PARKING and Wed. the 23rd FIRE MASTER PLAN before the Sept 28th Council meeting.

Rumour is the upper tier Region will be moving to in person meetings in October, as Durham has been at stage 3 of the Province's reopening of businesses and public spaces since June 19th.

As the lower tier municipalities generally follow suit, in my opinion, if Oshawa is going to be holding in person meetings in October, the time for the 1/Public Planning, 2/Parking Study, 3/Fire Master Plan and 4/Airport meetings should be next month LIVE.

By the way, if in 2021 a majority of Council does not approve a return to the 3 week regular meeting rotation, which was in place before the 4 week rotation was initiated at the start of this year, well I will be advocating for something like a regular general administration Council meeting to be added to the calendar in the gap 4th week for the most timely, efficient and effective schedule for City business. Council needs to ensure the process does not become choked.

Monday Sept 14 at 6:30 pm Virtual Planning Act meeting 3 applications

9/8/2020

Submit your emails and requests to speak to clerks@oshawa.ca concerning any of the 3 development applications on the Agenda for next Monday's 6:30 pm Virtual Planning Meeting.

One application is by GREYCREST HOMES on Conlin Rd. (south side) just west of Wilson Rd. for 76 townhomes (which is described more in the comments below) Notice the squiggly blue line in the picture on right, under the proposed development square (blacked out) . That is the meandering unnamed tributary, head waters of the Oshawa East Creek

Another by Medallion Homes on Cedar and Wentworth St. for a 306 unit apartment building;

and one by Wiltshire Homes on Thomas St. east of Valley Dr. for 6 detached singles.

About the GREYCREST application:

Above are pictures of the tributary on the property, the one on the right is during a spring thaw.

The purpose of the public meeting is for the applicant to present their development proposal to the Development Services Committee and the public and to receive comments from members of the public on the development proposal.

However, a problem arises in north Oshawa when there literally are minimal or no neighbours within the 120 metre distance to notify neighbours mandated under the Planning Act. There are times when no one shows up.

That is why for the past 9 years, on the top of my twitter it says: Responsible citizens don't let change simply wash over their community but are aware, informed & involved

I wonder if there will be anyone speak at the Monday 6:30 pm Sept 14th meeting concerning this GREYCREST HOMES application for 76 Townhomes, because no one showed up when the abutting property to the east had its Planning Act public meeting two years ago.

The developer for that corner is Stafford and it's application for 110 townhouses + 4 detached at the s/w corner of Wilson and Conlin just north of the Jehovah Witness property was approved without a murmur. The Public Planning meeting for it was in December 2017 and 10 months later at the last Council meeting of the last Council in September 2018 it was approved. Btw here is a picture of the tributary during a spring thaw.

Know your Ward, and find out how to stay current with Oshawa news & events!

9/7/2020

Be informed. Sign up to get the City news you want directly to your email.
It is a great way to learn about what is happening in your Ward.
Not sure which ward you live in? Maybe you are in Ward 1! If you find you are, don't hesitate to reach out to me and connect, share your concerns and ideas about our local government!

Ward 1 is everything north of Taunton Rd. to the City's northern boundary at Coates Rd. and from the City's eastern boundary at Townline to its western boundary just west of Thornton Rd. (excluding that section west of Ritson Rd and south of Hwy 407, which is in Ward 2).
www.oshawa.ca/city-hall/city-council-members.asp

A tragedy in Oshawa this morning, 5 deceased

9/4/2020

Check out the Troubadour Series at 5 downtown patios this weekend!

9/4/2020

With 10 musicians playing outdoors at 5 downtown patios starting at 7pm tonight and tomorrow night, enjoy the entertainment this Labour Day Long weekend! Here is the list of what the Troubadour Series is and who is playing and where, copied from social media: