New Downtown Oshawa public square opens

Oshawa’s newest downtown public square – named as a tribute the city’s deep military history – was officially opened Thursday with a ribbon-cutting and appropriate pomp and circumstance.

Veterans Square, located at the northeast corner of Bond Street and Simcoe Street and adjacent to the McLaughlin Armoury, is a unique focal point of downtown and will host community celebrations, events and concerts, bringing vitality and excitement into the city centre.

The innovative urban space honours the service – both past and present – of local veterans.

The official park opening was held with a performance by the Oshawa Civic Band and the unveiling of the plaques at the four gardens, named in recognition of the Royal Canadian Navy, the Canadian Army, the Royal Canadian Air Force and The Ontario Regiment (Royal Canadian Armoured Corps).

Photo by Dot McFarlane

The urban square is home to:

• new sidewalks and streetscape furnishings along with new boulevard trees on Simcoe St.;
• a large shade structure above a new performance/sitting platform;
• perimeter concrete seat walls with integrated bench tops, circular bench seating and accessibility seating;
• four large planting beds with ornamental flowering shrubs, pollinator perennial planting beds, conifer and deciduous shade trees; and,
• The ‘Kaleidoscope’ sculpture by internationally exhibited Canadian artist Nicholas Crombach

Construction on the nearly $2.5 million project began in spring 2025 and included demolition and removals, site preparation and site servicing, hardscape, plantings, site furniture and lighting installation, with Hawkins Contracting Services of Stouffville, with a resume that includes more than three dozen similar in scope projects in the GTA over the past dozen years, winning the contract for the work.

Council chose Veterans’ Square over two other staff options – Heritage Square and Celebration Square – as well as a suggestion to name it ‘McCrohan Music Park’ to honour a family that has played a huge role in the city’s music history.

Other suggestions received from the public included Skae’s Corners, Centennial Square and Adam White Park.

The square – high on the wish list since the city expropriated the empty parking lot in the summer of 2022 – will serve as a flexible community gathering place capable of hosting concerts, markets, civic ceremonies and cultural programming, with its location close to venues like the BOND|ST Event Centre, the Regent and Biltmore theatres and the Col. R.S. McLaughlin Armoury, allowing it to stake its claim as the “cultural and ceremonial heart” of Oshawa.

Photo by Caspar White