Oshawa celebrates 100th birthday with morning party at the Regent Theatre
Published March 8, 2024 at 11:37 am
Oshawa is celebrating its centennial today, with Mayor Dan Carter emceeing an event at the Regent Theatre Friday morning and a variety of events – from free skating to the story of the first all-female Ontario Hockey League broadcast to international film – happening throughout the day.
There was a full house at the kick-off event at the downtown Regent Theatre for Carter’s address and the Mayor delivered a speech talking about the city’s rich history as an economic powerhouse, as a leader in post-secondary education, and as a place where “remarkable women” could shine.
He also talked about Oshawa less-than-stellar reputation among people outside the city and used a Ted Lasso darts analogy to ask residents to showcase the virtues of Oshawa to anyone who is “curious” about the city.
Carter used a darts story from Lasso, a television show about an American soccer coach in England, to remind people about the importance of being curious and not hastily passing judgment.
Oshawa Mayor Dan Carter
“If you were curious,” Lasso is asked in the middle of a darts challenge in an English pub with plenty at stake, “you would have asked me, ‘Ted, have you very played darts before?’”
“Let us become ambassadors so people get curious about Oshawa,” Carter told the crowd. “Wouldn’t it be great if most people, instead of passing judgement, became curious about our great city?”
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The event also featured a speech from Durham Region Chair and former Oshawa Mayor John Henry, performances representing the Oshawa Folk Arts Council, a ceremony honouring special post-secondary students in the city, and a history lesson from Greater Oshawa Chamber of Commerce CEO Jason King, who noted the last century of Oshawa as a ‘city’ is “just a blip” on the human history here in the region.
Other events scheduled for the city’s birthday celebrations (Oshawa was incorporated as a ‘City’ on March 8, 1924) include a fitness seminar, Asian Cinema with content creator Andrew Faigal; exclusive access inside the Oshawa General’s organization; the story of the first all-female Ontario Hockey League broadcast and the women who made it happen; the annual Wonder Women Conference; a sustainable cooking show; and free swim and free skate at arenas and recreation centres throughout the day.
A flag raising ceremony will take place at 3 p.m. at City Hall.
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