Well, that didn’t take long. Here we are once again, in December, with the holidays to enjoy, as well as celebrating the end of 2024 and looking forward to another year revelling in the great cultural attributes available to all in the City of Oshawa.
While several of the city’s cultural institutions will have holiday-related events, many continue to just provide a respite from the rapid pace of all that goes into celebrating these exact same holidays. With work slimmed down for some and lessons on hold for many, there is more time to enjoy these jewels that are right here in Oshawa: The Canadian Automotive Museum, The Oshawa Public Libraries, The Oshawa Museum, the parks and trails, The Second Marsh, and The Robert McLaughlin Gallery (RMG). All offer a quiet break and a place to slow down and enjoy the season away from the malls and smart centres for a while.
And what better place to start the season than at the place where much of Oshawa's history had its roots, the McLaughlin family's family home, Parkwood Estates? During December, one can step back in time and into the stately home and relive what Christmas would have been like in the early part of the last century. Parkwood is the home of Col. Sam, R.S. McLaughlin, founder of General Motors Canada. The 15,000-square-foot, 55-room mansion was built in 1917 in the Beaux-Arts style.
Throughout December, Parkwood will be bedecked in all the trimmings by four very talented local designers: Jill Gorrie Balas of JAC Designs, based in Brooklin, and Michelle Peer of 2Co. Design, Christine Elliott of Christine Elliott Designs, and Susan Carducci of Design House Collective, based in Whitby. Each designer has been assigned a room and a tree, and the results are now available to enjoy.
Oshawa’s other historic homes, Henry House, Robinson House, and Guy House, which also serve as The Oshawa Museum complex, located in Lakeview Park, are hosting their holiday celebration on Saturday, December 7. The annual Evening of Lamplight features staff in traditional Victorian dress conducting tours of the museum by oil lamp. The evening will also include a performance by the Oshawa Civic Band, and children can visit with Mother Christmas. Two exhibits continue, “A Carrying Place," which looks at the culture of the Wendat that lived in the Oshawa area from 1380 to 1450 CE, and “Untold Oshawa’ which looks at the stories of early Black settlers, and the impact of unions on the development of the City.
2024 has been the centennial anniversary of the City of Oshawa, and there have been many events throughout the year. One of the final events sums up the previous twelve months through a photographic exhibit. The Oshawa100 Photo Contest Opening Gala, which takes place at the Robert McLaughlin Gallery on Thursday, December 12, will feature images by local amateur photographers.
Of course, the City itself will be closing out its centennial year and welcoming in the New Year. An evening of family-friendly fun at the Delpark Homes Centre in the city's north end features free skating and swimming, entertaining performances, and crafts, among other activities.
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