Six mayoral candidates gathered at the Bond Street Event Centre to debate strategies for reviving downtown Oshawa. hosted by the Greater Oshawa Chamber of Commerce, the event focused on the intersection of homelessness and economic growth.
The Bond Street Event Centre Clash Over Downtown Oshawa
The debate featured six of the nine total candidates, each attempting to outline a path forward for a city struggling with vacant storefronts and a visible homelessness crisis . According to the report, the tone was largely civil, though it revealed a fundamental ideological split between candidates favoring systemic housing support and those advocating for swift, restrictive action.
This friction reflects a broader North American urban trend where municipal leaders are torn between "Housing First" philosophies and more punitive measures to clear downtown cores. In Oshawa, this tension is evident in the contrast between candidates who view the crisis as a failure of supportive infrastructure and those who see it as a matter of public order and monitoring.
Jeremy Large’s South Oshawa Monitoring Plan
Candidate Jeremy Large proposed a highly unconventional approach to the city's vulnerable population, suggesting that homeless residents be transferred to his own South Oshawa neighborhood so he could personally monitor them. As the report notes, this proposal was met with laughter from the audience, yet Large remained firm in his desire to end open drug use in the downtown area.
Beyond the relocation plan, Jeremy Large pledged to construct two specific facilities: one dedicated to the chronically homeless and another designed as a hotel for individuals at risk of becoming homeless. He further claimed he would cut funding for establishments providing "harmful services," though he stopped short of naming the specific venues he intended to target.
Dave Westlake’s Two-Way Streets and Free Parking
While some focused on social services, candidate Dave Westlake emphasized urban planning and administrative urgency. Westlake proposed declaring a short-term emergency in downtown Oshawa to trigger the appointment of a task force capable of implementing long-term solutions.
To stimulate economic activity, Dave Westlake suggested converting existing one-way streets into two-way routes to create a more pedestrian-friendly environment. He also promised to implement free parking to attract visitors back to the core, arguing that accessibility is a primary hurdle for downtown businesses.
Derek Giberson and Jim Lee’s Housing-First Divergence
Ward four city councillor Derek Giberson and Ward two councillor Jim Lee both identified housing as the primary lever for change, but they differed on the timing and type of intervention. Derek Giberson criticized the current municipal strategy of moving people beetween different sites, calling the practice ineffective and urging the city to find trusted partners to expand permanent supportive housing.
Conversely, Jim Lee argued that the critical gap in the system is transitional housing. Jim Lee proposed the foramtion of an action committee—comprising local businesses, residents,and emergency services—to intervene before individuals spiral into drug use or other crises, suggesting that early intervention is the only way to prevent long-term homelessness.
The Unnamed 'Harmful Services' and Marimpietri’s Vague Four-Point Plan
Despite the breadth of the debate, several candidates left significant gaps in their platforms.. Jeremy Large failed to specify which "harmful services" would lose funding, leaving it unclear whether he is targeting harm-reduction sites or other social supports. Similarly, Ward two councillor Tito-Dante Marimpietri referenced a four-point strategy on his website involving post-secondary partnerships and entertainment options, but he did not elaborate on the concrete steps of this plan during the event.
The lack of specificity regarding these plans suggests that while the candidates agree on the symptoms of Oshawa's decline , they remain divided—or perhaps undecided—on the actual mechanisms of implementation.
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