# Anyone with info on Oshawa?



## headzred (Mar 20, 2012)

I would love to know if anyone has anything good or bad to say about Oshawa...the commute to Toronto, the secondary schools, and the sense of community in particular.


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## Auld Yin (Mar 10, 2009)

headzred said:


> I would love to know if anyone has anything good or bad to say about Oshawa...the commute to Toronto, the secondary schools, and the sense of community in particular.


Oshawa is a blue collar city because of the auto plant there. As with any such city there are both good and not so good parts. It is situated on the major highway 401 and is about a 40 minute drive from Toronto, traffic permitting. It is on the GO train service into Toronto, again about 40 minutes and a very good service.
It has all the necessary facilities for family life but you must find the right district ithin the city.
If you're asking this because of some potential relocation may I suggest you look at Whitby, Ajax and Pickering which are in the same direction re Toronto but not as far out as Oshawa.


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## headzred (Mar 20, 2012)

I just found housing pricing much more reasonable there, and I know there is always a reason. After talking to my husband more, all signs point to either in or near Mississauga, as that is the most likely place I will find work that is somewhat in my field.


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## Auld Yin (Mar 10, 2009)

And why is Mississauga better for work in your field? What is your field?


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## G-Mo (Aug 17, 2011)

Oshawa, aka The Dirty Shwa.


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## headzred (Mar 20, 2012)

I am an experienced laboratory scientist. Although I have done mostly clinical work here in the states, that won't be an option in Ontario due to the union. So I will be most likely to find meaningful employment in biotechnology.


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## EVHB (Feb 11, 2008)

Do you have a good idea about where these biotech companies are located, and if Oshawa is a convenient spot to commute from?


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## headzred (Mar 20, 2012)

Seems that there are some in almost every area, but the highway concentration is in Mississauga, which is why my husband is steering us in that direction. In my browsing so far, honestly my biggest obstacle has been that we want a small house to ourselves, not shared, with TWO WASHROOMS. I never suspected how hard that would be. Plenty of smallish older homes, but they all only have one toilet. Seems like a recipe for discomfort.


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## Auld Yin (Mar 10, 2009)

People in Canada do not normally share homes so I have no idea what you mean by that statement. What price range are you interested in? Most homes built in the past 30 years would have 2.5 bathrooms. Why is your husband using highway concentration as a measurement of where to locate?


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## headzred (Mar 20, 2012)

Sooo sorry, darned autocorrect. I was trying to say that the HIGHEST concentration of biotech seems to be in the Mississauga area. As for "shared" homes, I am referring to the high number of landlords that rent the basement to one tenant, and rent the upper floors to another. That is not an ok setup for my family.


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## EVHB (Feb 11, 2008)

It all depends on where your job is. But Oshawa doesn't seem that 'central' as Mississauga is...


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