10/07/2026
We’ve received many questions about the challenges we’ve been experiencing around the Museum, the fines we have received, and what we are asking for in support. Rather than answering these questions individually, we want to provide some context and address the questions we’re hearing most often.
We heard the fines had been removed. Is that true?
We recently became aware of public statements indicating that the fines against the Museum were no longer being pursued.
Because this was important information, our Executive Director contacted City staff directly to clarify the situation. We were advised that the fines have not been removed.
We subsequently received two additional fines by mail today, bringing the Museum's total to $2,750.
We are sharing this simply to clarify the current situation and ensure that our community has accurate information.
What are the fines for?
The fines are all relating to City of Oshawa By-law 65-2009, Section 3.1 – Loitering/Nuisance.
What happens if the fines are removed?
We would welcome that outcome, but the underlying issue would remain.
Our concern has never been simply about the dollar value of the fines. It is about the growing amount of staff time and limited charitable resources being spent managing recurring activity around our property, and about whether individual property owners should be expected to address a broader community challenge on their own.
We want to work with the City and other stakeholders on a solution that actually improves downtown.
What have we asked the City to do?
We have been asking for a coordinated response.
Before receiving any of these fines, the Museum wrote to the City requesting the opportunity to address Council and discuss the challenges we have been experiencing.
We have asked for practical improvements around the Museum, including:
-More proactive security and By-law support
-Improved lighting and cameras
-Better access control
-Improvements to the Museum's parking area to make it a more welcoming and usable space
-Better coordination between the City, By-law, police and other relevant agencies
-A broader conversation involving the Region, social-service organizations, businesses, cultural organizations and other community stakeholders
We don't believe this is an either/or situation. The Museum has a responsibility to manage its own property, and we are doing that. But the broader challenges affecting downtown require a coordinated response.
What has the Museum done to keep people safe?
We take the safety of our visitors, staff, collection, and property seriously.
We have invested in:
-Security cameras
-Improved exterior lighting
-Signage
-Increased staff monitoring of the property
-Staff regularly going outside to manage access
-Asking people to leave when necessary
-Regular calls to Durham Regional Police Service and By-law when issues arise
-Providing security footage to police and City staff when relevant
-Established procedures for staff to follow when incidents occur
We will continue to take responsibility for what happens on our property. However, there is a significant difference between taking reasonable measures to secure a property and having the financial capacity to provide 24/7 private security. As a small independent charity, we simply do not have the operating budget to do that, nor would that solve the larger challenges at play.
When did this start?
The issues we are experiencing are not new. We have been documenting and raising concerns with municipal and regional partners since 2024.
These concerns have included recurring vandalism, trespassing, littering, property damage, unauthorized use of our property and parking areas, open drug use and other disruptive activity. We have also experienced significant property damage, including broken windows and copper theft from our air-conditioning system.
In the summer of 2025, the Museum received a municipal by-law order relating to nuisance activity on the property. We communicated with By-law about the steps we were taking and the fact that, as a small charitable organization, private security around the clock was not financially realistic for us.
Why doesn't the Museum just move?
We want to remain in downtown Oshawa.
The Museum has been part of downtown Oshawa for more than 60 years. We own our heritage building, our collection includes more than 100 historic vehicles, and our Museum welcomes approximately 15,000–20,000 visitors each year.
Relocating the Museum would be an enormous undertaking, both financially and logistically. More importantly, moving the Museum would not address the underlying challenges affecting downtown.
Relocating the problem is not the same as solving it.
Moving activity from a park to a Museum parking lot, or from one property to another, does not address the underlying concern. We want to be part of a downtown that is safe, welcoming, vibrant and active.
Why can’t the Museum hire private security? What funding does the Museum receive?
There is a misconception that the Canadian Automotive Museum is a municipally or federally operated museum with government funding that could be redirected to pay for security.
The Canadian Automotive Museum is an independent not-for-profit charity. Our day-to-day operations are primarily funded through admissions, membership, gift shop sales, and donations.
The Museum receives $0.25 per capita in capital funding annually from the City of Oshawa and a maximum of $1,545 annually in operating funding through the Province of Ontario's Heritage Organization Development Grant (HODG). We also apply for government grants, but these are generally for specific projects and cannot simply be redirected to ongoing security costs.
We have invested in the security measures we can reasonably sustain, but 24/7 private security is not financially realistic for a small charitable museum, and it is not a sustainable solution to a broader downtown concern.
Why did the Museum decide to speak publicly?
Because downtown belongs to everyone in Oshawa.
We want residents to be proud of their downtown and to feel comfortable coming here. We want visitors to have a great experience when they come to the Museum and spend time in the downtown core.
The Museum has been an active part of bringing people downtown for more than 60 years. We participate in and support events and initiatives that bring people into the core, and our growing visitor numbers reflect the importance of that work.
We welcome approximately 15,000-20,000 visitors every year, and we want them to have a safe, positive experience while they are here.
We want downtown Oshawa to succeed. We want to remain here. And we want to be part of the solution.
This isn't about assigning blaming or asking that challenges simply be moved somewhere else. It is about recognizing that no one organization can solve these issues alone.
We believe downtown deserves a coordinated, community-wide response, and we are ready to play our part.
How can we help?
We are incredibly grateful to everyone who believes in the Canadian Automotive Museum and wants to support the Museum’s mission.
If you want to support the Canadian Automotive Museum and a vibrant, welcoming downtown, there are several ways you can help:
Contact your elected officials and candidates:
Ask how they plan to support the Canadian Automotive Museum, downtown businesses, cultural organizations and heritage sites in Oshawa.
Contact Oshawa City Council:
[email protected] or [email protected]
Contact Durham Regional Council:
[email protected]
Become a Museum member:
www.canadianautomotivemuseum.com/membership
Donate to the Museum:
www.canadianautomotivemuseum.com/donate
We are incredibly grateful to everyone who believes in the Canadian Automotive Museum and wants to support the Museum’s mission.
