Ritson School Project

In December, you might see some drilling activity at 300 Ritson. This is part of our ongoing site assessment and planning efforts. The drilling is necessary to gather information about the soil and groundwater conditions. Remediation and planning work continues as we prepare for future construction.


Redevelopment of former Ritson Public School

The vision for the Ritson School Project will see the renovation of the former elementary school building to be used for community programs that meet the current and future needs of residents in the surrounding neighbourhoods and communities. The project will also examine the unused lands on the school property for opportunities to include mixed-use, sustainably-built housing.

As one of Canada’s fastest-growing communities, we’re committed to leading the way in sustainability and addressing climate change. The Region will look for opportunities with the renovation of the Ritson School Project to further our commitment to addressing sustainability in infrastructure design and construction.

Project Site

The original school structures were built in 1923 and 1928. The proposed site is located at 300 Ritson Road South, Oshawa, and has a site frontage of 415 feet on Ritson Road South and 544 feet on Huron Street. There is a former elementary school situated on the property that was operating until 2012. The existing building is a three-story structure of masonry, brick, and block construction.


Your voice matters!

Public consultation is the foundation of the redevelopment of the Ritson School Project. An online survey was available August 1 to September 11 to help inform the pedestrian-oriented open spaces of this project.

A virtual community engagement session was held on July 31 via Zoom for residents to learn about this project, ask questions, and explore ideas for the pedestrian-oriented open spaces. A recording of the session is available here:


Documents referenced in the session include the following:


Last year, The Region of Durham welcomed residents to help shape the vision of the Ritson School Project by attending the Community Engagement Drop-in Event on July 11, 2023 at Oshawa Public Library - McLaughlin Branch and completing an online survey, which closed on August 15, 2023. Local Oshawa business owners and community service providers were able to share their expertise and input on July 18, 2023 at workshops held at the Spark Centre (2 Simcoe Street South, Oshawa).

The Region of Durham continues to gather information and research, for the former Ritson School, to make recommendations for the site. Upcoming engagement sessions will be held to gather input; more information, including dates, will be announced soon. The recommendations and results of these studies will be brought for review to Regional Council and the public before the end of this year.


Everyone deserves a safe place to call home

In November 2020, Durham Regional Council approved the Master Housing Strategy and committed to the initiation of 1,000 new affordable rental/supportive housing units and to increase the supply of medium- to high-density housing across the Region of Durham.

Through the annual budget, the Region invests in our community to ensure that Durham is the best place in Ontario to live and work.

The Region of Durham provides a wide range of housing supports, programs, and services to a growing and diverse community of residents. If you are struggling or experiencing housing challenges, please reach out early for housing supports.

To learn more visit durham.ca/HousingSupports.

An image of the cover page for the Region of Durham Master Housing Strategy document, the cover shows a simple cartoon image of a variety of housing types with a green grassy neighborhood at the foreground and the Durham logo..Region of Durham Master Housing Strategy An image of the At Home in Durham: Durham Region Housing Plan 2014 -2024 cover page. The image shows a drawing of a variety of housing types in a neighbourhood with the title of the report in a large font with a blue background and the Durham logo.At Home in Durham

In December, you might see some drilling activity at 300 Ritson. This is part of our ongoing site assessment and planning efforts. The drilling is necessary to gather information about the soil and groundwater conditions. Remediation and planning work continues as we prepare for future construction.


Redevelopment of former Ritson Public School

The vision for the Ritson School Project will see the renovation of the former elementary school building to be used for community programs that meet the current and future needs of residents in the surrounding neighbourhoods and communities. The project will also examine the unused lands on the school property for opportunities to include mixed-use, sustainably-built housing.

As one of Canada’s fastest-growing communities, we’re committed to leading the way in sustainability and addressing climate change. The Region will look for opportunities with the renovation of the Ritson School Project to further our commitment to addressing sustainability in infrastructure design and construction.

Project Site

The original school structures were built in 1923 and 1928. The proposed site is located at 300 Ritson Road South, Oshawa, and has a site frontage of 415 feet on Ritson Road South and 544 feet on Huron Street. There is a former elementary school situated on the property that was operating until 2012. The existing building is a three-story structure of masonry, brick, and block construction.


Your voice matters!

Public consultation is the foundation of the redevelopment of the Ritson School Project. An online survey was available August 1 to September 11 to help inform the pedestrian-oriented open spaces of this project.

A virtual community engagement session was held on July 31 via Zoom for residents to learn about this project, ask questions, and explore ideas for the pedestrian-oriented open spaces. A recording of the session is available here:


Documents referenced in the session include the following:


Last year, The Region of Durham welcomed residents to help shape the vision of the Ritson School Project by attending the Community Engagement Drop-in Event on July 11, 2023 at Oshawa Public Library - McLaughlin Branch and completing an online survey, which closed on August 15, 2023. Local Oshawa business owners and community service providers were able to share their expertise and input on July 18, 2023 at workshops held at the Spark Centre (2 Simcoe Street South, Oshawa).

The Region of Durham continues to gather information and research, for the former Ritson School, to make recommendations for the site. Upcoming engagement sessions will be held to gather input; more information, including dates, will be announced soon. The recommendations and results of these studies will be brought for review to Regional Council and the public before the end of this year.


Everyone deserves a safe place to call home

In November 2020, Durham Regional Council approved the Master Housing Strategy and committed to the initiation of 1,000 new affordable rental/supportive housing units and to increase the supply of medium- to high-density housing across the Region of Durham.

Through the annual budget, the Region invests in our community to ensure that Durham is the best place in Ontario to live and work.

The Region of Durham provides a wide range of housing supports, programs, and services to a growing and diverse community of residents. If you are struggling or experiencing housing challenges, please reach out early for housing supports.

To learn more visit durham.ca/HousingSupports.

An image of the cover page for the Region of Durham Master Housing Strategy document, the cover shows a simple cartoon image of a variety of housing types with a green grassy neighborhood at the foreground and the Durham logo..Region of Durham Master Housing Strategy An image of the At Home in Durham: Durham Region Housing Plan 2014 -2024 cover page. The image shows a drawing of a variety of housing types in a neighbourhood with the title of the report in a large font with a blue background and the Durham logo.At Home in Durham

  • CLOSED: This survey has concluded.

    Survey 1

    The Ritson School Project will explore potential uses for the former elementary school building (300 Ritson Road South Oshawa) and surrounding lands for community programming needs of residents in the neighbourhood and Durham Region. Opportunities for this property include creating more affordable and market-rent housing choices, as well as creating spaces for community programming responsive to the needs Durham Region residents.

    Your voice matters! Your ideas are essential to help shape the vision for the Ritson School Project. This survey asks Durham residents for input to help inform the vision for this important redevelopment project. Participation in the survey is voluntary. The survey is available until August 15.

    Thank you for your time.


    Notice of Collection

    Personal information contained on this form is collected pursuant to s. 11 of the Municipal Act 2001, and in accordance with the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (MFIPPA). Your information on this survey will be used to assist the Region with exploring potential uses for 300 Ritson Road South, Oshawa, and may be subject to disclosure under the MFIPPA if circumstances warrant. The Region will not be collecting identifying information related to your electronic submission, such as IP addresses. Questions regarding the collection, use and disclosure of information associated with this form should be directed to the Access and Privacy Office by email at foi@durham.ca or by telephone at 905-668-7711, extension 2204 or toll free at 1-800-372-1102. You may also review the Region of Durham’s Terms of Use and Privacy Statement for more information.

Page last updated: 19 Nov 2024, 01:25 PM