This memorial is dedicated to the men and women employed at the British spy training school located here during the Second World War. Over 500 agents trained here to go behind enemy lines and “set Europe ablaze,” as dramatized in CBC Television’s X Company. During Doors Open, join expert Lynn Philip Hodgson for a guided tour (terrain can be difficult).

One hundred years ago, the McLaughlin family bought 17 hectares (44 acres) of lakefront in the name of General Motors and deeded it to the Town of Oshawa for $1 – to be used as a public park. A streetcar travelled down Simcoe Street to the lake, a zoo was established in 1924, and a dance pavilion was built in 1927 to commemorate the 60th anniversary of Confederation. A museum opened in 1960 and has since grown to include three original buildings dating from the 1840s and 1850s. The park now hosts the annual Canada Day celebrations as well as sports tournaments and beach volleyball. View the 100th anniversary activities or listen to a YouTube podcast below with even more historical tidbits. Be sure to visit the Oshawa Museum’s Lakeview Park – Celebrating 100 extensive online exhibit and be sure to share your memories.

The Ontario Regiment (RCAC) Museum commemorates the history of Durham Region's Canadian Army unit, the Ontario Regiment (RCAC), and is home to Canada's largest collection of operational, historical military vehicles. Come and view artifacts from the regiment from 1866 to present day. And explore the Military Vehicle Conservation Centre. Check out the Tank Arena and — maybe — book a ride!

Forming part of Oshawa's Civic Centre, this library was a gift of Col. R.S. McLaughlin in 1954. Architect Arthur Eadie was influenced by Frank Lloyd Wright in his design of the McLaughlin Public Library, now Oshawa’s central branch. The library regularly hosts programs on many topics, from local history to 3D printing. There’s something here for all ages to enjoy!

Many famous people from Oshawa's and Canada's past are interred in the Oshawa Union Cemetery, formerly Thornton's Burying Ground. Oshawa Museum’s podcast below highlights the history of the cemetery. Today, the site covers 12 hectares (32 acres) and includes private mausoleums and a Gothic-revival chapel. The central mausoleum was built in 1924 and features an ornate marble interior and hand-painted stained-glass windows. As part of Digital Doors Open, explore the online interactive map – a new, searchable resource of burials. The gravestones are also of particular interest: explore the iconography on the monuments and learn about the rare white bronze markers. Listen to a video podcast about Oshawa in the 1860s and learn the story of local blacksmith Captain George Prentice and his involvement in the Fenian Raids.

The Oshawa Valley Botanical Gardens is a unique attraction. It combines the dedicated gardens of the Parkwood National Historic Site with the scenic terrain of the Oshawa Valley Creek Trail system. A collaboration between students from Durham College’s School of Media Art & Design and TeachingCity, this park features a virtual experience for desktop and mobile. Explore the Oshawa Valley Botanical Gardens in person or online through QR codes, virtual tours, and point-to-point trail animations. (For Digital Doors Open, you can also watch the YouTube video below on the City’s Virtual Peony Festival.) This immersive experience brings together the beauty of the park with information on the art, history and contributors of its many sites. TeachingCity brings together the City of Oshawa and its teaching and research partners – Canadian Urban Institute, Durham College, Ontario Tech University, Trent University Durham Greater Toronto Area, and the University of Toronto’s Facility of Applied Science & Engineering. The partners focus on and address Oshawa’s urban issues through innovation, collaboration, applied research and shared experiential learning opportunities.

Parkwood National Historic Site was home to R.S. McLaughlin and his family. The 55-room mansion is surrounded by a 4-hectare (12-acre) garden. Watch this video for an overall introduction to the site, or view a slideshow of the McLaughlin family enjoying the gardens. In the 1920s, H.B. and L.A. Dunington-Grubb, founders of Sheridan Gardens, created spectacular outdoor garden rooms – including the distinct Sunken Garden and Italian Garden, as well as the Pergola and Sundial Garden. In 1935-36, John Lyle created the Formal Garden, with its terrace, fountains and art deco-style pavilion. Below, Ken Shaw narrates Khaki at Parkwood: Whiskey, Espionage and the Maple Leaf – a dramatization of the McLaughlins and their wartime connection to Camp X, another Digital Doors Open Oshawa site. Note: Parkwood has now reopened for tours. Please visit their website for full details.

The Regent Theatre, built in 1919, has a Georgian façade. One of Oshawa’s few remaining examples of this classically inspired style, the building was designated in 2001 and reopened in 2010 for the Ontario Tech University, as well as for community and cultural events. During Doors Open, they will be handing out popcorn and free tickets to the movies!

The original gallery (1969) was a square, stone, modernist structure. In 1987, architect Arthur Erickson designed an expansion that added an additional 3,345 square metres (36,000 square feet) to meet the growing needs of the gallery and the community. Erickson built his newly designed space around the existing structure, incorporating the original stone façade into the dramatic lobby design.

Built in 1867 in the Gothic revival style, Simcoe Street United Church is Oshawa's oldest church. Lancet-arched openings and a polygonal spire with pinnacles and dormers embellish the exterior. A pressed-tin ceiling, 11-metre (36-foot) high ornamental timber arches and a Casavant organ dominate the interior. For Doors Open, explore some displays and even ring the bell.

In 1927, R.S. McLaughlin (President of General Motors Canada) established these lands as Parkwood Stables and sold it in 1950 to E.P. Taylor, who bred championship horses at Windfields Farm. Ontario Tech University now owns the land. The Windfields Farm Legacy aims to preserve and educate by telling the story of E.P. Taylor, Northern Dancer, Northern Dancer Cemetery, Trillium Cemetery and the Windfields Stone House. Northern Dancer, one of the most recognized names in horse racing to this day, was a Windfields Farm-born, Canadian-bred thoroughbred racehorse who won the Kentucky Derby and Preakness stakes, among other races, and became the most successful sire of the 20th century. He is the only equine to be inducted into the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame. As part of Digital Doors Open, watch the video below to commemorate the 30th anniversary of Northern Dancer’s death.