Ahead of the city budget, the Downtown Oshawa Business Alliance (DOBA) has announced its support for the Canadian Automotive Museum (CAM), which has been asking for fund from the city.
The business alliance said CAM is an important part of Oshawa’s heritage and tourism. “This institution that has been a staple of Downtown Oshawa for almost 60 years and plays a vital role as an economic incubator. The museum supports city events such as Kars on King, Doors Open Oshawa, and provides access to its vast Automotive Library at no cost to taxpayers,” said the alliance.
It said a letter has been sent to the Mayor of Oshawa and all current council members stating: “In order to ensure transparent and equitable access to funding for all museums in Oshawa, DOBA supports the following requests:
- CAM’s request to review all city funding streams for external agency cultural funding for 2023.
- The reinstatement of an annual operating grant for the CAM similar to what has been arranged with other comparable institutions in Oshawa.
- Council directive to support long-term capital needs, as they have done for other similar museums/institutions.
- More thorough investigation into property tax relief to bring the CAM into alignment with other similar institutions in the city.
DOBA urged residents to ensure councillor or support the Canadian Automotive Museum and its four-point plan in the upcoming city budget.
“Ensuring equal access to municipal funding will ensure the museum can continue playing a vital role in supporting Downtown Oshawa and local business,” said DOBA.