A few Oshawa councillors have joined ranks with some campaigners calling for more financial support – including setting up a reserve fund – for the historic Canadian Automotive Museum (CAM).
CAM currently has to apply each year for a grant, which in the 2022 budget has been pegged at $5,000, a little below the Oshawa portion of the property tax on the building that houses the museum. Oshawa Councillor Rick Kerr maintains that the city also collects tax on behalf of the Region of Durham and school boards. Their portion is non-refundable.
Several motions supporting CAM, including a proposal to institute a multi-year financial support, was moved on Valentine’s Day meeting by a few councillors, including Brian Nicholson, Rosemary McConkey and Jane Hurst.
Campaigners fear that is the museum is not supported, it may shift to another municipality which offers better tax breaks, grants, location or other options. That would be tragedy according to Doug Sanders, a former councillor, as Oshawa is the heart of the automotive industry in Durham.
Letters of Support
“Over the last few months, council has received a number of letters asking for financial support for the Canadian Automotive Museum,” said Councillor Nicholson in a public statement.
During the February 14 meeting, the Finance Committee asked city staff for a report on the status of such requests and the history of city funding for museum.
“I have sent the following proposal to city staff for them to consider when they bring the report back to the committee in March. I think it is a fair proposal that will provide the museum with long term financial support and will keep it in Oshawa,” said Nicholson.
His proposal says that the Canadian Automotive Museum provides an important opportunity for both Oshawa residents and visitors from outside the city to connect with Oshawa’s automotive heritage. The building that houses the Canadian Automotive Museum is aging and in need of repair and its loss would be a loss to the heritage and history of the city. He pointed out that city council has supported other museums and heritage facilities with financial aid.
Nicholson suggested that:
- That the City of Oshawa send letters to Region of Durham and School Boards that include Oshawa in their jurisdiction requesting that they provide a grant or other financial assistance to offset the property tax payable to them by the Canadian Automotive Museum;
- That a grant be provided annually by the City of Oshawa effective 2023 to offset the amount of property tax payable to the City of Oshawa by the Canadian Automotive Museum;
- That staff investigate the feasibility of creating a Canadian Automotive Museum Heritage Capital Reserve account including but not limited to the following parameters:
- That the reserve account be created and funded with an initial contribution of $100,000 in 2022 with funding provided from a source recommended by the Commissioner of Finance;
- That further contributions to the reserve be made annually beginning in 2023 in an amount equivalent to $0.25 per capita and that this contribution be included in annual city budgets;
- That the City of Oshawa manage the reserve account and that funds included in the reserve account be released to the Canadian Automotive Museum upon receipt of a written request to release letter; and
- That the City of Oshawa offer the assistance of Oshawa staff to assist the Canadian Automotive Museum in assessing and determining their capital needs.
Confusing Discussion
Councillor Rosemary McConkey, was more direct, terming the discussion on CAM as “confusing”.
Referring to the February 14 meeting, she said: “At this afternoon’s Finance Committee meeting some Oshawa Council members seem to have missed the Valentine’s Day memo to be sweet.”
She said in January she had sent in a motion to refer correspondence concerning the Canadian Automotive Museum “to staff for a report on new multi-year financial support options that council could approve to ensure the continued success of the Canadian Automotive Museum in Oshawa”.
She said Councillor Jane Hurst approached her about adding “that city staff meet with the Canadian Automotive Museum Board Chair and its Executive Director to discuss their situation and their plans”. She said the motion to meet with CAM executives was dropped for no reason.
McConkey pointed out that Hurst’s and her motion was to seek a collaborative solution to a long-standing problem, the financial viability of the downtown Canadian Automotive Museum, moving forward.
“But unfortunately, some elected not aligned with our effort to be transparent and responsive seemed intent on — ripping out the ♥ and substance of the motion. It ended up being scoped down simply to ‘refer to staff’. Story continues…next month…or perhaps April when the staff report comes back,” she added.
Councillor Hurst said in the meeting she was waiting for the staff report. It is a very emotional issue. We’ll make sure we have some viable solutions, she added.
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