Yep, Oshawa’s our stomping grounds, so we were all mystified when we realized we’ve never featured the city in this space in our magazine. The Spark Centre team proudly works right downtown at 2 Simcoe Street, but we’re all big fans of sites and spots Oshawa has to offer. Here’s a short list of some of our favourites. Get Your Motor Runnin’ canadian automotive museum You already know the automotive industry figures prominently in Oshawa’s past, present and future, so it makes perfect sense for the city to house exhibits about our history and the finest collection of Canadian automobiles aro ..read more

We’re all super busy. There’s no disputing that. Our culture is one of hustle, back-to-back meetings, packed social schedules and not nearly enough downtime. But so many of us dream of doing something creative. Read on for five easy ways to pick up a new hobby, to help you get inspired. 1. Remember your passions. Think about the activities you’ve loved in the past — even if you only tried them once, or they’re long in the rear view. Did you love gardening with your grandma as a kid? Did you enjoy watercolour painting in art class in high school but haven’t thought about it since? Your person ..read more

“If you’re into a moody, booming, folk-rich voice that grabs your soul, Rory Taillon is my recommendation. His lyrics will take you on a journey through angst, loneliness and love. Download “Drifting” as your next rainy-day playlist.” Kristina Svana His Instagram sums him up: Rory Taillon is a singer, beer drinker and beard owner. He’s also a super-talented songwriter. With lyrics like this (from the song “Float”), we’re anticipating big things to come: “It’s so hard to just dip a toe in, Sometimes I just want to swim, Let wave after wave crash over me, Hold my breath and jump in.” Check him ..read more

Home ownership is the Canadian dream for many people as it provides several financial benefits. One primary advantage is the potential for building equity. When you make mortgage payments, a portion goes towards reducing the principal balance of the initial loan. This is a very gradual increase of equity over time, unlike simply making monthly payments to a landlord who pays off their own mortgage. Another significant benefit of owning your own home is the opportunity for appreciation. Even though the real-time market is cyclical, historically properties tend to appreciate in value over the l ..read more

When one thinks of post-secondary arts programs, fine arts, theatre, music and creative writing are the first things to come to mind. However, with digital media prominent in today’s arts scene, new programming has garnered a spot in the faculty of arts at universities and colleges in the Durham Region.  Take Durham College, for example. The Animation — Digital Production and Game — Art programs at this Oshawa-based college, both three-year advanced diploma programs, were created in the early 2000s and have since become more specialized to reflect the changing needs of their respective ..read more

While Hollywood, California, is long understood to be the film industry’s epicentre, Canada is often referred to as Hollywood North for its healthy contributions to the field. Many Canadian locales boast everything from well-respected production companies to renowned prop houses, and many hit movies and TV shows have been shot against Canuck backdrops. Durham Region, in particular, is home to countless film professionals who are making moving magic every day, as well as to popular filming locations that have shown up in major blockbuster titles. In fact, in 2022, Durham Region saw a record ..read more

THE REGENT THEATRE 50 King Street East, Oshawa, ON regenttheatre.ca The Regent Theatre is one of the oldest and most iconic theatres in Durham Region, with a rich history in the area. The building itself — a beloved landmark — was commissioned by the Famous Players Corporation; construction was completed 1919. The building was modelled on Georgian architectural lines, and it remains one of the few remaining examples of this style of architecture in Oshawa. Doors opened to the public in October 1920, showing popular films The Prince Chap and You Wouldn’t Believe It, with a capacity audien ..read more

ONTARIO PHILHARMONIC        If you’re wondering what the difference is between an orchestra, symphony and philharmonic, you’re not alone. While an “orchestra” is described as a group of instrumentalists playing classical music together, “symphony” and “philharmonic” are essentially synonymous, but they come from different Greek words. Symphony means “sounding together, harmony of sound,” while philharmonic means “music-loving” or “love of harmony,” and it’s typically used for groups of instrumentalists who are committed to music-making and have a love of music. So, the mea ..read more

Melissa Brant was born to be an artist. For as long as she can remember, she has been obsessed with art in many forms. “Art is like breathing to me. I even remember drawing cartoons when I was really small,” she says. “I was just always into different types of artistic expression.”    But like so many people with passions rooted in creativity, Brant worried about how to build a career out of art and sought out a more traditional job after high school. “But art called me back,” she says, with a laugh. “Art always calls me back.”    She began doing face and body painting in ..read more

What is Indigenous Box, in your own words? Indigenous Box is a lot of things! On the surface it’s a box of goodies, but what’s really inside is this idea to drive economic reconciliation and build Indigenous prosperity by sharing Indigenous business with the world. Who or what inspired you to start Indigenous Box? We just wanted to find a way to make a lot of noise about Indigenous business. In Canada, Indigenous people are starting businesses at nine times the national average. Indigenous are showing up and we want everyone to know. What hurdles did you initially face when getting the company ..read more