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The aftermath of World War II saw a world faced with mass movement of human beings on a scale never before seen. Initially the idea was to “repatriate” people back to the countries from where they had been displaced, and there were over 1.1 million people left who were determined "non repatriable." The job of finding homes for these individuals was handed over to the newly created International Refugee Organization (IRO).

In 1947 the Canadian government agreed to open the borders for 5000 displaced persons to come to Canada and begin life anew.

Since 2016, the Oshawa Museum has been undertaking a very important oral history project. The focus of this project was to collect the memories of those who arrived in Oshawa as displaced persons and post-war immigrants, many hundreds of whom resettled in Oshawa due to economic and social factors, positively contributed to the city as both an industrial hub and as the proud beneficiary of a rich cultural landscape.

Oshawa has a unique maritime perspective that often goes unnoticed and underappreciated. For centuries, the waterways of Lake Scugog, Oshawa Creek, and Lake Ontario have provided Indigenous Peoples and settlers with a natural navigation system and the backdrop for the commercial, agricultural, and residential development that would later become the city of Oshawa. From Ship to Shore: Looking at Oshawa's Relationship with Lake Ontario celebrates the city's port history, the marine industry, and contributes to an overall sense of pride in being part of a port city.

Oshawa’s waterfront has more than two centuries of stories to tell, from hunting and fishing, ship building, trade, railways, steamboats, pleasure crafts and ocean-going vessels. The waterfront and specifically the Oshawa Harbour have played an important role in the settling of our area, and continues that function as a vital element of the City's growth and economic development today.