Oshawa mayoral debate: six of nine candidates spar over homelessness, taxes

Six of the nine candidates for Oshawa mayor took part in a debate last week at the Bond St. Event Centre, answering randomly selected questions that were not shared in advance, with more than 100 residents watching in person. The candidates in attendance were Derek Giberson, Jeremy Large, Jim Lee, Tito-Dante Marimpietri, Henry Onwuachu and Dave Westlake.

Downtown homelessness dominated the evening, described as the defining issue of Oshawa's election. Jim Lee framed it as a housing question for the unsheltered, while Jeremy Large proposed moving all homeless people out of the downtown to south Oshawa. Henry Onwuachu characterized the issue as more of a drug problem and pledged to cut funding for services, and Dave Westlake said he would declare a state of emergency on Nov. 15.

The debate also touched on spending, property taxes and infrastructure. Derek Giberson advocated converting King and Bond streets to two-way, pedestrian-centred corridors and cited the city's $1.1-billion infrastructure deficit, while Marimpietri touted more than 20 years on council and connections to the prime minister's office and the premier to secure government funding. A full recording of the debate is available on YouTube. Oshawa's mayoral race is an open seat -- Mayor Dan Carter is not seeking re-election -- and online voting is underway through Oct. 26, with election day on Oct. 26. Sources: Oshawa This Week / durhamregion.com reporting by Matt Slevin, Oct. 16, 2026.