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Ontario Tech acknowledges the lands and people of the Mississaugas of Scugog Island First Nation.

We are thankful to be welcome on these lands in friendship. The lands we are situated on are covered by the Williams Treaties and are the traditional territory of the Mississaugas, a branch of the greater Anishinaabeg Nation, including Algonquin, Ojibway, Odawa and Pottawatomi. These lands remain home to many Indigenous nations and peoples.

We acknowledge this land out of respect for the Indigenous nations who have cared for Turtle Island, also called North America, from before the arrival of settler peoples until this day. Most importantly, we acknowledge that the history of these lands has been tainted by poor treatment and a lack of friendship with the First Nations who call them home.

This history is something we are all affected by because we are all treaty people in Canada. We all have a shared history to reflect on, and each of us is affected by this history in different ways. Our past defines our present, but if we move forward as friends and allies, then it does not have to define our future.

Learn more about Indigenous Education and Cultural Services

Arts and culture

The Durham Council for the Arts, established in 1963, as well as the PineRidge Arts Council, support and promote the arts throughout Durham Region. There are a number of excellent art galleries, including The Robert McLaughlin Gallery in Oshawa, which houses more than 3,500 Canadian art masterpieces as well as paintings by the Group of Seven.

The Oshawa-Durham Symphony Orchestra has become one of Canada's best regional orchestras. Music and drama can be enjoyed at many community theatres across the region. Several heritage and historical museums provide a glimpse into Durham's past.