Great Lakes Wetlands Centre

Friends of Second Marsh is actively engaged in planning for the construction of the Great Lakes Wetlands Centre to be located on a site located immediately adjacent to Second Marsh on Colonel Sam Drive between General Motors of Canada Ltd. corporate offices and Darlington Provincial Park.

The Centre will:

  • Serve as a valuable link to heighten consciousness of our connection to the natural world

  • Provide excellent opportunities to generate sustainable revenue for Friends’ programs

  • Be a valuable tourist attraction for the Region with a proposed visitorship of 138,000 students, tourists and community visitors annually, and

  • Provide educational, environmental and economic benefits to the region.

The Great Lakes Wetlands Centre will feature modern, wheelchair accessible indoor facilities, dioramas and interactive displays. Visitors to the Centre will enjoy detailed exhibits, a wildlife gallery, hands-on activities and much more.

For local residents and nature enthusiasts, the Centre will offer a full schedule of educational programming and specialty workshops that will attract visitors to the Centre again and again.

Vision and Goal

Friends is committed to building a Great Lakes Wetlands Centre, located near beautiful Second Marsh in Oshawa, that will serve to educate tourists, school children and the community about the importance of having an urban, Provincially Significant Wetland and an Area of Natural and Scientific Interest in their own backyard.

The concept for the Centre involves a new three-level building that is approximately 18,000 sq. ft. and will include:

  • A large viewing deck overlooking Second Marsh, McLaughlin Bay Wildlife Reserve and Lake Ontario

  • Approximately 4,000 sq. ft. of permanent display space with state-of-the-art exhibits to entertain and educate

  • Classroom & meeting space

  • Space for Kids in the Marsh program

  • A 1,200 sq. ft. licensed restaurant

  • Potential multi-use research facilities

  • A restaurant, book store

  • A research facility.

Studies have shown that the Centre will:

  • Function as a much-needed tourist attraction in Durham Region,

  • Attract between 50000 and 100000 visitors each year,

  • Provide spin-off revenue to the local area.

The cost of constructing the Centre is $8 million.

For further information, please contact Friends office at (905)723-5047.

Benefits of GLWC

Friends is actively engaged in planning for the construction of the Great Lakes Wetlands Centre, to be located on a site located immediately adjacent to Second Marsh on Colonel Sam Drive.

The Centre will feature a Large Viewing Deck, state-of-the-art Exhibit Space, Classroom and Meeting Space, a Restaurant, a Gift Shop, a Book Store, and much more!

Benefits of the Great Lakes Wetlands Centre

Several Educational and Environmental Benefits will be gained from the Centre.  It will:

  • Provide year-round opportunities to enhance new and existing educational programming.

  • Enhance the profile of Friends within the GTA as an environmental resource for the region.

  • Educate citizens and businesses on the importance of having an urban wetland in this region.

Oshawa and Durham Region will enjoy many economic benefits.  The Centre will:

  • Function as a valuable tourist attraction in Durham Region, attracting thousand of students, tourists and community visitors each year.

  • Generate substantial spin-off revenue,

  • Generate 10 Full-Time Jobs and Numerous Part-Time Positions and Construction Jobs.

Our partners will be given the opportunities to:

  • Demonstrate their Environmental Leadership position.

  • Join with leaders affecting environmental change through increased Public Education and Awareness.

  • Invite the Community to experience first-hand the Environmental Issues surrounding the protection of wetlands in Ontario.

  • Demonstrate Market Leadership and Community Investment in the GTA.

  • Display their brand name in a Profile Building with High Annual Visitorship.

Go to our donation page for ways to help support Friends of Second Marsh

As Friends continues to work towards our plan of establishing the Great Lakes Wetlands Centre at Second Marsh, this page will provide our members, the community, donors, and partners with up to date information on our success.

Friends is currently engaged in planning and preparing for the Great Lakes Wetlands Centre Project. This initial phase includes building partnerships, recruiting volunteers, cultivating donors, and preparing to initiate a fundraising campaign. Other activities of Friends at this time are to prepare the architectural & engineering and display & exhibit designs and obtain planning and building approvals.

Milestone successes along the path to establishing the Great Lakes Wetlands Centre include:

  • $288,000 through the Canada-Ontario Infrastructure Program

  • $250,000 seed funding from the City of Oshawa

  • a gift of nearly 5 acres of land, valued at $750,000 from General Motors of Canada Ltd.

  • 100% participation in an internal appeal from staff and the Directors of Friends

The Great Lakes Wetlands Centre represents much more than simply a new building – it is about ensuring a future that values innovation and leadership in the delivery of environmental education.

In light of this need there are specific sponsorship and naming opportunities for both corporations and individuals starting at $10,000.

Contact the Friends office at 905-723-5047 for details on naming and sponsorship opportunities.