If you are asking what it is really like to live in Windfields, Oshawa, the short answer is this: Windfields is the north end's newest master-planned community, built on the fields of the famous Windfields Farm, where new-build detached homes, freehold townhomes, and rising condo towers sit alongside growing schools and easy Highway 407 access. It is Oshawa's first true north-end condo address and one of the city's fastest-growing family neighbourhoods. This guide covers Windfields' history, housing, schools, commute, and everyday life so you can decide whether this corner of north Oshawa fits your move.
Living in Windfields, Oshawa: the short answer
Windfields sits in the northern half of Oshawa, on land that once belonged to one of the most famous horse farms in the world. Today the farm fields are a planned community of contemporary homes, parks, and new retail, built around a classic street grid and designed for growing families. It draws first-time buyers into new builds, families into larger detached homes, and investors into the condo towers rising around the future transit corridor. The trade-off is clear: this is a young, still-maturing community, and everyday life here depends on driving for most errands.
Where exactly is Windfields?
Windfields occupies a large stretch of north Oshawa roughly north of Taunton Road, on both sides of Simcoe Street North, extending toward Conlin Road and Ritson Road. The main north-south spine is Simcoe Street North, home of Ontario Tech University and Durham College just south of the neighbourhood, with Bridle Road, Winchester Road East, and Windfields Farm Drive winding through the middle. Most of the area falls in the L1L postal district, and downtown Oshawa is about a 10 to 15 minute drive south. For the street-by-street picture, including where the newest phases are rising, our full Windfields neighbourhood guide has the details.
The Windfields Farm story
Windfields takes its name from Windfields Farm, the thoroughbred breeding operation that made north Oshawa famous around the world. The story starts in 1927, when R.S. McLaughlin established Parkwood Stables at the northwest corner of Simcoe Street North and Conlin Road West. In 1950 the businessman E.P. Taylor bought the stables and built them into Windfields Farm, a roughly 1,500-acre breeding farm that became the most successful thoroughbred operation of its era.
Its most famous horse, Northern Dancer, was foaled there on May 27, 1961, won the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness Stakes, and went on to become the most influential sire of the 20th century. Northern Dancer died in 1990 and is buried on the old farm site, which received heritage designation from the City of Oshawa in 2018. The farm closed in 2009, and the land was redeveloped into the Windfields community you see today. The City of Oshawa tells the full Windfields Farm story on its history and heritage pages.
What the housing stock looks like
Windfields is almost entirely new stock. Most homes date from the 2000s onward, with the newest phases still under construction as builders open new streets. The mix runs from contemporary and traditional detached homes on 30 to 40 foot lots, to freehold townhomes that offer an entry into new construction without the detached price tag, to mid-rise condo towers that make Windfields Oshawa's first true north-end condo address. Modern finishes, open main floors, and new-home warranties are standard.
Pricing reflects how broad the market is. Third-party data from Zolo's Windfields page put the average sale price around $674,000 in mid-2026, with listings spanning roughly $338,000 to $1.5 million, while Nestabode's 12-month data to September 2026 shows 180 closed sales at an average of about $723,000, with homes selling at roughly 99% of asking. For context, Oshawa's citywide average home price was $680,252 in September 2026, so Windfields sits right at the city average. That is the point: new construction here is priced in line with the rest of Oshawa rather than far above it. Our housing styles and prices page compares the north end with the rest of the city, and the monthly market update tracks the citywide numbers.
The condo story: Windfields towers
Windfields is the place where Oshawa's condo market finally went north. The biggest project is RioCan Windfields, a mixed-use community at Winchester Road East and Simcoe Street North built by RioCan Living and Tribute Communities on the former farm site. It combines condominium suites and townhomes with a large retail centre anchored by Costco, FreshCo, LCBO, PetSmart, and Starbucks, with further towers proposed. Newer condo units in the area have listed from the high $300,000s to the $500,000s, which makes Windfields one of the most affordable ways into new ownership in the city. The new home builders page lists who is building in Windfields and across Oshawa, including Tribute's U.C. Tower and Townhomes project.
Schools in Windfields
Schools are a big part of Windfields' appeal for families, and the public board has built schools right into the community. Northern Dancer Public School, at 2200 Bridle Road, opened in September 2018 and serves junior kindergarten to grade 8 under the Durham District School Board, with a name that honours the horse that made the neighbourhood famous. A newer public elementary school, Maamawi iyaawag Public School at 466 Windfields Farm Drive West, opened in September 2024 to keep pace with the families arriving.
For secondary students, the new Cedar Valley Secondary School at 245 Windfields Farm Drive East is scheduled to open in September 2026 with space for roughly 1,400 students, easing pressure on O'Neill Collegiate and Eastdale Collegiate, which have served the area. Catholic families are served by the Durham Catholic board at St. Anne Catholic School, with Monsignor Paul Dwyer Catholic High School nearby, and French-language options include École Jeanne Sauvé and École secondaire Ronald-Marion. Because catchments shift as subdivisions open, the only reliable way to know the school for a specific address is the Durham District School Board find-a-school tool. Our guide to the best schools in Oshawa compares the boards and options across the city, and the schools and education page covers registration for families moving mid-year.
Getting around: 407, 401, and future transit
Windfields is built for drivers, with Highway 407 within a few minutes off the Simcoe Street and Conlin Road corridor and Highway 401 a short drive south. That puts the neighbourhood in reach of commutes across Durham and into the west GTA. Transit is lighter than in the core but improving: Durham Region Transit serves the area on local routes, and GO Transit operates the Oshawa GO Station to the south, whose Lakeshore East trains reach Union Station in about an hour. A future transit corridor is planned through the area, which is one reason the condo towers are rising around it. Our full transit guide covers GO Transit, Via Rail, and every DRT route across the city.
Parks, retail, and daily life
Everyday life in Windfields centres on its planned parks and the retail that has grown up around the community. Windfields Farm Trail and the neighbourhood's green spaces give families places to walk, bike, and play, and the master plan keeps adding parks and trails as new phases open. The biggest retail anchor is the RioCan Windfields centre at Simcoe Street North and Winchester Road East, anchored by Costco, with FreshCo, LCBO, PetSmart, Starbucks, and more, so most errands are a short drive away. Ontario Tech University and Durham College sit just south, which brings services, coffee shops, and a young student population to the corridor. For a night out, head downtown: Oshawa's restaurants, the Regent Theatre, and the Lakeview waterfront are about 15 minutes by car.
Who is Windfields best for?
Windfields works best for buyers who want:
- New construction with modern finishes and new-home warranties, from detached homes to townhomes.
- One of the most affordable ways into new ownership in Oshawa, including the condo towers.
- A quiet, planned, family-oriented street grid with parks and schools built in.
- Quick Highway 407 access for commutes across Durham and the west GTA.
It is less ideal if you want walkable downtown nightlife or transit at your doorstep: downtown Oshawa and the lakefront are about 15 minutes by car, and local transit is lighter than in the core, though a future transit corridor is planned. If you are weighing Windfields against the rest of the city, the 13 neighbourhood profiles cover every area, and our where to live in Oshawa guide compares the districts for first-time buyers, including the sister north-end communities of Taunton and Kedron.
What is coming to Windfields
Windfields is still maturing, which matters if you are buying for the long term. The new Cedar Valley Secondary School opens in September 2026, further condo towers are proposed around the transit corridor, and new retail and services keep arriving along Simcoe Street. Growth brings new parks and amenities, but it also means construction, and school catchments can change as boundaries are redrawn. The new home builders page tracks who is building in Oshawa and where, and the nearby Taunton neighbourhood guide covers the community just west of Windfields.
The bottom line
Windfields offers what most of the GTA cannot: brand-new homes, including condos and townhomes, priced in line with Oshawa's citywide average, on land with one of the most storied histories in Canadian horse racing. It is a young, growing, family-focused community with schools being built to match. Before you tour, set your budget and get pre-approved, because new phases can move quickly. Our step-by-step buyer's checklist walks through the order of operations. Then spend a Saturday driving the crescents, walking the park trails, and timing the 407 yourself. Keith and Lisa have sold homes across north Oshawa for years; they can shortlist the right streets, confirm a school catchment for a specific address, and tell you straight whether a listing is fairly priced. Send them a message or book a free call to start your search.
