Vandalism repair · Oshawa
After vandalism: repairing the glass and claiming the City's help
A smashed display window is a repair problem, and in Oshawa it's one the City has stepped in to help with. Make it safe, record it, get it covered, then have it reglazed properly. We connect business owners with independent local glass pros who board up, replace storefront glass and can provide the paperwork a claim needs. The claim itself is yours: neither we nor the pro apply on your behalf.
- Board-up, then glass made to size
- Itemized invoices for claims
- The City fund explained plainly
First steps
First steps: secure the site, document, report
None of these needs to wait for a glass pro.
Make it safe
Keep people away from the pane and any glass on the sidewalk. Leave loose pieces for the pro.
Photograph before cleanup
Wide shots of the front, close-ups of the damage, and anything else touched: lock, door, frame, signage.
Report it
Report it to police and keep the report number. Note your insurer's claim number and deductible.
Get it covered
Ask for a board-up so you can lock up. See emergency glass and board-up.
The repair
Board-up, then permanent glass: what the pro does
New glass in the existing frame is the usual fix, not a new front.
Board-up
Plywood or a temporary panel makes the shop secure and weather-tight.
Measure and check
The pro measures, checks the framing and confirms the glass: tempered, laminated or a sealed unit.
Order
The pane is made to order. Decide now whether to upgrade to laminated glass.
Reglaze
The board comes off and the glass is set and resealed. A forced lock or bent frame is fixed in the same visit where possible. More under storefront glass.
The City fund
The Graffiti and Vandalism Remediation Fund
The City of Oshawa set up the Graffiti and Vandalism Remediation Fund as a one-time fund in its 2024 budget, run through Oshawa Economic Development. You pay for the repair, then claim part of it back, first-come, first-served until the money is gone. All of this is subject to availability; check the program page for current terms.
Reparative rebate
Part of the cost of repairing vandalism to commercial and industrial property. The program names windows and doors, locks, and insurance deductibles, with a cap per address or storefront.
Preventive rebate
A one-time rebate toward prevention. It lists impact protection attachment systems for windows; ask the City whether a specific product counts.
Who qualifies and timing
For commercial and industrial properties, and it has applied to damage back to the start of 2024. Confirm it's open before relying on it.
Paperwork
What paperwork a glass pro can give you for the claim
Your insurer and the City both want to see what was done and what it cost. Ask for these when you request a repair quote:
A written quote
Glass type, size and labour, before the work.
An itemized invoice
Board-up, glass, labour and lock or frame work on separate lines.
Photos
The pro's before and after shots, alongside your own.
Proof of payment
A rebate pays back costs you've paid, so keep the receipt.
Prevention
Preventing repeat damage: laminated glass, film and attachment systems
If the pane is being replaced anyway, consider an upgrade:
Laminated glass
Cracks when struck but tends to stay in the frame. Worth pricing next to a like-for-like pane.
Film with an attachment system
Film on existing glass helps hold it together. Anchored to the frame, it resists being pushed in; unanchored, it mainly holds fragments.
Bars and grilles
Effective but visible. Check with the landlord, and with the City on a designated building. Compare bars and film.
Façade grants
Downtown façade grants for bigger storefront upgrades
If you're thinking about a new front rather than a new pane, look at the City's Urban Growth Centre façade and accessibility grant. It's for the downtown Urban Growth Centre area and helps with façade work, which can include storefronts. It has two intake deadlines a year; read the terms before booking.
Downtown is one of four community improvement plan areas, with Wentworth Street West, Brownfields Renaissance and Harbour Road. For downtown buildings, see downtown Oshawa.
Permits
Permits for commercial glass work
Oshawa's permit exemption for same-size window and door replacement is for houses only, so for a storefront, check with the City and say exactly what's changing. On a designated heritage building, changes to heritage features also need Council approval. The commercial glass overview covers the rest.
Questions
Vandalism repair and fund questions
Explore your options
Related commercial glass work
Local pros repair vandalized storefront glass across Oshawa and nearby Durham towns, including Downtown Oshawa, Stevenson & the Oshawa Centre area, Lakeview, Whitby and Courtice.
Send photos of the damage
Include your insurer's claim number if you have one. We'll pass it to a local glass pro for a quote and an invoice suitable for a fund claim.