• Population: 141,000 – 2031 projection: 210,000
• One of Canada’s fastest growing cities • Catchment area of over 700,000 people • 40 minutes from Toronto
FAST FACTS
Year-round Adventure • Beautiful 6.71-km waterfront trail runs through City Centre • Ski destinations in Ontario’s snow belt • Numerous golf courses
Shopping & Restaurants • 100’s of restaurants suit a variety of tastes • City Centre boasts art, antique, home décor & fashion shops • 3 shopping malls
QUALITY OF LIFE
Arts & Entertainment • Year-round cultural & special events • Mady Centre for the Performing Arts • MacLaren Art Centre • Barrie Molson Centre
Health Care • Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre: – Recent $450M investment has doubled hospital size – One of Canada’s top Cancer Care facilities – Partnership with the University Of Toronto
Education • Georgian College & University Partnership Centre: – 3rd highest % of Ontario college grads – Recent $65M expansion: Centre for Health & Wellness
QUALITY OF LIFE
Real Estate • 3rd best place to invest in Ontario real estate • Diverse options: – – – –
Waterfront condos Waterfront estates Century homes New subdivisions
Located in Ontario’s Greater Golden Horseshoe Region • Ontario’s economic engine • 4th fastest growing urban region in North America • 30% of Canada’s GDP • 70% of Ontario’s GDP • Strong public sector (Health, Education, Government) • 25% of Canada’s population • 22 universities / colleges • Over 40% of Canada’s business headquarters
BUSINESS CLIMATE: LOCATION
A Place of Prosperity • Average family income (2011): $80,235 • Retail sales: 37% above the national average • # of businesses increased 55.6% between 1998 & 2009
Barrie’s GDP Contribution Year GDP Rank in Canada 2001 $3.6 Billion 23rd 2011 $6 Billion 19th Projected: 2021 $9.3 Billion 17th
Canada’s GDP:
$1.56 Trillion
BUSINESS CLIMATE: ECONOMIC PROSPERITY
Source: Canadian Business Patterns, 2012
BUSINESS CLIMATE: DIVERSITY
Emerging Information Technology Cluster • $90M IBM Data Centre opened September 2012 – World-class virtual research & development centre – Barrie competed against 15 other cities – Partnership: provincial & federal governments, IBM, 7 Ontario universities
• $85M TD Operations Centre to open in 2013 – “Barrie offers the perfect mix of location, accessible technology and future growth for us to invest in” —Kevin Kessinger, CIO, TD
BUSINESS CLIMATE: EMERGING CLUSTER
State-of-the-art Telecommunications 2 national fibre optic highways run through Barrie providing: – Unlimited bandwidth – Point-to-point connectivity
– IT/business continuity & redundancy capabilities
INFRASTRUCTURE: TELECOMMUNICATIONS
Guaranteed Source of Fresh Water Supply New Surface Water Plant opened May, 2011
INFRASTRUCTURE: WATER
• Lake Simcoe Regional Airport – One of Canada’s regional airports
– 10 minutes from Barrie’s City Centre – International Customs Port-of-Entry
• Connected to four major provincial highways • Less than 45 minutes driving distance to Toronto • Over 131 million consumers within a one-day trucking distance
• Short-rail line service owned & operated by the City • GO Transit commuter rail service connects Barrie to the Greater Toronto Area • Daily train service from two city train stations
INFRASTRUCTURE: TRANSPORTATION HUBS
Investment-Ready • Low municipal development costs • Efficient site plan approval process • Multiple serviced, shovel-ready industrial & commercial lots • Competitive land/building development costs • Over 80 acres of land available at Lake Simcoe Regional Airport • Municipal incentives for Community Improvement Areas
DEVELOPMENT-READY: COMPETITIVE COSTS
City Centre • Financial incentives through community improvements, grants & loans • No development charges • Public & private properties Festivals & events attract visitors & residents
DEVELOPMENT-READY: CITY CENTRE
More land for Investment • Over 5,000 acres for new development • Commercial, industrial, institutional, & residential
DEVELOPMENT-READY: LANDS