Boardroom to Boardwalk
Build Your Next Facility 100 km From Toronto
Advanced manufacturing, CNC machining, robotics, and industrial fabrication — Barrie's supply chain infrastructure and skilled trades pipeline make it one of Ontario's fastest-growing production hubs for companies serving mining and energy.
Explore Barrie →"Barrie's advanced manufacturing cluster is one of the fastest growing in Ontario. Companies that supply mining and energy operations are finding what they need here — skilled tradespeople, competitive land, and direct logistics to Northern Ontario and the GTA."
Key Sectors
Built for Companies That Build Things
Advanced Manufacturing
CNC machining, robotics integration, and Industry 4.0 production lines — anchored by Georgian College's $30M Peter B. Moore Advanced Technology Centre and a workforce trained on the equipment your shop floor runs.
Mining & Energy Supply Chain
Technical fabrics, industrial filtration, containment systems, and engineered components — Barrie manufacturers already supply mine sites and energy projects across Northern Ontario and beyond.
Logistics & Distribution
Highway 400 corridor to the GTA, short-line rail to CPR and CN intermodal terminals, and regional air access — move product to mine sites, energy facilities, and export markets without the Toronto congestion.
Industrial Fabrication
Steel fabrication, precision machining, and custom equipment manufacturing — competitive industrial land costs and a trades-heavy talent pool make Barrie a natural fit for heavy fabrication shops.
Innovation & Applied Research
Ontario's first private sector-led innovation hub — the Sandbox Centre — plus Lakehead University's STEM campus for applied R&D partnerships in materials science, automation, and process engineering.
Skilled Trades Pipeline
Georgian College leads the province in CNC and robotics programs with 90.3% graduate employment. Welders, machinists, millwrights, and automation technicians — the people who keep production running.
Logistics
Ship North, Ship South, Ship Anywhere
Highway 400 to the GTA & North
Barrie sits on the 400 — south to Toronto and the US border, north to Sudbury, Timmins, and the Ring of Fire. Your freight moves both ways without backtracking through the city.
Rail to CPR & CN Intermodal
Short-line rail via Barrie-Collingwood Railway connects directly to CPR's Vaughan intermodal terminal and CN's Brampton yard — move heavy equipment and bulk materials by rail.
Regional Air Access
Lake Simcoe Regional Airport puts executives and field teams 90 minutes from major US cities and within charter range of Northern Ontario mine sites.
Competitive Industrial Land
Serviced industrial land at a fraction of GTA pricing, with average home prices at $711,800 vs. $942,300 in Toronto — your workforce can actually afford to live where they work.
Talent Retention
The Place Your People Actually Want to Live
Affordable Waterfront
Homes at $711K vs. $942K in the GTA — your machinists and engineers can own property on Lake Simcoe instead of renting a basement in Brampton.
Manufacturing Culture
Barrie has a production-floor identity. Skilled trades are respected here — not competing with finance and tech for status the way they do in Toronto.
Lowest Crime in Canada
Lowest violent Crime Severity Index in the country, 350+ hectares of parks, and a four-season recreation scene — the quality of life that keeps people from leaving.
Workforce
Trained on the Equipment You Run
Georgian College
Ontario's leader in CNC machining and robotics programs. 90.3% of graduates employed within six months. Welders, machinists, millwrights, and automation techs — trained on current equipment.
Peter B. Moore Centre
$30 million advanced technology centre on the Georgian campus — Industry 4.0 research, employer co-op partnerships, and direct-hire pipelines from classroom to shop floor.
Lakehead University
Downtown STEM campus with engineering, computer science, and materials science programs — applied research partnerships for manufacturers solving real production problems.
Apprenticeship Pipeline
Barrie's trades ecosystem feeds directly into local manufacturers. Georgian runs one of the province's largest apprenticeship programs across welding, machining, electrical, and industrial maintenance.
Community Profile
By the Numbers
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Distance to Toronto (Hwy 400) | 100 km |
| Distance to Sudbury (Hwy 400 N) | 350 km |
| Rail Access | CPR & CN Intermodal |
| Regional Airport | Lake Simcoe (YLK) |
| Average Home Price (vs. $942K GTA) | $711,800 |
| Median Household Income | $103,428 |
| Workforce with Post-Secondary Education | 61% |
| Georgian College Grad Employment Rate | 90.3% |
| Projected Population by 2051 | 298,000 |
| Projected Jobs by 2051 | 150,000 |
Sources: Invest Barrie, Statistics Canada, Georgian College, Ontario Provincial Planning Statement 2024
What We Do
Full-Service Economic Development
Invest Barrie's team of 11 professionals provides end-to-end support for businesses relocating, expanding, or starting up in the city.
Information
Demographics, funding programs, site selection data, real estate costing, and community support resources.
Connections
Networking, ecosystem tours, research partnerships, government liaison, and employment resources.
Support
Development facilitation, city navigation, talent recruitment, and innovation resources.
Initiatives
Business attraction and retention, talent campaigns, Industry 4.0 connections, trade missions, and placemaking.
Team
Your Point of Contact
Why Barrie
Your Next Facility Belongs Here
Industrial land at a fraction of GTA costs — with serviced lots available for manufacturing facilities
Direct-hire pipeline from Georgian College's CNC, robotics, and welding programs into your shop
Highway 400 logistics corridor — north to mine sites, south to Toronto and the US border
Short-line rail connections to CPR and CN intermodal terminals for heavy freight
Companies like Albarrie already manufacture technical products for mining from Barrie
Provincial Planning Statement 2024 recognition as a large, fast-growing municipality
Your Contact
Stephannie Schlichter
Director, Economic & Creative Development
Invest Barrie
(705) 728-9850