Northwood Business Park

Oshawa, ON – This afternoon Oshawa Power welcomed The Honourable Sam Oosterhoff, Associate Minister of Energy-Intensive Industries, Oshawa Mayor Dan Carter, and Chair of the Economic & Development Services Committee Tito-Dante Marimpietri to 2072 Thornton Rd. N to announce plans for Oshawa Power’s new facility in North Oshawa.

This investment will consolidate all operational, administrative, and storage needs into one complex, allowing the local utility to overcome the logistical challenges of having departments spread across multiple buildings and storage yards and improving organizational efficiency. The new 6.5-acre site will feature a modern two-storey office complex of approximately 30,000 square feet, along with an equipment storage yard, warehouse, and vehicle garage.

Following a comprehensive needs assessment and site search, 2072 Thornton Rd. N was chosen for its proximity to Oshawa’s largest growth area and the site’s suitability to meet the utility’s operational needs. Construction is scheduled to commence no later than 2026, with completion and relocation from the current site at Metcalfe St. and Simcoe St. S anticipated in early 2027.

Oshawa Power is collaborating with a local architectural firm to ensure the building design meets accessibility, inclusivity, and sustainability goals. Preliminary renders have been developed, with final designs subject to further refinement during the design and construction phases.

Quotes

“We are thrilled to begin the process of moving to a new facility that will better accommodate our fleet, consolidate operations, and allow us to continue providing Oshawa with safe and reliable electricity for decades to come. We look forward to enhancing our service capabilities, fostering innovation, and supporting our community from our accessible, state-of-the-art facility.”

– Daniel Arbour, President & CEO, Oshawa Power

“This investment will enhance Oshawa Power’s logistical efficiency, allowing for better management and delivery of electricity as the city grows and energy demands increase. The Ontario government is committed to ensuring that all parts of our energy delivery system are efficient and ready to provide sustainable, reliable, and affordable power to our communities now and into the future. I am pleased to be here today to celebrate this important step toward a more resilient local energy infrastructure.”

– The Honourable Sam Oosterhoff, Associate Minister of Energy-Intensive Industries

“Our community has benefited greatly from a dedicated local electric utility over the past 130 years. As our economy and city continue to grow, Oshawa Power will play a critical role in supporting the development of the necessary infrastructure and capacity required for increased electrification. This new building is an exciting step forward.”

– Dan Carter, Mayor of the City of Oshawa

About Oshawa Power

Oshawa Power is dedicated to the evolving needs of our customers as a leading enabler of integrated critical energy and infrastructure. Oshawa Power is wholly owned by the great City of Oshawa.

1565 Thornton Road North is a state-of-the-art Class ‘A’ industrial facility spanning 499,665 square feet. Designed with a highly efficient double-sided shipping layout, the building can accommodate a variety of uses and tenancies. 

The building has 40-foot clear ceilings, and extensive shipping capabilities, featuring 104 truck-level and 8 drive-in doors, accompanied by 104 trailer parking spots. 

Its strategic and accessible location offers easy connections to 400-series highways such as Highway 401, Highway 407, Highway 412, and Highway 418, providing direct routes to the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), Montreal and Pearson International Airport.

Occupants will benefit from modern industrial features within an optimal layout, fostering operational efficiencies and cost savings. Click here to open the brochure for 1565 Thornton Road North.

The City of Oshawa is pleased to announce that Lactalis Canada Inc., the Canadian dairy leader behind iconic brands such as Cracker Barrel, Black Diamond, Balderson, Astro and Lactantia and a subsidiary of France-based Lactalis Group, officially broke ground on a new distribution centre located in Oshawa’s Northwood Business Park on October 5, 2023.

The 35,210 square metre (379,000 square foot) centre will consolidate multiple shipping locations used to service the cheese and tablespreads category into a central, modern facility. The new distribution centre will facilitate the company’s long-term growth, increasing capacity and efficiency while enhancing service to the company’s customers.

The facility will create approximately 80 jobs in Oshawa and the surrounding region and will join Lactalis Canada’s workforce of more than 4,200 employees across 30 operating sites in Canada.

Key facility features

• Located at 1680 Thornton Rd. N. in Oshawa, Ontario in the growing Northwood Business Park.
• A 379,000 square foot facility with the ability to store up to 60,000 pallets in both cooler and freezer environments.
• The building will be zero-carbon ready with the potential to be Zero Carbon Building (Z.C.B.) certified.
• Source of energy will be fully on the Ontario power grid with no additional reliance on non-renewable energy sources.
• Use of energy efficient lighting controls, equipment and high insulation values will reduce the power load imposed on the refrigeration system.
• Heat generated from the refrigeration system will be fully reclaimed and used to heat the facility’s offices and the truck apron to melt snow for safety reasons.
• White roof will reduce heat island effect.
• Solar panels on the roof in a future phase will provide renewable power to partially or completely offset reliance on the power grid under certain conditions.

About Lactalis Canada

With 140 years of brand heritage, Lactalis Canada is committed to enriching and nurturing the lives of Canadians by producing nutritious and great tasting dairy products. Named on Forbes 2022 list of Canada’s Best Employers, Lactalis Canada directly employs more than 4,000 Canadians, supports hundreds of farming families and contributes to the livelihoods of thousands of Canadians who provide essential services to Lactalis Canada’s more than 30 operating sites including 20 manufacturing facilities. The company’s iconic brands include Cracker Barrel, Black Diamond, P’tit Québec, Balderson, Cheestrings Ficello, aMOOza!, Astro, Khaas, siggi’s, IÖGO, IÖGO nanö, Olympic, Lactantia, Beatrice, Marie Morin Canada, Galbani and Président. Lactalis Canada is part of Lactalis Group, the world’s leading dairy company, headquartered in Laval, France. For more information, visit the Lactalis Canada website

About Northwood Business Park

With the Lactalis Canada Inc. announcement, Northwood Business Park is helping lead a new wave of job growth and economic prosperity for the City of Oshawa as its newest prime employment development opportunity.

Location highlights:

• 202 hectares (500 acres) of prestige employment lands with servicing approved and budgeted by Region of Durham
• Located in proximity to Oshawa Executive Airport and Oshawa’s leading post-secondary institutions and research facilities – Ontario Tech University, Durham College and The Automotive Centre of Excellence (ACE)
• Connected to Canadian Pacific and Canadian National rail lines
• Public transit via Durham Region Transit is available with connections to the Oshawa GO station and the Oshawa Centre Terminal, a major transit hub connecting Oshawa to the Region of Durham

Quotes:

“We are excited to welcome Lactalis Canada to our community – thank you for choosing the great City of Oshawa as the home of your largest global distribution facility,” said Oshawa Mayor Dan Carter. “This addition to Northwood Business Park will introduce one of Canada’s Best Employers to our city and bring approximately 80 new jobs to the Oshawa job market.”

“Since being appointed as Chair of Economic and Development Services Committee, with the support of my colleagues and department staff team, I’ve worked with purpose to help rebuild our local economy and enhance our city by cultivating a dynamic vision of progress focusing on blue-chip job creating prestige industrial development,” said Councillor Tito-Dante Marimpietri, Chair of the Economic and Development Services Committee. “Attracting Lactalis, the world’s largest and most renowned global dairy goods giant to the Northwood Business Park, is something I am extremely proud of and signals the construction of one of Canada’s most significant distribution HQs and Lactalis Group’s largest distribution centre globally from a capacity standpoint. Lactalis Group’s exciting new Northwood Business Park based operations represents a massive hub for their global supply chain and will further bring with it well-paid employment, grow our prestige industrial base, and inject substantial dollars into our dynamic metropolitan city and region.”

“Lactalis Canada’s relocation of its business operations to Oshawa marks another significant investment in our community,” said Councillor Bob Chapman, Vice-Chair of the Economic and Development Services Committee. “This strategic move aligns with Oshawa’s commitment to fostering economic development and capitalizing on our pipeline of local talent.”

“Our sincere thanks to the city and residents of Oshawa for embracing Lactalis Canada into your community. With over 30 operations across the country, and a significant presence in Ontario, we are honoured to contribute to the vibrant tapestry of Oshawa,” said Mark Taylor, President and CEO, Lactalis Canada. “Our decision to invest in this distribution centre in Oshawa underscores our commitment to this country and its people, the food industry and Canadian economy at large and most importantly, our contribution to the prosperity and vitality of the communities in which we operate.”

“We are ready to go with our team already rallying together with shovels in the ground,” said Anthony Broccolini, Chief Executive Officer, Broccolini Real Estate Group. “We are incredibly excited by this partnership, and we are confident that in a little over a year from now, when we cross the finish line, everybody here will be able to stand in front of this new facility and be proud of what they accomplished.”

The City of Oshawa is pleased to announce that Martin Brower, a global leader in supply chain solutions, will occupy a new major industrial development at Northwood Business Park, and is expected to bring approximately 175 new jobs to our community.

Panattoni Development Company has collaborated with Stonemont Financial Group and BentallGreenOak to bring Martin Brower to Oshawa.  The facility, which measures approximately 172,000 sq.ft. includes office space and is located at 650 Conlin Rd. W.

About Martin Brower

For more than 89 years, Martin Brower has been a global leader in supply chain solutions for some of the world’s biggest brands, including McDonald’s Corporation. In Canada, they currently employ more than 1,200 team members across six facilities.

Martin Brower’s new Oshawa facility will join 74 global hubs across 18 countries, handling complex logistic and supply chain operations for more than 26,000 restaurants.

For more information, visit the Martin Brower website.

About Northwood Business Park

With the Martin Brower announcement, Northwood Business Park is helping lead a new wave of job growth and economic prosperity for the City of Oshawa as its newest prime employment development opportunity.

Location highlights:

• 202 hectares (500 acres) of prestige employment lands with servicing approved and budgeted by Region of Durham
• Located in proximity to Oshawa Executive Airport and Oshawa’s leading post-secondary institutions and research facilities – Ontario Tech University, Durham College and The Automotive Centre of Excellence (ACE)
• Connected to Canadian Pacific and Canadian National rail lines
• Public transit via Durham Region Transit is available with connections to the Oshawa GO station and the Oshawa Centre Terminal, a major transit hub connecting Oshawa to the Region of Durham

Quotes:

“The City of Oshawa is charting a path of ambitious economic growth and job creation,” said Oshawa Mayor Dan Carter. “Martin Brower’s decision to locate in Northwood Business Park is an excellent strategic decision, with their newest facility in proximity to our major post-secondary institutions and a strong pipeline of local talent. The City of Oshawa is truly becoming a focal point for large organizations looking to establish a presence in the eastern GTA.”

“Blue-Chip multinational employers from across the world are discovering the unique opportunity and value that Oshawa’s exciting new Northwood Business Park provides,” said Councillor Tito-Dante Marimpietri, Chair of the Economic and Development Services Committee. “Oshawa is by far Toronto’s most dynamic neighbour. Our city offers direct access to one of the largest consumer markets in North America. We are a community exceptionally positioned to create and secure well-paying jobs, offering major blue-chip companies a sustainable and competitive advantage in Canada and the Greater Toronto Area.”

“Martin Brower’s decision to select the City of Oshawa and Northwood Business Park is another significant announcement in a series of recent investments that are transforming and diversifying our economy,” said Councillor Bob Chapman, Vice-Chair of the Economic and Development Services Committee. “As one of the fastest growing communities in Canada, the City of Oshawa continues to affirm itself as an ideal location to invest and grow.”

“Martin Brower is proud to expand our footprint to the City of Oshawa and officially break ground on the new facility. We see endless opportunities for our Company to continue to grow and flourish here,” said Julie Dell’Aniello, President of Martin Brower Canada. “This new distribution center will play an important role in Martin Brower’s North American distribution network and is outfitted with CO₂ refrigeration, infrastructure for electric vehicles (EVs), and the future potential to add solar panels to further drive toward our sustainability targets.”  

“Panattoni is excited to partner with Martin Brower to develop their new state-of-the-art distribution centre in the great City of Oshawa,” said Ryan Smele, Director of Development at Panattoni Development Company. “This new facility will bring much needed new jobs and will help support future development of Northwood Business Park. This is yet another project that the City of Oshawa has been supportive of, and will be something we are all proud of once complete.”