Alex Nuttall
Mayor, Barrie
Jerome Horowitz
President & Owner, Brotech Precision CNC Inc.
Margaret Driscoll
CEO, Albarrie
City launches $50 million incentive program to fast-track defence investment to help boost Canada’s military capabilities.
As Canada and Ontario strengthen domestic defence capacity, municipalities have an important role to play in enabling the on-the-ground conditions that determine whether companies can scale and build.
Barrie is taking practical steps to support investment in defence, security, dual-use, and advanced manufacturing sectors by aligning policy, incentives, approvals, and employment lands.
Barrie is positioning itself to make it easier for these sectors to grow and scale in Ontario.
One example is the City’s recently announced $50 million incentive to fast-track defence investment and help to boost Canadian military capabilities. “At a time when Canada and Ontario are strengthening their defence industrial strategy, municipalities are where that strategy turns into action,” says Alex Nuttall, Mayor of Barrie. “Barrie is taking clear steps to support and strengthen Canada’s sovereign defence capacity by aligning our policies, incentives, and processes to make it easier for this sector to grow.”
Advanced manufacturing powers defence growth
Barrie is taking a deliberate approach to supporting growth in the defence industry, as well as those specializing in security, dual-use technologies, and advanced manufacturing. Supported by an established manufacturing cluster and robust business ecosystem, Barrie’s commitment to accelerating Industry 4.0 adoption helps ensure that local firms can leverage automation, robotics, and smart manufacturing to enhance productivity and precision.
Barrie is close to major markets and supported by a regional supply chain that is aligned with Ontario’s priorities around domestic capacity and supply chain resilience. The City’s proximity to the Highway 400 corridor, which connects to the Greater Toronto Area, U.S. border crossings, and major logistics routes, simplifies logistics and access to markets. About 20 km west is Canadian Forces Base Borden, including the Canadian Forces School of Aerospace Technology and Engineering, which allows for defence technology manufacturers to collaborate directly with their end users and support training and deployment readiness. The nearby Lake Simcoe Regional Airport, with Commercial Port-of-Entry Status and Canada Border Services Agency support, adds another advantage for business travel and international cargo movement.
Built for business and innovation
As one of the fastest-growing urban centres in Central Ontario, Barrie boasts a growing workforce supported by post-secondary, research, and industry partnerships. The City’s network of businesses, institutions, accelerators, and innovation partners support commercialization, workforce development, and the talent pipeline needed for modern tech-enabled manufacturing and related sectors.
At a time when Canada and Ontario are strengthening their defence industrial strategy, municipalities are where that strategy turns into action.
Alex Nuttall, Mayor of Barrie
Georgian College, a military-connected college, is one of the city’s key partners in building that talent pipeline. Another important post-secondary partnership is Lakehead University, with the Lakehead University Barrie STEM Hub set to open this fall offering programming in Electrical Engineering, Mechatronics, and Computer Science. Barrie is also home to the province’s newest regional innovation centre at the Sandbox Centre, helping connect early-stage innovation and tech companies with access to applied research, commercialization support, and talent so they can succeed on a global scale.
Recent boundary expansion creates additional employment land opportunities for defence-related and advanced manufacturing, which is ready for development. Combined with Barrie’s strong development approvals performance, this positions the city to support projects that need room to move quickly, as demonstrated by its #1 ranking in Development Approvals (BILD Study, 2024).
Investing in what’s next
Barrie is focused on enabling growth and strives to support business attraction, expansion, and long-term success by bringing together people, place, and potential. Through Invest Barrie, companies can access concierge-style support designed to help navigate approvals, identify opportunities, and move from first conversation to long-term growth. Barrie’s Employment Development Concierge Program streamlines the development review process, adding efficiency and offering enhanced support to new and existing businesses to develop strategic employment projects or expansions. The City also offers competitive industrial Development Charges and offers businesses fast, predictable permitting and approvals. “They have always communicated their interest in helping businesses to grow and are very keen to make introductions,” says Jerome Horowitz, President and Owner of Brotech Precision CNC Inc. “They take the time to listen and understand your needs. If you need something, all you have to do is ask.”
Margaret Driscoll, CEO of Albarrie, which specializes in advanced technical textiles and engineered fabric solutions, agrees. “Their team demonstrates a strong understanding of the needs of manufacturers and provides responsive, practical support.”
Interested in starting a conversation about locating, expanding, or investing in Barrie? Learn how Barrie supports investment in defence, security, and advanced manufacturing at investbarrie.ca/defence.
