Thunder Bay: Canada’s Most Strategic Place to Grow Your Business
Thunder Bay offers distinct advantages for businesses through its strategic geographic location, modern infrastructure, diverse and skilled workforce, and strong concentration of research and innovation capabilities. As a growing and forward-looking city, Thunder Bay continues to attract entrepreneurs, investors, and innovative enterprises from across Canada and beyond. With deep roots in research excellence and applied innovation—particularly in natural resources, advanced manufacturing, and emerging technologies—Thunder Bay provides companies with the ideal environment to execute growth strategies while building strong, long-term foundations for success.
Doing Business in Thunder Bay is Affordable
With no development charges, and affordable cost of land, Thunder Bay offers prime real estate for development.
Labour Force Industry Distribution
- Manufacturing 5%
- Construction 8%
- Primary and utilities 5%
- Wholesale and retail trade 13%
- Transportation and warehousing 5%
- Information and cultural industries 2%
- Finance, insurance, real estate, business, building, and other support services 5%
- Professional, scientific and technical services 5%
- Educational services 9%
- Health care and social assistance 22%
- Arts, entertainment and recreation 4%
- Accommodation and food services 6%
- Other services (except public administration) 4%
- Public administration 8%
(Conference Board of Canada, June 2024)
Thunder Bay Overview (CMA)
(Statistic Canada, 2021 Census)
Connect with our Business Development Team
Lucy Kwiaton
Business Development Manager
Tel: (807) 633-2566
Email: Lucy.Kwiaton@thunderbay.ca
Mike Barten
Sr. Business Development Officer
Tel: (807) 630-4468
Email: mike.barten@thunderbay.ca
Kyle Neabel
Small Business Development Officer
Tel: (807) 621-7131
Email: kyle.neabel@thunderbay.ca
Transportation Hub
Getting to and from, and around Thunder Bay is so easy. Our excellent global transport connections link Thunder Bay to a worldwide supply chain and international markets by air, sea, rail, and road transportation networks.
The Trans-Canada Highway is a transcontinental highway system that travels through all ten provinces of Canada between the Pacific and Atlantic coasts. Thunder Bay also has direct highway access to international transportation arteries such as port, rail, and an international airport. With its central location within Canada, trucking is a viable shipping option throughout the country and into the US.
Thunder Bay International Airport is the third busiest international airport in Ontario. With passenger, cargo and charter planes departing multiple times per day, people and goods can be moved across Canada and around the globe quickly and efficiently from Thunder Bay.
Goods can be shipped across the continent through the Canadian Pacific (CP) and Canadian National (CN) Railways. The mainline of Canadian Pacific railway runs directly through Thunder Bay, providing convenient and cost effective access to markets and suppliers. Both CP and CN offer intermodal shipping, making door-to-door service through connections with rail, trucking and sea ports possible.
The Port of Thunder Bay is a major international inland port and superior gateway to eastern and western markets. Keefer Terminal, at the Thunder Bay Port Authority, handles grain, coal, and potash. The Port also handles lumber, steel, machinery, transmission, bagged goods and forest products. The Port of Thunder Bay, provides a cost effective shipping method for businesses around the world.
Key Sectors
LAND & PROPERTY
From waterfront office space to creative downtown hubs, port-side industrial lands and accessible business parks, Thunder Bay has a variety of affordable land and properties available for purchase or lease. Best of all, there are currently no development fees for commercial and industrial lands in Thunder Bay.
Utilities
Businesses in Thunder Bay can access electricity, water, and natural gas at competitive and affordable prices.
Water
Water rates in Thunder Bay are in the mid-range relative to other municipalities across the province.
Natural Gas
In Thunder Bay, natural gas is supplied by Union Gas (Enbridge).
Internet & Broadband
In Thunder Bay, Tbaytel provides mobile and state of the art Fibre Optic Network in Northern Ontario that connects Thunder Bay, Fort Frances, Dryden, Kenora, Keewatin and Marathon
Hydro
Synergy North provides all electricity services in Thunder Bay.