The Role of Warehouses in Toronto's Community

Toronto is always undergoing new developments for residential and commercial buildings, which are required to support Canada's expanding population. Unfortunately for many, rental or ownership prices for these buildings are out of reach, meaning Toronto citizens have started to get crafty and repurpose existing (and sometimes abandoned) structures.

Enter, warehouses. Warehousing was pivotal in the late 19th and early 20th centuries for the Toronto economy but has slowly shifted outwards to areas like Mississauga and Picerking.

However, many of these structures still stand today, occupying valuable space in prime neighborhoods across Toronto. This opportunity has given Toronto residents some creative ideas, and slowly but surely, warehouses have been repurposed into restaurants, apartments, and essential service offices.

Finding New Purposes For Old Warehouses

Since the start of the early 2010's a movement has been growing across Toronto to take old warehouses and repurpose them into community staples.

Take Industry Street, for example, where warehouses have been ingeniously repurposed into community centers, non-profit headquarters, and small businesses. Our favorite building is The Learning Enrichment Foundation, a modified 73,000-square-foot warehouse that accommodates several not-for-profit organizations.

One of the main reasons for this trend is that rent for these buildings is significantly cheaper than new constructions, creating affordable options for more diverse services within small communities.

These ideas and transformations have given warehousing structures in Toronto new life, and many repurposed buildings are becoming iconic properties in the city.

Even though the heyday of Toronto's warehousing industry is over, it does not mean the warehouses need to sit empty. By re-designing existing warehouse spaces, Toronto neighborhoods are creating more space for themselves and improving the city as a whole.

As market leaders in e-commerce order fulfillment, co-packing, transportation, and 3PL warehousing services within Toronto, we leverage our specialized expertise in the distribution industry. Our clientele spans across a multitude of industries, boasting some of the globe’s most renowned companies.