Building Strategic Capacity in Eastern Ontario

How a historic town is leveraging infrastructure investments to create sustainable growth opportunities

Where historic charm meets strategic growth planning, Greater Napanee represents a model for balanced community development in Ontario. Incorporated in 1854 and situated on the shores of the Bay of Quinte, this pre-confederation municipality has cultivated a distinctive identity that honors its past while actively building for the future.

“Greater Napanee is where community spirit thrives,” explains the town’s leadership. “Our residents proudly showcase their heritage through various projects and events, while embracing the harmonious blend of our quaint, historic downtown and the surrounding agricultural community that significantly shapes our identity.”

At its core, Greater Napanee represents a carefully orchestrated balance between urban and rural living, between preserving history and pursuing innovation, between work and personal life. The revitalized Town Hall and weekly farmers’ market anchor a downtown district that serves as a commercial hub and cultural center, while surrounding agricultural lands maintain the area’s connection to its roots.

“We’ve created an ideal place to live, work, play, and retire,” town officials note. “Our unique blend of agriculture, industrial businesses, and commercial outlets works together to provide balanced opportunities for residents and neighbors.” This collaborative approach has positioned Greater Napanee as a noteworthy example of how rural Ontario communities can evolve without sacrificing their essential character.

Economic Landscape, From Global to Local

Greater Napanee has cultivated an economic ecosystem where international corporations and small businesses operate side by side, creating a resilient local economy that stands out in Eastern Ontario. Goodyear Canada anchors the industrial sector as the town’s largest employer with nearly 1,000 workers producing tires that ship to markets worldwide.

“We’ve established a good mixture of large and small businesses,” says town leadership. “Our deliberate efforts have made Greater Napanee welcoming to investment, with significant steps taken to ensure we’re prepared for growth.”

The town’s industrial strategy recently bore fruit with Goodyear’s decision to nearly double its facility size with a 500,000-square-foot expansion. This $500 million investment positions Greater Napanee as a key player in Canada’s transition to electric vehicles, aligning with national automotive industry shifts toward sustainable transportation technologies.

Access to substantial electrical power, fiber optic networks, expanded water and sewer capacity, and strategic transportation links to Ontario’s major markets create compelling advantages for businesses choosing to establish or expand operations in the area. The town’s location along Highway 401 puts it within two hours of both Toronto and Ottawa, three hours from Montreal, and just 45 minutes from the U.S. border crossing.

“We’ve recently launched an Industrial Tax Incremental Grant program to further support manufacturing and industrial growth,” town officials explain. “Our strategic investments in infrastructure, combined with access to 335,000 people within a 30-minute commute, create ideal conditions for industry to thrive.”

The town’s economic development efforts also include thoughtful partnerships with existing operations such as supporting Atura Power’s expansion plans to add 400MW of electricity generation and 250MW of battery storage capacity, strengthening the region’s energy infrastructure while creating additional jobs.

Infrastructure for the Future

Greater Napanee has strategically invested in core infrastructure systems that position it for sustainable growth beyond what many comparable Ontario municipalities can offer. The town’s forward-thinking approach to water, energy, and digital connectivity creates a foundation for residential expansion and industrial development.

“We’ve secured nearly $50 million in government investment for a new, state-of-the-art wastewater treatment plant,” town officials note. “This facility provides much-needed servicing capacity for up to 4,000 new homes and supports industrial growth, addressing one of the major constraints many communities face.”

Water security represents a particular advantage for Greater Napanee. The town’s water treatment plant currently operates at less than 50% capacity, providing substantial room for community expansion. More significantly, the municipality draws raw water directly from Lake Ontario, ensuring virtually limitless potential for expansion of treated potable water as future needs arise, a critical asset in an era of increasing water scarcity concerns across North America.

The town’s electrical infrastructure also represents a major competitive advantage. Its strategic position near major power sources and transmission lines provides access to substantial electrical capacity, particularly valuable for energy-intensive industrial operations. This capability has become increasingly important as manufacturing processes grow more energy-dependent and as Ontario’s overall power grid faces mounting demands.

“Our fiber optic internet infrastructure has been expanded throughout the community. This provides ready access to new development seeking high throughput of internet capacity, essential for modern businesses and remote workers alike,” Nobes outlines.

These infrastructure investments align with Ontario’s broader economic development strategies that emphasize the need for “investment-ready communities” with pre-built capacity to accommodate growth without delays. By proactively addressing these fundamental systems rather than reacting to immediate needs, Greater Napanee has created a compelling case for businesses and residents looking beyond the constraints of larger urban centers.

Housing and Healthcare to Meet Community Needs

Greater Napanee has situated itself as a solution provider for two of Ontario’s most pressing challenges: housing affordability and healthcare access. The municipality’s coordinated approach to these essential quality-of-life factors creates an attractive proposition for both current and prospective residents.

“We’ve focused on ensuring significant land is available for development to ensure housing availability and choice for homebuyers,” town leadership explains. “This has placed Greater Napanee as one of the more affordable housing markets in Ontario, where it’s still possible for young families and people new to the market to afford a home.”

The municipality has 1,600 shovel-ready residential units in various areas, with development plans that offer diverse housing options. These include urban and rural single-family homes, townhomes, and condominiums at price points more accessible than in many neighboring regions. The Gibbard District Condominiums along the Napanee River showcase the town’s ability to create attractive housing in scenic locations.

This housing strategy operates against the backdrop of Ontario’s ongoing housing crisis, where average home prices in many communities have far outpaced income growth. Greater Napanee’s ability to maintain relative affordability represents a significant competitive advantage in attracting workforce talent.

Healthcare innovation is another community strength. “We’ve established a unique partnership with community health care providers that guarantees every resident access to Primary Health Care. This system is being emulated across the province as a model for addressing physician shortages,” Mayor Richardson states.

The town supports a fully serviced hospital with newly expanded state-of-the-art MRI capabilities, while two new 128-bed long-term care facilities address the needs of an aging population. The Lennox & Addington General Hospital’s partnership with Queen’s University Medical Program has successfully retained medical graduates as community doctors.

Strategic Location and Educational Advantages

Greater Napanee leverages its strategic geographical position and educational connections to create a competitive edge in business attraction and workforce development. “We’re positioned two hours from Toronto and Ottawa, three hours from Montreal, and just 45 minutes from the U.S. border crossing,” town officials explain. “This central location provides businesses with efficient access to major Canadian markets and international trade routes while avoiding the congestion and costs associated with larger metropolitan areas.”

This locational advantage becomes particularly significant when coupled with the town’s proximity to multiple higher education institutions. Greater Napanee sits within 30 minutes of 35,000 post-secondary students across four institutions: Queen’s University and Royal Military College in Kingston, and Loyalist College and St. Lawrence College in the surrounding region.

“We have a direct talent pipeline with local post-secondary educational institutions,” leadership notes. “Queen’s University and Royal Military College support research and innovation, while Loyalist College and St. Lawrence College provide skilled trades training that bolsters our industrial workforce.”

The town’s own educational infrastructure includes four elementary schools and one secondary school, providing foundational education within the community. More specialized is the partnership between Lennox & Addington General Hospital and Queen’s University Medical Program, which creates a practical training environment for medical students.

Greater Napanee’s position within this educational ecosystem addresses one of the most significant challenges facing rural and small-town Ontario: talent attraction and retention. By offering proximity to major educational institutions while maintaining its small-town affordability and quality of life, the town creates a compelling proposition for employers and skilled workers.

Looking Ahead: Infrastructure Priorities

Despite Greater Napanee’s significant progress in building infrastructure capacity, town leadership recognizes that sustained growth requires continued investment and support from provincial and federal government partners. The municipality has identified specific areas where additional funding would generate the greatest impact for both community sustainability and economic development.

“While we’re well-positioned with current and near-term planned infrastructure, we need further funding from upper levels of government for infrastructure renewal projects in older areas of the municipality,” town officials explain. “This infrastructure is approaching the end of its useful life, and additional funding would position our municipality in a stable financial state to ensure these systems remain viable for community use and further growth.”

This focus on renewing aging infrastructure aligns with challenges faced across Ontario, where many communities are grappling with deteriorating systems built during Canada’s post-war expansion. The Federation of Canadian Municipalities has identified an infrastructure deficit of more than $123 billion nationwide, with much of this concentrated in older water, sewer, and transportation systems.

Transportation infrastructure represents another priority area for Greater Napanee and the County of Lennox & Addington. “We seek opportunities for funding of new higher-order roads within the municipality to accommodate the influx of growth in coming years. This, along with funding for repair, replacement, and construction of new bridges, will be necessary to facilitate the movement of goods and people throughout the community and to other areas of the province,”Nobes describes.

With these priorities, Greater Napanee is a compelling example of how rural Ontario communities can evolve toward sustainable growth. By balancing respect for heritage with strategic investments in infrastructure, housing, and economic development, the town has created a distinctive community that offers opportunity and quality of life, proving that smaller municipalities can thrive by thoughtfully leveraging their unique advantages.

AT A GLANCE

Who: Town of Greater Napanee
What: A historic pre-confederation municipality with a balanced approach to development
Where: Eastern Ontario
Website: www.greaternapanee.com