Parry Sound, ON

Waterfront Momentum in a Remote-Work Era

Major Infrastructure Investments, a New Marriott, and a Next-Generation Recreation Centre Are Reshaping the Downtown and Shoreline

Set on the shores of Georgian Bay, Parry Sound has always offered what many larger centres struggle to deliver: natural beauty, a calmer pace, and a sense of space that feels both restorative and inspiring. What has changed in recent years is the town’s ability to pair that lifestyle with urban-level convenience—amenities, services, and infrastructure investments that support growth without losing the character that brought people here in the first place.

Mayor Jamie McGarvey describes Parry Sound as a community with a rare balance. “People are able to live in a community where they have the urban amenities—shopping, services—while also being located on Georgian Bay with its scenic backdrop of islands,” he says. Add to that the inland lakes beyond town, and the result is a place that attracts a wide spectrum of residents, from retirees to young families, as well as visitors looking for the Georgian Bay experience.

Position matters too. Parry Sound sits between Sudbury and Toronto, offering access in both directions for work, family, and specialized services. That connectivity, paired with a growing residential mix that includes apartments, seniors living, and condominiums, has become increasingly important as the town’s population and housing needs diversify.

Remote Work Adds a New Layer of Demand

A defining trend shaping Parry Sound’s current growth is remote work. As more professionals decouple their careers from major urban centres, Parry Sound has become the kind of community they actively seek: close enough to the Greater Toronto Area to maintain ties, far enough to feel like a true lifestyle shift.

Crucially, the town’s internet services have supported that transition. With multiple providers and strong connectivity, remote workers can live in Parry Sound without sacrificing productivity. That strength has also opened the door to a new type of downtown business: flexible workspace and meeting services.

One standout example is Parry Sound Corporate Corner, created to support remote professionals who occasionally need boardroom space, soundproof offices, or administrative services. The concept is simple and powerful: provide an environment where professionals can host meetings, bring colleagues into a shared space, and access support services without driving to Toronto or elsewhere. In a community that includes residents living farther out in rural areas where connectivity may be weaker, the ability to “come into town” for reliable workspace adds real day-to-day utility.

Downtown Reinvestment and a Renewed Strategy

Parry Sound’s downtown remains a key focus—both as the heart of local commerce and as the place where community energy is most visible. Recent momentum is being reinforced through business attraction, local programming, and direct investment in the public realm.

The town continues to support storefront revitalization through a façade improvement program that has recently been expanded. With roughly $60,000 distributed each intake and two intakes per year, the program gives business owners a practical tool for improving street presence, aligning their upgrades with seasonal timing and construction schedules.

At the same time, local events are playing a growing role in downtown activity. The Downtown Business Association has been instrumental in bringing residents and visitors into the core with well-attended initiatives such as the “witches walk,” which drew hundreds of participants in a single weekend leading into Halloween. These types of events do more than create atmosphere; they create foot traffic, reinforce civic identity, and give local businesses additional opportunities to extend hours and increase sales.

Looking ahead, town leadership is also preparing to take a longer-range view. The municipality is in the process of issuing an RFP for an updated economic development strategy, with a significant component focused specifically on downtown—how to strengthen what is already working, how to attract more business activity, and how to build on emerging trends like remote work.

In parallel, Parry Sound has also established a partnership with two neighbouring municipalities to provide a more regional economic development service. The result is broader coordination and a larger lens: not just a town strategy, but a regional approach to growth and investment.

Tamarack North Centre: A Major Community Asset

If downtown is about vibrancy, Tamarack North Centre is about long-term livability. Formerly referred to simply as the new recreation centre, Tamarack North Centre is now well underway and represents one of the areas most significant civic investments.

The facility is a brand-new build and is taking visible shape. The structure is closed in, interior work is progressing, and the project is now awaiting delivery of its most unique feature: a stainless steel pool, manufactured in Canada using Canadian stainless steel. The mayor notes that stainless steel pools are increasingly favoured over cement for durability and heat retention—an innovation that signals how forward-looking the facility is in both design and long-term operations.

Operationally, the area has secured an agreement with the YMCA, which will run the centre. The partnership has already been approved through the municipal services board, and preparations are underway around equipment, staffing, and user-group coordination. The facility is tracking toward an opening window in spring 2026, with the town referencing June as the target.

Beyond the building itself, the centre’s impact is already being felt. Local leaders note that some residents had been considering relocating to be closer to a full-service recreational facility. Tamarack North Centre changes that equation—and becomes part of a broader talent retention story, particularly as Parry Sound aims to attract professionals, support active lifestyles, and strengthen community amenities that appeal across age groups.

A New Marriott Rises on the Waterfront

Tourism remains a cornerstone of Parry Sound’s economy, and accommodation capacity is a major driver of visitor spending. The town’s next major step in that direction is a new Marriott hotel, which has already broken ground.

Construction began in the summer, with crews moving onto site after completing another Marriott project elsewhere. Piling work and groundwork are underway, and the hotel’s location is strategic: on the waterfront, across the river from downtown, and within walkable distance via sidewalks and trail connections. The intent is clear—make it easy for visitors to stay on the water and still experience downtown restaurants, shops, and events without needing a car.

This project aligns directly with the town’s broader waterfront vision.

Waterfront Master Planning Meets Official Planning

Parry Sound has recently completed a waterfront master plan, and the town’s official plan update is progressing in tandem, with both documents moving toward council review and broader public engagement. Together, these plans provide the structure to guide waterfront growth, increase flexibility in development applications, and clarify what types of projects fit the town’s long-term vision.

Importantly, the waterfront master plan was built with substantial public input, including multiple public meetings that shaped concepts and priorities. The goal is to create a waterfront that works on multiple levels—leisure, recreation, tourism, and business—without treating those uses as competing priorities.

Parry Sound already has proof points that the waterfront can be a signature asset. The town recently incorporated a wide boardwalk—approximately 20 feet across—into breakwall improvements at the Big Sound Marina, allowing residents and visitors to walk out into Georgian Bay and take in views back toward town.

The Charles W. Stockey Centre for the Performing Arts remains another defining waterfront anchor, known for world-class acoustics and a striking interior defined by wood and stone construction. Visitors routinely express surprise that a community of Parry Sound’s size offers a facility of that calibre, reinforcing a theme that comes up repeatedly: Parry Sound “punches above its weight.”

Pumping Station No. 2: Critical Infrastructure Enabling Growth

Behind every major development story sits an infrastructure story. In Parry Sound, one of the most consequential investments underway is the replacement and expansion of Pumping Station No. 2, a wastewater project essential to unlocking new growth along the waterfront.

The total project cost is approximately $20 million, supported by a $13 million provincial grant—a major win that was secured in part because the town had done the work to be genuinely shovel-ready. Approval arrived early in 2025, tendering followed within months, and council awarded the contract by May.

This project is not optional; it is foundational. The new Marriott’s development is dependent on Pumping Station No. 2, as are major residential plans tied to Greystone, which has acquired three parcels along the waterfront. With the pumping station upgrade, those developments can benefit from gravity feed, improving long-term cost and operational efficiency.

More broadly, the new capacity created through Pumping Station No. 2 and associated force main work could support approximately 2,300 to 2,400 new residential units. For a community of Parry Sound’s size, that is transformative—and it underscores why infrastructure planning remains a central theme in the town’s growth strategy.

More Wastewater Work Already Underway: Pumping Station No. 11

Parry Sound’s geography makes wastewater infrastructure especially complex. Built largely on rock with a hilly topography, and with a wastewater treatment plant located uphill, the town relies on a network of about 15 pumping stations to move flows where they need to go.

With new development pressure rising, the town is already beginning engineering work on Pumping Station No. 11, required to support additional residential growth and a new business cluster concept in another area of the community. The logic is consistent: plan capacity before it becomes a constraint.

To support this proactive approach, the town has invested in wastewater modeling capability. With this tool, staff can assess proposed developments by inputting anticipated flows and identifying bottlenecks between a site and the treatment plant. That reduces uncertainty for developers, clarifies where upgrades may be required, and helps stage growth realistically. As CAO Clayton Harris notes, uncertainty is risk, and risk slows investment. Reducing uncertainty helps good projects move forward.

A Town Growing in All the Right Places

Parry Sound’s momentum is not defined by a single project. It is the convergence of many: a downtown improving its business environment, a waterfront being planned with intention, a new hotel advancing tourism capacity, a major YMCA-operated recreation centre delivering quality-of-life value, and wastewater infrastructure being expanded with uncommon foresight.

Add to that the rise of remote work and the emergence of services like Parry Sound Corporate Corner, and the picture becomes clear. Parry Sound is building a model that combines urban functionality with Georgian Bay lifestyle—an approach that attracts residents, supports local businesses, and creates a foundation for sustainable growth.

A key addition reinforcing that “punching above its weight” narrative is a new Food Basics grocery store currently under construction near the south end retail area by Walmart and Dollarama. Residents have welcomed the store’s price point, and it signals continued confidence in Parry Sound’s growth trajectory and consumer base.

Over the next 18 to 24 months, the priorities are equally clear: deliver the Tamarack North Centre, keep the Marriott project moving, complete Pumping Station No. 2 on schedule, progress planning frameworks that guide waterfront development, and continue strengthening downtown through investment, programming, and business attraction.

For a community often described as rural by proximity, Parry Sound continues to prove it can operate with an urban mindset—strategic, coordinated, and ambitious—while remaining unmistakably itself.

AT A GLANCE

Who: Parry Sound, Ontario

What: A charming and welcoming community that puts its residents first while looking to invest in its future

Where: Eastern Shore of Georgian Bay, Ontario, Canada

Website: www.parrysound.ca