Ontario beach town is about to get massive Costco warehouse

It seems Costco is taking the "I'm coming to the cottage" trend quite literally by building a massive warehouse in Ontario's Wasaga Beach.

Construction is now underway to bring a 162,000-square-foot Costco warehouse to one of the fastest-growing municipalities in Ontario. The store will also include a tire centre, seasonal garden centre and a gas bar with potentially 24 self-serve pumps.

Back in April, the town announced that the $50 million project to bring Canada's largest grocery retailer to the community could create over 370 jobs and become the area's largest private-sector investment. 

"Securing a globally recognized retailer like Costco speaks volumes about the confidence investors have in our community and where we are headed," says Wasaga Beach mayor Brian Smith.

Construction has finally begun to build a Costco in Wasaga Beach. Photo: Councillor Ellen Timms.

For residents and cottagers who love visiting the beach, this is a huge win as it cuts down the drive to the next closest Costco store in Barrie, not to mention the money saved on gas.

Once completed, this colossal Costco will be one of the biggest commercial additions to the Highway 26 corridor, and will add a "significant boost to local employment and economic activity," the town says. 

According to the Environmental Registry of Ontario documents, there are plans to build four more Costco warehouses in Ontario. 

Along with Wasaga Beach, construction to build a Costco store in East Windsor will also begin sometime this year, while construction in Oakville, Thunder Bay and Caledon won't kick off until 2027. 

Costco will be located at 345 Lyons Court in Wasaga Beach, Ont.