The Growth Community Improvement Plan (CIP) is a bold new strategy designed to position Thunder Bay as a competitive, investment-ready city by encouraging industrial and commercial development across the community. By focusing on high-value projects that generate employment and long-term tax assessment, the CIP aims to help Thunder Bay meet its ambitious growth targets and unlock new opportunities.

Unlike traditional CIPs that focus on a small area (like a downtown site) Thunder Bay’s Growth CIP is city-wide and supports broader economic goals. Complementing the existing Housing CIP, which has already accelerated residential development across the city, the Growth CIP will target business expansion, redevelopment of underutilized lands, and new commercial or industrial projects.

General Information

Before completing an application, please familiarize yourself with the grant that interests you by reviewing the grant information below. More detailed information can be found under section 6 of the Growth Community Improvement Plan. You may also wish to book a pre-application meeting with a member of the Growth Team.

All applications must meet the following general eligibility requirements:

  • The property must be located within the Growth Community Improvement Project Area
  • The applicant must be one of: the owner of the property, an agent or tenant with a signed Owner’s Authorization Form
  • Costs incurred prior to the submission of an application will not be considered eligible for financial incentives
  • Applicants must disclose all sources of funding

All applications will require the following attachments to be complete:

  • Current Tax Bill
  • Project Proposal (units to be in metric)
  • Owner’s Authorization (if the applicant is not the owner)

Applications will not be considered complete until all required documentation and signatures are supplied.

Employment Growth Tax Incentive Grant

 About the Grant

 This grant is an alternative to the Employment Growth Tax Incentive Grant and provides a lump sum grant upon final inspection per the building permit, as opposed to after the property is assessed.

The Planning and Building Permit Fees Grant may be applied to within the main grant application form.

This grant may cover up to 100% of eligible fees paid to the City of Thunder Bay to a maximum of $50,000.00 per project and/or property, where general eligibility criteria are met and the estimated construction value is over $5,000,000.00. Eligible costs include:

  • City of Thunder Bay Official Plan and Zoning By-law Amendments;
  • Minor variances;
  • Consents to sever;
  • Plan of Condominium;
  • Plan of Subdivision;
  • Site plan control;
  • Development agreements; and/or
  • Building Permits

This grant does not apply to any performance or maintenance guarantees. 
 Value of the Grant

 The value of the grant determined based on the number of points received on the evaluation scorecard.

This grant would be equal to 80% of the amount that would be received over the 3–5-year Employment Growth Tax Incentive Grant, as a lump sum upon final inspection per the building permit. 

The grant is provided to the owner, tenant, or assigned third party, with the value being estimated based on the expected assessed value then reconciled once the project is assessed. 
 Program Specific Eligibility
 General eligibility criteria as described in the Growth Community Improvement Plan must be met, along with:
  • Applicants receiving this grant are NOT eligible to apply for the Employment Growth Tax Incentive Grant.
 Eligible Costs
 The value of the grant will be proportional to the number of points scored using the evaluation scorecard. The applications will be assessed based on economic performance and alignment with the City’s Net-Zero Strategy, with a maximum of 25 points available
 Payment of the Grant
 The value of the grant is equal to 80% of the amount that would be received over the 3-5  year Employment Growth Tax Incentive Grant, as a lump sum upon the final inspection per the building permit. 
 Applying to the Grant
 To apply for this grant, please complete and submit an online application form.

Brownfield Rehabilitation Grant

 About the Grant
 This grant aims to provide financial incentives to undertake environment studies on Brownfield lands, which are abandoned industrial lands or other underutilized and/or contaminated lands. 
 Value of the Grant
 The maximum value of the grant is up to 25% of eligible costs per project and/or property, up to a maximum of $50,000.00
 Program-Specific Eligibility
 General eligibility criteria as described in the Growth Community Improvement Plan must be met, along with:
  • The property needing to have an area greater than 2 hectares (4.94 acres);
  • Remediation or studies need to be completed by the end of the grant;
  • Duplicate studies or reports in a 10-year window are not eligible for funding;
  • No remediation has begun or cost accrued that is being applied for under the grant; and
  • Completed studies and results or an accounting of eligible costs must be provided to the City of Thunder Bay
 Eligible Costs
The following costs are considered eligible:
  • A Phase II ESA, Remedial Work Plan, or Risk Assessment prepared by a qualified person;
  • Environmental remediation, including the costs of preparing a Record of Site Condition; and
  • Monitoring, maintaining, and operating environmental and engineering controls/works, as specified in the Remedial Work Plan and/or Risk Assessment. 
 Payment of the Grant

 The grant will be provided upon successful completion of studies, reports, or remediation listed as eligible costs, and receipt of the City of Thunder Bay receiving the results for their record, in addition to a non-reliance letter.

The grant will be paid in lump sum as a reimbursement of up to 25% of eligible costs incurred, or the maximum value of the grant, whichever is less. 
 Applying to the Grant
 To apply for this grant, please complete and submit an online application form.

 Scorecard

Performance CriteriaEvaluation CriteriaScoring/Points

Building Permit Construction Value

$5,000,000 - $19,999,999

5

$20,000,000 - $39,999,999

6

$40,000,000 - $59,999,999

7

$60,000,000 - $79,999,999

8

$80,000,000 - $99,999,999

9

$100,000,000+

10

Full-Time Jobs Created or Retained

20 - 39

2

40 - 59

3

60 - 79

4

80 - 99

5

100+

6

Ratio of Private to Public Investment

80% + private project funding

1

Community and Social Benefits

Investment in public realm, support of indigenous, minority, or disadvantaged communities

1

Alignment with CEDC Current Priority Industries

Project aligns with CEDC priorities including but not limited to strategic industry and long-term economic benefits

4

Alignment with Net-Zero Strategy

Conforms with at least 5 of the following 9 criteria:

  1. Integrates energy and emissions considerations into business practices
  2. Show proof of an ENERGY STAR Canada Certification and/or prove that the building is 20% more efficient than the current Ontario Building Code through an energy audit
  3. Swaps vehicle fleets to electric where possible and encourages low-carbon deliveries
    • All light-duty vehicles are electric
    • All small engine equipment is electric
  4. Enable low-carbon transportation options
    • Provides a minimum of two vehicle charging stations on site
    • Provide secure bike parking for employees (i.e. indoor bike storage space) and patrons (i.e. outdoor bike racks)
  5. Uses low or zero-carbon systems for space and water heating
  6. Incorporates a smart building control system to manage heating and cooling
  7. Manages onsite stormwater runoff using low-impact development (LID) practices
  8. Utilizes low-carbon and/or locally sourced building materials in at least 30% of construction
  9. Has the capacity to generate at least 10% of operational energy using solar, wind, geothermal, or biomass

 

 

Click here for an accessible version of the scorecard.``

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