If you have money to invest, North Bay looks like a good bet, according to 50 Toronto-area investors who toured the city in late June.
They were in North Bay to investigate an opportunity to be part of a multi-phase residential apartment block just off Lakeshore Drive.
The group took a bus tour of the city, and BayToday tagged along to get a feel for how out-of-towners see investment opportunities in North Bay.
In short, the city got high marks, despite cloudy skies and occasional drizzle.
Shan Shivbaul is from Kleinberg, Ont., part of the GTA community.
"I see North Bay as, actually, a very thriving community," she told BayToday. "I think it's really good for investments.
"The infrastructure is great at the moment, especially for residential homes, and also for affordable homes at the same time. And there's a lot of employment opportunities here where you can gain a lot of experience, especially if you're a newcomer to Canada.
"It's a great area to reside in because the cost of living here is a lot less than living in the greater GTA community."
She feels that North Bay needs to market its opportunities more effectively in the south.
"I believe it's getting the word out there to other individuals; for example, coming here today, I didn't realize it's such a vibrant, growing community, and all the rich history it has in this particular area. For example, I never knew that there was a boat that runs from this community over to the Manitou Islands."
Carmela Del Duca was really impressed.
"I love, love North Bay. I love that we're going to be developing here and helping the city grow, which is going to be nice and exciting to see new prosperity in this area."
A big part of the bus tour was exploring the waterfront and King's Landing. Investors left the bus to get a first-hand look.
"The lake, first of all. I love fishing, love being out here, love the outdoors. There's lots of that, and lots of fresh air, lots of nature out here. I just love that," said an enthusiastic Del Duca.
"I can see the investment being a very good opportunity here because they need this. They need this because there are a lot of people coming out this way. So we need more of this. I love it here."
Others interviewed by BayToday expressed similar views.
North Bay city Coun. Gary Gardiner is not surprised by the enthusiasm shown by the investors.
"I think this is what we've always expected would eventually happen. People in the GTA see North Bay as a place to invest.
"We've got lots of land. It has well-serviced infrastructure in the ground, good planning and building departments to work with. They can accelerate their timelines here better than they could down south.
"So I think this project is just the beginning of a wave, and if this is just the beginning, I can hardly wait to see what will follow."
