Wonderbrands Business Park (and 3,000 jobs) is coming to Pickering’s Innovation Corridor

Wonderbrands is coming to Pickering.

The Province of Ontario and the City of Pickering have completed the sale of 151 acres of provincial lands in Pickering’s Innovation Corridor to FGF Brands for the development of a high-tech, food manufacturing campus to be known as the Wonderbrands Innovation Business Park.

The first phase of development will consist of three manufacturing plants and a distribution centre, with an overall gross floor area of more than one million square feet and the creation of 1,000 new jobs, with another 2,000 jobs coming in the second phase.

Once full build-out is complete, the business park will be the largest food manufacturing campus in the GTA, as well as one of the largest employers in Pickering with 3,000 new hires.

Pickering Council also approved FGF Brands’ draft plan of subdivision application and zoning by-law amendment application to permit the food manufacturing campus on the employment lands, a dedicated area of more than 800 prestige employment acres.

Infrastructure Minister Kinga Surma called the deal an “historic investment” for Pickering residents.

“This land transaction represents the largest sale of the provincial Seaton employment lands to date,” he said, adding that FGF Brands will become one of the largest employers in Pickering. “Our government will continue to be proactive with surplus properties province-wide to advance provincial priorities.”

FGF Brands is the largest producer of fresh breads, rolls, croissants, fully baked muffins, and sweet goods in North America, and has become a global leader by replacing low tech equipment with robotics, integrated AI systems, machine learning, and supply chain innovations.  Some of its brands include Wonder Bread, D’italiano, Country Harvest, Stonefire, ACE, and Casa Mendosa.

When Seaton is completely built out it will house 70,000 residents and 35,000 jobs.

“We are thrilled to announce this landmark investment,” enthused Pickering Mayor Kevin Ashe, who thanked all parties involved in helping realize their shared vision. “This is truly an exciting time for our city as this deal represents just one of many that will bring jobs, prestige, and economic strength to Pickering.”

“We are committed to investing in partnerships and economic development initiatives that will attract as many jobs as possible for our residents now and into the future, and that is why we’ve been aggressively marketing our Innovation Corridor as a prime opportunity for research and innovation,” he added, citing the City’s “superior logistics” ana access to major highways, rail lines and GO Transit and three airports within an hour’s drive.

Ojus Ajmera, Co-Founder & Head, Sales & Marketing for FGF Brands, thanked the City for its support and “shared in the excitement” in helping build a “next generation, high tech manufacturing campus in Pickering that will not only create jobs of the future …  but will also help bring another level of growth for the entire community.”