Why Cornwall and Long Sault? Five Reasons Investors Are Paying Attention

Thousands of jobs in logistics, food processing and energy. A 675-acre logistics park rising beside Highway 401. A business park expansion that the mayor says is largely spoken for. Cornwall and Long Sault are growing, and the people filling those jobs need homes to rent and buy. Here's the story in five points, every one of them backed by a public source.

1. The jobs are already here, and more are coming

Cornwall's economy runs on logistics, food processing, manufacturing, technology and energy, and some of the biggest names in those industries keep investing here:

• Walmart Canada: a 1.36 million sq ft distribution centre employing more than 2,000 people.
• Michelin: a 984,000 sq ft distribution centre, opened in 2024.
• Olymel: more than 600 local employees. Biscuits Leclerc: a 160,000 sq ft expansion completed in 2025.
• Lactalis Canada: about 450 people at its cheese plant in nearby Ingleside, now being modernized with an $11 million investment plus $3.3 million in federal support.
• Zoho: the global software company chose Cornwall for its Canadian head office in 2022.
• Xplore (formerly Xplornet): a customer contact centre in the Cotton Mill District with over 120 full-time jobs committed.
• Ontario Power Generation: the R.H. Saunders hydro station on the St. Lawrence, partway through a 16-year overhaul that began in 2023.

And there's room for more. In 2025 the City began a $23 million expansion of the Cornwall Business Park, unlocking over 200 acres of serviced land with new roads, water and sewer, and better access to two Highway 401 interchanges. The mayor noted that much of the land is already spoken for.

2. Two major projects on the 401

The Long Sault Logistics Village

Just west of Cornwall, developer Avenue 31 is building a 675-acre multimodal logistics park at Highway 401 and Moulinette Road, with nearly 2 km of highway frontage and about 3 km of CN double-track rail. CN has certified the site rail-ready, and Avenue 31 expects it to create more than 1,000 jobs when complete. It received draft plan approval in 2024 and an amended approval in February 2025, and site clearing began in November 2025.

Our own future community sits right beside it: we own about 30 acres in Long Sault next to the logistics village, with an 11-acre first phase in planning. See our future community →

Great Wolf Lodge

Great Wolf Resorts has announced a US$350 million indoor waterpark resort on about 40 acres beside Highway 401 in Cornwall, expected to create about 500 permanent jobs and draw roughly 670,000 visits a year. The City has been extending Nick Kaneb Drive and bringing services to the site. A construction start date had not been confirmed in the latest public reports, so it's one to watch.

“…change the face of Eastern Ontario.”Cornwall's mayor, on the Great Wolf Lodge project

3. A location that connects three markets

Cornwall sits on Highway 401, the main link between Toronto and Montreal, and the Ottawa Business Journal describes it as midway between Ontario, Quebec and the United States. Local companies say that location helps them cut transportation costs and speed up deliveries, which is exactly why logistics and distribution keep choosing it. Long Sault is just west along the river, and Ottawa is about an hour away.

4. Growth that's real, and planned for

Statistics Canada's annual estimates show Cornwall growing from 49,371 in 2020 to 54,346 in 2025, about 10%, and South Stormont, which includes Long Sault, up about 5%. Every municipality in Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry grew over that period, and Cornwall grew the fastest.

The City is planning for more. Its 2026 Growth Analysis and Land Needs Assessment, prepared by Watson & Associates, found a shortfall of about 81 hectares of residential land, projected about 8,200 new jobs by 2056, and called for a broader mix of housing, including rentals, to address affordability and an aging population.

5. A place people want to live

Growth only lasts where people are happy to settle. The Long Sault Parkway links 11 islands in the St. Lawrence River along a 10 km scenic route, with beaches, campgrounds, fishing and calm bays for paddling, a short drive from our homes. The islands are what remains of communities flooded to build the St. Lawrence Seaway in the 1950s, so the parkway is both a place to relax and a piece of local history.

Add small-town streets, new neighbourhoods and new homes that may qualify for Ontario's new-home HST relief (see our HST guide), and it's easy to see why families and downsizers are looking here too.

Why a legal duplex here

We won't quote rents, returns or price forecasts. Every investment carries risk. But here's why many out-of-town investors choose a new legal duplex in Cornwall and Long Sault:

• Professional property management. We work closely with professional property management companies that offer their services to our buyers at competitive rates, so owning from out of town is straightforward.
• Two self-contained units. Two bedrooms and two bathrooms in each, a separate side entrance for the lower unit, and extended parking.
• Flexibility. Rent both units, or live in one and rent the other, now or later.
• New-build protection. HCRA-licensed builder, backed by Tarion warranty.
• Possible tax relief. Eligible long-term rental homes may qualify for Ontario's enhanced rental rebate and the Ontario New Home Affordability Payment for agreements signed within the program window. Short-term rentals are excluded.

Before you buy, do your own research on local rental demand, talk to a property manager, and review your plans with your accountant and lender.

Please note: This article is general information only, current as of September 2026. It is not legal, tax or financial advice, and program rules can change. Figures are from the sources listed and may be revised. Past growth does not guarantee future results. Please speak with a qualified lawyer, accountant or tax adviser about your own situation. Company names are used for information only. Prime Home Builders is not affiliated with or endorsed by these organizations.