Windsor-Essex is a very favourable place to do business thanks to our area’s highly competitive business costs that can boost your company’s growth and profitability. Ontario features some of the lowest overall business costs in the G7 (Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, United Kingdom, United States).
Corporate tax advantage
With a total combined provincial and federal corporate income tax (CIT) rate of 26.5 per cent. Ontario’s combined general federal-provincial CIT rate is lower than the average for G20 countries, and lower than the average federal-state CIT rate in the U.S.
Manufacturing tax advantage
Visit Invest in Ontario to learn about Ontario’s competitive corporate income tax rates for the manufacturing industry.
Property tax rates
Our area features favourable property tax rates across the City of Windsor and County of Essex. In Canada, property tax rates are only applied to the value of the buildings and land and doesn’t apply to machinery or equipment.
View the property tax rates for each municipality in Windsor-Essex:
- Town of Amherstburg
- Town of Essex
- Town of Kingsville
- Municipality of Lakeshore
- Town of LaSalle
- Municipality of Leamington
- Pelee Island
- Town of Tecumseh
- City of Windsor
Occupancy and construction costs
We also feature affordable occupancy and construction costs for businesses.
- Unit costs cover construction costs only. All development or “soft costs” are excluded.
- Rates are based on typical standards and should only serve as basic guidelines. There is no substitute for a detailed estimate.
- Unit prices exclude HST.
Industrial lease rates and land prices
Windsor-Essex’s industrial lease rates are among the lowest in Ontario, featuring a cost of $9.24 (CAD) per square foot, compared to Toronto’s and Waterloo’s average industrial lease rate costs of $18.26 (CAD) and $13.11 (CAD), respectively.
Our region’s average sale price of $172.10 per square foot (PSF) of industrial land is also very affordable in Ontario, compared to Toronto’s and Waterloo’s industrial land prices of $377.97 PSF and $257.44 PSF, respectively. (Source: CBRE Canada Real Estate Market Outlook 2023)
Foreign exchange rates
Our Canadian dollar exchange rate with the U.S. (Dollar) and Europe (Euro) provides additional savings. Visit the Bank of Canada to learn about the current exchange rates.
Incentives
If you choose to do business in Windsor-Essex, you’ll gain access to a variety of local, provincial and federal incentive programs. From research and development incentives to tax rebates, there are a variety of incentives available.
Utilities
Windsor-Essex is home to a bountiful freshwater supply and features leading-edge utilities that provide ongoing savings to your business.
Electricity
Ontario uses nuclear and large hydroelectric stations to meet most of its baseload demand, with generating stations producing electricity at a constant and reliable rate. Electricity rates are set by the Ontario Energy Board (OEB). The OEB ensures that all rates are “justified and reasonable.”
Check out our local providers:
- EnWin Utilities Ltd. – serves the City of Windsor
- E.L.K. Energy Inc. – services Essex, Lakeshore and Kingsville
- Essex Powerlines Corporation – serves the town’s of Amherstburg, LaSalle and Tecumseh and the Municipality of Leamington
- Hydro One Networks Inc. – serves the rural areas of Essex County
Hydro One has also added new supply lines for Essex County.
Water
A bountiful water supply is a distinct characteristic of Ontario. The Great Lakes are the largest source of freshwater in the world and their shoreline is 3,800 km (2,361 miles) long. Ontario’s share amounts to 85,470 sq ft (33,000 sq miles) and Windsor-Essex’s share of the shoreline is 168 km (105 miles) long.
Natural gas
Enbridge Gas Inc. supplies natural gas through an underground distribution pipeline to residential, commercial and industrial customers.