Ontario’s Cold Storage Market in 2025: Trends, Challenges, and Growth Drivers

Frozen Storage Leads Market Expansion

Frozen storage is the fastest-growing segment, fueled by rising consumption of frozen proteins such as meat and seafood. Economic constraints and consumer preferences for cost-effective, long-lasting food options are accelerating demand. Additionally, e-commerce, particularly online grocery delivery, is a major growth catalyst. Canada’s frozen food market is projected to reach CAD$20.36 billion by 2030, reinforcing the need for expanded cold storage capacity (Canada Frozen Food Market Size & Outlook, 2030).

Cold Storage Infrastructure Ontario

Cold storage infrastructure is concentrated in key regions such as the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), Niagara, Southwestern Ontario, and Eastern Ontario. These locations play vital roles in supporting agricultural storage, cross-border trade, and pharmaceutical cold storage, ensuring efficient distribution across industries.

Cold storage warehouses consume significantly more energy than standard warehouses due to refrigeration requirements. A typical refrigerated facility uses 40–60 kWh per square foot annually, compared to just 6.1 kWh for standard warehouses (Energy Efficiency in Refrigerated Warehouses).

To mitigate high energy costs, facilities are integrating solar, wind, and IoT-driven energy optimization. Solar energy adoption alone has the potential to reduce costs by 35%, making sustainability a key industry focus (Cold Storage Efficiency: Innovative Solutions For A Greener Cold Chain).

The Road Ahead

Ontario’s cold storage market, though no longer experiencing the surge seen during the pandemic, remains on a long-term growth path. Analysts project a 3.5%–4.4% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) through 2030, with market value reaching CAD$4.48 billion. CAGR measures the average annual growth rate of an investment or market over a specified period, smoothing out year-to-year fluctuations to provide a clearer picture of long-term trends.

The frozen warehouse segment will continue to drive expansion, fueled by evolving consumer preferences and advancements in cold chain logistics. As demand rises, investments in automation, sustainability, and strategic site selection will be crucial in shaping the future of Ontario’s cold storage industry.

Prime Cold Storage Opportunity: 450 Thomas, Ingersoll Ontario 

For businesses seeking a prime cold storage location, 450 Thomas Street offers an ideal solution. Located within a 2-hour drive of major urban centers and key border crossings, this industrial property for lease provides up to 64,000 sq. ft. of temperature-controlled space. The facility features clear heights ranging from 24 to 29 feet, 2,470 racking positions, and 11,000 floor positions, with temperatures supported between 4°C and -18°C.

Check out the full listing here: 450 Thomas Street, Ingersoll, Ontario – Industrial Property for Lease – ID: 340500807 – Toronto Commercial Real Estate. 

At Lee & Associates Toronto, we specialize in securing strategic cold storage solutions for the supply chain and logistics sectors. By leveraging market intelligence and industry expertise, we help clients find facilities tailored to their temperature-sensitive storage and distribution needs, driving efficiency and long-term success.