Barrie digs into the future with new, $4.5M state-of-the-art greenhouse

Barrie opens a $4.5 million state-of-the-art greenhouse.

The City officially opened a new, state-of-the-art greenhouse Thursday, marking a fresh chapter in local sustainability with a $4.5 million pricetag.

“This modern facility reflects our commitment to environmental efficiency, city beautification, and homegrown community pride,” stated Mayor Alex Nuttall.

Spanning 14,000 square feet, the greenhouse isn’t just a bigger space to grow flowers, it’s a highly controlled environment packed with technology. Each zone is equipped with its own automated heating, ventilation, irrigation, and solar shade systems. The design focuses heavily on environmental sustainability, with features like LED lighting, high-efficiency light transmission, and water collection systems that promote reuse.

The plants grown at the new facility will appear in familiar places around the city, including parks, green spaces, the waterfront, and downtown. The greenhouse will play a vital role in the City’s participation in the annual Communities in Bloom competition, which judges municipalities on their environmental and aesthetic efforts.

The new greenhouse is located on Ferndale Drive North at the City’s Operations Centre.