Thunder Bay and regional shoppers may soon be jumping for joy after wholesale giant Costco was confirmed to have purchased an eight-hectare plot of land in the city.
According to reporting from TBnewswatch.com, the sale was confirmed by Toby Singlehurst, the Ontario division president for Forum Properties, who told the news outlet that Costco had purchased the property, located on Golf Links Road in Thunder Bay, from his company in December 2025.
The move is significant to shoppers in Fort Frances and the Rainy River District, as the other nearest Costco locations are in Winnipeg and Duluth, Minn., meaning the Thunder Bay location is both an alternate location as well as potentially closer at hand to those further east in the district.
The announcement confirmed rumours that have been circulating regarding the business and its interests in Thunder Bay for years, especially following a developer’s site sketch in a zoning amendment submitted to Thunder Bay city council last year that bore striking resemblance to other Costco warehouses.
The site plans also included a gas bar on the site.
Costco is well known for its massive footprints, allowing for the retail giant to sell bulk and wholesale items to those with memberships. The company, based in Issaquah, Wash., operates 924 warehouses worldwide as of March 2026, with 114 of those located in Canada. The company recorded $134.22 billion in net sales in the first 24 weeks of its fiscal year 2026, an 8.7 per cent increase over the same period last year.
According to TBnewswatch.com’s reporting, Forum Properties was responsible for acquiring the land located along Golf Links Road, along with all the necessary approvals, before selling it to Costco, which he said is a typical arrangement his company has with those looking to develop properties.
Singlehurst was also quoted as saying there is a significant amount of work to be done at the site before structural construction can being, which includes soil improvements for ground stability. He told the news outlet he could see the warehouse open for business as early as the middle of 2027, though he did not speak on behalf of the company in terms of confirming any timelines.
