Partner Spotlight: Township of Edwardsburgh-Cardinal
On April 1, 2026, HFI Pyrotechnics Inc. purchased nearly 2,500 acres of provincially owned land, the first phase of a plan to return the entire 10,000-acre Edwardsburgh Land Bank to local control. The company employs more than 120 people and that number is set to grow. Prime Minister Carney’s defence procurement expansion giving it momentum, but Edwardsburgh-Cardinal was already positioned to support a transaction at this scale.
Edwardsburgh-Cardinal is one of seven partner municipalities in the SLCEDC’s St. Lawrence Corridor. It sits in Leeds and Grenville County along the St. Lawrence River, about an hour south of Ottawa and 90 minutes west of Montreal with the 401 and 416 meeting nearby. The Port of Johnstown sits close on the township’s southern edge.
A Certified Site at the Centre of It
The Johnstown Industrial Park holds one of Ontario’s Investment Ready: Certified Site designations. This is a provincial credential confirming that the property is fully serviced, free of constraints through applicable assessments. For site selectors this means the work to set the land up for use has already been done. This industrial park covers 306 acres with frontage on County Road 2 and two access points off Newport Drive. Existing users of the park include transport companies, warehousing businesses, food processing, renewable energy firms, and more. Cardinal, the township’s namesake village on the St. Lawrence River, has been a manufacturing community since the 19th century.
The Access That Changes the Math
The Port of Johnstown sits on the townships southern edge giving access to the St. Lawrence Seaway. Highway 401 runs through the township, and major markets including Ottawa, Montreal, and American markets are close by. This is in addition to major rail lines that also compliment the existing logistical infrastructure of the region.
The Land Bank and What Comes Next
Over 7,500 acres of the Edwardsburgh Land Bank remain following Phase 1. The HFI transaction wasn’t a one-off. It was the first step of a deliberate plan to bring that land base under local control and put it to work sector by sector. The federal procurement expansion accelerated it, but the municipal framework for handling industrial-scale demand was already in place.
Community Support Built Into the Process
The Township’s Community Improvement Plan offers financial incentives for businesses looking to invest in the area. Rebates can help cover costs including property improvements, accessibility upgrades, signage, tax assistance and more. For companies in their early stages, these programs can help close the gap when it comes to getting things in motion.
What SLCEDC Brings to the Partnership
Through our strategic partnerships with municipalities we have been able to ensure the long term health of businesses new and old alike. Eastern Ontario, specifically its industrial land, has real cost advantages and the Township of Edwardsburgh-Cardinal has the infrastructure for success regardless of industry. Reach out to our team today and let’s discuss the next steps for your business in the Township of Edwardsburgh-Cardinal.
