The Question of Costco in Orillia

EDIT: July 2017

Coming up on the opening of Costco - finally! The grand opening is scheduled for July 25th, but the gas bar is already open and serving customers (has been for a little bit).

Wednesday, May 3, 2017

There are many questions floating around Orillia about the Costco opening, and it looks like at the moment, that isn't a question anyone can answer. Costco does have a facebook page available where you can ask, but ... all I've seen for months is the same answer posted over and over ... basically something like "when we know, we'll let you know".

The building looks done, and so does the gas bar, but when you pass by the parking lot is usually empty. It was supposed to be open originally in the spring of this year (March?) so one would expect it to be "anytime" now, but if their own facebook page is reporting that they don't have an opening date yet there isn't any way anyone else is going to know either. Their website sports a "coming soon date" for Orillia of July 2017, so it may be that it will be well into the summer before it opens.

The new Costco building in Orillia.

There has been reports(?) or speculation(?) (see this article in Simcoe News) that the reason for the delay may be the ongoing construction near the top of Westridge/Old Barrie Road, and the bypass at Highway 11/12.


Personally, I don't know why that should hold up the opening, there is still access to the store from the opposite side of the highway and along Westridge, even if it isn't the most direct access to Costco. Other businesses along Westridge have been open and appear to be running just fine, even with the construction ... Rotary Place Arena, Lakehead University (almost directly across from Costco), Nordia, Gamma ... and a few others.

I would hope that it isn't entirely due to construction because if you've lived here for long, you know already how quickly road construction gets completed.