Bata Shoe Factory

Project Type: Mixed-Use
Location: Batawa, Ontario
Status: Completed 2019

The history of Batawa is rooted in the story of the Bata family. Moving their entire operations to Canada at the onset of WWII, the construction of the Bata Shoe Factory was the foundation for a company town just 175 km east of Toronto. After the death of her husband in 2008, Sonja Bata dedicated herself to repurposing the 1,500-acre site as a sustainable community. Belleterre Developments was retained by the Batawa Development Corporation to manage the adaptive re-use and conversion of the former manufacturing facility into a mixed-use residential, commercial and community building with a light environmental footprint and a strong social mandate. With the use of thoughtfully planned community spaces, sustainable geothermal heating and cooling systems, and bold industrial design, the Bata Shoe Factory has become a unique model of a modern community.