ften referred to as “The City Above Toronto,” Vaughan, Ont., located in the Regional Municipality of York, has emerged as a force to be reckoned with in recent years. It is considered a melting pot of cultural diversity and is renowned for its thriving economy, excellent quality of life, and mix of modern architecture and open green spaces. As one of Canada’s fastest-growing cities, Vaughan offers a unique blend of urban luxury and suburban life.

Of course, when a city is growing as fast as Vaughan, there is always a need for self-storage. To meet that demand, Access Storage has come to town, giving residents and businesses alike a safe and secure place to store their belongings. The new self-storage facility, located at 8025 Jane Street, sits on a main artery in the heart of the city and is conveniently situated next to a large IKEA and the sprawling Vaughan Mills Mall, one of Canada’s largest shopping centers with over 200 stores and restaurants. It brings in 13.5 million people per year, so that puts a lot of eyes on Access Storage too.

“Vaughan has a population of close to 350,000 people, and it continues to grow,” says Jan Belik, acquisitions and business development director at StorageVault Canada, of which Access owns 40 percent. “There is a lot of new condominium and commercial development, which is expected to continue. That’s why we decided to plant one of our flags here, and we couldn’t have asked for a better location when it comes to visibility.”

The Vaughan Access Storage facility wasn’t built from the ground up like many other company-owned properties. Instead, it was acquired from competitor Bluebird Self Storage in the spring of 2024. It wasn’t an old building by any means; previous ownership had begun construction in 2017, and the building had just been completed in 2021. However, there were some challenges, mostly stemming from a blaze at Bluebird.

“We couldn’t just slap our name on the building and call it a day. We had some work to do,” recalls Belik, who says that when Access acquired the building, it still had damage from a recent fire. “The claim hadn’t been settled yet with the insurance company, so the fire-damaged floors became our problem. Thankfully our construction team worked with the restoration company to speed up the completion of the work. We also used the opportunity to create a better unit mix for the market.”

Following restoration and other modifications, Access Storage—a modern-looking facility with mosaics of gray, blue, and white mingling beside matching tinted windows—was open for business. Now, the new, state-of-the-art facility boasts 92,620 net rental square feet, complete with full climate control and three covered loading bays that can accommodate large moving trucks. To make security a priority, the facility features numerous security cameras by Hikvision, 24/7 video monitoring (plus ULC Fire monitoring by Engineering Security), access control entry by PTI Storlogix, and well-lit and easy-to-navigate hallways. Units are secured with Janus International roll-up metal doors, which can facilitate barrel locks.

At six stories tall, it makes an impression in the immediate area, and the greenage surrounding the facility is meticulously maintained by professional landscaping company Sunset NJG Maintenance. “They say it’s what on the inside that matters,” says Belik, “but a good presentation on the outside is equally important.”

One of the modifications Access made to the facility following its acquisition was to upgrade the rental office. It now features two workstations with VoIP telephones (powered by property management company Sitelink), two televisions for advertising and displaying security camera feeds, and a seating area for guests.

“Retail is another nice little revenue stream, so we also offer moving supplies and such,” adds Belik. The store, which is part of the rental office, is fully stocked with moving supplies, including boxes, locks, tapes, mattress covers, and more. New tenants can also rent dollies and carts, use the company parcel receiving services, and rent the Access Storage “Free Move-In Van.”

Although the Vaughan Access Storage facility enjoys a prime location, Belik says the team, which consists of a regional manager, store manager, two assistant managers, and an asset manager who supports them all with training and development, are not the type to rest on their laurels when it comes to customer service.

Belik explains that for one, Access only hires the best of the best, even if they’re sometimes difficult to find. “There’s definitely a labor shortage, but we’re not going to compromise when it comes to hiring,” he says. “We look for employees who think like owners, who take pride in the business and what they do. Our employees are responsible for many positive changes at Access Storage. Their input is valuable because they’re on the frontlines engaging with customers every day.”

Belik says that when you hire the best, you’re able to provide the best customer service. “Exceptional customer service is paramount, but our approach is simple,” explains Belik. “We listen to our customers. We want them to feel comfortable coming to us with any questions or needs. It’s important to keep an open line of communication open with them.”

When a customer is pleased, Belik says management always asks for referrals. “Referral marketing can be the bread and butter of any business. It doesn’t cost anything to ask someone to give us a referral, and customers who are referred by friends or family are more likely to stay loyal to a brand for a long time. And they trust referrals because they come from a personal source.”

Although Belik is a big believer in referrals, he does say that the facility’s reviews tend to speak for themselves. “Since the acquisition, we’ve grown our Google reviews, and today we have a 4.8 rating coming from 124 customers. I believe this is because we listen to our customers, and that’s something a lot of businesses forget to do these days.”

Belik also believes in giving back within the community. “People tend to count their blessings, but then they don’t pay them forward,” he says. “It’s important to give back to the community that supports you, and Access Storage actively does that by getting involved with charitable organizations on a local community and national level across Canada. We have over 200 charitable organizations and causes that we work with.”

The first Access Storage facility opened in 1997. In the years since, it has become the largest provider of self-storage with a total of 250 locations across Canada, including Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Quebec, and Saskatchewan.

While there are no plans to slow down, with talks of expansion into Labrador, New Brunswick, Newfoundland, and Prince Edward Island, Belik says the company always carefully considers each new development.

“Nothing is done in haste,” he says. “We always want to be sure a new build or acquisition is a smart move.”

To illustrate his point, Belik says that when Access officially acquired the Vaughan property, it was at 47 percent occupancy. Now it has exceeded 55 percent and should be at more than 60 percent by the end of the month. Talk about your smart moves!