According to a press release from Amazon Canada, a one million square foot facility that will create approximately 800 full time jobs will come to Bolton and join an existing network of buildings the retail and entertainment giant already owns in Brampton, Mississauga, Milton and a recently announced facility in Ottawa.
The Caledon build is being called a “fulfilment centre” and is planned for lands in Bolton, west of Coleraine Drive, where the Town of Caledon council has pursued employment lands.
A release from the town notes that since 2015 building permits for approximately 958,000 square feet (89,000 square metres) of industrial/commercial space, with a construction value of more than $96 million have been issued in Caledon.
And in 2017 alone, Canadian Tire, Agrocrop Exports Ltd., and Mars Canada have added more than 1.59 million square feet (148,000 square metres) of industrial space in Caledon, including 1,100 jobs.
The release states the Caledon Amazon facility will see employees pick, pack, and ship small items to customers such as books, electronics and toys.
This will be Amazon’s sixth fulfilment centre in Ontario, where the company said it employs more than 2,000 people full-time. It is the ninth facility in Canada.
“We continue to be excited about our growth in Ontario and the opportunity to better serve our customers in the region,” said Glenn Sommerville, director of Amazon Operations in Canada. “We’re seeing an incredible workforce and community support in Greater Toronto. It makes us proud to add a new fulfilment centre to better meet customer demand while creating more than 800 full-time jobs with great pay and benefits to support the local economy.”
Caledon’s elected representatives celebrated the announcement.
“Caledon is the ideal home for Amazon’s latest Canadian expansion. I’m so pleased to welcome this world class, leading edge and customer focused organization to our community,” said Caledon Mayor Allan Thompson. “The creation of good paying, stable, long term jobs will bolster our local economy and positively impact Caledon’s future sustainability.”
The new PC government was also quick to associate the move with their “open for business” campaign material.
Member of Parliament for Dufferin-Caledon David Tilson said, “The arrival of the Amazon fulfilment centre is terrific news for Caledon. As the member of Parliament for Dufferin-Caledon, I support Amazon’s expansion into Caledon which will not only create jobs for the construction of the facility, but will create 800 new full-time jobs for Caledon and economic benefits for the community at large.”
Amazon Canada said full-time employees receive competitive hourly wages, medical, vision and dental coverage, a group RRSP, stock awards, and performance-based bonuses starting on day one. As well, they receive access to innovative programs like Career Choice, where it will prepay up to 95 per cent of tuition for courses related to in-demand fields, regardless of whether the skills are relevant to a career at Amazon.