Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson joined politicians from all levels of government at a groundbreaking for the new Amazon fulfillment centre in Ottawa’s east end.
Construction for the facility has already started at Boundary Road and Highway 417.
The one million square foot facility will include 1,000 parking spaces and nearly 100 truck loading bays.
The facility will pick, package and ship large items like household décor, sporting equipment and gardening tools.
It’s expected to create more than 600 full-time jobs with benefits. Amazon says full-time employees will receive “competitive hourly wages”, and medical, vision and dental coverage.
Mayor Watson called the move a boost for the east end.
“We have a lower ration of jobs to people in the east end than we do in the south, the west, and the downtown care. We’re here today to ensure that balance tilts a little bit...”
In Brampton, online job postings for a warehouse associate offer $14.40 an hour with benefits included.
In Ottawa, hiring will happen three months before the facility opens for several different positions.
“We’re looking for about 600 warehouse associates, as well as about 100 management types: operations managers, IT professionals, engineers, facility technicians, HR, etc.,” said Glen Sommerville, Amazon’s director of operation for Canada.
This is Amazon’s fifth fulfillment centre in Ontario. Amazon currently employs more than 2,000 full-time associates at its facilities in Brampton, Mississauga and Milton.
