Walmart Canada is investing $1 billion in its infrastructure this year as part of the retailer’s efforts to speed up and transform the business for its customers. A cornerstone of the investment includes more than $100 million earmarked for the building of a new high-tech sortable fulfillment centre near Montreal, in Vaudreuil-Dorion, Que., the first such centre for Walmart in the province.
The new facility, which will be built by Harden, a second-generation family-owned real-estate company that owns and operates commercial, residential and industrial properties in Quebec and Ontario, is currently slated to open in 2024. It will support Walmart’s in-store and online operations.
“We are thrilled to partner with a brand and business as strong and reputable as Walmart,” said Tyler and Chris Harden, co-CEOs of Harden. “This state-of-the-art fulfillment centre is a true testament to their vision for the future of retailing and a long-term commitment to Vaudreuil and the province of Quebec as a growing hub. We are proud to be executing the construction of this project on behalf of Walmart Canada, with our in-house construction team, and to add this asset to our portfolio.”
The new fulfillment centre will be approximately 457,000 square feet and will serve as a delivery hub for millions of customer orders in Quebec and Atlantic Canada. The facility will be powered by cutting-edge logistics technology and will be capable of shipping 20 million items annually from the facility to local customers.
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The facility will create approximately 225 new jobs in Quebec, in addition to the construction and engineering jobs.
“This important investment is the latest example of Walmart’s commitment to Quebec,” said Cyrille Ballereau, Walmart Canada’s regional vice-president for Quebec. “We are investing for growth in Quebec and creating jobs for Quebecers to better serve our customers.”
The company also plans to spend $330 million to revamp and refresh more than 80 stores from B.C. to Newfoundland and Labrador, providing more than 2,500 trade and construction jobs.