With the surge in online shopping, accelerated by COVID, online giants like Amazon are growing. Now Hamilton will benefit from this surge as Amazon Canada announced their intent to create a fulfilment centre and delivery station in Hamilton. The fulfilment centre represents one of the largest local investments in terms of square footage in the City’s history. These private investments in Hamilton’s goods movement sector will bring over 1,500 new jobs when the facilities are scheduled to open in 2021.
Amazon Canada’s plans include a new 855,000 square foot fulfillment centre to be located in Mount Hope adjacent to John C. Munro Hamilton International Airport. Employees at this location will work alongside Amazon robotics to pick, pack and ship small items to customers such as books, electronics and toys. In addition, a new 50,000 square foot delivery station in Stoney Creek will power the last mile of Amazon’s order fulfillment process. Packages are transported to these delivery stations from Amazon fulfillment and sortation centres, and then loaded into vehicles for delivery to customers.
A city of Hamilton release noted that “with a renewed focus on air cargo/transportation, the City of Hamilton now has a prime opportunity to develop and promote the Airport Employment Growth District (AEGD) as a North American Gateway hub for logistics, distribution and goods movement, and to develop a Hamilton alliance with partners to jointly market opportunities for development and increase the awareness of Hamilton’s infrastructure strengths.”
The announcement was great news for Norm Schleehahn, Hamilton’s Director of Economic Development. “Hamilton is home to Canada’s busiest overnight express cargo airport, the busiest port on the Canadian Great Lakes and one of the lowest rates of traffic congestion in the Greater Toronto/Hamilton Area (GTHA). And we have been working hard to position Hamilton as a goods movement hub. It’s wonderful to have a Global brand like Amazon recognize Hamilton’s advantages in the logistics sector.”
The facility, the largest undertaken at the Airport so far will be constructed by Panattoni Development who already have another large logistics facility under construction in the burgeoning Airport Employment Growth District
Quick Facts
• Hamilton’s AEGD is a planned development area of 551 net developable hectares of employment land designated to provide for a major business park development to integrate with and complement John C. Munro Hamilton International Airport, a key area of focus for Hamilton’s Economic Development Action Plan.
• John C. Munro Hamilton International Airport is ranked the fastest growing in North America
• This will be Amazon’s ninth facility in Ontario and its 15th fulfillment centre in Canada.
Lots of commentary over on the cbc . Is this good news? Wise people will ask questions.
Just heard HDLC leader, Mr Marco on the radio on this issue.
Minimum wage jobs that dont cover living costs is not helpful, yet HDLC has done very little in terms of non unionized workers struggles. Only worried about the declining unionized workers numbers.
Why didn’t the labour convey drive by the homeless camps they are the people who need to most help.