Ontario Construction News staff writer
Harden and Walmart Canada have announced plans to build Walmart’s Quebec fulfillment centre, located in Vaudreuil-Dorion. The 457,000 sq. ft. building is part of Harden’s new industrial park, Le Campus Henry Ford, with Walmart Canada as its first tenant expected in 2024.
“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.”
At a cost of about $100 million, the new high-tech centre will be constructed near Montreal in Vaudreuil-Dorion, Quebec – the first of its kind for Walmart in the province and will open in 2024.
The new location will:
- include about 457,000 sq. ft. and serve as a delivery hub for Quebec and Atlantic Canada.
- be powered by cutting-edge logistics technology to achieve productivity with less physical effort by using innovative technology.
- be capable of shipping 20 million items annually
- have capacity to store 500,000 items
- optimize packaging, minimize waste and reduce transportation costs
- create approximately 225 new jobs in Quebec, plus construction and engineering jobs
“This important investment is the latest example of Walmart’s commitment to Quebec,” said Cyrille Ballereau, Walmart Canada Regional vice-president for Quebec. “We are investing for growth in Quebec and creating jobs for Quebecers to better serve our customers. Quebecers will see refreshed stores, faster service and more options available in-store and online.”
Planned infrastructure investments include about $330 million to revamp and refresh more than 80 stores across Canada, creating more than 2,500 trade and construction jobs.
“We know these are challenging times for our customers. That’s why we are proud to be making significant investments in Canada to deliver the very best shopping experience,” said JP Suarez, executive vice-president, Chief Administration Officer and regional CEO for Walmart International, who is also leading Walmart Canada on an interim basis.
“We are building a better Walmart Canada to help more Canadians save money and live better. As the cost of living rises, Canadians can trust Walmart to be that convenient, one-stop shop for everyday low prices.”
The record number of store renovations planned for this year includes 17 stores in Quebec.