Amazon Canada has announced plans to open its first fulfillment centre in Quebec, in the Montreal borough of Lachine.

The new site will be located on the island of Montreal and will create more than 300 new, full-time jobs, the international e-commerce leader said in its announcement Friday morning. The new site is scheduled to launch in time for the 2020 holiday shopping season.

The Lachine facility will be Amazon’s first major site east of Ottawa. The company has five fulfillment centres in Ontario – four in the Greater Toronto Area, plus one in Ottawa – and is building a sixth in the GTA. It also has sites in Alberta and British Columbia.

“We’re excited about our growth in Montreal, which gives us the opportunity to better serve our customers across Quebec,” said Alexandre Gagnon, vice-president of Amazon Canada, in the release. “The Greater Montreal area has a talented workforce and we are committed to providing the area with great job opportunities that have comprehensive pay and benefits.”

Amazon did not immediately release details about the facility, including its size and exact location. It’s also not immediately known whether this will be a purpose-built facility, as Amazon is having constructed in several other major Canadian cities, or if it will be a repurposed distribution centre.

RENX could not immediately reach Amazon officials for comment.

Amazon expanding across Canada

As Amazon rapidly expands its distribution network across Canada, the company is building new facilities in the Greater Toronto Area, Metro Vancouver and near Edmonton. It recently opened its million-square-foot centre in Ottawa, and completed another major centre just outside Calgary last fall.

Associates at the new Lachine facility will pick, pack, and ship items for customers, ranging from toys and pet products to small electronics.

As with all its fulfillment centre announcements, Amazon focuses heavily on its job creation aspects. The company notes full-time employees at Amazon receive comprehensive pay and benefits, including medical, vision and dental coverage, a group RRSP plan and performance-based bonuses starting on Day One.

Full-time jobs advertised at Amazon’s other Eastern Canada facilities recently ranged from about $16 per hour to about $20 per hour. Some have included a “sign-on bonus” of up to $1,500.

Amazon also offers employees access to innovative programs like Career Choice, where it will pay 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.

Since the program’s launch, more than 25,000 employees across the globe have pursued degrees in a variety of fields.

CHECK BACK FOR MORE: RENX will update this breaking story with more details as they become available.

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