The local economy in Ottawa is getting a shot in the arm as online retail giant Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN) has announced that it will hire 600 people to work at its new logistics and distribution centre in the Canadian capital.
Amazon said in a news release that once the new one-million-square-foot facility is built in Ottawa, it will employ more than 600 people full-time and become a hub for shipping large items such as household furniture, sporting equipment and gardening tools. The new Amazon distribution centre will be the eighth of its kind in Canada, but different than other facilities that mostly pack and ship smaller items.
Construction of the new facility is expected to create another 1,500 jobs, on top of the 600 created by the company's presence in Ottawa. The city is working with the site's developer, Broccolini, and Ontario's Ministry of Transportation to upgrade nearby infrastructure in anticipation of the build, including changes to the Highway 417 off ramp.
Ottawa City Council endorsed the new Amazon logistics and distribution centre, and Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson has been a vocal supporter of the initiative.
