The multinational conglomerate Amazon officially broke ground on what will be a massive facility in Dartmouth, N.S., on Wednesday. Once complete, the Amazon distribution centre will span 2.2 million square feet. The facility has previously been compared in size to roughly three Ikeas. Premier Tim Houston and Halifax Mayor Andy Fillmore attended the groundbreaking ceremony. Both propped the development up as a vote of confidence in the region’s economy. “Nova Scotia is open for business, and some of the biggest employers in the world are taking notice,” says Houston in a news release. “HRM has worked closely with Amazon to bring this project forward, and I look forward to seeing the benefits of this investment reach well beyond the facility itself,” says Fillmore. Houston said the project is “primarily funded” by Amazon. “Of course we do have economic development initiatives that people can apply for,” he said. “And they’d be willing and we would be open to them applying for those as well. But this is being driven by their own investment.” For Nova Scotians, Amazon says the new facility could boost delivery speeds for packages from its facility. It also boasts a potential 1,000 full-time positions to be filled with the facility’s completion. However, being a “robotics fulfillment centre,” it will employ robots to run operations, too. Amazon officials and business partners were also in attendance for Wednesday’s event. There, the company announced a $50,000 donation to Upward Mobility Kitchens, going towards 10,000 community meals for those facing food insecurity in the region. “We believe in supporting the communities where we operate across Canada — the home of our employees, our customers, and our neighbours,” said Brooks Barnett, head of economic development at Atlantic Canada. Barnett said Halifax’s port played a big role in why they chose this location. “There’s a growing customer base here,” he said. With files from CTV News Atlantic’s Emma Convey For more Nova Scotia news, visit our dedicated provincial page
