Amazon Canada opens landmark sort centre in Quebec

Amazon Canada has opened what it’s calling “the most advanced sort centre in the country,” creating 500 full-time jobs.

The 720,000-sq.-ft. facility in Coteau-du-Lac, Quebec will be the first in Canada to be outfitted with new, high-tech fulfillment systems that will improve speed, efficiency and worker safety.

A press release announcing the new Quebec facility said employees would be given “comprehensive benefits starting day one” and the company emphasized that worker safety was paramount.

Amazon Canada site leader Anamaria Zammit stressed this point saying: “With training and skill development programs, a full range of benefits and competitive salaries, Amazon continues its mission to be the best employer on Earth by helping its employees reach their career goals.”

Complaints of workplace safety and practices at Amazon warehouses in Canada and the U.S. have been widely reported. Employees have lamented over long work hours and insufficient breaks. So far, attempts to unionize warehouses in New York and Alabama have failed.

In Canada, The Teamsters Union has field two applications for certification to represent workers at Amazon warehouses in Edmonton and Calgary, both of which are being considered by The Alberta Labour Relations Board (ALRB).