May 8, 2009, Mississauga, Ont. — Walmart Canada will invest $115
million to build a state-of-art distribution centre in Balzac, Alberta.
May 8, 2009, Mississauga, Ont. — Walmart Canada will invest $115 million to build a state-of-art distribution centre in Balzac, Alberta.
Among the largest refrigerated buildings in Canada, the centre will be 400,000 square feet in size and serve as a distribution hub for fresh food destined for Walmart stores in Western Canada. This will support the expansion of Walmart’s modern Supercentre format, which adds a complete range of groceries to its traditional general merchandise selection, as well as its commitment to being a leader on environmental sustainability.
“This distribution centre provides us a state-of-the-art facility, custom made to deliver the freshest products available for our Walmart customers all across the West,” said Andy Ellis, senior vice-president, Supply Chain and Logistics.
Walmart Canada has invested $220 million in the past year to modernize and expand its distribution network. The network supplies 312 stores nationwide from eight distribution facilities: four sites in Calgary, Alberta, including Balzac; one site in Cornwall, Ontario; and three sites in Mississauga, including a newly opened 450,000-square-foot, refrigerated centre that will be the model for the Balzac location. The facility will be built and operated with rigid environmental standards.
“We’re helping Walmart build one of the largest perishable-food buildings in Canada, to very high environmental standards, injecting more than $100 million and a thousand jobs into the local economy,” said Paul Polson, vice-president of Stuart Olson Constructors Inc. The company is at the forefront of the green building movement and has a full understanding of LEED® certification through the Canadian Green Building Council (CaGBC).
Walmart has committed to three long-term goals for environmental sustainability that guide its operations and partnerships:
• To become a zero waste business.
• To operate with 100 per cent renewable energy.
• To provide customers with products that sustain resources and the environment.
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