Controversial Blair warehouse will be Amazon fulfillment centre
Amazon has confirmed it’s behind the controversial warehouse project being built in the Village of Blair.
Cambridge city council cleared the way for construction of the one-million-square-foot warehouse at a meeting earlier this year, despite fierce opposition from Blair residents.
On Tuesday, Amazon Canada announced the facility would be home to a new fulfilment centre, expected to open in 2025.
“We’re so proud to call Cambridge home and create great jobs,” Amazon Canada economic development manager Brooks Barnett said in a media release.
“Our new fulfillment centre will ship larger items, like patio furniture, outdoor equipment, and much more, which means people power is so important. Thank you to Mayor McGarry and local council for their collaboration and leadership in bringing Amazon to Cambridge.”
The company says the warehouse will create more than 1,000 jobs.
McGarry, Cambridge’s mayor, says the project is a great opportunity for the city, not just because of the Amazon jobs but also the construction jobs it will create.
“This is something that will benefit absolutely everyone in the community. It adds to the economic prosperity of our city in so many ways,” said McGarry. “But there’s so much more opportunity for even more jobs and prosperity for area companies.”
But a group of Blair residents have been granted a judicial review scheduled for February 2023.
"Yeah, it's a different perspective in Blair," said Alan Van Norman, co-chair of Blair Engaged.
They say this project is not a done deal. They have been fighting against the project for more than a year, citing concerns about the environment, along with traffic and noise.
“We haven’t gone away," said Van Norman. "We’re still in the game and will be pursuing our rights through the courts and we’ll see where it goes. Basically asking for a higher authority to review the city’s decision making.
"We are very optimistic about it. We think the City of Cambridge had blantant disregard for the Ontario Heritage Act."
Van Norman said this summer the group filed an application for a judicial review.
"It was accepted, as far as we know the court is scheduled to hear our case in February," said Van Norman.
McGarry said the new warehouse could help boost the region’s economic prosperity,
“It makes sense it’s right on the 401, it’s right near an exit onto the 401, it has been zoned industrial mostly many years, and I think this is a real jewel in our city to increase our economic prosperity,” said McGarry.
The Cambridge mayor adds that the developer has agreed to limit thenumber of trucks on the road, will plant more trees on site, and increase the height of the berm wall facing the community to decrease noise.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Work stoppage possible as WestJet issues lockout notice to maintenance engineers' union
A lockout notice issued by WestJet to a union representing aircraft maintenance engineers could result in a work stoppage next week.
'I just can't believe that it took so long': Body found in wreckage 3 months after deadly fire
A man accused of arson in a January Old Strathcona apartment fire is expected to be charged with manslaughter after a body was discovered in the burned building late last month.
No proof man lied to brother about number of kittens born in litter, B.C. tribunal rules
A man was denied a $5,000 payout from his brother after a B.C. tribunal dismissed his claim disputing how many kittens were born in a litter.
Quebec police hand out hundreds of tickets to Hells Angels and other bikers before 'first run' meeting
Quebec provincial police handed out hundreds of fines to Hells Angels members and other supporting motorcycle clubs who met for their 'first run' in a small town near Sherbrooke, Que.
Auston Matthews skates ahead of Game 7, status unclear with season on the line
Auston Matthews was back on the ice with his teammates Saturday.
Bodies recovered in Mexico likely 2 Australians, 1 American who went missing: officials
Three bodies recovered in an area of Baja California are likely to be those of the two Australians and an American who went missing last weekend during a camping and surfing trip, the state prosecutor’s office said Saturday.
Russia puts Ukrainian President Zelenskyy on its wanted list
Russia has put Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on its wanted list, Russian state media reported Saturday, citing the interior ministry’s database.
Snakes almost on a plane: U.S. TSA discovers a bag with small snakes in passenger's pants
According to an X post by the Transportation Security Administration, officers at the Miami International Airport found the small bag of snakes hidden in a passenger's trousers on April 26 at a checkpoint.
A Chinese driver is praised for helping reduce casualties in a highway collapse that killed 48
A Chinese truck driver was praised in local media Saturday for parking his vehicle across a highway and preventing more cars from tumbling down a slope after a section of the road in the country's mountainous south collapsed and killed at least 48 people.