New 825,000 sq. ft. logistics hub is Amazon's largest warehouse in Metro Vancouver

Amazon has now opened its largest warehouse facility to date in British Columbia, greatly expanding its capacity to deliver faster to customers across the province while creating new jobs.

Spanning 825,000 sq. ft., YXX1 — named according to Amazon’s global facility code system, typically based on the proximity to the nearest international airport (in this case, Abbotsford International Airport) and the use of airport codes — is located on a 48-acre lot at 19300 Airport Way in Pitt Meadows, right next to the Fraser River and immediately east of Pitt Meadows Regional Airport.

YXX1, contained within a brand new building, is over 40 per cent larger than Amazon’s next largest warehouse facility in Metro Vancouver of YVR3 — located adjacent to SkyTrain’s Braid Station in New Westminster.

For further comparison, it is also 77 per cent larger than the usable exhibition and meeting space of the Vancouver Convention Centre and bigger than the footprint of Playland amusement park.

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But there is a clear logistical difference between YXX1 and YVR3 and other “Customer Fulfillment Centre” locations in Metro Vancouver.

YXX1 is Amazon’s first “Storage and Distribution Centre” in B.C., serving a key role at the top of the logistics and supply chain — storing, managing, and distributing inventory to customer fulfillment centres like YVR3.

In other words, as the facility classification suggests, customer fulfillment centres are essentially the traditional Amazon warehouses that directly handle customer orders from storage to shipping, while the storage and distribution centres are a new class of warehouse for Amazon focused on storing inventory and redistributing it to other fulfillment centres.

Facilities like YX1 keep larger quantities and a wider range of inventory available locally, reducing the need for long-haul shipping and improving overall efficiency.

Currently, this brand new facility upon launch now employs over 100 people, further growing Amazon’s workforce of warehouse and tech hub/corporate office workers to over 10,000 full- and part-time employees in the province.

“As Amazon’s first storage and distribution centre in British Columbia, YXX1 marks an important milestone for our business,” said Sureshkumar Aruchamy, Regional Director of Operations at Amazon, in a statement.

“The strategic location of YXX1 in the Lower Mainland significantly reinforces Amazon’s ability to deliver to local customers at our fastest speeds ever while creating good jobs and investing in the local economy. We are proud to offer employees competitive pay, leading benefits and the opportunity to build in-demand skills to grow their careers.”

Jeremaya Woytowich, Operations Manager for Graham Construction, which was the general contractor for building this new facility, added, “YXX1 represents an investment in the region’s economy through the engagement of local businesses, subcontractors, and suppliers. We are proud to have partnered with Amazon on this project.”

YXX1 is also Amazon’s second warehouse facility in the immediate area — all part of local developer Onni Group’s 200-acre Golden Ears Business Park, which features over three million sq. ft. of industrial floor space across numerous buildings. YXX1 is the single largest building at Golden Ears Business Park, representing the fourth phase of the complex of industrial and commercial buildings.

Just 300 metres north of YXX1 along Harris Road is DVC4 Amazon Delivery Station at 19265 Airport Way, which opened in 2021. At 145,000 sq. ft., DVC4 is only a small fraction of the size of YXX1.

While YXX1 represents the very start of Amazon’s logistics chain, delivery stations like DVC4 are the final stop before a package reaches the customer. After being processed by a customer fulfillment centre, a package typically passes through a sortation centre and then on to a local delivery station.

At such delivery stations, the packages are sorted one last time by individual delivery routes and loaded onto vans for the “last mile” delivery to a customer’s doorstep.

Pitt Meadows Mayor Nicole MacDonald welcomed Amazon’s expanded presence in the community.

“Amazon’s investment in our region has created valuable jobs and economic opportunities for the region and local community, while also supporting Canadian businesses through their strong commitment to customer service,” said Macdonald.

The Mayor also commended Amazon’s recent community contribution of $35,000 to fund new bike repair stations across Pitt Meadows. The initiative will see new repair stations installed along the most travelled bike routes, helping to promote active transportation and healthier, more sustainable travel options for residents and Amazon employees alike.

“Furthermore, Amazon’s partnership and generous support for bike repair stations to be installed throughout the city, demonstrates the company’s commitment to community well-being and sustainable transportation. We appreciate their continued engagement and investment,” she continued.

Beyond job creation, Amazon states it is committed to providing opportunities for career growth and employee well-being. The company offers programs such as Career Choice, which pays tuition for employees pursuing new skills and career paths, and comprehensive benefits including medical, dental and vision coverage, and group RRSP plans. More than 8,000 Amazon frontline employees in Canada have already participated in Career Choice.

Safety also remains a top priority, the company says. Amazon has invested over $2 billion globally since 2019 in workplace safety initiatives and plans to spend hundreds of millions more this year on training, technology and safety programs.

In total, in addition to YXX1, Amazon has four customer fulfillment centres in South Richmond, which uses advanced robots equipment, as well as Annacis Island in Delta, New Westminster, and Tsawwassen.

The company also has a sorting facility in Langley City, a special large/bulky package delivery station in Langley Township, and six regular delivery stations in Burnaby, North Delta, Surrey, and Pitt Meadows.

Most these logistics and warehouse facilities were opened within the past five years.

In 2022, Daily Hive Urbanized reported that Amazon acquired the 12.5-acre property of 86-168 Southeast Marine Drive in South Vancouver for $150 million. The site, now vacant following the demolition of its previous commercial and industrial structures, was once owned by Walmart, which had unsuccessfully sought City of Vancouver approval in the 2000s to build a controversial Walmart Supercentre. While Amazon previously confirmed its acquisition of the property to Daily Hive Urbanized, no intended use for the site has been identified to date, and no active permit applications have been filed.

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