Canadian Tire has provided an update following the March 15 fire at its A.J. Billes Distribution Centre located at 8550 Goreway Drive in Brampton, Ont.
The distribution center services Canadian Tire retail stores nationally and is one of the company’s largest distribution centres in the country.
Employees were safely evacuated from the distribution centre following well-executed emergency protocols.
“Canadian Tire would like to thank the firefighters and first responders who worked tirelessly to contain the fire and helped protect the health and safety of its team members,” a press release states.
Operations at the facility have been suspended since the day of the fire. Follow-up efforts are underway, including electrical remediation, structural assessments, and cleanup. Onsite cleaning crews are prioritizing areas that will allow phased operations to resume as quickly as possible. In the meantime, Canadian Tire continues to transition some of its priority inventory to its other Ontario distribution centres and is setting up temporary facilities to help manage the flow of products.
The extent of the damage and remediation and recovery timelines, as well as the impact on the company’s financial results, are still being assessed. Some of the anticipated costs, including lost inventory, building damage, cleanup, and repairs, as well as delayed shipments due to the temporary shutdown of the facility, are expected to impact first-quarter results. Company officials say they will continue working with its insurance provider on this matter over the coming months.
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