Ottawa to review ‘business relationship’ with Amazon following Quebec shutdown

By Anja Karadeglija, The Canadian Press on January 24, 2025.

OTTAWA – The federal industry minister is calling for a review of Ottawa’s “business relationship” with Amazon after the company said it will close all seven of its warehouses in Quebec.

The closure will eliminate 1,700 permanent jobs and 250 temporary ones, and comes after workers at an Amazon warehouse in the Montreal suburb of Laval, Que. managed to unionize in May.

Amazon is dismissing the suggestion that the closures are linked to a unionization push in the province and says it’s about delivering efficient and cost-effective services to customers.

Industry Minister François-Philippe Champagne says the move will not go unanswered, although he hasn’t said how the federal government might respond.

Ottawa has ongoing contracts with Amazon and the federal government’s website lists more than 200 contracts worth more than $10,000 signed since 2020.

Champagne says he spoke with the CEO of Amazon Canada and has also sent a letter to Amazon CEO Andy Jassy saying it’s not too late to reconsider.

– With files from Tara Deschamps

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 24, 2025.

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