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Metro has six distribution centres in Ontario including four in Toronto and two in Ottawa that employ a total of more than 1,500 workers.

It said the existing Ontario distribution network dates back to the 1960s and no longer meets the needs of its business.

“We see a lot of opportunities in the province and we wanted to make sure that we were going to be in a position to be able to grow but support our stores in a cost-efficient manner and add some flexibility to the way that we service our stores,” Fortino said.

The company plans to modernize the operations in Toronto between 2018 and 2023 by building a new fresh distribution facility and a new frozen distribution centre. The old fresh food warehouse will close and be dismantled while the frozen space will be used for non-perishable groceries.

Metro has no immediate plans to automate its six distribution centres in Quebec, including the latest built five years ago in Laval.

However, further upgrades in other Ontario centres are eventually possible, said Fortino.

“Technology changes so quickly I think you have to keep an open mind to everything.”

He said the existing Ontario network built up through a series of acquisitions no longer has the capacity and technology to meet the needs from a proliferation of products, including ones that serve ethnic communities.

Fortino said the goal is to supply stores with better on-time deliveries, offer more different types of products and use systems that keep produce fresher, while also reducing costs that hopefully can be passed on to customers.