Wednesday, April 9, 2025 | COLWOOD, BC [Posted at 2 pm | Updated April 10, 2025]
by Mary P Brooke | Island Social Trends
BC Transit’s new Provincial Distribution Centre was officially opened in Colwood today.
It is located at 650 Allandale Road in the Wildcat Industrial Complex off Veterans Memorial Parkway near Sooke Road (Highway 14).
Remarks were delivered in the warehouse by Parliamentary Secretary for Transit George Anderson (MLA for Nanaimo-Lantzville) as well as BC Transit President and CEO, Erinn Pinkerton, and Victoria Regional Transit Commission Chair and Central Saanich Mayor Ryan Windsor.
The formal presentation portion was emceed by Aaron Lamb, BC Transit Vice President, Asset Management and Chief Sustainability Officer.
There was a simple ribbon cutting moment with large ceremonial scissors.
City of Colwood Mayor Doug Kobayashi attended, as did City of Langford Councillor Mary Wagner.
No federal candidates were in attendance at today’s event. The new transit sector facility is located within Esquimalt-Saanich-Sooke which covers a large area of Greater Victoria.
Big modern facility:
The large warehouse facility at Unit 201 in Building C at 650 Allandale Road has nearly 30,000 square feet of space for storing and organizing parts that are required to manage the current and expanding BC Transit bus fleet.
Parts being there in storage will help mitigate supply chain issues and help BC Transit keep buses on the road for people getting to school, work and medical appointments.
BC Transit expects to achieve cost efficiencies by having the necessary resources on hand to expand and enhance their services across BC.
Just in Time shift:
This is a significant shift in supply management philosophy, from ‘just in time’ on a broad scale from suppliers anywhere, to shifting their ‘just in time’ in-house for the assurance that provides.
Warehousing and inventory management has a significant overhead cost, but BC Transit and three levels of government have supported the shift, oddly enough ‘just in the time’ for the major economic disruptions that are now happening as a result of the US tariff trade war.
Colwood’s idea:
The City of Colwood had first approached BC Transit about the possible location within what is now a fast-filling industrial park with offices and warehouse spaces.
Efficient & cost-effective:
The centralized location of parts and supplies will help BC Transit to keep buses in good reliable order. It’s about efficiency, cost-effectiveness in ordering large quantities, and providing reliable service to transit users.
Sometimes parts that might become obsolete for older buses can be sourced and then stored at the centralized new facility instead of in various sea cans around the region and the province.
Items that are ordered from the distribution centre that are needed at various locations around the province will be delivered by third-party courier or delivery services.
Warehouse Management System:
A new Warehouse Management System will be implemented, making it faster and easier for employees to locate, prepare and ensure a timely delivery of parts to all 58 BC Transit systems around the province.
This innovative technology will help the warehouse team be more cost-efficient by grouping multiple orders to consolidate shipping across the province.
Innovative technology:
The larger warehouse will be the central hub for storing and distributing parts for various initiatives including innovative technology like Umo, NextRide, CCTV and future electric buses.
Funding for electric buses ($79 million for 75 buses) was announced by then-Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and the late former Premier John Horgan in Victoria in July 2019.
Funding:
The BC Transit Provincial Distribution Centre is funded through the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program.
The total project combined investment is $20.6 million.
The Government of Canada invested $2,029,483 in infrastructure upgrades. The Government of BC invested $8,445,960 and local governments invested $10,194,951.
Other development at Allandale:
Also in the Allandale development at the corner of Veterans Memorial Parkway and Sooke Road is a large-scale car wash, still under construction.
On the other side of VMP is another industrial complex, fronted by a streetside McDonalds restaurant.
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