Loblaw to Install Canada's Largest Rooftop Solar System Français
BRAMPTON, ON, July 29, 2025 /CNW/ - Loblaw Companies Limited is taking a powerful step towards expanding its renewable energy ambitions, with the planned installation of Canada's largest rooftop solar system at its East Gwillimbury Distribution Centre in Ontario. The 7.5 MW installation will cover approximately 435,000 square feet of roof space – equivalent to the size of more than seven football fields – and generate over 8,500,000 kWh annually of clean on-site power. This installation is targeted to generate up to 25 per cent of the total electricity consumed at the Distribution Centre (DC).
"From the moment we began construction on our East Gwillimbury Distribution Centre, we knew we needed to take full advantage of the rooftop space to generate clean, renewable energy for the facility," explained Tom Marson, VP, Building Technology & Energy, Loblaw Companies Limited. "This solar installation will work alongside several other sustainable features at the DC, including fully-electric shunt trucks, and advanced building energy management systems."
"This installation clearly demonstrates our commitment to taking decisive action as we work to achieve net-zero Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions by 2040 for our enterprise operating footprint," added Marson.
Loblaw will partner again with Great Circle Solar, a leader in Canadian renewable energy, to develop, own and operate this system. The two companies have worked together since 2012 to achieve a growing number of distributed energy solutions, including rooftop solar energy, at over 90 projects at our facilities and communities across Canada.
"This marque project will be operational in 2026. It is by far the largest of its kind ever contracted in Canada and one of the largest on a single rooftop in North America. It marks a significant milestone in our important partnership with Loblaw," said Clarke Herring, President, Great Circle Solar. "For over a decade, we've worked side by side to bring renewable energy solutions to communities across Canada. Loblaw's continued leadership and long-term commitment to clean renewable energy is consistent and evident."
For nearly two decades, Loblaw has remained committed to fighting climate change. In 2024, the company achieved a 16% reduction in Scope 1 and Scope 2 greenhouse gas emissions (vs. 2020 baseline) and invested over $40 million in more than 500 carbon reduction projects.
To learn more about these initiatives and others like them, please visit loblaw.ca/responsibility and download a copy of the Loblaw Companies 2024 Live Life Well ® Report.
About Loblaw Companies Limited
Loblaw is Canada's food and pharmacy leader, and the nation's largest retailer. Loblaw provides Canadians with grocery, pharmacy, and healthcare services, other health and beauty products, apparel, general merchandise, financial services and wireless mobile products and services. With more than 2,800 locations, Loblaw, its franchisees and Associate-owners employ more than 220,000 full- and part-time employees, making it one of Canada's largest private sector employers.
Loblaw's purpose – Live Life Well ® – puts first the needs and well-being of Canadians who make one billion transactions annually in the company's stores. Loblaw is positioned to meet and exceed those needs in many ways: convenient locations; more than 1,100 grocery stores that span the value spectrum from discount to specialty; full-service pharmacies at nearly 1,400 Shoppers Drug Mart ® and Pharmaprix ® locations and in close to 500 grocery stores; PC Financial ® services; Joe Fresh ® fashion and family apparel; and four of Canada's top-consumer brands in Life Brand ®, Farmer's Market ™, no name ® and President's Choice ®. For more information, visit Loblaw's website at www.loblaw.ca
About Great Circle Solar
Founded in 2011, Great Circle Solar manages approximately $3 billion in operational solar assets in North America, including one of the largest independently managed portfolios of commercial rooftop solar assets.
GCS is active in the full life cycle of solar asset creation, operation and return realization. We partner with load customers, real estate portfolios owners and institutional investors to bring on-site distributed energy and renewable energy to life.
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Toronto Sun
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- Toronto Sun
GUNTER: Trudeau cost Canada a chance to get into global LNG game — Trump and U.S. are reaping the benefit
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Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account Boy, those American and European trade negotiators must be dunces. Don't they know that three years ago, then-German Chancellor Olaf Scholz made a special trip to Canada to ask our government to sell tens of billions in LNG to his country? Our economic genius of a prime minister, Justin Trudeau rejected Scholz's request because 'there is no business case' for selling LNG to Europe. 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Vancouver Sun
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Ottawa Citizen
3 hours ago
- Ottawa Citizen
'Leave the oil in the ground': Same debates, different country
Article content It's different in Guyana, Selwin reports: 'Where you have strong economic interests, that will prevail.' Between Exxon and Chevron, American companies 'now control the majority of Guyana's oil output … so it's heavily in the interest of the U.S. to protect their economic interests.' Article content (Exxon, operator and owner of 45 per cent of Guyana's Stabroek block, forecasts its output there to nearly double to 1.3 million bpd by the end of 2027. And Chevron now owns 30 per cent of the block.) Article content There's no denying Canada is economically tied to America's hip, yet this conversation with Selwin is a reminder of the choices Canada retains. Article content Foreign companies do invest in Canada's extractive sectors, but domestic ownership remains strong and influential. And while Canadians are struggling to define First Nations treaty rights within Confederation, we don't have another nation actually challenging our sovereignty. Venezuela is actively disputing Guyana's control over the Essequibo region, territory that makes up two-thirds of Guyana's landmass and includes oil and other resources. Article content Article content Selwin has thought deeply about the issues that bubble in nation-building endeavours and he's savvy enough to know what's negotiable. Right now, he's especially focused on one question: Who benefits from Guyana's resource windfall? Article content After the first significant oil discovery in offshore Guyana was made by ExxonMobil, Selwin argued his country should adopt something similar to the Alaska sovereign wealth fund model. Article content 'I believe it is critical that the public remains vigilant,' Selwin wrote then in a Guyanese newspaper, 'and so I urge that we go the path of Alaska by adopting a model of dividends for all. The introduction of the Alaska model of paying dividends to every Alaskan from their oil and gas resources would work wonders to strengthen the good governance model and ensure an engaged populace.' Article content Article content How many Canadians know oilsands projects contribute roughly 3 per cent of our country's total GDP? How many Canadians understand the mechanics of equalization payments, how wealth is transferred from have to have-not provinces to ensure non-renewable resource bounty is shared? Article content Ultimately, a sovereign wealth fund was created in Guyana but, Selwin reports, the funds have largely been squandered. He did the math at the end of 2024, to see what the outcome could have been if the government of Guyana had heeded his advice. (He's a former investment banker, so his calculations are credible.) The fund would likely have grown to roughly $1.5 billion, he estimates, the equivalent of US$50,000 to $60,000 for every Guyanese citizen, and would continue to grow quickly, he adds. Article content Selwin is encouraging leaders in Guyana to focus not just on the building of physical infrastructure, but on the building of a culture of productivity in the country as well. Article content What's that, I ask. 'That's culture where it's not just about the pay,' he says, it's culture that 'respects the dignity of being productive.'
