ETOBICOKE, Ont. – When buying your fruits and vegetables at your local supermarket, do you ever wonder where exactly your produce is coming from?

Well if you’re buying your food from a smaller venue anywhere from as far west as Sarnia, east to Kingston, south to Fort Erie or north to Timmins chances are your produce was probably picked up by truck at the Ontario Food Terminal in Etobicoke.

The terminal is the largest wholesale fruit and produce distribution centre in Canada and ranks in the top five by volume in North America.

It is estimated that more than one million vehicles enter and exit the terminal each year.

There are approximately 128 closed docks to accommodate tractor trailers, seven cold storage docks, 54 open docks for both tractor trailers and medium-duty trucks as well as a buyer’s court which can handle 80 straight trucks with the capacity to park another 84 in that same area.

The site in total takes up 40 acres and is located on the Queensway between Park Lawn Road and Stephen Drive in South Etobicoke.

Independent truckers have become the primary method of transportation of produce to the terminal.

Trucks have the capacity to bring produce from Florida within 48 hours, California within 76 hours and overnight from eastern seaports.

Statistics from last year show approximately 6,250,000 pieces of produce were received equaling 840,000 tons.

– Brandi Cramer uses her love of photography to highlight a different aspect of the trucking industry each month and she can be reached at 416-442-2194.

Add_Italic