MISSISSAUGA, Ont. — UPS will be adding six new locations in Atlantic Canada, with cities in each of the four Atlantic provinces.

UPS announced in November a network expansion into Moncton and Halifax beginning in April. That will be followed during the second half of 2012 with the extension of UPS pickup and delivery services for customers in Saint John and Fredericton, N.B.; Sydney and New Glasgow, N.S.; Charlottetown, P.E.I.; and St. John’s, Nfld.

Veteran UPS employee and Halifax-born Shelley Gares will take responsibility of Atlantic Canada operations. Gares began her career with UPS in 1988 in Manitoba and made the move back East in 2005 to take the lead of customs brokerage in Fredericton.

“Everyone who leaves Atlantic Canada longs for the day when they can go back home. When UPS gave me the opportunity, I jumped on the offer,” says Gares. “Six years later I’m helping to introduce UPS to the unyielding community spirit and the hard-working citizens of the East Coast. I can’t wait to see Brown package cars driving in each of the Atlantic provinces!”

The broadened expansion represents a multi-million dollar investment and approximately 250 new UPS jobs in Atlantic Canada. It is part of a broader UPS network expansion across Canada that has seen more than $215 million invested since 2005.

“This is a very exciting year for us. Adding six more cities to our expansion signifies the potential for growth we see in the Atlantic provinces,” said Mike Tierney, president of UPS Canada. “We continuously evaluate ways to leverage our superior service, technology and reliable brand within Canada and around the globe. Atlantic Canada is the next logical step for our customers and for our business.”