U-Haul Takes Green Approach to New Storage Facility in Gatineau

GATINEAU, Que. (March 8, 2022) — U-Haul® is sharing its plans for reusing the former protein packaging plant at 60 Rue Jean-Proulx, which is set to become a full-service retail, moving and self-storage facility.

U-Haul De Hull-Déménagement Et Entreposage is already serving customers from a temporary showroom while offering truck and trailer sharing, boxes and moving supplies, and U-Box® portable storage containers.

Adaptive reuse of the property, acquired on Dec. 21, will transform the 73,929-square-foot warehouse into three floors of indoor climate-controlled self-storage units with high-tech security features at affordable price points. Storage units should be available for rent by the end of 2022.

A new retail showroom will feature bike racks, hitch accessories and more. Professional hitch installation and propane will also be available on the 7.8-acre property in the near future.

“The location is in Hull, the central and oldest part of Gatineau. It’s right across the bridge from Ottawa and will allow us to serve a large cross-section of the community, including students and government workers,” said Jake Spelic, U-Haul Area District Vice President of Eastern Canada. “We are pleased to bring our high-quality products and services to Hull, Gatineau and Aylmer residents while giving an existing building a new purpose.”

Contact U-Haul De Hull-Déménagement Et Entreposage at (819) 777-2572 or stop by to see our progress. Hours of operation are 8 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday-Saturday and 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday. Reserve equipment at uhaul.com or contact Reservations at 1-800-GO-UHAUL.

Acquisition of the property was driven by U-Haul Corporate Sustainability initiatives: U-Haul supports infill developments to help local communities lower their carbon footprint. The adaptive reuse of existing buildings reduces the amount of energy and resources required for new-building materials and helps cities reduce their unwanted inventory of unused buildings. About 70% of all U-Haul-owned and -operated stores are adaptive reuse projects.

Spelic plans to hire at least 10 Team Members to staff the new facility. U-Haul will look to hire locally to promote job growth within the Hull and Gatineau communities. U-Haul, honored as a “Best for Vets 2020” leading veteran-friendly employer by The Military Times, actively recruits veterans and gives them preference in the hiring process. Find U-Haul careers at uhauljobs.com.

“This particular site was attractive to U-Haul because we can create a beautiful self-storage facility without the environmental impact of building a new facility from the ground up,” Spelic added. “We are a business anchor in this region. By renovating this large warehouse space, we’ll be meeting the self-storage demands of a multiple growing communities.”

While the property is being renovated, U-Haul dealers in and around Gatineau are available to serve DIY movers. U-Haul has partnered with independent dealers to offer rental equipment since 1945. During these challenging times for small businesses, more than 21,000 dealers across the U.S. and Canada are generating supplemental income through their U-Haul partnership. When customers rent from U-Haul dealers, they are directly supporting small businesses in their community. Because no financial investment is required, dealers are not U-Haul franchises. They are simply small businesses committing their lot space for U-Haul equipment and their time to meet the mobility needs of customers. Learn more about how to partner with U-Haul by visiting uhaul.com/dealer.

As an essential service provider, U-Haul continues to serve communities during the COVID-19 recovery while offering contactless business programs and enhanced cleaning protocols, including added steps for sanitizing equipment between customer transactions. U-Haul products are used daily by First Responders; delivery companies bringing needed supplies to people’s homes; small businesses trying to remain afloat; college students; and many other dependent groups, in addition to the do-it-yourself household mover.

About U-HAUL 

Since 1945, U-Haul has been the No. 1 choice of do-it-yourself movers, with a network of more than 23,000 locations across all 50 states and 10 Canadian provinces. U-Haul Truck Share 24/7 offers secure access to U-Haul trucks every hour of every day through the customer dispatch option on their smartphones and our proprietary Live Verify technology. Our customers' patronage has enabled the U-Haul fleet to grow to approximately 176,000 trucks, 126,000 trailers and 46,000 towing devices. U-Haul offers nearly 825,000 rentable storage units and 71.6 million square feet of self-storage space at owned and managed facilities throughout North America. U-Haul is the largest retailer of propane in the U.S., and continues to be the largest installer of permanent trailer hitches in the automotive aftermarket industry. U-Haul has been recognized repeatedly as a leading “Best for Vets” employer and was recently named one of the 15 Healthiest Workplaces in America.

Contact:

Andrea Batchelor

Jeff Lockridge

E-mail: publicrelations@uhaul.com

Phone: 602-263-6981

Website: uhaul.com