Located on the outskirts of Toronto, the Ontario Food Terminal (OFT) has provided the marketplace for fresh fruit and vegetable trade since 1954. The Ontario Food Terminal property spans a size equivalent to approximately 40 football fields and is the third largest North American wholesale produce market behind markets in New York and Los Angeles. Following the OFT Board evaluation of the entire site and buildings, a plan was developed to address the aging facility. Part of the improvement plan to modernize the facility incorporated the use of galvanized structural steel. Phase II included the addition of 82 covered loading bays to be used in moving part of the 2 billion pounds of fresh produce flowing through the food terminal annually.

Norak Steel Construction Ltd. was chosen to fabricate a loading corridor canopy. The project required 117 tons of galvanized steel and included columns, purlins, canopy frames and structural anchors. The new construction links the farmer market stalls to the loading bays and provides covered protection from rain, snow and the sun. Galvanizing was chosen to protect the steel from corrosion and to protect food from the steel. The clean look of the galvanized canopy structure fits nicely within the food industry application. The initial upfront and long-term coating cost of expansion was a major factor as the operation & maintenance of the Terminal rely solely on the revenues generated within the facility. The warehousing and transportation activity at the Ontario Food Terminal called on the durable, self-sacrificial merits of galvanizing to minimize maintenance cost over time.

The Ontario Food Terminal provides a central location for Ontario growers and shippers and is open for deliveries 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The terminal has over 5,000 registered buyers and facilitates trade in Ontario as well as other provinces and regions within the United States. It is anticipated that the location of the Terminal will remain relevant for many years and is strengthened by the fact that many tenants have  placed warehouse facilities near the Ontario Food Terminal. Connection tie-ins were included in the canopy frame design for future expansion. The majority of daily trade takes place in the early morning hours before the heat of the day and allows shippers the opportunity to avoid high traffic congestion when delivering product to retail markets. The Ontario Food Terminal operation schedule fit with the project installation that took place while the Ontario Food Terminal remained fully functionala welcomed occurrence in structural galvanizing expansion projects!