Halifax didn’t make Amazon Inc.’s short list of candidates vying for the e-commerce giant’s second North American headquarters.
Toronto is the only Canadian city on the list, which left 20 cities in the running for the $5-billion headquarters expected to hire 50,000 highly paid employees.
Mayor Mike Savage had admitted Halifax’s bid was a “dark horse” but still said Atlantic Canada’s largest city – with a robust tech sector, skilled labour force and exceptional quality of life – had a shot at winning.
READ: Halifax submits its bid for Amazon’s second North American headquarters
Despite failing to earn a spot on the short list, it’s possible Halifax’s application helped put the city on the map.
An Amazon spokesperson says the process helped inform the company about several new communities across North America it will consider as locations for future infrastructure investment and job creation.
WATCH: Declassified report on Halifax’s Amazon bid reveals city’s pitch
Amazon received 238 applications for the opportunity and says narrowing it down to 20 was very tough.
The other 19 locations it will consider are all in the U.S., and include New York City, Chicago, Los Angeles, Denver and Nashville.
Amazon says it plans to choose the location later this year after diving deeper into the proposals from its top cities.