Jerry Dias, the ‘$5-billion’ blue-collar man
Joe O’Connor, The Financial Post November 30th, 2020 Dias may have commandeered the spotlight — Flavio Volpe, president of the Automotive Parts Manufacturers’ Association, a national trade association, describes his ability to dominate the daily news cycle as his “secret sauce” — but behind the scenes, General Motors of Canada president Scott Bell had command […]
Canada’s federal government seems to have woken up to auto’s importance
Kelly Taylor, Automotive News Canada November 30th, 2020 A year after Justin Trudeau’s Liberals returned to power with a minority government, Canada’s automotive sector would appear to be giving Ottawa a passing grade for an aggressive approach to a sector too often left to fend for itself. “There’s no question, we’ve always been critical of […]
GM to reopen Oshawa assembly plant; as many as 2,300 workers to be employed
Eric Atkins, The Globe and Mail November 5th, 2020 General Motors Co. will reopen its vehicle assembly plant in Oshawa, Ont., to meet rising demand for pickup trucks, spending as much as $1.3-billion to retool the factory it closed last year. The first vehicles, GM’s best-selling GMC Sierras and Chevrolet Silverado pickup trucks, will roll […]
How Canadian suppliers could benefit from GM-Honda partnership
Paul Brent, Automotive News Canada October 22, 2020 The tentative alliance between General Motors and Honda to co-develop vehicles built on shared platforms in North America could be a major boon for Canada’s parts suppliers, particularly those that adopt a similar collaborative approach, say industry executives. Partnerships are already well established among companies stretching from […]
Hon. Navdeep Bains: Mining Gives Canada a Competitive Advantage in Electric Vehicle Market
Navdeep Bains, Policy Options September 17, 2020 Canada is already on the leading edge of research into zero-emission vehicles. Our natural resources, used in ZEV batteries, give us another leg up. For decades, Canada’s auto industry has relied on what I would call a “people advantage.” Canadian workers made better quality, innovative vehicles and, as […]
Canadian auto parts makers team up to build ventilators with three companies
Magna, Linamar and Martinrea reach agreement with the province Emily Jackson, Financial Post March 27, 2020 Three of Canada’s largest auto parts manufacturers, the Automotive Parts Manufacturers Association and the province of Ontario have agreed to focus much of their ventilator building efforts on three projects. Auto parts manufacturers have been working with government officials […]
Ontario offers $14M to auto industry to pay for apprentices
Greg Layson, Automotive News Canada January 28, 2020 The Government of Ontario is giving the auto industry $14 million to pay for apprentices and work placements for postsecondary students and recent graduates. The funding, announced today at Cavalier Tool and Manufacturing in Windsor, Ont., will provide up to 4,000 work paid placements, each between four […]
GM’s first all-electric vehicle plant in Detroit will have Canadian spillover benefits
DAVE WADDELL, WINDSOR STAR January 27, 2020 General Motors’ announcement Monday that it will invest US$3 billion to create its first all-electric production plant in Hamtramck, Mich., has Canadian automotive analysts and officials calling Southwestern Ontario the “sweet spot” for a piece of the industry’s future. The automaker will spend US$2.2 billion over 18 months […]
Parts makers plan all-Canadian zero-emissions concept vehicle
Greg Layson, Automotive News Canada January 8, 2020 Canadian auto suppliers aim to build and unveil by 2022 a zero-emissions concept car made entirely of parts and software sourced at home. Project Arrow is intended to highlight Canadian auto ingenuity, engineering, design and manufacturing. Flavio Volpe, president of the Automotive Parts Manufacturers’ Association, said the […]
How Canada is quietly retooling its auto industry
ROB BOSTELAAR, Automotive News Canada December 20, 2019 Factory closures and job cuts get the headlines, but technology is driving an evolution of Canada’s auto sector as employers compete for highly skilled workers to support expanding research-and-development efforts into the car of the future. “We are interviewing every day,” said Sara LeBlanc, director of General […]
