General Motors Oshawa Assembly Plant Reopens Creating Thousands of Jobs and Boosting Economic Growth
2021-11-10
- 1,800 new jobs at Oshawa Assembly supporting thousands of additional jobs with Canadian automotive suppliers
- One of the fastest plant launches in GM history will help meet growing demand for GM pickup trucks
OSHAWA, Ont. (November 10, 2021) — Today, GM Canada announced the first Chevrolet Silverado pickup has rolled off the line at the reopened Oshawa Assembly plant. The return of truck production to Oshawa provides a significant economic boost for Canada’s automotive sector, creating 1,800 new jobs to support two shifts of production in Oshawa, and supporting thousands of additional jobs in the supplier base in Canada.
Pickups are GM’s largest and most important market segment across the continent, and the Oshawa plant will help GM meet strong demand for its leading family of pickup trucks. Oshawa Assembly has been retooled in record time to be one of the most flexible and advanced of its kind in the industry. Oshawa will begin shipping trucks to dealers in December 2021.
For high-res downloads of photos, videos, and b-roll of Oshawa Assembly, please click here.
“The reopening of Oshawa Assembly is an historic accomplishment for GM Canada and our many community partners who worked together to bring us to this very happy day,” said Scott Bell, GM Canada president and managing director. “The rapid retooling, hiring, and training needed to reach today’s start of production was an extraordinary accomplishment. We continue our work with the federal and Ontario governments toward even larger transformative investments in Canada and we are especially pleased that the first truck off the line will help GM and our Canadian dealers raise money for Sharon’s Kids, one of our favourite charities in Durham Region.”
To continue the plant’s legacy of giving back to the community, GM Canada will raffle one of its first vehicles to our dealers to benefit the Durham Children’s Aid Foundation (DCAF). This continues the legacy of Sharon Clark, a former employee of Oshawa who lost her battle with cancer in 2020. For more than 50 years, Oshawa Assembly employees have donated holiday gifts for children in need, through “Sharon’s Kids.” Since 2018, GM Canada and our employees have donated more than $500,000 to Sharon’s Kids, which is now part of DCAF.
Premier Doug Ford, said:
“Today marks an incredible milestone as the first trucks roll off the assembly line here at GM’s reopened assembly plant in Oshawa. With this plant re-opening, over 1,800 new skilled workers will find steady and important work helping to produce world class, Ontario made GM trucks. As we move forward with our plan to build Ontario, we will continue to create the conditions needed for more investment while restoring good manufacturing jobs just like these.”
The Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, said:
“The reopening of GM’s Oshawa assembly plant is great news for the city, Ontario and all of Canada. GM’s investments demonstrate clearly that our government’s policies, working alongside our partners in industry and labour, are driving historic private sector investment in Canada’s auto sector. These investments are essential to our economy and are providing good, well-paying jobs for more than 550,000 Canadians. Congratulations to the team at GM Canada for this important announcement and I look forward to continue working together to keep Canada at the forefront of automotive innovation.”
The Honourable Vic Fedeli, Ontario’s Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade, said:
“Today’s celebration is an important milestone in Ontario’s automotive history with the revitalization of a plant that has been a part of the fabric of Oshawa and Durham Region for decades. This announcement marks the resurgence of Ontario’s auto sector, which we will continue to support though Phase 2 of our Driving Prosperity Auto Plan.”
John Henry, Regional Chair, Durham Region, said:
“On behalf of Durham Region, I am thrilled to see the Oshawa Assembly reopened in record time, as one of the most flexible and advanced of its kind in the automotive sector. This is not only great news for GM Canada and involved partners, but for all of Durham Region, as the creation of thousands of jobs and boosted economic growth comes at such a crucial time. The automotive industry has been at the heart of Durham Region’s economy for more than a century. The industry’s continued support here in Durham reflects the dedication and strong foundations we all share in making this possible. I look forward to the high-quality products that come off the line at this plant, and can’t wait to see the positive effects that cascade throughout the region as a result.”
Dan Carter, Mayor of Oshawa, said:
“We’re excited to celebrate the re-start of the Oshawa truck plant that is bringing quality jobs to our great city and building upon Oshawa’s rich automotive history. Today, we celebrate a bright future for our community and for the automotive sector in Ontario and Canada. We thank GM Canada for believing and investing in Oshawa’s productive, innovative and high-quality workforce.”
Jerry Dias, Unifor National President, said:
“The return of vehicle assembly to the Oshawa plant is unprecedented in our history. It is an achievement owed to the resiliency and dedication of Unifor members. Seeing the first of many trucks roll off the newly re-opened Oshawa assembly line was a proud moment for everyone who fought shoulder to shoulder for these jobs. The auto industry has and will continue to be the bedrock of Oshawa and Durham region’s economy.”
General Motors of Canada is headquartered in Oshawa, Ontario and is part of a global company that is committed to delivering safer, better and more sustainable ways for people to get around. In Canada, General Motors markets Chevrolet, Buick, GMC and Cadillac vehicles through our strong Canadian network of dealers, as well as OnStar services. More information can be found at www.gm.ca or by following @GMCanada on Twitter and Instagram.
À propos de General Motors du Canada
General Motors du Canada, dont le siège social est situé à Oshawa, en Ontario, fait partie d’une entreprise mondiale qui s’engage à offrir aux gens des solutions de transport plus sécuritaires, plus efficaces et plus écologiques. Au Canada, General Motors distribue les véhicules Chevrolet, Buick, GMC et Cadillac par l’intermédiaire de son solide réseau de concessionnaires du Canada, en plus d’offrir les services OnStar. Pour en savoir plus sur GM Canada, visitez le www.gm.ca ou abonnez-vous à @GMCanada sur Twitter et Instagram.