Oshawa’s Mayor thrilled with new lease on life for GM plant
Posted October 17, 2013 2:16 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
OSHAWA, Ont. – The Mayor of Oshawa says a new lease on life for one of two General Motors plants in the city is good news for his city and surrounding areas.
GM announced, Thursday, it will keep the facility open two years longer than expected, in order to meet projected demand of the Chevrolet Impala and Equinox.
The move saves about 700 jobs and will keep the plant open until 2016, after originally being expected to close next summer.
Mayor John Henry told 680News he wasn’t expecting the extension, and it comes at an interesting time.
“Next week, the Mayors of the auto caucus are getting together in Oakville, so this is a great news story for the economy of Oshawa and ultimately the economy of the entire country,” he said.
Henry says it’s one of two positive steps from GM in less than two days. On Wednesday, it was announced that the Impala sedan – a flex vehicle – would be built in Oshawa.
“It will be assembled here and finished in the States,” he said. “That’s another amazing story.”
“Our car builders – the autoworkers in these plants – live everywhere, and they contribute and spend money throughout Ontario, and it’s good for the economy of all our municipalities.”
The two Oshawa plants employ about 3,500 people.
