NEWS RELEASE
ONTARIO AUTO MAYORS CAUCUS
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The Ontario Auto Mayors thanks Canadian automakers, as well as Premier Doug Ford and the Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade, Vic Fedeli, for recognizing the importance of the auto sector and planning for the future.
'Driving Prosperity' Ontario’s auto manufacturing policy long sought by the Auto Mayors was the key to the unprecedented boost to the Canadian auto industry achieved this year by the Big Three automakers.
“On behalf of the Ontario Auto Mayors, I want to recognize and thank Ford, Fiat Chrysler, General Motors, Honda, Toyota, Federal and Provincial governments for the significant financial investments this year in the auto industry in Ontario,” said Mayor Rob Burton, Chair of the Ontario Auto Mayors. “I would also like to give a special thanks to Jerry Dias and everyone at Unifor for their hard work on behalf of auto workers and Canada’s auto sector.”
The Auto Mayors strongly advocated for a provincial plan to strengthen the competitiveness and innovation of our automotive industry. Under its Driving Prosperity: The Future of Ontario’s Automotive Sector, the Government of Ontario delivered a 10‐ year vision for how the industry, the research-and-education sector, and all three levels of government can work together to strengthen the sector’s competitiveness. Driving Prosperity led to the historic investments in the auto industry in Ontario.
The recent investments in the auto sector ensure that the province will continue to lead North America and the world in automotive manufacturing and innovation, while boosting Ontario’s competitiveness in this key sector. In order to keep Ontario as one of the top auto-producing and exporting regions in North America, continued investment and the implementation of innovative policy solutions are necessary. This will be the focus of the Auto Mayors’ 2021 action plan, which will be drafted based on today’s discussions and feedback.
“We know that advanced auto-manufacturing creates good jobs and strong communities, and we cannot stop with these recent investments. The Ontario AutoMayors are committed to working together and will continue to advocate on key issues within the automotive sector. We look forward to our next meeting with the Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, Navdeep Bains and working with the Federal government toward an all-Canadian electric vehicle supply chain from mining to battery manufacturing,” concluded Mayor Burton.
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