Ontario Premier Doug Ford and federal Industry Minister Mélanie Joly are urging Stellantis to introduce a new model at its dormant Brampton, Ontario assembly plant following the automaker’s announcement of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) for a potential sale.
Stellantis disclosed last Friday that it had entered an MOU with Canadian armored vehicle manufacturer Roshel regarding the possible sale of its Brampton facility. Minister Joly emphasized during a press briefing in Toronto that Canadian workers’ interests will be safeguarded in any potential plant sale to another entity, but she emphasized the government’s expectations for additional commitments from the automaker.
“We are advocating for a new model from Stellantis to be manufactured at the Brampton plant, and we are prepared to apply maximum pressure to achieve this goal. If they fail to comply, restitution will be pursued,” Joly stated.
Ford echoed Joly’s sentiments, emphasizing the need for a new model at the plant. “We possess some of the most skilled auto workers globally,” Ford remarked. Stellantis currently employs over 11,000 individuals in Ontario, and the province aims to further bolster this workforce.
Stellantis’ Brampton plant has been inactive since 2023, originally scheduled for retooling to produce Jeep Compass models before the company paused the plan in early 2025 and subsequently relocated production to the United States. The decision to shift production drew strong criticism from the federal government, which threatened legal action if Stellantis failed to honor commitments made with federal and provincial governments, including meeting production targets at the Brampton facility in exchange for a $15 billion performance incentive.
The prospective sale of the assembly plant following the recent MOU with Roshel has raised concerns among Unifor, the union representing plant workers. Talks between the automaker and union are at a standstill as the current collective agreement approaches its expiration on September 20. Unifor National President Lana Payne highlighted in a letter to Joly that more than 2,000 workers could be impacted by a potential sale, urging the federal government to intervene and prevent such an outcome.
Payne’s letter emphasized opposition to Stellantis’ proposal to sell the plant to a non-automaker and urged strong resistance from the federal government.