Minister Clement Welcomes the News that GM is Expanding Production

Ottawa, March 26, 2010—Today, Industry Minister Tony Clement issued the following statement welcoming the news that General Motors of Canada Limited (GM Canada) is expanding production at its plant in Oshawa, Ontario, adding a third shift that will bring back over 600 workers:

"As a major partner in the restructuring of the automotive industry over the last year, the Government of Canada welcomes this announcement. I would like to congratulate GM Canada because this is a good day for those 600 men and women who get to go back to work, and it signals that the recovery of the automotive industry is gaining momentum.

"The Government of Canada remains strongly committed to preserving Canada's share of North American production in the highly integrated automotive market. In 2009, the auto industry directly employed more than 109 000 Canadians as well as another 333 000 indirectly. It is Canada's largest manufacturing sector, representing 10 percent of manufacturing output and 11 percent of manufactured exports."

GM Canada's plans allow the company to ramp up production of both the Chevrolet Equinox and the GMC Terrain. Six hundred workers will be brought back at GM's Oshawa plant, while it is predicted that another 70 related jobs will be created at GM's CAMI Automotive plant by August 2010.

For further information (media only), please contact:

Lynn Meahan
Press Secretary
Office of the Honourable Tony Clement
Minister of Industry
613-995-9001

Media Relations
Industry Canada
613-943-2502