Southwestern Ontario's auto sector — long the backbone of the London region's economy, and the employer for tens of thousands of workers for decades — is under attack.
Hit by U.S. President Donald Trump's tariffs and weaker-than-expected demand for electric vehicles, the long-thriving industry is facing unprecedented headwinds amid job cuts, factory shutdowns and a future that's uncertain.
While far from gone, the question is clear: What does the future hold for auto workers in Southwestern Ontario, and the local economy that has long relied so heavily on them?
LFP reporter Norman De Bono has covered the auto industry for decades, and has paid particularly close attention in recent years. He broke the story in 2021 that Cami, the General Motors plant in Ingersoll, was going all-electric, and he's been digging in again as GM pulled the plug on its EV van and shuttered the plant.
“GM reneged on their commitment," Brent Tree, who leads the union at Cami, recently told De Bono in an interview. "We put $500 million of taxpayers’ money into (retooling) Cami and Oshawa and we expect more than them shutting the doors.”
Join us at noon on Thursday, Oct. 30 at lfpress.com and Norman will answer your questions in the comment section. Will Cami reopen? What does all this mean for parts suppliers? Is the Volkswagen electric-vehicle battery plant in St. Thomas affected? Is a future without auto jobs a real possibility for the London region?
You'll need to register to participate. Don't miss the chance to have your questions answered — we'll see you on Thursday.
