Ford, Joly call on Stellantis to make new model at Brampton plant after automaker signals potential sale

Ford, Joly call on Stellantis to make new model at Brampton plant after automaker signals potential sale

Stellantis signed memorandum of understanding with armoured vehicle maker Roshel on potential sale last week

Ontario Premier Doug Ford and federal Industry Minister Mélanie Joly are calling on Stellantis to produce a new model at its idled Brampton, Ont., assembly plant after the automaker said it signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on its potential sale.

Stellantis announced last Friday that it signed an MOU with Canadian armoured vehicle maker Roshel on a potential sale of its Brampton plant.

Speaking to reporters at an unrelated news conference in Toronto Wednesday, Joly said Canadian workers will be protected with "any potential sale of the plant to any other company," but she's been clear that the federal government is pushing for more from the automaker.

"We want a new model from Stellantis at the Stellantis plant and we'll put maximum pressure to make that happen, and if they don't, we'll get our money back," she said.

Stellantis signs MOU with Canadian armoured vehicle maker on potential sale of Brampton, Ont., plant

Ford said he agreed with Joly's calls.

"We need a model, a new model, to go in there. We have some of the best auto workers in the entire world," Ford said.

Stellantis employs over 11,000 employees in Ontario, and the province wants to "continue building on that," he said.

CBC News has reached out to Stellantis for comment.

Feds putting 'maximum pressure' on Stellantis over Brampton plant sale: Joly

Ottawa had threatened automaker over commitments

Stellantis' Brampton plant has been idle since 2023, initially in order to be retooled for Jeep Compass production before the company paused the plan in early 2025. It later announced it was moving production of the vehicle model to the U.S instead.

The automaker's decision to move Jeep Compass production south of the border drew a harsh response from the federal government, which threatened legal action if Stellantis didn't honour commitments it had signed an agreement on with the federal and provincial governments.

Those commitments included fulfilling a production mandate at the Brampton plant in return for a $15-billion performance incentive from Ottawa and Ontario.

Stellantis moves Jeep production from Canada to the U.S.

The future of the assembly plant, given the recent MOU with Roshel on its potential sale, has drawn concerns from Unifor, the union representing workers at the plant.

The current collective agreement between the automaker and union is set to expire Sept. 20 at 11:59 p.m., and talks are currently at an impasse, according to a letter sent by Unifor National President Lana Payne to Joly.

The letter, dated Wednesday, said a potential sale of the plant would impact more than 2,000 workers.

"It is incumbent on the federal government to do everything possible to prevent this outcome," Payne's letter said.

"The Stellantis proposal to sell the plant to a non-automaker never should have been considered in the first place and should be met with fierce resistance from the federal government."

Confidential contract between feds, Stellantis reveals Brampton factory and worker terms

Feds gave Stellantis more than $220M before Brampton decision, records show

Alina Snisarenko is a Toronto-based journalist. She currently works as a digital writer for CBC Toronto and has previously worked as an associate producer with CBC Radio's Metro Morning. You can reach her with story ideas or tips at alina.snisarenko@cbc.ca.

With files from Meagan Fitzpatrick, Emma Loop, and Sammy Hudes of The Canadian Press