Prime Minister Mark Carney expressed that the decision by automaker Stellantis to close its facility in Brampton, Ontario, represents a betrayal to the nation and its citizens.
“The condition at the Brampton facility is intolerable,” Carney stated during a press conference in Montreal on Tuesday.
“This action breaches the commitments Stellantis made under various agreements. More fundamentally, it is a betrayal not only to the workers but also to Canada and, by extension, to all Canadians.”
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre criticized the Liberal government for its inability to avert the shutdown and urged Carney to dismiss Industry Minister Mélanie Joly due to her management of the situation.
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre addressing the media during a press conference on Tuesday near the Stellantis assembly facility. (Arlyn McAdorey/The Canadian Press)
“The Liberal approach has failed to safeguard jobs, from Stellantis to Stelco,” Poilievre remarked outside the halted auto assembly facility in Brampton earlier on Tuesday. “In both instances, the Liberals assured that they would restore the jobs.”
“Today, the Official Opposition demands that the Liberal prime minister dismiss his ineffective, expensive, job-destroying industry minister.”
Stelco, now owned by Cleveland-Cliffs, the American firm that announced in September its intention to lay off hundreds of steelworkers in Ontario, had previously assured to maintain the unionized workforce at 2024 levels for three additional years.
Both Canadian steel and automotive sectors are affected by tariffs imposed by former U.S. President Donald Trump.
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre is calling for the dismissal of Industry Minister Mélanie Joly, criticizing her management of Ontario’s struggling steel and automotive industries, asserting that the Liberal strategy has failed to protect jobs.
While standing alongside Joly, Carney defended her by stating that she is performing “an outstanding job under very challenging conditions,” and assured that she will continue to “advocate for these workers.”
“The problem lies not with the commendable work of Minister of Industry Joly and her team, but with the company’s actions towards its employees,” Carney expressed.
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Roshel to acquire Stellantis assembly plant in Brampton for undisclosed sum, automaker states
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Stellantis establishes MOU with Canadian armored vehicle manufacturer regarding potential sale of Brampton, Ont., facility
Joly mentioned that her office has been in discussions with Stellantis and Unifor, the union representing the Brampton plant’s workers, for over a year in an attempt to reach an agreement, but to no avail.
“Stellantis has chosen to proceed with violating its contract, which is why we will … utilize the full extent of the law to ensure we protect jobs and restore justice for these workers,” she stated.
Prime Minister Mark Carney stated that the situation with Stellantis is ‘intolerable’ as the assembly plant in Brampton, Ont., is set to be sold to a Canadian armored vehicle manufacturer. He emphasized, ‘We will fully enforce our rights’ in protecting workers and Canadian resources, although he did not provide specific details.
In a 2022 agreement announced by the Trudeau government, Ottawa committed to investing up to $529 million in Stellantis facilities in Brampton and Windsor, Ontario, to assist with retooling for increased production of electric and gasoline vehicles.
The agreement prohibited Stellantis from closing its assembly plant in Brampton prior to 2035 unless faced with circumstances beyond the automaker’s “reasonable control” that rendered the facility “commercially unviable.”
In 2023, over 2,000 employees were laid off from the Brampton plant when operations ceased to upgrade the facility for the Jeep Compass.
However, Stellantis halted the retooling project in early 2025, announcing in October of that year that the Jeep Compass production would take place at the Belvidere Assembly Plant in Illinois instead.
The future of the Brampton plant remained uncertain until Monday when Stellantis declared its intention to sell the facility to Canadian armored vehicle manufacturer Roshel Inc. in a transaction that could involve Stellantis leasing back some of the property.
Feds allocated $222M to Stellantis
In a press release, Roshel CEO Roman Shimonov mentioned that his company aims to transform the Brampton plant into “a new center of excellence for advanced manufacturing.” However, in a conversation with CBC News on Monday evening, he did not guarantee the reinstatement of Stellantis employees.
“We’re not assuming any responsibilities or obligations that Stellantis had in the past,” he stated during an interview on Hanomansing Tonight.
The prime minister affirmed that his administration plans to “fully enforce our rights to protect those workers and safeguard Canadian funds.”
Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown expressed to CBC News his desire for a united Team Canada approach to counter Trump’s efforts to undermine Canada’s automotive industry.
“If we permit Stellantis to exit without consequence and disregard its legal responsibilities, this will not be the last automotive plant to close in Canada,” Brown warned. “This is truly the frontline in the defense of auto jobs.”
Joly is set to convene a meeting with all stakeholders in Toronto on Thursday to seek a resolution for the displaced Stellantis workers.
Industry Minister Mélanie Joly indicates she will convene stakeholders to discuss Stellantis, which aims to sell an idle assembly plant to an armored vehicle company. Joly, who is facing calls for her dismissal from Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre, vowed to protect workers, stating, ‘patience has its limits.’
Last December, CBC News confirmed that the federal government allocated $222 million to the Canadian division of Stellantis from 2023 to 2025. CBC News reached out to the federal government for the latest total but has not yet received a response.
On Tuesday, Stellantis released a statement indicating its intent to voluntarily repay the subsidies.
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Feds granted Stellantis over $220M prior to Brampton decision, records indicate
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Exclusive
Confidential contract between feds and Stellantis reveals terms for Brampton factory and its workers
“We acknowledge that Canadians demand accountability for public expenditures, which is why Stellantis has chosen to voluntarily return the government support provided for the original retooling of Brampton Assembly,” the company stated.
It also noted that “confidentiality agreements” restrict it from disclosing further information.
No Ontario funding was allocated to Brampton: Ford
That 2022 agreement also involved a commitment from Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s government to support the plants with an investment of up to $513 million.
On Tuesday, CBC News confirmed that Ontario has not provided Stellantis with any funding for its Brampton retooling project since it did not fulfill criteria related to job creation and project milestones.
However, the company did receive $55 million from the Ford administration for the Windsor facility.