GM extending the life of one of its Oshawa plants

General Motors of Canada says it is extending the life of one of two Oshawa, Ont., assembly plants that had originally been slated for closure next summer.

GM says projected demand for the Chevrolet Impala Limited and Chevrolet Equinox has prompted the decision to keep the consolidated line going until 2016.

One assembly line produces both the Impala and the Equinox, while the flex line makes the Chevrolet Camaro, Buick Regal and the Cadillac XTS.

Jerry Dias, national president of Unifor, formerly the Canadian Auto Workers union, says the move shows that the skills and efficiency of the workers at that plant make it worth keeping open.

The plant had been scheduled to close within the next year. It won the J.D. Power Silver Plant Assembly Line Quality Award earlier this month, prompting some observers to express surprise at the fact that GM planned to close the plant despite winning a top award for performance.