New committee hopes to attract auto investment to Ontario

Jun. 10, 2015 – Ray Tanguay, the former head of Toyota’s Canadian operations, will chair a new Canadian Automotive Partnership Council (CAPC) sub-committee that will try to attract more automotive industry investment to Ontario.

His role will involve serving as an adviser to the provincial and federal governments as well as the automotive industry. The committee will be comprised of seasoned auto executives from major auto companies with operations in Ontario, said government representatives.

According to the province, Ontario assembly plants produced nearly 16 per cent of North American vehicle production over the last five years.

“Ontario’s auto sector is a cornerstone of our economy — a key source of our ability to export, innovate and create jobs. In this highly competitive global economy, we need to drive further investment and ensure the sector remains strong,” said Brad Duguid, minister of economic development, employment and infrastructure.

However Canada, once an automotive manufacturing powerhouse, has been steadily losing its share of production to Mexico and the southern United States, where labour is cheaper.

Duguid said Ontario has simply not been proactive enough in seeking global investments.

“We need a better sense of intelligence within the auto sector, both domestically and internationally, so that we get out ahead of some of these mandates. There are opportunities for expansion in the auto sector in North America, but sometimes you need to start working on those leads two, three, four, five years in advance.”

— With files from Alexandra Posadzki, The Canadian Press