Stellantis to sell Brampton plant to defence contractor Roshel

Stellantis announced on November 9 that it and Brampton-based Roshel had signed an agreement for the sale of the Brampton Assembly Plant. The transaction is expected to close by the end of 2026.

Reaction from Brampton officials

Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown said he is "livid" with Stellantis and is demanding the company repay taxpayers for public money it received to support automotive production at the site.

"This is a company that took bailouts and production incentives from successive governments," Brown said in an interview Nov. 10. "They took their first bailout under Prime Minister (Stephen) Harper and Premier (Dalton) McGuinty and their second one under Prime Minister (Justin) Trudeau and Premier (Doug) Ford on the condition that they would have production in Brampton — not to mention they were given land from the city for automotive production in the 1980s. To accept all that taxpayer generosity and then cut and run is egregious."

Brown said he welcomes Roshel’s expansion plans and wants to see defence sector jobs in Brampton, but he wishes the company had set up at another idle facility, such as the Magna battery facility.

"I just think it muddies the waters when it’s at the Stellantis plant, given Stellantis’ obligations to Brampton, Ontario and Canada," the mayor said. "We have other areas that Roshel could go."

Brown said his "dream solution" is for Stellantis to honour its obligations and continue to manufacture vehicles at the Brampton plant while Roshel creates jobs at another idle facility in the city.

Retiring Brampton Regional Coun. Gurpartap Singh Toor (Wards 9 and 10), chair of the city’s economic development committee, said the sale is "very hard news for the thousands of families" that rely on the jobs there. He said the sale will have a "cascading impact" on Brampton’s economy.

Federal and union response

Unifor national president Lana Payne said Stellantis has betrayed its members "with an underhanded deal to sell the plant and walk away from its commitments" to union members.

"Allowing the sale to move forward is a critical failure of the national auto strategy and breaks the federal government’s promise to protect autoworkers in the U.S. trade war," Payne said in a statement.

Prime Minister Mark Carney denounced the sale, calling it "outrageous," according to The Globe and Mail.

Stellantis position

Stellantis CEO Antonio Filosa said Brampton employees have made lasting contributions to the automaker, adding the company takes its responsibilities to them and their families seriously.

"After three years of paid layoff, we remain committed to working with Unifor on a fair resolution," Filosa said in a news release. "With this announcement, we are driving forward our broader strategic goals, opening new opportunities for Stellantis in the defence industry, and creating a path to return the Brampton facility to productive industrial use."

Roughly a dozen Unifor members protested outside the plant on November 10.

Why it matters

The sale ends automotive production at the Brampton Assembly Plant and shifts the site to defence industry use. Local officials and the union say Stellantis received public funding and land on the condition of maintaining production in Brampton, and they are demanding repayment and accountability. The federal government has criticized the sale as a failure to protect autoworkers.

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Sources

• bramptonguardian.com: Brampton mayor demands Stellantis repay taxpayers
• theglobeandmail.com: Carney denounces Stellantis’s ‘outrageous’ sale of auto plant to defence contractor Roshel - The Globe and Mail

This article was drafted with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. Company claims are reported as claims. Cover image is AI-generated.