“We’re gonna get this deal done,” said Premier Doug Ford, while in Windsor Thursday.
Ford says he was “up till 2 a.m. working things out,” as negotiations between Ottawa, Ontario, Stellantis and LG Energy Solution continue with the future of Windsor’s electric vehicle battery plant at stake.
“This is about the people, about our students, that are gonna be here building homes and spin off jobs from Stellantis’ 2500 people,” he said.
Ford says his government is here to support the people of Windsor like, “they’ve never seen in over 100 years.”
“This is our future standing here behind us.”
WATCH | Minister Champagne answers questions about Windsor EV battery deal
Federal Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry Francois-Philippe Champagne says negotiations continue with Stellantis and LG Energy Solutions on a deal for the EV battery plant in Windsor.
In an email response to CBC News, the automaker denied a Wednesday Toronto Star report that a tentative deal had been worked out.
“Stellantis does not confirm what has been reported and to date has not received an official response from its previously sent letters,” said Stellantis spokesperson LouAnn Gosselin.
“Let’s take a deep breath,” advised François-Philippe Champagne, Canada’s industry minister.
Champagne says talks are progressing but also wouldn’t confirm Thursday morning that a tentative deal has been secured.
“My objective as it’s always been is to get the possible deal for workers, for the auto industry and Canada,” he said.
WATCH | U.S. economy and new incentives put Canada at disadvantage in Stellantis negotiations, prof says
Two weeks of negotiations between the federal and provincial governments and Stellantis have failed to produce a new deal for the NextStar EV battery plant in Windsor, Ont. Ian Lee, an associate professor at Carleton University’s Sprott School of Business, says the economic might of the U.S., coupled with the incentives offered in recent legislation, make it extremely challenging for Canada to compete.
Friday marks three weeks since Stellantis said it was moving to “contingency plans” because the federal government wasn’t honouring its agreement. That’s when the automaker stopped most of its construction at the site. The plant was expected to be open next year and create 2,500 jobs, according to the automaker and the South Korean battery-maker.
With Ford saying the province would commit to putting “more money on the table,” reporters asked Champagne if the added funding could help match the new U.S. legislation called the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA).
“If you look back at the fall economic statement we were very, very clear about what we were doing,” said Champagne.
“In order to position Canadian workers for jobs for decades to come we would level the playing field with the United States but we’d do that in a very selective, strategic and limited way.”
Champagne refers to the negotiations and circumstances surrounding them as “generational.”
“You can never win on the money when you’re Canada. What you’re merely doing is leveling the playing field,” he added, highlighting the critical minerals available in Canada and the workforce.
Ford will be in Ruthven Thursday afternoon where he’s expected to speak about the expansion of Highway 3 and the possibility of connecting Highway 401 to Lauzon Parkway.