Federal, Ontario governments to invest $200M into Ford’s Canadian operations
The federal and Ontario governments are each spending more than $100 million to help Canada’s auto sector — an old-school engine of economic growth — and speed the dawn of the driverless, eco-friendly, Internet-connected car.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne announced conditional grants of up to $102.4 million each during an event Thursday at a Ford Canada engine plant in Windsor, Ont., the cradle of Canada’s auto industry.
The money is meant to support a $1.2-billion partnership with Ford Canada to create 300 jobs and maintain 500 more in Ontario, and help create an advanced manufacturing program in Windsor and a research and engineering centre in Ottawa.
The latter project is focused on developing connected car technology, including research and development on features like infotainment, in-vehicle modems, gateway modules, driver-assist features and autonomous vehicles.