Ontario Premier Doug Ford says he will make sure auto companies, including Honda, follow through on their commitments to build cars in the province.
His comments came after Honda announced it was putting its $15 billion electric vehicle (EV) supply chain project in Alliston, Ontario, on hold for about two years.
“We’re going to hold them accountable, each auto-manufacturer,” Ford said to reporters in response to the news, according to CBC News. “Were going to make sure they’re held accountable and they continue manufacturing automobiles here in Ontario.”
The project, announced last year, was expected to create 1,000 new jobs and upgrade Honda’s existing assembly plant to produce up to 240,000 EVs annually by 2028. Honda says current jobs and production in Alliston will not be affected by the delay.
“The biggest announcement in the history of @Honda! Their investment in Canada will be a game-changer,” said François-Philippe Champagne, Minister for ISED, in April of last year. That post has not aged well.
The decision comes as Honda faces a sharp drop in profit forecasts and uncertainty over U.S. auto tariffs. Despite the pause, Ford said Honda promised him they remain committed to the expansion. “We’re very confident we’ll continue producing Honda vehicles here in Ontario,” he added.
Ford’s government had pledged up to $2.5 billion in support for the project, matching a similar commitment from Ottawa, for a total of $5 billion in taxpayer funds. The delay puts pressure on Ford’s upcoming budget, which was expected to include major spending to support EV-related mining and manufacturing.
Last year, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau wasn’t happy when a reporter asked about how many jobs would be created from the project and what the cost would be. Ford approached the podium to respond but was interrupted by Trudeau, who cut in sharply: “if you’re not going to listen to the answer of saying it’s going to be 1,000 jobs created, then there’s nothing we can do for ya,” he said before stepping back.
Honda says it will continue to monitor market conditions before moving ahead with the full project.
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