TORONTO — Industry Minister Mélanie Joly and Ontario Economic Development Minister Vic Fedeli used a Friday appearance at a Martinrea auto-parts plant in Woodbridge to tout new federal and provincial spending for Honda while repeating that Stellantis remains on the hook for hundreds of millions of dollars over its Brampton plant.Joly announced $313 million in federal spending through the Strategic Response Fund to support Honda Canada’s $867 million plan to retool its Alliston facility for next-generation Civic and CR-V hybrid and gas models. Ontario is contributing an additional $156 million; The project is expected to maintain more than 4,000 jobs and support production of up to 400,000 vehicles a year, according to a federal news release. Honda’s own capital contribution is part of the broader total.The ministers also pointed to the $2.5 billion Canada–Ontario auto package announced in October — $1.5 billion from Ottawa — as part of the broader effort to support workers and suppliers facing US tariffs..On Stellantis, Joly confirmed she sent the formal notice of default the previous day. “They cannot close the plant. We said that if they would, we would sue them. That is why I sent the notice of a letter of notice yesterday. And they’re on the hook for hundreds of millions of dollars,” she said. She added that Ottawa is still in “solution mode” and will present new scenarios to Stellantis global CEO Antonio Filosa, working with Unifor and the Ontario government.Fedeli said Ontario has advanced no funds specifically for the Brampton plant. “Our investment in Brampton is zero at the time. We have not advanced any funds to Brampton period,” he told reporters. He said the province has advanced $55 million toward Stellantis’s Windsor operations, where the company has met its commitments. Fedeli compared the goal for Brampton to General Motors’ earlier decision to keep Oshawa open while new product was found.Stellantis faces a 30-day clock on the Thursday default notice and a federal demand for repayment after selling the idled Brampton plant to defence contractor Roshel. More than 2,000 Unifor members remain on layoff.
