General Motors is ending the BrightDrop delivery van production at its CAMI plant in Ingersoll.
Employees found out this morning via a letter signed by GM Canada’s Managing Director, Kristian Aquilina, and Plant Director, Bill Harkness.
“Team – today we shared some difficult news. GM has made the decision to end production of BrightDrop due to slower than expected market growth. This means team members at CAMI will remain on layoff. We will be assessing the site for future opportunities,” stated the letter.
GM added the vehicle’s production isn’t being moved elsewhere. Ingersoll Mayor Brian Petrie said today’s news was tough to take.
“They’ve been through hell for a long time now, and this is just one more nail, as they say. We have gone through a lot and I think we can get through this as well.”
On the positive side, Petrie said the plant isn’t closing, but the announcement will have wide-ranging effects on the economy.
“We know that only 10 per cent of its workforce lives in Ingersoll, but there is a reason why this is national news. This affects more than just the town.”
CAMI contributes 12 per cent of the town’s tax base, something not lost on the mayor.
“We have to prepare for that. It’s always been a rough go with taxes, but we are trying to work with GM on that to find a better solution. The premier and the prime minister had no problem showing up when times were good, announcing money, they need to show up when times are tough and help us out.”
Unifor, the union representing CAMI employees, is putting the blame south of the border despite the delivery van’s slow sales.
“The reality is that CAMI was hit from both directions by Trump as he aggressively acted to undo EV supports and hit Canadian auto assembly plants with a 25 per cent tariff,” said Unifor National President Lana Payne. “Now more than 1,000 workers and their families are paying the price for Trump’s political interference and GM’s failure to hold the line.”
The announcement affects more than 1,000 Unifor Local 88 members currently on layoff after the plant was idled in May. At the time, GM cited slowing commercial-EV demand, but today’s decision confirms a full end to the BrightDrop line.
“We have a lot of members with decades of dedication to GM who are now abandoned,” said Unifor Local 88 President Mike Van Boekel. “These are highly skilled workers who delivered for this company and this community. They deserve a future at CAMI—not a dead end.”
In April 2022, the federal government and the province each committed $259 million to GM’s facilities — including the CAMI plant in Ingersoll — to support a large-scale transformation into electric vehicle production.
The funding was part of a broader $2 billion investment by GM to convert the CAMI plant and other Ontario facilities for EV production. The facility change was meant to make CAMI the first full-scale commercial electric vehicle production facility in Canada.
“Obviously tough news this morning for the workers in Ingersoll,” stated Innovation, Science and Industry Minister Melanie Joly.
She said she has talked to the Canadian CEO of GM, the head of Unifor, the union representing the workers, along with Premier Doug Ford and his economic development minister, Vic Fedeli.
“We’ve decided together to create a new response group because we need to make sure we fight for these jobs, that there are new models coming back to Ingersoll and that GM has a bright future here in Canada. That’s what I’ll be focusing on.”
The letter given to employees said GM will work with Unifor to follow the provisions of the collective agreement, which includes full pay for the next six months and additional supports.
“Over the next days and weeks, you will have many questions. I encourage you to talk to your HR representative or Unifor representatives…We will also support our salaried workforce during this transition,” it added.
“We want to emphasize that this decision has nothing to do with the performance of our CAMI team. You have an outstanding reputation and track record for building award-winning, high-quality vehicles and have been committed to the BrightDrop business.”
300 employees were set to return to one production shift this month. At its peak, CAMI employed 1,100 people. The facility has employed many Stratford and Perth County residents over the years, providing good wages and benefits.