Community News

BUILDING GREENER TRANSPORTATION

RECENT ANNOUNCEMENTS AND INVESTMENTS A BIG STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION, WRITES KARINA GOULD

KARINA GOULD

Earlier this month, Volkswagen, Europe's largest automaker, announced that its subsidiary PowerCo will establish an electric vehicle battery manufacturing facility in St. Thomas, Ont.

This is historic news. It represents a major vote of confidence and potential for growth in Canada, Canadian workers and our battery manufacturing capability.

Canada is committed to building a strong and reliable automotive and battery supply chain here in North America to help the world meet its important global climate goals.

Since 2020, Canada and Ontario have attracted over $17 billion in investments by global automakers and suppliers of electric vehicle batteries and battery materials. Ontario is the only place in North America where five major automakers build their vehicles, including Honda, Toyota, Ford, General Motors and Stellantis.

Our government is tirelessly working to attract investments like these, and Canada, and southern Ontario, are on track to become the greener supplier choice of the world.

We also saw this in investments such as the ArcelorMittal Dofasco decarbonization project to green steel production in Hamilton, and in the upgrades to the Ford Assembly Plant in

Oakville to produce electric vehicles.

Here in Burlington, where we are home to a number of ArcelorMittal Dofasco and Ford workers, and where we are directly impacted by the environmental effects of their operations — these have enormous impacts on our quality of life and our local and national economies.

Fighting climate change is an all-hands-on deck approach, which is why our government is working with companies like Volkswagen, to help accelerate our transition to a low-carbon, clean growth economy.

Investments like these are a win-win-win situation; they help to protect our environment, drive Canadian innovation and create good middle-class jobs.

Karina Gould is the MP for Burlington and the minister of families, children and social development. She can be reached at karina.gould@parl.gc.ca.

OPINION NEWS

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2023-03-23T07:00:00.0000000Z

2023-03-23T07:00:00.0000000Z

https://communitynews.pressreader.com/article/281612424647291

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