New Ontario Toyota Plant Starts Production

Toyota RAV4 Sport

TORONTO - The first vehicles started rolling off the line at a new Toyota plant in Woodstock, Ontario in December.

Toyota invested CDN$1.1 billion to build the new plant. Ontario provided over CDN$22.8 million for skills training, in addition to a CDN$70-million investment that helped bring the plant to Ontario. This is the first new auto plant to be built in Ontario in the past 20 years. Supplying and servicing the plant will create and sustain additional jobs and opportunity.

The Ontario government's five-point plan for the economy includes strategic partnerships with companies and helping people improve their skills. Ontario's auto strategy, launched in April 2004, has leveraged almost CDN$7.8 billion in new investments and anchored thousands of high-value jobs.

"Having the best workers helps attract the best jobs, and that's why we're so pleased to work with Toyota. Our government will continue working with the auto industry to secure good jobs for Ontario families," said Premier Dalton McGuinty.

The Woodstock plant will produce up to 100,000 vehicles a year, including the new Toyota RAV4. A total of 4,500 people already work at Toyota's Cambridge, Ontario plant where they build the Corolla, Matrix and Lexus RX 350.

Photo: Toyota

(Dec 9, 2008)