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SAINT THOMAS, Ont. – A small metropolis in southwestern Ontario steeped in automotive manufacturing historical past is about to increase once more with the creation of an enormous new electric-vehicle battery plant.
St. Thomas, Ont., Mayor Joe Preston says the brand new $7-billion Volkswagen battery plant offers the neighborhood a shiny future.
Volkswagen will construct a “gigafactory” on a 1,500-acre website that may produce sufficient batteries for a million electrical automobiles every year.
The corporate says the plant will create as much as 3,000 direct jobs and 30,000 oblique jobs.
Ottawa has dedicated $700 million in up entrance capital prices in direction of the challenge whereas Ontario added $500 million.
Auto large Ford constructed automobiles for many years in St. Thomas, however closed its meeting plant in 2011.
The mayor says he has not stopped smiling since they landed the Volkswagen deal final month.
“We’re successful in spades with this,” Preston mentioned.
“We didn’t understand it may develop to be this large and take a look at what occurred right here in St, Thomas, Ontario. Dare to dream.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first printed April 21, 2023.
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