Back in early May 2020, we shared news that General Motors Canada was developing a plan to repurpose its Oshawa, Ontario production facility and produce masks to assist with the country’s COVID-19 pandemic response. Essential PPE (personal protective equipment) such as masks have been difficult to acquire during the outbreak due to high demand. At the time of our last post, GM was conducting training and preparing their production process while waiting for the green light to proceed.
In late May 2020, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau officially announced the federal government had reached an agreement with General Motors to produce 10 million masks at cost. We were pleased to see GM step up to help Canadians during this public health crisis, while also rehiring 60 workers to help produce these masks. “As the economy reopens, as perhaps a second wave might hit us, we need to be ready,” said Prime Minister Trudeau regarding the agreement.