GM Reaches Agreement with Canadian Government to Produce Masks at Oshawa Facility

Blog Jun 10th, 2020

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.

GM worked quickly to convert their Oshawa facility, previously used for auto production. Many of GM’s flagship vehicles have been produced in Oshawa, including the Chevrolet Silverado, GMC Sierra, Chevrolet Equinox, and Chevrolet Camaro. “We built and installed the mask-making machinery, sourced materials and trained workers in approximately one month,” said GM spokesperson Jennifer Wright. “We are proud to be helping Canadians during this COVID-19 emergency.” Thank you to GM’s workforce in Oshawa who have selflessly worked to produce essential PPE while the pandemic continues to impact their province.

South of the border, General Motors American headquarters in Detroit, Michigan has been focused on efforts to produce additional respirators in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Respirators are another essential piece of equipment, helping critically-ill patients improve their chance of recovery from the virus.

Here in British Columbia, we are pleased to see our COVID-19 numbers continue to improve and we are here to help as the province embarks on its reopening plan. We have extended our dealership hours and look forward to serving you on-site, or remotely if you are more comfortable utilizing services like video chat.