A timeline of Stellantis' assembly plant in Brampton, Ont.

Detailed summary

Stellantis has officially signed an agreement with defence contractor Roshel to sell its Brampton, Ont., assembly plant that has been idle for years.

Stellantis has officially signed an agreement with defence contractor Roshel to sell its Brampton, Ont., assembly plant that has been idle for years.

From retooling plans to the facility being sold, it’s been a wild few years for the plant, which has now come to a head as Unifor and government officials criticize Stellantis’ deal with Roshel while the companies argue it’s the way forward if jobs are to return to the factory.

Here’s a timeline of the key events leading up to Roshel buying the Stellantis plant:

December 2023: Stellantis idles the Brampton plant to begin retooling for the production of the Jeep Compass electric SUV. More than 2,200 Unifor Local 1285 workers are laid off.

Retooling begins in January 2024 to prepare for the Jeep Compass, but after U.S. President Donald Trump starts rolling out tariffs in 2025, the company halts that work.

Oct. 14: Stellantis says the production previously earmarked for its Brampton assembly plant is being moved to Illinois. The move is part of a US$13-billion plan by the American automaker to expand U.S. production by 50 per cent over the next four years.

Oct. 15: Unifor, which represents the workers, along with Canadian politicians, call on Stellantis to fulfil commitments it made to workers. Ontario Premier Doug Ford says the company has a duty to live up to its promises to workers, while Prime Minister Mark Carney says the move is a direct consequence of the latest U.S. tariffs.

Industry Minister Mélanie Joly later expresses “extreme concern” about the move in a letter to the company, where she threatens legal action. She says the company had agreed to maintain its full Canadian footprint, including Brampton operations, in exchange for substantial financial support over decades — referring to 2009 government bailouts of the auto sector during the financial crisis.

Oct. 16: Prime Minister Mark Carney says he was told by the global head of Stellantis that the automaker is looking for a new model for the Brampton plant, but…

Opening of the article, excerpted from BNN Bloomberg. To read the rest, open the article on the publisher's site.