$1 billion in aid pledges, 2,200 laid-off workers: Stellantis sold Brampton to a buyer that won't take them on
Ottawa and Ontario pledged up to $1.04 billion for two Stellantis plants. Carney calls the Brampton sale to Roshel a betrayal.
Stellantis has agreed to sell its idled Brampton, Ont., car plant to Roshel, a Canadian maker of armored vehicles. More than 2,200 workers have been on layoff there since December 2023, CP24 reports. Ottawa and Ontario pledged up to $1.04 billion in 2022 to help retool this plant and a second one in Windsor. Now Prime Minister Mark Carney calls the sale "a betrayal." The buyer says it will not take on any of Stellantis's duties to the laid-off workers.
The deal was announced on Monday, Nov. 9. It is set to close by the end of 2026, pending government and regulatory approvals, CBC News reports. The price was not disclosed.
What Stellantis sold, and to whom#
Under an asset purchase agreement, Roshel will buy the Brampton Assembly Plant and its equipment, according to the companies' joint release. The two firms also say they will explore working together on defense vehicle technology.
The plant has built cars since 1986. Its last models were the Dodge Charger and Dodge Challenger, and the final ones rolled off the line in 2023, CP24 reports. Stellantis began retooling the site for Jeep production in early 2024. It paused that plan in early 2025 and later moved Jeep Compass production to Illinois, Global News reports.
CTV News broke the sale on X on Monday afternoon.
"After three years of paid layoff, we remain committed to working with Unifor on a fair resolution," Stellantis CEO Antonio Filosa said in the release. He added that the deal opens new chances for Stellantis in the defense business.
- Ottawa and Ontario pledge up to $1.04 billion for Brampton and Windsor retooling
- Production halts in Brampton
- Retooling for Jeep production begins
- Stellantis pauses the plan, later moves Jeep Compass work to Illinois
- Stellantis signs a memorandum of understanding with Roshel
- Stellantis workers vote 97.3% for a strike mandate
- Sale to Roshel announced
- Joly meets Stellantis, Unifor and Ontario in Toronto
Source: Prime Minister of Canada, CBC News, Global News
The $1 billion question#
The money is what makes this sale so heated. In May 2022, the federal government pledged up to $529 million and Ontario up to $513 million for a Stellantis project at Windsor and Brampton, according to the Prime Minister's Office. At the time, Ottawa said the deal would "secure thousands of jobs."
| Source of support | Amount pledged in 2022 | Covers |
|---|---|---|
| Government of Canada | up to $529 million | Windsor and Brampton |
| Province of Ontario | up to $513 million | Windsor and Brampton |
| Total | up to $1.042 billion | Both plants |
Those figures are in Canadian dollars. They are pledges for the joint project, not cash already paid for Brampton alone. How much reached Brampton has not been made public. Stellantis told CTV News on Tuesday that it has "offered to voluntarily return the government support received for Brampton Assembly's original retooling plan." It said it cannot disclose the amount, per CP24.
The buyer says the workers are not its problem#
Roshel CEO Roman Shimonov promises a "much brighter" future for the site. He says Roshel wants to "employ thousands of people" and will give Brampton residents first priority, CBC News reports. But he will not commit to rehiring the laid-off Stellantis workers.
"A competitive business cannot work by taking obligations of other companies and we are not going to even consider taking any responsibilities of anyone from previous engagements," Shimonov told CP24 Breakfast on Tuesday.
There is a partial path back for some workers. Global News reports that around 700 to 1,000 laid-off Stellantis employees could have chances to return to work under Roshel. Roshel also plans to lease about a quarter of the site back to Stellantis for auto work, Global News reports. Even the top of that range is less than half of the 2,200 people on layoff.
Parts makers doubt the numbers. Flavio Volpe, head of the Automotive Parts Manufacturers' Association, told CTV the plant once supported an estimated 10,000 to 12,000 jobs at supplier plants. He said an armored-vehicle shop would create "a fraction" of that.
Ottawa says Stellantis broke its contract#
Carney spoke in Montreal on Tuesday. "The situation at the Brampton plant is unacceptable. It violates the obligations that Stellantis has under several agreements," he said. "We will fully enforce our rights in protection of those workers and in protection of Canadian funds."
Industry Minister Mélanie Joly posted her first statement on X within minutes of the news. She said the sale does not "erase the commitment" Stellantis made to workers.
Joly said Stellantis "decided to go ahead and violate its contract." She is meeting company and union officials in Toronto on Thursday, Nov. 12. Premier Doug Ford is set to join, Unifor president Lana Payne told CTV.
The union calls it the worst case#
Unifor represents more than 9,000 Stellantis workers in Canada. Its contract talks with the company are at an impasse. Last month, members voted 97.3% to authorize a strike, according to Global News.
Payne called the sale the "worst-case scenario." She said it cuts Canada's vehicle production capacity by 10%. "Stellantis has betrayed our members with an underhanded deal to sell the plant and walk away from its commitments to these workers," she said. Unifor posted its full press conference on X.
Payne also said a strike remains "a last resort." The union is not yet in a legal strike position.
The fight is now political#
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre wants Ottawa to sue Stellantis "to get Canadian tax dollars back." He also wants Carney to fire Joly. His post about the workers drew more than 4,000 likes by Tuesday.
Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown said Stellantis must repay taxpayers for the money it got for Brampton. He also asked Roshel to work with Unifor Local 1285 on hiring and training.
On Reddit, a r/canada thread from September tracked the first sign of this deal, when Stellantis signed its memorandum with Roshel as union talks broke down.
What to watch#
Three questions now matter most. First, how much public money Stellantis actually received for Brampton, and whether it pays it back. Second, whether Ottawa takes legal action, as Carney and Joly suggest. Third, how many of the 2,200 laid-off workers end up with real jobs at the site. Thursday's meeting in Toronto is the first test.
This is the latest in a run of cuts and offshoring moves we have tracked. Qantas plans to move 850 Australian office jobs to India. Boeing, PepsiCo, Canva and Qualcomm also cut thousands of jobs in one week.
Cite this article
Patrick Karsh. “$1 billion in aid pledges, 2,200 laid-off workers: Stellantis sold Brampton to a buyer that won't take them on.” 567 Business. Published 2026-11-11. https://567business.com/news/stellantis-brampton-roshel-sale-2200-workers
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