Tag Archives: trade tariffs

10.03.26
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‘I want to make sure that the community that has moved mountains to make this happen is getting the 3,000 jobs that made all that worthwhile’ – MP Andrew Lawton on last week’s PowerCo announcement

Following last week’s PowerCo announcement, MP Andrew Lawton cautioned that the community has the right to know what’s being done to ensure the promised jobs materialize.
You can read last Saturday’s item here.
This comes in light of the federal government offering up to $13 billion in subsidies.
On Sept. 24, Powerco announced that production at the massive EV battery factory in St. Thomas has been pushed back until some time in 2029, although the move is not being painted as a step back.
Lawton, Conservative MP for Elgin-St. Thomas-London South, said it is important to acknowledge work is proceeding at the site.
“Look, we have to be very clear to acknowledge that there is work going on. And even the announcement from PowerCo indicates they intend to see this project through.

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08.01.26
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‘With every milestone reached, we sustain St. Thomas’ growth for decades to come.’ – Vic Fedeli, Ontario Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade

For a glimpse at the shape of things to come for St. Thomas, simply drive to the perimeter of the Yarmouth Yards industrial park.
An equally dramatic preview is now available through the transformation of the road infrastructure on the western doorstep to St. Thomas.
The Talbotville Bypass (photo below) has rapidly displaced the farmland between Wonderland Road and Hwy. 4 north of Talbotville and is due for completion by the end of next year.
And this past week, the twinning of Hwy. 3 in St. Thomas was officially launched with a ceremony on the roadway, just west of the Centennial Avenue roundabout.
Elgin-Middlesex-London MPP Rob Flack was joined by Prabmeet Sarkaria, Minister of Transportation and Vic Fedeli, Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade, on Tuesday morning to announce the start of advance work, including utility relocations and grading.

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06.20.26
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‘The dream of home ownership should always be within reach’ – St. Thomas homebuilder Doug Tarry

“We’re not so much in a housing crisis; we are in an affordability crisis.”

That was the observation this week from Rob Flack, the province’s Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing.

He was speaking Monday afternoon at Geerlinks Home Hardware, as he toured several of the outlets in Elgin-Middlesex-London with Home Hardware President and CEO Ian White (second from right in the photo below).

For the St. Thomas stop, they were joined by Mayor Joe Preston and homebuilder Doug Tarry.

Flack continued, “And everybody knows that things are expensive in this world these days. Everything has gone up in price, especially housing.

And when that happens, people put their thumb on the pause button, Number 1.

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04.04.26
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The updated model of care at St. Thomas Elgin General Hospital results in the loss of 26 PSWs

St. Thomas Elgin General Hospital is updating its model of care, which will result in the elimination of 26 full-time Personal Support Worker positions.

The announcement came on the same day that London Health Sciences Centre indicated more than 200 nursing positions will be eliminated through voluntary resignations or retirements over the next three to five years.

According to a hospital spokesperson, there will be no media release outlining the rationale behind the model of care changes or additional details on what these changes might look like.

The method of care update at STEGH is designed to better meet the needs of patients whose medical conditions have become increasingly complex.

The spokesperson advised in a text message that more patients now require frequent nursing assessments, complex medication management, and timely clinical interventions

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11.22.25
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‘St. Thomas is exactly where we need to be’ – Vianode CEO Burkhard Straube in announcing a $3.2 billion investment in the city

With the Yarmouth Yards industrial park serving as a backdrop, Ontario Premier Doug Ford called Thursday’s (Nov. 20) announcement of a $3.2 billion investment by Norwegian firm Vianode a historic milestone for southwestern Ontario and a major win for workers.
The ceremonial ground-breaking was on the site of what will become a state-of-the-art synthetic anode graphite manufacturing facility that will initially result in 300 new, good-paying jobs.
Anode graphite is a critical component in electric vehicle batteries, nuclear reactors, semiconductors, aerospace and defence systems, steelmaking and other strategic industries.

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11.01.25
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‘Vianode’s decision to invest here is a testament to our city’s talent, innovation, and commitment to a sustainable future.’ – St. Thomas Mayor Joe Preston

It has been a banner week for St. Thomas. While Trump’s tariff temper tantrum continues to cast economic uncertainty across the country, the former Railway Capital of Canada is forging ahead as the EV Battery Capital of Canada.
Earlier this week, we had confirmation from PowerCo that work was proceeding on a trio of major buildings at the Yarmouth Yards industrial park. Foundation and formwork are underway on the first cell production building within the massive facility.
More on that announcement in the following item.
Meantime, on Friday afternoon (Oct. 31) came the announcement that Norwegian company Vianode, a global leader in sustainable battery materials, will build its first North American facility at Yarmouth Yards in St. Thomas. This multi-billion-dollar investment marks a major step forward for Canada’s clean energy and critical minerals strategy.

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08.23.25
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Contracts awarded and work set to begin at the massive PowerCo gigafactory – ‘We plan to be relevant for a very long time’

Within weeks, construction will begin on what is to become the largest EV battery manufacturing plant in Canada.
PowerCo, a Volkswagen subsidiary, announced Thursday the awarding of two major contracts for structural steel and foundation work for the $7 billion gigafactory at the Yarmouth Yards industrial park in St. Thomas.
Meredith Gibbons, Chief Procurement Officer for PowerCo Canada, called the announcement a major milestone.
“We’ve been very busy working hard to get this thing up and running. Today’s major milestone for the St. Thomas gigafactory is the announcement of our two major contracts: structural steelwork to SteelCon and the concrete foundation work to Magil Construction.”

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08.09.25
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PowerCo launches recruitment campaign: ‘We are committed and we really want to be the future for St. Thomas’

“We are very excited, and we also talked as a team and said this is the time when we really want to go out there and again talk about the progress we’re making. So we are excited to create more jobs for St. Thomas and the region.”
And that is precisely what transpired on Wednesday morning as Norman Wickboldt, Chief Human Resources Officer at PowerCo Canada, launched a hiring campaign with high-quality, well-paying jobs available at what will become the largest EV battery plant in Canada.
PowerCo, a Volkswagen subsidiary, has already hired about 200 employees working out of their Talbot Street office in the downtown core, and the plan is to open a second office at the Yarmouth Yards industrial park.
And now, about 50 new high-quality, well-paying jobs have been posted on the PowerCo website.

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08.02.25
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Andrew Lawton uses the occasion of the MP-MPP luncheon to announce the launch of his business advisory roundtables

Normally, events like the MP-MPP Luncheon and Mayor’s Luncheon, hosted each year by the St. Thomas & District Chamber of Commerce, are fairly subdued gatherings.
There was a luncheon a couple of years ago, following the significant land acquisition by the City of St. Thomas, where former Central Elgin Mayor Sally Martyn dominated the Q&A period, targeting Mayor Joe Preston.
But despite the stifling heat inside the Elgin County Railway Museum this past Monday (July 28), this MP-MPP get-together did have its moments, no doubt the result of the Trump tariffs impacting almost every facet of life as we know it.
The answer to literally all questions directed toward the two participants ultimately referenced the tariffs in some form.

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