The Government of Canada has announced two key investments in Southern Ontario with EV-related impacts.

The Honourable Filomena Tassi, Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario, announced an investment of nearly $4 million for FBT Inc., a family-owned advanced manufacturer of precision machine components and parts used in critical sectors such as automotive, defense, EV, semi-conductor, power generation and more. 

Minister Tassi was joined by Chris Bittle, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Canadian Heritage and Member of Parliament for St. Catharines and Vance Badawey, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Indigenous Services and Member of Parliament for Niagara Centre.

Southern Ontario has emerged as a prominent hub supporting automotive manufacturing and innovation, specifically in the electric vehicle (EV) sector, thanks to its skilled workers and vast expertise. 

While this development is not specific to the aftermarket, it is destined to have a significant economic impact in the region and is part of the ongoing push into the EV space. Both of these impacts will have significant effects on the aftermarket in Canada over the long term.

As the demand for domestic production of EV, energy, and semiconductor related-parts has risen in Canada, FBT is upgrading its facility to meet demand from both new and existing clients. This includes adopting new robotic and automated solutions that will create the first-of-its-kind processes to increase its machine components and parts production by 75 percent. 

Through this investment, FBT will be able to fulfill its growing orders, create 40 skilled jobs and support domestic manufacturing capacity for southern Ontario’s leading EV manufacturers.

In a release, the mInistry said, “The automotive industry in Ontario is a pillar of Canada’s economy and provides thousands of jobs for workers and their families. Our country is committed to reducing our carbon footprint. As we move toward more sustainable solutions, southern Ontario has emerged as a prominent hub for automotive manufacturing and innovation, specifically in the electric vehicle (EV) sector.

“The Government of Canada is supporting our manufacturers as they adopt more sustainable processes and technologies, increase their production capabilities, and create good jobs for Canadians. This funding will create opportunities for workers in the EV sector across Niagara so they can reach their full potential and create endless possibilities for southern Ontario and Canada.”

Investment in Niagara EV sector

Minister Tassi, along with Vance Badawey, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Indigenous Services and Member of Parliament for Niagara Centre, and Chris Bittle, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Canadian Heritage and Member of Parliament for St. Catharines, announced a $300,000-investment that will be delivered by the Regional Municipality of Niagara (Niagara Region) to accelerate the growth of the EV sector in the Niagara region.

With this investment, Niagara Region will develop an EV strategy with support from an EV battery specialist. This new strategy will focus on building partnerships, developing the infrastructure needed,  connecting industry leaders and post-secondary institutions, and enabling Niagara Region representation at industry events. This investment is expected to support over 50 regional businesses and organizations and establish up to five new partnerships to ensure that the region has the opportunity to contribute to this growing and important sector.

The announcement is designed to build on the federal government’s commitment to grow the EV sectors across southern Ontario. Earlier this summer, similar announcements were made in London and Windsor, which the government considers to be important hubs for this industry, to help meet growing demand and strengthen Canada’s domestic EV supply chain.