In the government's third large auto-focused announcement of the past month, Premier Doug Ford announced a $259-million grant towards General Motors’ Oshawa and Ingersoll plants on Monday.

Ford was joined by Economic Development Minister Vic Fedeli and federal Innovation Minister François-Philippe Champagne to announce the funding contribution that GM says will help create 2,600 new jobs in Oshawa.

GM will be spending $2 billion in total on its facilities in Oshawa, where pickup trucks are built, and Ingersoll, where it makes electric vehicles.

“When we took office four short years ago, Ontario's auto industry was in a terrible, terrible shape. I remember like it was yesterday,” Ford said at the announcement.

“We now have secured investments from all major auto companies here in Ontario, working with our great, and I emphasize great, federal and municipal and union partners.”

Champagne was enthusiastic about the announcement and thanked Ford specifically for his partnership.

"I want to say thank you, Premier Ford. It seems that every time we're on stage together, it's about good news, good news for jobs, good news for economic growth and obviously good news for Canada as a whole."

The auto sector grants are part of a series of federal-provincial collaborations that have occurred over the past month. The Ontario government has also announced it's giving $132 million to Honda to go toward upgrading its plant in Alliston, and an undisclosed amount to support LG Energy Solution's and Stellantis' construction of an electric vehicle battery plant in Windsor.

The investments are part of the government's larger auto strategy, which seeks to create a supply chain from mineral mining and batteries to car manufacturing — all meant to strengthen vehicle production in Ontario.

In Brief: Ford sends $259M to GM plants in Oshawa and Ingersoll

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