For a brief moment Friday morning at the Elgin County Railway Museum, Elgin-Middlesex-London MP Karen Vecchio was the centre of attention.
Calling St. Thomas the place to build the future together, PM Justin Trudeau was in St. Thomas to officially announce the city will be home to Volkswagen’s first EV battery plant in North America.
Trudeau admitted the government had to put some money on the table to convince Volkswagen to choose St. Thomas as the site of its new massive plant.
And in his remarks, he thanked Vecchio and quickly added she has her work cut out for her.
Trudeau and Ontario Premier Doug Ford were in St. Thomas to provide more insight into the financial implications surrounding the gigafactory scheduled to open in 2027.
Vecchio said a critical factor is proceeding with the extraction of minerals required in the manufacturing of millions of batteries.
Construction of the massive $7 billion factory is slated to begin in 2024.
With the Volkswagen EV battery plant projected to generate 3,000 direct jobs when it opens in 2027, it’s a great opportunity for area homebuilders, stresses Vecchio.
She stressed there will be an influx of new residents in the coming years and housing will be a priority.
Vecchio added locating the gigafactory in St. Thomas is huge when it comes to employment opportunities and for families to remain in the city and pursue good jobs.
Written by Ian McCallum
