GM plans $691-million investment in St. Catharines engine plant

General Motors plans to invest $691 million in its St. Catharines Propulsion Plant, preparing the Niagara facility to build a new generation of engines for full-size trucks and SUVs, according to The Niagara Independent.

The spending will cover machinery, equipment and tooling, along with extensive renovations. GM says equipment has already started arriving at the plant.

Production of the current fifth-generation V-8 engine will continue as the facility prepares to manufacture the sixth-generation version. The announcement sets out a new manufacturing role for the St. Catharines operation while its existing engine work carries on.

St. Catharines will become the first Canadian GM propulsion plant to produce the sixth-generation engine and the third in the company’s network. The other two locations are in Tonawanda, New York, and Flint, Michigan.

GM says the new V-8 will offer improved performance compared with its current engines. The company attributes those improvements to changes in combustion and thermal management.

A new role for the Niagara plant

Jack Uppal, president and managing director of GM Canada, said the investment reflects the company’s confidence in the St. Catharines workforce and gives the plant an ongoing role in a major vehicle program.

Uppal also pointed to the operation’s 74-year history of producing engines for GM vehicles. The planned work will equip the facility for the next version of an engine used in the company’s full-size truck and SUV lineup.

Niagara West MPP Sam Oosterhoff welcomed the announcement, describing it as positive for workers and evidence of continued investment in Ontario’s automotive industry.

“This is good news for local jobs and workers – and a vote of confidence in Ontario,” Oosterhoff told The Niagara Independent.

Part of broader Ontario investment

The St. Catharines announcement follows another planned GM investment in Ontario. The company recently announced $343 million for its Oshawa assembly plant to manufacture the next generation of gasoline-powered full-size pickup trucks.

The two announcements involve different parts of GM’s manufacturing operations: engine production in St. Catharines and vehicle assembly in Oshawa.

According to GM, it has announced $3.3 billion in new investment in Canadian manufacturing and operations over the past six years.