While there still has not been an official announcement on the state of talks on the NextStar EV battery plant in Windsor, the Premier of Ontario believes the parties involved are "inches away" from making it happen.
Ford made the comments at an announcement in Kingsville on Thursday.
His comments follow news from the Toronto Star that a "tentative deal" had been reached late Wednesday, which Stellantis has since pushed back on.
Ford says he knows everyone is anxious for the deal, including himself, and he's remained in regular contact with his federal counterparts.
"And I just want to thank the Prime Minister for being a great partner. I'm urging them to do what's necessary to make sure they secure their agreement, and have said again that Ontario is willing to do our part. We've put more money on the table, and now more than ever we need all people, all levels of government and all communities to work together," he said.
Ford didn't go into specifics of what the province has anted up, saying it would come out when the deal was finalized, but did say the province is on the hook for a third of the total cost.
He says the province is here to help the federal government close the deal, and thanked all of the partners involved from the federal government, as well as Stellantis for having patience as the process plays out.
Ford says the plant will be built.
"Employ 2,500 people and then there is spin off jobs of seven to one, those are pretty staggering numbers. You're looking at thousands, and thousands of new jobs. And what comes with that? New housing, new roads, twinning the highways, new hospitals, long term care and the schools that we're building."
Ford says he's not worried about how these discussions have played setting any sort of precedent, and believes the investment is worth it no matter what it takes.
"And this isn't about one, or two, or three years. This is about decades moving forward and giving people certainty and stability, giving communities the stability that they need and the leaders within the communities. They're having more revenue come up to the city coffers per se, and being able to spend it on different areas no matter if it's infrastructure or healthcare," he stated.
Industry Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne said that a deal to save the $5-billion electric-vehicle battery plant in Windsor was "inching closer" on Wednesday, while Windsor Tecumseh MP Irek Kusmierczyk says the federal government remains fully engaged in negotiations.