SAINT THOMAS, Ont. - A small city in southwestern Ontario steeped in automotive manufacturing history is set to boom again with the creation of a huge new electric-vehicle battery plant.
St. Thomas, Ont., Mayor Joe Preston says the new $7-billion Volkswagen battery plant gives the community a bright future.
Volkswagen will build a "gigafactory" on a 1,500-acre site that will produce enough batteries for one million electric vehicles each year.
The company says the plant will create up to 3,000 direct jobs and 30,000 indirect jobs.
Ottawa has committed $700 million in up front capital costs towards the project while Ontario added $500 million.
Auto giant Ford built cars for decades in St. Thomas, but closed its assembly plant in 2011.