The mayor of Windsor believes more needs to be done to diversify the local economy.
Following Monday's announcement that General Motors will close its assembly plant in Oshawa, the question has been raised, would Windsor survive a similar situation given the local economy's dependence on the auto sector?
Speaking on AM800's The Morning Drive, Mayor Drew Dilkens says his answer to that question would be 'no.'
"We'd love to be there a lot faster so that if we were ever faced with what Oshawa is faced with, the impact wouldn't be as large or as great in our community. But we're not there yet, we have a lot more work to do," says Dilkens.
Dilkens says to diversify an entire city's economy takes time and it takes money.
"Even with my predecessor, starting with Premier Aviation out at the {Windsor} airport, then looking at what we've done with the last term of council with Kauth, which supplies the automotive industry but also lots of other types of industries with their products. And then most recently, Quicken Loans, we're getting into technology jobs."
He adds the city needs to be able to adjust and adapt to what's happening around the world by moving into employment spaces that are still manufacturing "bread-and-butter" but also technology based.