Further to your post Babjak1.....results from visit to Japan.  Background ring antics.

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https://news.ontario.ca/medg/en/2017/01/protecting-4000-jobs-in-ontarios-auto-sector.html

Protecting 4,000 Jobs in Ontario's Auto Sector

Governments of Ontario and Canada Partnering with Honda to Strengthen Alliston Assembly Operations

The governments of Ontario and Canada are partnering with Honda Canada to help the company modernize its Alliston assembly operations, ensuring the plant remains competitive and helping to secure the next generation of vehicle production in the province.

The investment will go towards:

• Design and build of a new state-of-the-art paint shop that will reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the paint process by 44 per cent
• Leading-edge vehicle assembly technologies, including lightweight materials and advanced material bonding techniques
• Research and development to support production of future vehicle models, including software upgrades and prototyping of new components.

These upgrades will secure 4,000 direct jobs at Honda's Alliston facility, and thousands more in Ontario's automotive supply chain. They also position the Alliston facility to remain competitive in the longer term.

Premier Kathleen Wynne, together with Minister Duguid, recently met with Honda executives, including Honda Canada CEO Jerry Chenkin, at the company's headquarters in Tokyo as part of a business mission to Japan and South Korea. The mission strengthened Ontario's global business ties and showcased the province's strengths in automotive innovation and advanced manufacturing.

Supporting the auto industry is part of Ontario's plan to create jobs, grow our economy and help people in their everyday lives.

Quick Facts

• The Governments of Ontario and Canada are each providing Honda with conditional grants of up to $41.8 million. Honda will invest up to $408.3 million for a total project investment of up to $492 million.
• Ontario is the only subnational jurisdiction in the world with five global automotive assemblers — Honda, Chrysler, Ford, General Motors and Toyota — as well as truck manufacturer Hino.
• Vehicle assembly and auto parts production directly supports more than 100,000 jobs in Ontario, with hundreds of thousands more spin-off jobs across the province.