Motor City runs out of gas

100-years of General Motors history ends, new economic opportunities provide hope

Oshawa - A photo of R.S. McLaughlin in a car at the Canadian Automotive Museum. (Photo by Anne-Marie Jackson)

By Meagan Secord, Shanelle Somers, Jackie Graves, Morgan Kelly

Bernard Hutchings, 89, walks through his kitchen in Utica, 15 minutes east of Port Perry, Ont. 

An old wooden clock hangs in the dining room, seconds ticking by, a token of Bernie’s retirement after 30 years working for General Motors (GM) in the nearby town of Oshawa that housed the major manufacturing plant for more than 100 years. 

Bernie Hutchings in his home with the clock given to him by GM for 25 years of service. (Photo by Shanelle Somers)

His wife Shirley Hutchings clicks the kettle, a winter wind gently brushes against the old farmhouse. From the kitchen window, across the large acreage sits another barn housing a 1928 Model A Ford car, a token of the Hutchings family love of motor vehicles.   

Bernie is the first of three generations of GM workers in his family. His son, Martin, would follow, as well as his grandson, Matthew. Together they contributed 65 years to the motor manufacturing giant. In retirement, Bernie purchased the 27-acre farm and spent time looking after their animals, property, tractors and his family.

Sitting in the living room of the farm, he reminisces about the 1950s, when he applied for the job at GM. “If your blood pressure was all right, you got in,” says Bernie. “Didn’t matter what education.” 

Times were different then.

“General Motors was booming, everything was booming,” says Bernie.

In the 1950s, he says times at GM were good, money was flowing and the public was buying cars. Production was all man-powered and by 1956, General Motors produced three million vehicles. People from all over Canada flocked to Oshawa in search of a job for $2.65 per hour. 

On any given day, Bernie would drive his 1951 Studebaker and, in later years, his 1972 Oldsmobile Cutlass to the downtown North plant, with its looming smoke stack, the first of two plants that would dominate the Oshawa landscape. It was a symbol of the legacy which began as McLaughlin Carriage Works and switched to automotive in the early 1900s, releasing its first McLaughlin car in 1907, sparking the beginning of what would eventually become a legacy in manufacturing for Oshawa.

Oshawa - Before and after of King Street and Simcoe Street intersection facing east in 1972 and 2020. (Photo on left provided by The Oshawa Museum. Photo on right by Shanelle Somers)

The city was bustling as trains rolled up the centre of Bond Street to deliver coal and other goods. 

By 1953, the Oshawa assembly plant would open its doors, eventually developing into one of the largest automotive facilities on the planet, producing 730,000 vehicles per year.

Workers were allocated to the North or the South Plant, which was also opened in 1953. 

Unlike his father, Martin spent most of his time with GM in the South plant situated on a hillside just off the 401 highway that cuts through from Ontario’s metropolis of Toronto to cottage country. 

Historic aerial photo of GM’s North plant, the land now known as Costco. (Photo provided by The Oshawa Museum)

As the second generation of GM employees, Martin says he was thankful for the opportunity to be employed and raise his family, providing both his sons with a post-secondary education through GM’s tuition and benefits program. Martin carried on the family legacy for 34.8 years retiring in late 2015.

“You were very attached to GM, proud of GM, they gave us a good living and I was able to raise a family, buy a house and have a good life,” says Martin.

In his detached, four-bedroom home in a popular Oshawa subdivision, Martin’s home is quiet.

“Just how Martin likes it,” says Anne Hutchings as she pulls out a plate for her son Matthew, who is returning home from work. 

She says she will never forget the first day she went to pick up Martin at GM. 

“We're just newly married, and I went down to get him and their gate was closed like a prison and they're all banging against the fence,” she reminisces. “He worked at this massive press. It was the size of this house and it was so loud. Now, I understand why he wanted to come home and have a quiet house - because he was in that crazy noise all day.”

Oshawa - The Hutchings family enjoying the day together with their beloved dog, Holly, on the porch of their Oshawa home. From left Martin Hutchings, Anne Hutchings, Dan Hutchings and Matthew Hutchings. (Photo by Shanelle Somers)

It was the typical factory life, scheduled and repetitive manual labour with little light coming into the vast cavity of the huge South plant that spanned more than 230 acres.  

Martin said General Motors faced decades of rumours surrounding potential job losses, layoffs and strikes. Many times, workers were temporarily laid off sometimes for two weeks, or months at a time when manufacturing needs were low. 

“You would hear that sales were down, and they were thinking of closing a plant or getting rid of a shift,” Martin says.

Oshawa - Alexander Gates gives a tour of the Canadian Automotive Museum. (Photo by Meagan Secord)

Alexander Gates, curator of the Canadian Automotive Museum, agrees that uncertainty has been a trend throughout GM’s history.

“A misconception about the history of the industry is that it was really steady over the years,” he says. “The manufacturing history here in Oshawa shows that there's ups and downs. There’s seasonal layoffs and the industry went through boom and bust periods.”

Oshawa - Sales results of GM over the past 5+ years. Information provided by  GMauthority.com  (Graphic by Jackie Graves)

The unpredictability began to grow in the early 2000s, creating tension between the company and its workers.

By 2005, GM faced the shutdown of 12 factories, including a secondary plant in Oshawa – the same where Sam McLaughlin founded his automotive business. This closure eliminated more than 3,700 jobs. The site is now home to a shopping plaza and chain retail store - Costco. 

Things would come to a head in 2008 when GM struck a deal with the Canadian Auto Workers to continue production in Oshawa. However, only three weeks later, the company announced the closure of its pickup truck plant, much to the outrage of union workers.

Workers would go on to protest outside of GM’s Oshawa headquarters for two weeks in retaliation. In 2009, GM and Chrysler, two of the largest automotive companies, accepted federal and provincial government bailouts costing $13.7 billion, with GM being handed $10.8 billion.

The union, by this time known as Unifor, would once again go on strike as GM announced the closure of the Oshawa plant in November of 2018. This would result in workers walking off the line in a one-day protest.

Unifor would continue strike efforts into 2019 before losing the battle when the plant closed in December of the same year. 

GM would come into the spotlight when they announced their closure in 2018. More than 2,000 employees lost their jobs when the plant closed December 20, 2019. (Photo by Anne-Marie Jackson)

For Matthew Hutchings, the third Hutchings man to continue the tradition, he did not thoroughly enjoy working at GM like his father and grandfather did.

His time there was much different because the state the company was in was nearing closure in 2017. 

He was a temporary part-time worker, switching from job to job as needed, as well as being periodically on-call.

“I didn't like the unpredictability,” says Matthew. “It's like musical chairs. One day I moved probably five or six times.” 

After six months, Matthew decided to end his time at GM and look for work elsewhere. This led him to a position as a custodian at the Durham District School Board. 

Oshawa - The Hutchings family enjoys tea and dessert after dinner. From left Anne, Daniel Hutchings, Martin and Matthew. (Photo by Shanelle Somers) 

His mother, Anne, was not disappointed but rather says it was a learning opportunity that would spark the next phase in his life. 

“You want your children to go out into this world and make a difference and do what they want and be passionate about it,” she says. “An assembly line in GM, that was not for him. It did not suit his personality. It's all good. All these are experiences, don't have any regrets, right? It's all building blocks towards the next thing.”

While Matthew moved on from the motor giant, Trent Flower, a 20-year-old photographer/videographer, saw the turmoil as an employment opportunity that would give him a rare glimpse into factory life few were allowed to see unless you worked on the line. Four months before the plant closed, Flower got a temporary part-time position on the floor. Three months later, he sits at his computer, flipping through old photos and videos he took while working at the plant.

Oshawa - Inside the GM plant before the closure in December, 2019. (Photo by Trent Flower)

The visuals he snuck while in the plant range from everyday people doing their jobs, with a little humour in between, to empty truck lines and parts shelves. The once bustling and over-crowded work lines are now quiet.

He reminisced about his workers making makeshift coffee shops in their storage lockers, selling cups to a select group of coworkers who were in on the secret. As the last days neared, Flowers talks about people running out of parts, sleeping in the beds of unfinished trucks, and “goofing around” out of boredom.

“There was just a weird feeling to the plant,” says Flower. “People had that feeling of escape, in a way, like GM was fantastic to a lot of people, but some people felt drained by it.”

Flower says although he enjoyed his time at GM, the closure created tension between new and old workers. Temporary workers brought in after the announcement were sometimes seen as intruders.

 “The (senior GM workers) kind of lost everything, in the sense that some people there had never had a job other than manufacturing,” he says. “What do you put on a resume other than 20-years of putting a seat belt into a car?”

He says GM and Unifor gave the employees working before the announcement a lot of support, moving them to different fields of work and holding job fairs.

GM decided to close the Oshawa plant in 2018, despite being deemed by the city as the largest local employer just the year before. The plant officially closed its doors in December of 2019, ending the jobs of more than 2,000 people. 

For more information, click on the icons. (Graphic by Morgan Kelly)

Unifor worked with the company to secure severance packages and to keep a small portion of the plant open. Today, GM employs 300 workers operating out a small section of the plant to provide stamping services for vehicles. 

Unifor Local 222 president, Colin James, says the closure came as a shock to everyone from the workers to the union. He says the union didn’t even learn about the closure until it was aired on the news in November of 2018.

“Once that happened, we proceeded to have meetings with the company across the border obviously to try and maintain the footprint to keep our members working,” says James. “We were not successful.” 

Manufacturing was exported, predominately to Mexico for cost-saving measures. GM plants in Mexico produce vehicle brands such as Chevrolet Cruze, Equinox, Blazer, Trax and Silverado as well as the GMC Terrain and Sierra, according to Automotive News Canada.

“Those vehicles are still being built at a much lower cost,” says James. “In a lot of the members’ eyes, it’s just based on financial decisions, not based on people's livelihoods. It's important that a lot of these companies, especially large corporations, think about the impact it has not just on the workers, but on the community.”

Today, Oshawa has 11 primary job sectors making up the majority of the economy, with the largest in medical, retail and trade, as well as ‘other’, according to the City of Oshawa. From 2008 to 2019, there has been a 59 per cent reduction in manufacturing, a sector once dominated by GM.

Oshawa’s 11 job sectors according to The City of Oshawa. (Graphic by Meagan Secord)

Oshawa mayor Dan Carter was sworn in just before the GM announcement and has witnessed the effect of the closure.

Carter says integrating and educating the thousands of GM workers is at the top of his mind. He adds it’s important to support the youth demographic and grow Oshawa’s economy in other primary job sectors to stave off unemployment rates, which was 7 per cent in February, 2020.

“It’s the first thing (I think of) when I get up in the morning, the last thing I think of every single day.” 

Carter describes the “great city of Oshawa” as a city in transformation. A traditional town turning into a knowledge-based, research and development town. 

After hearing concerns from residents affected by the closure and transformation, Carter says a theme is the fear of upskilling and retraining.

“This transition is a time of disruption and that could get really uncomfortable for people, but it can also be the greatest opportunity for change, it'll be the greatest opportunity for advancement, it'll be the greatest opportunity for economic prosperity,” says Carter.

John Henry, the Durham Regional chair and former mayor of Oshawa, agrees change can be a good thing for the city. Instead of focusing on the closure, Henry prefers to put effort into other sectors of the economy such as education, healthcare and agriculture.

“When you look at the size of Lakeridge Health with a hospital in Bowmanville, Oshawa, Whitby, Ajax-Pickering, Uxbridge and Port Perry, it really is a big part of our economy,” says Henry. “We also have 18,000 people that work in the agricultural businesses, whether it be cash crops, livestock, processing of goods. We've done very well there.”

Whitby - Durham Regional Chair John Henry working in his office after discussing his family history with GM. (Photo by Meagan Secord)

Heather McMillan, the executive director for Durham Workforce Authority (DWA), says helping people find new career paths later in their lives makes her as “happy as a clam”.

The DWA is responsible for investigating the ever-changing local labour market in Durham Region. Despite the challenges of financing new education options, McMillan “firmly and fundamentally” believes this is an opportunity for auto workers to do a reset.

“You would expect that I would say, I'm not optimistic but actually, I am optimistic,” says McMillan. “The simple fact is that the unemployment rate is tight for employers, which means employers will be needing the workforce.”

Elaine Popp, the vice president, academic at Durham College, bustles around the campus ensuring the college offers the right programs for jobs that are in demand, strengthening the college’s applied research agenda, and strategically managing enrolment.

With more than 43,000 full and part-time students, Durham College is focused on an education style that’s innovative and unique not only for high school graduates and college enthusiasts, but also for mature learners starting new career paths

Oshawa — Elaine Popp (right) speaks with another Durham College faculty member on campus before a presentation. (Photo by Morgan Kelly)

Durham College president Don Lovisa says the college has set up a portal in partnership with GM where workers can find more than 1,000 job postings. He adds they are also working with about 56 different companies who expressed interest in hiring GM workers, provided they have additional training, in some cases.

“We're helping transition the community to different types of employment. [The] college has been doing labour adjustment and readjustment for 50 years. And really, that's why colleges were formed in 1967,” says Lovisa. “There was a need to have some level of education that helped people retrain for the jobs that are emerging and our economy's always emerging.”

Programs that see the highest enrolment are Police Foundations, Early Childhood Education (ECE), and Nursing. However, Popp mentions new programs that have had strong enrolments right out the gates such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), Data Analytics and Cyber Security graduate certificate programs.

“You can't ignore the fact that AI and automation are disrupting the workforce,” she says.

“It's up to us to make sure we stay abreast of what is changing in the economy, understanding how jobs are evolving, and what the future of work looks like so we can ensure the students that come to study with us are graduating career-ready.”

Oshawa - Durham College President Don Lovisa in his office, discussing how to bridge gaps between education and employment. (Photo by Jackie Graves)

GM is hoping to take advantage of some of those innovative educational avenues. It will continue to have a place in Oshawa, transitioning into a more advanced technological project, including an autonomous test track. It has no definitive opening date, although developers broke ground on 55-acres in December 2019. The track is situated on the grounds of GM’s former south plant and is estimated to cost $170 million.

Regional and City Councillor Rick Kerr says while the economic climate is shifting away from manufacturing, this doesn’t mean GM’s history in Oshawa is over. 

He notes GM is not gone from the city, as the head office and jobs within engineering and administration, still exist. 

“We just had an announcement from GM that they’re here for the long haul,” he says. “GM will have a strong presence in our city for a long time to come. It just, unfortunately, isn't the level and type of presence that they had for the previous hundred years.” 

Despite the focus on modern automotive, on a brisk March morning, Martin tinkers with an old golf cart, a small employment opportunity he enjoys at Masters Golf Carts on Taunton Road.

“I build six passenger stretch golf carts,” he says. “I put lift kits in them, mags, mag wheels, stereos - pretty well any option that's on a car.” 

Martin says he works alongside other General Motors’ retirees at the golf cart shop. Most workers applied for a job at the shop for something to do outside of retiree life and gain a little bit of extra money on top of their GM pensions. 

Any GM employee who completes 30 years of work was eligible to retire and receive a pension plan or as some GM employees refer to it, a ‘package or buyout’. These included a voucher towards a new GM vehicle. 

Utica - Martin Hutchings and his father Bernard Hutchings check out the car stored in their barn. (Photo by Shanelle Somers)

Martin says his dream for him  and his wife Anne is to settle on a farm in north Durham, similar to his father. Martin says he believes Oshawa has a great future ahead. His son Daniel became a teacher and his son Matthew settled into a job he loves. Things are going well despite the closure of GM in Oshawa.

“I think Oshawa will still be fine because General Motors were reducing jobs kind of a little at a time,” says Martin. “There will be an impact but I don’t think it will affect in a real negative way.”

One of the men leading the charge for Oshawa’s new economic plan is Kyle Benham, the Director of Economic Development. He looks after investment in the city – a job he admits is more complicated than it sounds. Whether this means working with businesses to set up operations or convincing people to invest, he works with a team of five to get the job done. 

His position offers him a unique perspective on the job sectors of Oshawa.

Since GM’s closure, Benham says there has been substantial growth in the health sector, adding it’s the one of the largest in Oshawa’s economy. According to Benham, the health sector accounts for approximately 15 per cent of total jobs in the city and has grown 30-40 per cent over time.

“We really become very much a regional hub [for] healthcare here and it’s going to be one of those pieces that are going to drive future growth as we go forward,” he says. 

Oshawa - Kyle Benham looks over a film industry proposal in his office at City Hall. (Photo by Shanelle Somers) 

Benham says there has also been significant growth in informational technology. He attributes much of this growth to Toronto residents making their way into Durham Region – something he sees as a good way to fill some of those more skilled positions. 

“Toronto is driving a lot of the residential growth that's here in the community,” he says. “The positive aspect of that is as more people come into the community, and [because] housing is so expensive, you've got to be pretty well-employed. So, we're actually seeing a lot of brand new, highly-skilled, trained, professional sort of coming into the community.”

Benham admits positions within the retail sector “aren’t the best”, often requiring workers to juggle multiple jobs. However, he says these skilled jobs, such as those within technology, are “much better.” 

With an increase in residents has come an increase in the retail sector, particularly in building permits, according to Benham.

“We're looking to add another 20,000 to 40,000 people over this next 20 years,” he says. 

Benham’s insight into the economy in Oshawa is essential as he is charged with developing the city’s economic development action plan.

These plans break down where the city is doing well and falling short, as well as how to recover and strengthen the economy as a whole. Benham released the 2019 action plan last year, he says the plan for 2020 is still in the works.

“What’s the economy need to look like 10 years from now? Which is kind of our big project this year, is to answer that question,” says Benham. “I don’t have the answers yet.”

While Benham looks to new economic pillars, Carter has his eye on surprising growth in the entertainment industry he believes could put Oshawa in the spotlight. 

“You know one of the new opportunities that I've been hearing a great deal about is in the movie industry, believe it or not,” he says. “The film industry annually went from $45-billion to $150-billion in the last three years, because people are watching Amazon, Netflix, other providers.”

Oshawa has already been used as a film location many times at the historical mansion of R.S. McLaughlin for films such as Billy Madison and X-Men. 

Community leaders believe bringing eclectic employment opportunities to the region will allow residents to begin educating and honing their skills to enhance the workforce.

Back at the automotive museum, two seniors walk together through old cars on the second floor of the historic downtown space. It’s a unique space for the region, showcasing a number of locally-made GM antique cars among others from across Canada. 

Gates sits on his computer and greets people as they enter the museum. 

He is proud when he gets to show off the collection which includes a 1912 McLaughlin-Buick Touring and Chevrolets from the 1920s.

As a historian, he has to look to the past when answering questions about the future. Gates says before GM, Oshawa produced horse drawn carriages. Then they mass produced war vehicles.

The times are always changing and with it, manufacturing.

“Well, we can be the next largest manufacturing of whatever that next transportation mode is,” says Gates. “So, maybe it'll be flying rocket packs, maybe it will be autonomous vehicles - who knows? But we definitely have the engineers, we have the skills, we have the universities and colleges. We have the proximity to ports, to rail, to highways and really the best and brightest here in the Greater Toronto Area. So, we're quite excited about the future. I think Oshawa will really rise to the occasion and become the next hub for the next transportation revolution.”

Oshawa – Canadian-made cars on display at the Canadian Automotive Museum. (Photo by Anne-Marie Jackson)

The story continued...

A documentary created by Meagan Secord, Shanelle Somers, Jackie Graves and Morgan Kelly.

Oshawa - A photo of R.S. McLaughlin in a car at the Canadian Automotive Museum. (Photo by Anne-Marie Jackson)

Bernie Hutchings in his home with the clock given to him by GM for 25 years of service. (Photo by Shanelle Somers)

Oshawa - Before and after of King Street and Simcoe Street intersection facing east in 1972 and 2020. (Photo on left provided by The Oshawa Museum. Photo on right by Shanelle Somers)

Historic aerial photo of GM’s North plant, the land now known as Costco. (Photo provided by The Oshawa Museum)

Oshawa - The Hutchings family enjoying the day together with their beloved dog, Holly, on the porch of their Oshawa home. From left Martin Hutchings, Anne Hutchings, Dan Hutchings and Matthew Hutchings. (Photo by Shanelle Somers)

Oshawa - Alexander Gates gives a tour of the Canadian Automotive Museum. (Photo by Meagan Secord)

Oshawa - Sales results of GM over the past 5+ years. Information provided by  GMauthority.com  (Graphic by Jackie Graves)

GM would come into the spotlight when they announced their closure in 2018. More than 2,000 employees lost their jobs when the plant closed December 20, 2019. (Photo by Anne-Marie Jackson)

Oshawa - The Hutchings family enjoys tea and dessert after dinner. From left Anne, Daniel Hutchings, Martin and Matthew. (Photo by Shanelle Somers) 

Oshawa - Inside the GM plant before the closure in December, 2019. (Photo by Trent Flower)

Oshawa’s 11 job sectors according to The City of Oshawa. (Graphic by Meagan Secord)

Whitby - Durham Regional Chair John Henry working in his office after discussing his family history with GM. (Photo by Meagan Secord)

Oshawa — Elaine Popp (right) speaks with another Durham College faculty member on campus before a presentation. (Photo by Morgan Kelly)

Oshawa - Durham College President Don Lovisa in his office, discussing how to bridge gaps between education and employment. (Photo by Jackie Graves)

Utica - Martin Hutchings and his father Bernard Hutchings check out the car stored in their barn. (Photo by Shanelle Somers)

Oshawa - Kyle Benham looks over a film industry proposal in his office at City Hall. (Photo by Shanelle Somers) 

Oshawa – Canadian-made cars on display at the Canadian Automotive Museum. (Photo by Anne-Marie Jackson)