General Motors ends 90 year relationship with Windsor

**Magnatomicflux** · July-29-10, 12:23 AM

Turn the page. The last transmission rolled off the line yesterday ending the 90 year fling with this border city. Here's a view of the historic [[for Windsor anyways)Walker road plant that I have copied from AIW's Internationalmetropolis, along with a link to the post on the plant.

Attachment 7011

http://www.internationalmetropolis.com/?p=2296

Anyone else getting sick to death of these Auto giants abandonning the two cities that gave BIRTH to them??? If I were any of these places, and had to tighten the purse strings, I'd bring everything back home....not leave it.
Also of concern to me, is that is just one less customer for a struggling Essex Terminal Railway.....Canada's oldest shortline railroad at 108 years of age. As a matter of fact, their Engine house and old coaling tower are visible at the bottom left of the photo. Talk about convinience! I havn't seen their yard that full of cars in YEARS. Ford WEP is just out of view to the left, but you can see the test track, ETR pulls for them too. I certainly hope an industry moves in here instead of a bunch of building eaters. Having that railroad connecting Windsor to all points North America is attractive and its a massive facility. I've always wondered why Windsor hasn't pitched this plant to Locomotive builders. Anyone know if its big enough for an operation like that?

Anyways......To any of you onthis board affected by this, good luck to you.

**Mikeg** · July-29-10, 12:39 AM

Anyone else getting sick to death of these Auto giants abandonning the two cities that gave BIRTH to them???

Ummm, the facts are that General Motors' roots began in Flint, Michigan and Oshawa, Ontario. Detroit and Windsor operations came later. Oshawa, Ontario is still the home of GM of Canada's HQ and manufacturing plants. Not much is left in Flint, MI.

In 2005, EMD acquired the former General Motors Corp. Electromotive Division, which manufactured railroad locomotives. EMD's final assembly operations continue to be located just down the road in London, ON.

**Detroitej72** · July-29-10, 01:07 AM

Originally Posted by Mikeg

Ummm, the facts are that General Motors' roots began in Flint, Michigan and Oshawa, Ontario. Detroit and Windsor operations came later. Oshawa, Ontario is still the home of GM of Canada's HQ and manufacturing plants. Not much is left in Flint, MI.

David Buick was from Flint, MI, but was bought out by Billy Durant who lost control, regained control, then lost control of the company for good.

Alfred Sloan completed the GM Headquarters in the New Center of Detroit, Michigan, in the 20's.

Ransom Olds had a factory on Jefferson, that burned down, in 1901, thus GM had a presence in Detroit earlier than you give them credit for.

**R8RBOB** · July-29-10, 01:58 AM

Originally Posted by Mikeg

Ummm, the facts are that General Motors' roots began in Flint, Michigan and Oshawa, Ontario. Detroit and Windsor operations came later. Oshawa, Ontario is still the home of GM of Canada's HQ and manufacturing plants. Not much is left in Flint, MI.

In 2005, EMD acquired the former General Motors Corp. Electromotive Division, which manufactured railroad locomotives. EMD's final assembly operations continue to be located just down the road in London, ON.

When you were listing the roots of General Motors, you forgot Lansing and Pontiac.

**Magnatomicflux** · July-29-10, 03:14 AM

Originally Posted by Mikeg

Ummm, the facts are that General Motors' roots began in Flint, Michigan and Oshawa, Ontario. Detroit and Windsor operations came later. Oshawa, Ontario is still the home of GM of Canada's HQ and manufacturing plants. Not much is left in Flint, MI.

shit.....ok thanks. I forgot to be super technical. Oshawa is wrong too, lets go back to 1867 and a small farm in Tyrone, Ontario. Farmer McLaughlin made axe handles and carriages. I guess I could have said practically gave birth.
But, we can forget about GM. Ford and Chrysler DO have their roots here and I'm sick of them bailing on us. I know the Dodge brothers started here, in Windsor making bicycles somewhere near Ouellette and Riverside. Ford started in Detroit, and for Canada in Walkerville at the wagon works.

I just wanted to get across was the fact that another run in our collective history, has come to an end.

I didn't know the EDM were made in London...thanks! So that would be a big NO for production here then I would imagine.

**Danny** · July-29-10, 08:49 AM

So GM screw Canada just like they screw Flint and Poletown. Let us hope they don't screw Detroit.

**mpf** · July-29-10, 09:13 PM

Originally Posted by Mikeg

In 2005, EMD acquired the former General Motors Corp. Electromotive Division, which manufactured railroad locomotives. EMD's final assembly operations continue to be located just down the road in London, ON.

CAT just bought EMD. I sometimes make chuck jaws for these men.
Pistons the size of garbage cans!
I was on the waitlist for the Ford 'Fiesta', but then found out it was to be assembled in MEXICO. Wrote them and told them no thanks..I'll wait for the 2012 Focus.
I do want to see all lawyers get outsourced, sooner the better.

**Just Amazed** · July-29-10, 10:00 PM

Originally Posted by mpf

CAT just bought EMD. I sometimes make chuck jaws for these men.
Pistons the size of garbage cans!
I was on the waitlist for the Ford 'Fiesta', but then found out it was to be assembled in MEXICO. Wrote them and told them no thanks..I'll wait for the 2012 Focus.
I do want to see all lawyers get outsourced, sooner the better.

Maybe like all of the phone operaters/call centers, LOL, outsourced lawyers would be the best idea ever.
Whoops forgot to add "tongue in cheek".

**RaumVogel** · July-29-10, 10:59 PM

The only thing left after lawyers would be outsourced government workers.

**Detroitnerd** · July-30-10, 01:13 PM

We've come a long way since "What's good for GM is good for America."

When Americans get sick of being laid off, maybe we can start laying off the elite who are running this country into the ground.

**WayneMan** · July-30-10, 07:53 PM

To think that GM was doing well and hiring back. That's what the president said today on TV that these companies [[including Chrysler) added 55,000 in the last year. But it seems like that if we need to create jobs here, we will take them from Canada. Instead, what really should happen is if GM wants to create jobs here don't take them from other place's in Canada or other cities in the US. Take them from China or Mexico.