There is a potential thaw in the impasse regarding the electric vehicle battery plant in Windsor.
The Toronto Star, citing unnamed sources, reported Wednesday that a tentative deal has been reached by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Ontario Premier Doug Ford to save the EV battery operation in Windsor.
The Star report says the deal may include up to $13-billion in incentives and subsidies, more than the package promised to rival Volkswagen for a plant in St. Thomas.
As of late Wednesday afternoon, there has been no confirmation from either the Ontario government or the federal government.
Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens, reached Wednesday, called the Star report "a little premature", and it's important that a deal is in place to save the entire project.
"We need to make sure that the federal government gets this over the finish line," said Dilkens. "The premier has been intimately involved in this conversation and these negotiations, and I know that the province has ponied up even more money trying to get this over the finish line. But at the end of the day, this deal is between the federal government and Stellantis, and LG."
The mayor said time remains of the essence.
"I hope a deal can be reached very, very soon, and that every day that goes by on the calendar, and the pages get torn off, it becomes more in jeopardy," said Dilkens. "At some point, the company needs the certainty to be able to restart construction, to get this project done on their timeline."
Construction on the module plant stopped abruptly three weeks ago when Stellantis accused the federal government of not living up to its promises. Work on the battery cell plant has continued.
WindsorNewsToday.ca has reached out to Windsor-Tecumseh MP Irek Kusmierczyk for comment. Stellantis Canada spokesperson Lou Ann Gosselin declined to comment Wednesday afternoon.
---with files from Adelle Loiselle
More to come.