Toyota halts production due in part to blockade at Ambassador Bridge

Toyota has confirmed it will be halting production at its Ontario plants in part because of the protests near the Ambassador Bridge in Windsor, Ont.

Workers have been given three options. They can either take unpaid time off, paid time off, or show up for their regular shift where they will be given training or other work to do.

“The impacts down the supply chain though, are much more real as we talked to a few companies who are actively cancelling shifts for this coming weekend until they know how long this will last,” said Debra Mountenay, workforce planning and development board executive director.

“For larger companies, the manufacturers and assemblers will tend to have some things in place so that it does protect their employees a little bit because they are accustomed to some fluctuations that do happen from time to time.”

But for smaller companies down the supply chain, the future is uncertain.

Triton Innovation creates automation equipment for many companies within the auto sector supply chain, including Toyota.

“We all have to plan we have to plan when our stuff comes in so they can plan when their stuff comes,” said Steve Spanjers, president of Triton Innovation. “In so that they can get parts shipped out to their customer to the big OEMs so it's just a big snowball that just, you know, just keep rolling. It doesn't stop.”

And the impact that trickles down affects the local economy directly.

“For the local restaurants that are just starting to get opened back up for the retailers that are just starting to get people back into their place of business as well and in doing more sales,” Mountenay said.

At this point, Toyota says employees will not be affected, but if the border remains restricted to businesses because of the blockade, the effects will be felt for hundreds of smaller businesses that rely on those factories.